Animal Shelter Needs
Your Help Now as
Cash Runs Low

The no-kill Homeward Bound Animal Shelter in Manistee County is short on cash, and they may have to close their doors by the end of September.

The shelter takes no federal, state, or local funds, which means they rely almost completely on donations. But over the past 12 months, those donations are down, while the number of animals coming in is going up.

Unfortunately, their donation button doesn't appear to be working so you'll have to send them donations the old fashioned way – in the mail.

Homeward Bound Animal Shelter
736 Paws Trail
PO Box 144
Manistee, MI 49660

You can also send donations straight to their vet to help pay their bills. Send your check with a note that it's to be used for "Homeward Bound" to:

Parkdale Animal Hospital
420 East Parkdale Avenue
Manistee, MI 49660
Phone (231) 723-8998

Click here for more on the story.

To Help, visit or call the shelter:
www.homewardboundmanistee.org
(231) 723-PETS (7387)

Organization in Lansing Helps People Keep Their Pets

Imagine having to say goodbye to your best friends just when you need them the most. The Pet Support Services group has assisted people with special needs in keeping, feeding and caring for their companion pets since 1997. They help seniors and people with a serious illness or disability because caring for a pet can be difficult. For more information, please see their website here.

Please click here for a comprehensive list of pet financial aid-related organizations.

Pound Seizure Legislation

From Pet Fund Alliance

On Wednesday, August 28th HB 4663 (Koda's bill - amended version - Pound Seizure) passed the full House. It was 78 yes, 20 no and 10 not present/abstaining. This is a real victory! Now it is off to the Senate. Let your Senator know you want him/her to support this bill and make it law! For more information about Pound Seizure, check out the Fact Sheet.

The Bill to ban gassing of homeless pets at Michigan shelters passed the House Agriculture Committee but it has yet to make it on the full House Floor.  Contact House Speaker Andy Dillion and ask him to put it on the House agenda for a vote.

Great Lakes Pet Memorial Has Become the Premier Place to Go For People Who Have Lost Cherished Pets.

A Recent Renovation to their Building, Designed with their Clientele in Mind, Was Just Completed

When Kerri Collier, owner of Great Lakes Pet Memorial & Crematory in Traverse City saw a considerable need for superior pet loss services in the area, she opened what has become the premier place for Northern Michigan's grieving pet owners to turn to. In fact, they just completed a renovation to their building and now offer a small private farewell room for pet owners to spend some quiet alone time with their beloved companions.

Great Lakes Pet Memorial offers several types of services for pet owners in Northern Michigan. Some area Veterinarians are already using her company (which opened in 2008) to provide pet cremation services
for their clients. Other Veterinarians in the area who haven't switched to Great Lakes more current practices, are either
still using out of the area companies that only make the rounds to pick up animals once in a while, leaving grieving pet
owners waiting weeks to get their pet's ashes returned to them. (Sometimes cherished pets are left in freezers for 3-4
weeks at a time before they are picked up.) Another service some Veterinarians still offer, is an outdated "garage style"
cremation from a company that has no official business front for clients or pet owners to visit; just a homemade brochure and a P.O. Box used for contact information.

Great Lakes Pet Memorial offers their clients and Veterinarians so much more than "just ashes". Pet owners are welcome at their facility and they even keep regular business hours for the memorial products store they have in the front of the facility. Kerri says “Pet owners of today want to be more involved, meet the people who will be handling their
cherished pets, and see for themselves where they’re being sent. Our clients want and need to have peace of mind
or closure when it comes to losing a dearly loved friend; we’re able to give them that.”

Many of the area Veterinarians who have switched to Great Lakes' services have been pleasantly surprised at the difference from previous companies they've used. Jennifer Klabunde, DVM of Northwood Pet Hospital located just south of Traverse has said “The Staff at Great Lakes Pet Memorial & Crematory go above and beyond to accommodate our hospital. They are courteous, professional, and timely and return the remains with such a beautiful presentation to the client”.

Sherri DeRusia, manager of East Bay Pet Hospital in Acme says” Great Lakes Pet Memorial has been a refreshing change.
They take an otherwise hard situation & help to make it a little better. Our clients appreciate their services”

Great Lakes Pet Memorial offers several choices when it comes to pet cremation. Clients can witness their pet's cremation
if they choose to. For pet owners who do not want their ashes returned to them, Great Lakes Pet Memorial will spread the
ashes in their "Memorial Flower & Rose Garden" located right on their facility's property.

They also have the largest pet memorial products store in Michigan. Offering everything from custom urns, caskets, and jewelry, to engraved stones and markers, they even carry Sympathy cards & plenty of gifts under $30; their store is truly exceptional!

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact the owner: Kerri Collier at
(231) 421-1370 or e-mail Kerri here.

You can also read more about the new farewell room at this link at the Grand Traverse Insider newspaper website.

Why It's Important to Groom Your Pet

Grooming and playing are two great ways to bond with your pet. Grooming also gives you an opportunity to monitor your pet's overall health and gain their trust. Click here for more info.

Coughing up Hairballs - Prevention of Hairballs in Cats and How to Treat

While an occasional hairball is no cause for alarm, if your cat is vomiting up a hairball more than once or twice a month, it's time to think about a plan of action. Click here for more info.

Transport Available to Get Your Pets Spayed or Neutered

Animal lover Susan Boyd is offering to transfer pets to the ANGEL Animal Rescue & Veterinary Clinic in Paris once a month for spay/neuter services. She will be able to transport up to 20-23 pets. The first date is August 26th and the next date is September 23rd. Hopefully this will be a monthly event.

Charges for a cat neuter is $30; cat spay $40, dog neuter $50 and dog spay $60. Heartworm tests are $10 and vaccinations (rabies, distemper, kennel couch, feline leukemia) are $10 each. The vet uses 48 hour pain meds & antibiotic protocol.

The designated drop-off will be in Traverse City. Owners need to pre-register, drop off their pets in the morning and then pick them up around 6 pm in the same location.

To learn more about this, please call 231-883-2959.

Recalls, Recalls, Recalls

There have been many recalls lately concerning our pet's food. Here are the links...

Merrick Pet Care recalls Filet Squares & Texas Hold'ems 10 oz. bag because of possible salmonella health risk. Click here for more info.

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE:PG) is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported. Click here.

Feline’s Pride - Expands Nationwide Recall of its Natural Chicken Formula Cat Food Due to Salmonella Contamination - Click here for more info.

Natural Balance Pet Foods - Click here for more info.

Merrick Pet Care Recalls Beef Filet Squares - Click here for more info.

United Pet Group Voluntarily Expands Recall of Nutritional Supplements For Dogs to Include Additional Tablet and Powdered-Form Products for Dogs and Cats - Click here for more info.

PEACE Ranch Offers Horse Therapy for Local Families

PEACE Ranch near Traverse City is offering a non-traditional approach to learning and therapy. They say horse therapy teaches people, including autistic children and single moms, to "take the reins" in their own lives. Click here for more on the story.

State Investigates Area Veterinarian in Elmira

The Michigan Department of Community Health has issued a number of
administrative complaints against Dr. Donna Huffman Simons. Simons'
veterinary license was suspended in May. The department inspected Simons Veterinary Clinic on Tobias Road in Elmira
and found the conditions to be "unsafe and unsanitary." The complaints go as
far back as 2001. Click here for more info.

The St. Clair County Animal Control Takes a Step to Help Their Animals

The St. Clair County Animal Control now works with 501c3 Pre Approved Animal Rescues to allow the animals a second chance. Bravo for making the change and helping rescue groups help you to save more lives!

Kitty Needs a Home

This kitty needs a home. His name is "Vinny" and he is in Crawford County. Right now, he's staying in someone's shed but the person's other animals don't like the cat being around. He is less than a year old, not neutered and very loving. He has a beautiful black and white coat and is very soft. He loves anyone that co...mes up to him and seems lonesome. Can you offer this kitty a home? I am offering to pay for the neuter on this cat. Please contact me and I'll hook you up with the cat's caretaker.

Flock a Friend

What began as a rare sighting has turned into a major invasion of pink flamingos in Crawford County. AuSable Valley Animal Shelter is desperately trying to gain control over the situation, but needs your help.

There are literally dozens of flamingos out there getting into all kinds of trouble. "Keep your eyes open!" advised shelter director Cheryl Postma. "The shelter is full of these birds and we expect to be full for several weeks until they move on to some other unsuspecting town. We know that Crawford County Animal Control does not handle flamingo complaints, so we have teams that will go out and help round up these unruly visitors."

Where did they come from? "Well, we think the flamingos most likely hitched a ride north from Florida with some of our local snowbirds," explained shelter president Judith Frederick. "Weíre doing everything we can to handle these pink menaces."

Five teams of wranglers from the shelter's Flamingo Patrol have been trained and will work day and night to capture each flock and clean up the droppings left on local lawns.

Homeowners who discover they have been "flocked" need only make a donation of $20 to have them rounded up within 48 hours. If the homeowner would like to "flock" a friend or family member, an additional donation of $10 will send the flamingos migrating to that destination.

Shelter officials expect flamingo flock sightings to increase with the warm and humid weather expected during Memorial Day Weekend and is offering Anti-Flocking Insurance to guarantee no flock of flamingos will roost on the policy holder's lawn. The full coverage premium is just a $10 donation.

All proceeds from this comical fundraising project will go toward paying off the shelter facility, located at the old fairgrounds, 5786 Fairground Lane in Grayling. The shelter assures the ìflockingsî are all in fun and hopes everyone will enjoy participating in the tomfoolery.

To "flock" a friend or family member, call Judy Frederick at (989) 710-3904 or Christine MacDonald at (989) 370-6348, or email avasboard@yahoo.com.

AuSable Valley Animal Shelter is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

Reward Offered in Poodle Incident

Grand Traverse sheriff's officials said someone offered a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for burning a poodle named "Possum Pie." Click here for more info.

Northern Michigan Euthanasia Reports and Local PAW Awards '09

Click here to find out about your local shelter and how it compares to other groups in the area.

Fun Times!

Some new cat fun is happening at the AuSable Valley Animal Shelter in Grayling. Their new play area is a definite hit with the feline residents!

Pets as Property?

Attorney Catherine Wolfe recently presented a paper to the Mid-Atlantic Animal Law Symposium titled "Legal Re-Classification of Animals is Long Overdue". Click here to read her paper and click here to learn more about Catherine and her background in helping animals.

Michigan Shelters Still Giving Animals to Research Labs

Many dogs and cats in the shelters of Mecosta and Gratiot county are never given a good chance to find an adoptable home because they are given to research labs. Animals that go to a dealer are only held in the shelter for five full days and after that, the dealers have their pick of any free animal that they want.

In November/December of 2007, American Humane's Office of Public Policy conducted a phone survey of all municipal animal control shelters in Michigan to determine whether live shelter dogs and cats are provided for free or for a fee to Class B Dealers or directly to research facilities. They also verified information from the Dept. of Agriculture yearly shelter activity reports. Currently only two shelters currently provide live animals for experimentation: Gratiot County Animal Control and Mecosta County Animal Control. These two shelters provide the animals for free to the dealers. In 2008, Gratiot gave away 170 dogs and 176 cats. Mecosta gave away 158 dogs. Click here for American Humane's report.

Michigan law allows shelters to charge up to $10 per animal. Why don't the shelters charge a fee and why do they let the animals go to research labs? Chances are it's because of the benefits that the dealers provide to the counties. The dealers will kill the unclaimed animals they don't want and dispose of their bodies in exchange for the animals they do want.

Gratiot gives it's unclaimed shelter animals to R&R Research and Mecosta Co. gives its unclaimed animals to Cherry Hill Research. There is a group of people working to end pound seizure in Gratiot but last year the Gratiot Co. Board of Commissioners entered into a 5-year contract with R&R Research.

The Mecosta County shelter is run by a private individual who contracts with the county to house its animals. This makes it a lot more difficult to protest since the possibility of a lawsuit is far greater with a private shelter than a public one. There have been a few activists in that county who have raised concerns over pound seizure but there is no organized group in that area that is fighting against it. The contract between Mecosta County and the Devries is up for renewal in 2011.

What can we do? Voicing your concerns to the county commissioners in both counties is one option. Since these are county shelters, public input can have an impact, even if it's only at the next election. If new commissioners are voted in, they certainly have the legal right to readdress the B dealer contract with the county and could vote to reinstate it.

However, the BEST chance of fighting pound seizures by research companies is Michigan bill HB 4663 (Koda's Bill) which would prohibit class B dealers from taking animals from shelters to be used in research.

The bill was named after Koda, a 3-year-old malamute who was surrendered to the Gratiot County Animal Control shelter. Koda was then taken by a Class B dealer and resold to the University of Michigan, where he suffered traumatic injuries as a subject in the university’s Advanced Trauma Life Support Class and subsequently euthanized. Koda’s former family believed that taking him to a shelter would allow him another opportunity to find a home and did not know he would be used in a research experiment. What happened to Koda is happening every day in the remaining Michigan shelters that practice pound seizure.

On April 21, 2010, the Michigan House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on HB 4663. Allie Phillips, the vice president of American Humane's public policy, testified at the hearing and was very grateful for all the support provided by advocates at the hearing. The committee did not vote on the bill, due to time restrictions. Before a vote is taken, they will be working with the bill sponsor, Rep. John Espinoza, in a work group to resolve some issues with the opposition. Once those issues are resolved, they should have a vote from the committee.

Montcalm County Animals No Longer Going to Research Labs

Before the commissioner's meeting on Monday, April 27th, if you're in Montcalm County and your dog went missing or endsed up at the county's animal shelter, there was a good chance he could end up in a research facility.  The shelter gave animals to a Class B Dealer. NO MORE. On April 27th, 6 of the Montcalm County commissioners voted to end the county's contract with a Class B Dealer. Their pets will no longer be given to the dealer for him to sell for a profit to research facilities.

Post Office to Sell Shelter Stamps

On April 30th, the new "Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet" commemorative postage stamps will go on sale at post offices nationwide to kick off the "Stamps to the Rescue" campaign. Postmaster General John E. Potter says, "These stamps continue a Postal Service tradition of bringing attention to serious social issues of the day … one letter at a time,” said Potter. “This campaign will increase public awareness about sheltered pets and our hope is that it will encourage pet adoption and promote humane and responsible pet care."

The stamps were introduced to the public on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The Postal Service is working with DeGeneres and Halo, Purely for Pets, a holistic pet care company she co-owns, to promote the campaign and to bring greater attention to the cause.

In celebration of the new Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps, the Postal Service™, together with Ellen DeGeneres and Halo: Purely for Pets, is giving shelter pets around the country a first-class meal. During the launch of the stamps, Halo will be donating a million meals to animal shelters around the country.

You can see what the stamps look like and pre-order them at this website. If you click on each individual stamp, you can learn about each pet's story.

Posh Pets No Longer in Business

Posh Pets, the pet boutique in Traverse City, is no longer in business. Pet Friends Magazine wants to thank them for being a supporter of our website and being a great friend to our local pets and pet owners.

MSU's Veterinary School to Stop Using Live Dogs for Training

Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will no longer use live dogs for training in invasive surgeries beginning this fall after years of review and protests from animal rights groups. Click here for more info.

Have You Seen This Dog?

Parker is still missing. Parker is a 65 lb English Setter and only 16 months old. He was last seen on Long Lake Road in CHEBOYGAN (not TC). He is wearing a brown collar with ID tag. There is a reward so if you have ANY information please call Kristine at 231-625-0095.

Northern Michigan Euthanasia Reports for 2009 - Updated with Benzie Animal Control Correction

Every year, the Michigan Department of Agriculture releases the “Michigan Animal Shelter Activity Reports” for licensed animal shelters in Michigan. This report includes many things, including intake numbers and euthanasia statistics.

The winners for the Pet Friend Magazine's Paw Awards for the least amount of euthanasias are...

Homeward Bound Animal Shelter and AC Paw in the dog category.

and

Homeward Bound Animal Shelter and Leaning Oaks Cat Haven in the cat category.

You can click here for my breakdown on the numbers or click here for a pdf of the full report.

Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter's Free Behavior Problem Hotline
1-877-738-0217

Are you having behavior problems with your dog? Most behavior problems are not serious but plain annoying and affect the relationship we have with our companion animals. The best approach is to discuss the concern with your Veterinarian and/or a reputable behaviorist or trainer. However, sometimes people just need someone to talk to about the problem who can help them determine if professional intervention is needed.

Animal Behavior Helpline Online Counsel Request Form

Use this form to reach a trained behavior counselor at the Dumb Friends League, who will contact you by phone or e-mail (whichever you choose) to help solve the behavior problem you're experiencing. Expect a response withintwo to fourdays. This service is free. Click here.

Northern Michigan Animal Rescue Network Helping Pets All Over the Region

The Northern Michigan Animal Rescue Network, Inc. (NMARN) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was organized to carry out rescue efforts that aid cats and dogs and other domestic animals. They are working on establishing a network of volunteers to transport animals in need of vet care and also to safe shelters, foster homes or permanent homes. They are actively recruiting, organizing and training volunteers, promoting animal welfare and the prevention of cruelty to animals as well as educating the public regarding issues facing animals. Please check out their website here. You can also become a fan of their FaceBook page here.

Pet Food Recall

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is voluntarily recalling a small number of bags from a specific lot of one of its dry cat food products due to potential salmonella exposure. The product is Iams Indoor Weight Control with Hairball Care dry cat food. Click here for more info.

Found Cat - and Kittens

Cat and kittens up for adoption in the near future. Kittens and mom very friendly and sweet. Mom is litter box trained and some kittens too! Mom is a young tortoise and there are six kittens. Found in a commercial parking lot near Cass and 17th St. Interested people can email Linda by clicking here.

AuSable Valley Animal Shelter in Grayling Officially Becomes a No-Kill Shelter

On June 7, 2010, the AuSable Valley animal shelter board made a formal declaration of their No-Kill status, even though they have been operating that way since 2006. What this means is that the only animals that will be humanely euthanized are the ones who are chronically suffering or too aggressive to be adopted into a home. Euthanasia is done only after all options to save an animal have been exhausted. The animal is then euthanized by their local vet. In 2009, only three dogs and one cat were euthanized, all because of chronic suffering and none for aggression.

Congratulations, AuSable Valley!

Beautiful Lab Needs a Home

This is Riley, a yellow Lab neutered male, about 60 lbs, extremely handsome. He was originally trained to be a leader dog. Riley went from worst in his obedience class to the best in only 5 weeks. He is a foot-sitter and leg-leaner without being a nudge. Once he settles into a home or routine, he is a medium energy boy who would prefer following his beloved from room to room and going for long peaceful walks or playing fetch to competition. He might make a good therapy dog after the stress of changing homes passes as he is kind and gentle.  This boy is a homebody type.

If you are interested in Riley, please call Call Michelle McLean 586-781-5412 or email her here.

Last Chance Highway

I recently came across this TV show on the Animal Planet. Not sure if there are still new shows or just repeats but it's great. Groups pull animals from southern high-kill shelters and transport them to new families in the northeast.

Click here for a link about the program.

Books That Have Come to Our Attention

How Shelter Pets are Brokered for Experimentation: Understanding Pound Seizure

This book is a must read for anyone who knows nothing about pound seizure, as well as for the person well versed in this heinous practice and who wants to understand what she or he can do to make the madness stop. This book is for anyone who considers themselves a "Good Samaritan" in helping to get animals in-need to shelters, yet may be contributing to the delivery of a pet to an animal research facility. Click here for the Amazon link.

Charm of a Small Town

Inspired by an actual small Northern Michigan town (Alden) and its people, this novel is both exciting and moving as a boy and a dog struggle to gain acceptance. Includes the names of local people and businesses even though it's a fictional story. The animal organization, With a Little Help from My Friends, is mentioned a few times in the book and a percent of the sales of the book benefits the WaLHFMF new pet sanctuary. Book is a great read for all ages. Click here for the Amazon link.

Merle's Door:
Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Humorous, jubilant and touching by turns, this story of the relationship between man and dog is informed by the author's grasp of animal research and his attachment to Merle, a stray dog he adopted. This chronicle of their 13 years together is interspersed with studies by animal behaviorists that strengthened Kerasote's desire to see Merle as a responsible individual rather than a submissive pet. Click here for the Amazon link.

August 3rd Primary Results

The good news is that the animal control millages in Wexford County and Kalkaska county both passed. Good news for the animals that they serve in the community.

Make Your Own Pet Postage Stamps

Click here to get started.

Service Dogs Can Be Any Breed
From Michigan Pet Fund Alliance

The U.S. Department of Justice has put state and local governments on notice - if you've got breed specific legislation on the books, it doesn't apply to service dogs anymore. Last month, the DOJ issued a new rule relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dog can be any breed (or mix of breeds) under the sun. 

The ADA is federal law, and its job is to make sure that if you're disabled, you have the same accommodations and facilities in Tucson that you do in Toledo. If one city says you can't have a pit bull, no matter what, and another says pit bulls are just fine, then suddenly consistency goes right out the window. The Department of Justice gets that, and in the interests of making sure ADA is applied consistently no matter where you live, they're laying down the law.

In the ruling the DOJ's implicitly acknowledges that some often-maligned breeds have a proven record of being good service animals:

[Some localities] have restrictions that, while well-meaning, have the unintended effect of screening out the very breeds of dogs that have successfully served as service animals for decades without a history of the type of unprovoked aggression or attacks that would pose a direct threat, e.g., German Shepherds.

Spay Michigan Offers Low Cost Spay/Neutering
From Michigan Pet Fund Alliance

Spay Michigan is a service that helps connect those offering low-cost spay/neuter to those looking for a low-cost spay/neuter program. If you have such a service and it is not currently listed, contact Spay Michigan to get your program listed. If you need a low-cost spay/neuter program - check out what is available. Click here for more info.

Winners of WaLHFMF' 5K Pet Walk in Alden for the Most Sponsors was
Bob & Carol Milstein from Ann Arbor

Bay Area Pet Hospital, Traverse City's 24-Hour Vet Office, Is Now Open

Just like some of the big cities downstate, Traverse City now has a 24-hour veterinarian office. The Bay Area Pet Hospital is conveniently located at 844 E. Front St. and there are four veterinarians on staff.

They include Dr. Dana Navidonski, the Medical Director and primary veterinarian. She graduated from MSU and has been practicing veterinary medicine for about 15 years; Dr. Kevin Reabe, the owner; Dr. Tina Burke, the relief veterinarian; and Dr. Molly Wiersema, an associate veterinarian, is the newest addition to the team. She also graduated from MSU and everyone is very happy to have her on board.

What makes their veterinary hospital special? According to Jordan Theakston, Veterinary Practice Manager, "The first thing that sets our hospital apart from others is that we are staffed 24/7 with experienced team members. Not all veterinary emergencies happen between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. It is important that there is a centrally located veterinary practice that is prepared at all hours to tend to pet emergencies and hospitalized patients. We will also be open 365 days of the year. Our team will be there for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, you name it."

She continues, "The other thing that is special about our hospital is our team. I have never worked at a place where people mesh so well together. We established our hospital as a 'drama-free work zone,' and couldn't be happier with the team that we have. Our team is composed of so many different personalities that compliment each other. I think clients can sense the positive vibes when they come in, which only further boosts their positive experience."

They have a great team of veterinarians that are used to keep the hospital staffed for appointments, surgeries and emergencies during the day. Late at night and early in the morning, they limit the staff to experienced assistants and licensed technicians. So in the case of an emergency at 2 am, you would call and talk to a knowledgeable assistant or technician. Once they know to expect you, a veterinarian is called in immediately. Their eventual goal is to have a veterinarian in-house 24/7. They have received excellent client feedback regarding the services that they are providing.

They also commented that they are very open and happy to work with different pet-related organizations, including Animal Control, the Sheriff's Department, the Humane Society and the pet rescue groups. In the case of a stray or unidentified pet, it is their intention to bring the pet in and get it stabilized, while attempting to find the pet's owners.

Their team is very interested in fundraising for worthy causes, and being open to starting a fund to help unidentified pets get the care that they need or assisting low income pet owners with unexpected expenses. In fact, they are having a yard/bake sale this weekend on Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th from 8 am to 5 pm at their office on E. Front St. for the benefit of providing funds for animals that need special care. The fund is named "Arthur and Friends" as they already have a candidate needing a little financial help. They are also interested in volunteering with such organizations as WorldVets, a group involved in providing veterinary care in third world countries.

While I was taking pictures of the hospital, Dr. Dana was in the middle of adopting Hannah, a gorgeous Border Collie from North Star Border Collie Rescue.

I found her three puppies snoozing in an exam room after getting checked out. It's quite possible that you will be able to see Hannah now and then when she's at the hospital visiting her new mom. Hannah had been dumped off at a downstate animal shelter over a weekend when she was pregnant. Several of her puppies didn't survive but the rest of them were rescued by the good people of North Star. All of the puppies have approved adoptive families to take them home soon.

You can visit the Bay Area Pet Hospital, online at their Facebook Page by clicking here.

If you have any questions about the hospital, you can email Jordan here or call them at (231) 922-0911.

Traverse City Supports, But Won't Pay For Dog Park

There are about 13 dog parks in Michigan, but they’re all down state in places like Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, and Muskegon. That’s become a problem for some local pet owners. City officials kicked Michael Pintarich and dozens of other residents out of Hickory Meadows for letting their dogs play off leash. The group decided they needed a dog park to relocate their play dates. Click here for more on the story. To find out more about the plans for a dog park you can email Brandi here.

Bark in the Park Photos

Bark in the Park in Traverse City was a fun event last weekend. Here are some photos from the event.

Here are some of the adoptable animals that were at Bark in the Park. Let me know if you're interested in any of them and I can let you know which group had the animals.

Grand Traverse County Animal Control - Working with Local Agencies to Save the Lives of More Cats & Dogs

Tucked away on Keystone Road, right at the end of the current road construction, is the Grand Traverse County Animal Control building. You might not know it, but they've been there for about 35 years.

According to the county's website the Animal Control Division in Grand Traverse County is an extension of the Communicable Disease Program for the control of rabies and other zoonotic diseases. Because of that, the division is run by the Health Dept. There are two licensed and full-time Animal Control officers, Ed Hickey and Cindy Burkhardt. Ed has been with Animal Control fifteen years and previously ran the Cedar Wildlife Rescue. Cindy has been with Animal Control for seven years. There is also a part-time worker on the weekends who cleans the cages and takes care of the animals.

The building has 18 kennels and there are also several additional crates. These crates can be used for smaller dogs or in the event of an emergency such as a hoarding case or large seizure of animals. There are also outside kennels for the dogs which are used as often as possible, weather permitting.

The day I chose to visit, they had seven dogs on site, three of them very small dogs that were going to be transferred to the Cherryland Humane Society the next day - a terrier mix, a chihuahua and an older Pug mix. (PICS). While we talked, Animal Control officer Ed Hickey let them run around the main area where the kennels are. They chased each other excitedly and jumped up and down, vying for our attention.

It is the collaboration with AC Paw, Cherryland Humane Society and Handds that has greatly improved a dog's chances of survival in our county. In 2009, 402 dogs were in the custody of Animal Control. 101 of these dogs were redeemed by their owners, 204 were transferred to rescue groups and 97 were killed. Animal Control destroys dogs that are aggressive to people and are also dog aggressive, as the county's policy does not allow dangerous dogs to be released back into the public. However, if a dog is sick or injured, it does not automatically have to be killed. Animal Control have a $200 per animal discretionary fund to be used for "life support" to aid in vet bills or medicine for a dog that needs it.

The hardest part of the job, according to Ed Hickey, is the size of the county. With only two full-time officers, limited on-site hours and often having to drive from one end of the county to another, there are just never hours in the day to do what they'd like to. Hickey says that unfortunately, dealing with the animals is only about 20% of the job. The rest of the time they are dealing with people and settling disputes in which the animals end up in the middle of.

The Animal Control officers have both a Banfield Imax and Avid scanner used to check dogs for microchips when they arrive at Animal Control. They stressed that if your dog is lost, it is important that you make regular visits to the Animal Control shelter to prevent any mistake in identification of your dog. The officers are in the building from 8:30 am to 10 am and then again from 4 to 5 pm. While the officers are there, they clean, feed and transport the animals as well as take phone calls. When they are on the road, they are responding to calls on loose dogs, animal cruelty and other animal-related issues. Dog bites are given the first priority for response because of Animal Control's responsibilities within the Health Department. Animal Control offers are able to write tickets but cannot make arrests.

Dogs that have licenses are held for 7 days and those who don't have a license are held for four days. After that, Animal Control can either destroy the animal or give it to an approved animal rescue organization. Animal control officers Ed and Cindy do everything they can to offer the adoptable dogs to the local rescue groups and that is something we can all appreciate. The more we can all work together, the more lives we can save.