Updated July 25, 2007

New Crawford County Animal Shelter Opens,
Giving Homeless Animals a New Leash on Life!

Finding a special animal friend is easier with yesterday's grand opening of the Au Sable Valley Animal Shelter located in Grayling. The facility opened its door this week and provides pet owners an opportunity to see dogs and cats available for adoption in a brand new building.

Animal lovers know what it's like to visit animal shelters and come out depressed because of cramped conditions, unsanitary rooms, and the heartbreak of looking into the eyes of cats and dogs who are wondering how they ended up in such a place. As good as the staff may be, shelters are not always welcoming places to people looking for their next pet. Many people forgo the trip all together and instead choose the internet to find their next pet.

That's not the case in Grayling, however. If you don't take a trip to their new animal shelter, you will definitely be missing out on the next great addition to our Northern Michigan community. What was previously known as the Animal Shelter of Crawford County will now be called the Au Sable Valley Animal Shelter - and it's much more like a bed and breakfast than any kind of confinement facility.

The inside and outside of the shelter are very inviting to animals and people alike. There are flowers by the entrance and 13 of the 28 dog kennels face the parking lot so that you are instantly greeted by the canine guests who are temporarily housed there. The colors are soothing and there are extra rooms for a "meet and greet" with a furry friend as well as space to quarantine an animal if needed. The new facility is spacious, safe and clean which allows the staff to better control any illnesses that may arise.
A grey kitty hangs out in the cat room, while visitors walk around.
JR and Jasmine enjoy the back of their dog room and greet visitors.
Outside kennels for the dogs. This is the side that faces the parking lot. The kennels have a doggie door so that dogs can go in and out themselves. The big check is presented to the shelter, helping improve the lives of the county's many homeless cats and dogs.
Many volunteers, officials, staff members and visitors were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of the shelter. It was a fun day with adoptable cats and dogs, silent auctions, fundraising items for sale, refreshment, food and a banjo player. There was also a lot of excitement and talking between the staff and community supporters, who were all smiles as they took a tour of the new building.

Many cute dog and cat faces welcomed visitors to the Grand Opening including little "Peanut," a small possible collie mix and a real cutie, who was adopted within only 10 minutes of the Grand Opening! Several other dogs were seen enjoying their indoor/outdoor rooms and the cats were making friends in the kitty rooms. There are cages for the cats in an enclosed windowed room, but the cage doors are open, allowing the cats to mingle with their adoring fans. There is also a bench for visitors to sit on and carpeted cat shelves attached to the windows so that felines can soak in the sun.

A $400,000 USDA Rural Development loan was given to the shelter during the festivities and presented to them by Shelly Fuller. Finding the funds to build the shelter started when Cheryll Ruley from the shelter met Shelly at an economic development conference sponsored by Bart Stupak. Cheryll talked to her about the needs of the shelter and the ball started rolling. With the help of the government, the community and the staff, the dream became a reality. Shelly commented that she had never seen such dedication and compassion as she had witnessed at the shelter. She even ended up adopting two of her own pets as a result of the loan process. She took in a cat named Dusty who she nursed back to health after it had become depressed from being in a shelter environment and she adopted an Australian Shepherd who had been found tied to a tree in a Roscommon park.

The USDA Rural Development's mission is to delivery programs in a way that will improve the quality of life of rural residents. The new animal shelter is a great match for that mission. "The amount of local support for this project has been amazing," said Gene DeRossett, the USDA Rural Development Director for Michigan. "Crawford County now has a top-notch shelter and I am pleased we could help them achieve their goal."

The 3,480-square-foot shelter features not only more space for the cats and dogs, but also has a grooming room which they hope to be able to offer to "alumni" of the shelter sometime in the future. Other future plans include possible animal boarding for emergencies, including victims of domestic violence and house fires.

Many items at the shelter were donated by local residents including the fencing, which will allow the dogs to run outside of their rooms, in a safe and secure area. The old shelter could house 40 animals at capacity and the new shelter can easily hold 50, but with much more room for the animal's comfort, as well as controlled heating and air conditioning.

The number of staff is able to remain the same because of the dedication of the volunteers, who have really stepped up - and continue to do so. It's a team effort that has resulted in an amazing shelter for homeless cats and dogs in Northern Michigan.
The cat rooms are at the entrance to the building, by the front desk and provide plenty of space for cats and people to roam freely. I must admit I have a soft spot for beautiful, orange kitties like this one!
Peanut was adopted right at the beginning of the Grand Opening. Not surprising, though. What a cute face! Ranger and Pete enjoy the beautiful day and watch the visitors pass by during the shelter's Grand Opening.
The shelter relies on donations and fundraising events to continue its mission, which is to provide shelter, care and adoption services for homeless animals. Their non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the lives of cats and dogs.

About $110,000 has been raised for the building project and the shelter will continue to rely on the community to meet the needs of the building and the animals they house. The loan was used to construct and equip the building and will be paid back within 30 years. In addition to monetary donations, the shelter can always use items such as towels, blankets, trash bags, paper towels, bleach, cat litter, dog and cat food, toys, collars and leashes. Because the shelter tries to maintain a consistent diet full of nutritious value, please call them to see what type of dog and cat food that they prefer.

Shelter hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm and Saturday 9 am to noon, leaving many hours open for potential adopters and volunteers to visit the animals. The shelter is located at 5786 Fairground Lane in Grayling. You can visit their website at www.petfinder.org/shelters/MI85.html or call them at 989-348-4117. Their email address is wedare2care@provide.net.