Michigan Dept. of Agriculture Hands Out Animal Welfare Fund Grants

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD has announced the recipients of the 2021 Animal Welfare Fund grants. This year, MDARD will distribute $137,144 to 24 registered animal shelters throughout the state to support various animal welfare projects.

The Animal Welfare Fund is supported by generous Michiganders during tax season when they check the fund’s box on Form 4642, Voluntary Contributions Schedule on their state tax returns.

For this year’s grant cycle, MDARD received 59 applications, totaling more than $511,000 in requests. Projects funded this year include the following:

• Equipment for the safe and secure transport of animals found in large-scale neglect and hoarding situations.
• Outreach and educational materials to gain support for community changes that help promote the importance of spay/neuter and proper pet care.
• Certified anti-cruelty training for animal control officers to aid in their investigations of cruelty and fighting incidents, as well as assist in the cooperation and coordination of local law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, and community relations.
• Surgical packs for spay/neuter of shelter animals to reduce the backlog of surgeries and reduce the length of stay for shelter animals, helping them make it to new homes sooner without the chance of more unwanted puppies or kittens.

Grand Traverse County Board Unanimously Commits to Fund Animal Control Temporarily for 2022 Through General Budget

The Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners discussed putting the Animal Control Millage Renewal on the ballot in November but in the end they decided it was not fiscally responsible to spend approximately $197K of taxpayer money for a special election with only one issue on the ballot.

Commissioners had heard from their Townships that while they supported Animal Control services, they preferred to have the millage on the general election ballot next year instead of spending so much money to put in on the ballot at the end of this year all by itself.

Because the millage was a three-year millage, it happened to be up for renewal this year at a time when nothing else was going to be on the county ballot.

The Board committed to fund the Animal Control Department at a level that will allow them to function at the same service level they are at now with three officers six days a week who are also on call 24/7 for emergencies. 

Michigan Pet Report – Season 1, Episode 5 – April 18, 2021

Hello Michigan Pet Friends. This is season 1 episode 5 of the Michigan Pet Report and it was recorded on Sunday, April 18th, 2021.

The focus of this weekly podcast is to highlight Michigan pet news and to put a spotlight on rescue organizations and special dogs and cats waiting to be adopted. We’ll also cover animal legislation and other important issues that are of interest to Michigan pet owners and animal advocates.

For now, until I get a little bit more versed in this podcasting software, you will hear the word DASH which will signify that a story has ended and another has began.

For today’s episode, we’re going to start out spotlighting several cats instead of just one. There are 21 cats in need of homes that were taken from a Jackson county home. According to M Live, the Jackson County Animal Shelter took the cats out of a home after a Blackman Township woman was evicted from her house. Anyone interested in adopting one of these cats can visit the shelter at 3370 Spring Arbor Road or call 517-788-4464.

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For our dog spotlight, we bring to you Bella Marie, a five-year-old medium sized mixed breed dog who is up for adoption through the Humane Society of West Michigan in Grand Rapids. She has the cutest face so you really need to go on their website at h s west m i dot org and take a look at her.

She’s about 54 lbs. and is brown with white paws and a white chest. She’s a little chunky but walks well on a leash so she’d be up for a walking exercise program. She likes to chill too and enjoys napping in the sun and looking out the window at squirrels.

She is shy around new people and needs to be in a home as an only pet. She’s doing great at her foster home. You can contact the Humane Society about her by emailing them at adoptions @ h s west m i dot org.

Michigan Pet Report – Season 1, Episode 4 – March 21, 2021

Hello Michigan Pet Friends. This is season 1 episode 4 of the Michigan Pet Report and it was recorded on Monday, April 12th, 2021.

The focus of this weekly podcast is to highlight Michigan pet news and to put a spotlight on rescue organizations and special dogs and cats waiting to be adopted. We’ll also cover animal legislation and other important issues that are of interest to Michigan pet owners and animal advocates.

For now, until I get a little bit more versed in this podcasting software, you will hear the word DASH which will signify that a story has ended and another has began.

For today’s episode, we’re going to start out spotlighting a cat named Trouble Mackey from P A  A W Pet Adoption Alternative in West Bloomfield. Trouble Mackey is an adult medium sized male domestic short haired tabby brown and chocolate kitty. He was born in October of 2018 and is an affectionate cat who is litter trained, neutered and up to date on his shots.

He got into an altercation when he was living outside and was rescued by P A A W. He got some stitches on his head and his leg got treated and he is now on the road to recovery. He likes to talk – he’s very vocal so he needs a family that would like to carry on a conversation with him. You can call to find out more about Trouble Mackey at 586 825-3350

Grand Traverse County Commissioners Table Animal Control Millage Renewal Request Vote Until April 21st

Because there was nothing submitted to the commissioners in their agenda packet for the Animal Control Millage Renewal request discussion, they voted to table the discussion until the April 21st meeting when they will have more information to look at.

Even though a plentiful amount of information was emailed to them by Jennifer Isbell with Pet Friends Magazine, including a link to the story on the millage renewal with facts and figures, it was clear that the Commissioners wanted “official” documentation in their agenda packet from the Animal Control Department which will be compiled for the next meeting.

Another issue that was brought up by County Clerk Bonnie Scheele is that this proposal would require a ”special election” because there are currently no other voting issues scheduled for a November election.

Michigan Pet Report – Season 1, Episode 3 – April 4, 2021

Hello Michigan Pet Friends. This is season 1 episode 3 of the Michigan Pet Report and it was recorded on Sunday April 4, 2021.

The focus of this weekly podcast is to highlight Michigan pet news and to put a spotlight on rescue organizations and special dogs and cats waiting to be adopted. We’ll also cover animal legislation and other important issues that are of interest to Michigan pet owners and animal advocates.

For now, until I get a little bit more versed in this podcasting software, you will hear the word dash which will signify that a story has ended and another has began.

For today’s episode, we’re going to start out with an animal rescue spotlight for the organization Michigan Cat Rescue. This is a group in Saint Clare that rescues homeless, abused and abandoned cats, provides them proper veterinary care and places them in loving homes. They are a small non-profit organization that places their cats in foster homes until they are able to be adopted. On their Facebook page, they recently told a story about a pregnant cat who was in need of rescue. Betty the cat was abandoned by her owners when they moved away and a nice lady took them in. The momma cat had five kittens who are all healthy and eating on their own. When the kitty rescuer took the cats in for a vet check, a homeless cat came in whose life was in jeopardy. The cat, named Raven, had just given birth to six kittens. She had to have an emergency spay surgery because she was dying from having a dead kitten inside of her that was making her septic. The surgery saved her life but the kittens didn’t have a mom to nurse them. So momma Betty stepped up and nursed the kittens, saving their lives. If you want to learn more about Michigan Cat Rescue, you can find their Facebook page and website online very easily.

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