Animal Control currently provides many important services to the citizens of Midland County, including:
• Accepting strays and owner relinquished pets
• Holding lost pets for owners to reclaim
• Adoption of animals
• Enforcement of animal regulatory laws and cruelty codes.

With the closure of this facility, the health and welfare of both people and animals in Midland County is in jeopardy. The services provided by the Animal Control facility keep lost or abandoned animals off the streets and private property, reducing the risk of bites by unknown or diseased animals and preventing packs of feral animals from roaming the streets. This service protects our citizens, our quality of life, our homes and even our own pets. If the Midland County Animal Control facility closes, Midland County will be one of the very few counties in the State of Michigan without either a county animal control or volunteer-run center in its boundaries. By keeping the Animal Control facility open, the Humane Society of Midland County (HSOMC) will be able to continue a vital county service.

The HSOMC has been active at Midland County Animal Control on a daily basis since May of 2008. Volunteers from HSOMC have assisted Animal Control Officers in cleaning cages, walking dogs and caring for cats. The HSOMC also provides funding for vet care, transportation for animals to rescue organizations, and fostering and adopting of animals when time and space in Animal Control have run out. In 2009, the number of animals adopted from Animal Control was only 565 out of 2,500 cases. The HSOMC hopes to dramatically increase the number of pets adopted from Animal Control by providing adoption-friendly hours and creating a more caring atmosphere for citizens and rescues. The health and welfare of citizens and animals depend upon having an active Animal Control facility.

Due to the relationship between the Sheriff’s department and the Humane Society, the Sheriff requested that the Society take over operations of the facility rather than closing and doors and leaving the County with no shelter.

As a result…
• The Humane Society of Midland County started a fund raising campaign to operate Animal Control in order to continue providing an Animal Shelter in Midland County
• HSOMC will be responsible for operating all aspects of the facility in a Humane manner
• To do this, the Humane Society of Midland County will be required to raise $120,000 for 2011 operations

YOUR DONATION MATTERS!

Donations can be made online here
OR
Mail check or money order to:
Humane Society of Midland County
PO Box 1034
Midland, MI 48641-1034

The plan was that these thoughtful kids had their love of animals in mind donating their proceeds to the Humane Society of Midland County. They talk up rescuing animals to their friends and are thrilled at the idea of the new shelter. They would like to help in any way they can to make a difference for the animals. We are thrilled, proud and very thankful – special thanks Joe, Ryan, Mom, Dad and neighborhood.

We fought hard against the gas chamber and I can’t help but think it helped push through the State mandate. However, this doesn’t go into effect until 2012. When the original Humane Society was formed many years ago to get Animal Control to stop selling animals for research purposes, it took 26 years to get that changed. Mary St. Onge, the President at that time, is very impressed with what we have already accomplished in the last two years.

When the opportunity presented itself to purchase the house next to Midland Animal Control, the chances of that happening were so far removed that many of us went through the motions but never really believed it would become a reality. Well, welcome reality – when it came time to vote on the purchase, you were in favor of it and have collectively helped it BE a house. Although it needs tons of work, it is already serving a greater purpose and is inspiring us to think “outside of the box” as to what it could become.

That said, the next and biggest challenge is that the Sheriff’s Office is seriously talking of closing Midland Animal Control, leaving all animals in jeopardy. We have now gotten official word that this indeed may happen and very soon. It has sent us scrambling to figure out how we could run it with no funding provided. You have once again stepped up to the plate and put your creative brains into gear. We have had $1 ideas and million dollar ideas – all are welcome. We need to come up with some great grants to get us through the first couple years until we can make concrete plans so please keep thinking  and reaching out.

One of our biggest highlights is that from January to May of this year, we had adopted or transferred to rescues 133 animals and the number is much greater now, thanks to you all. We’ve come right up to the wire on some to have them saved at the last hour and it’s due to your tenacity, dedication and love of animals.

The next year will be more than challenging so thank you in advance for your hard work, keep ideas flowing and get the word out that we need the community’s help. And thank you for doing what you do.

Neil Wackerle, President
Humane Society of Midland County

They looked in many of the cages until they came across a friendly looking and quite large black lab, who they promptly took for a walk. “Pretty nice” Bill thought, but he continued to look at the other dogs. Whenever he had a suggestion to walk another dog, Mom was over standing next to the cage of the black lab. Somehow they decided to check out Petsmart and the adoptathons there and took off, but they were back at Midland Animal Control in a heartbeat. I know. I was in the parking lot.

Long story made short, Vi and Tucker became inseparable and it truly was a love story. Tucker is a very well-behaved, don’t-need-a-leash-for-him-to-stay-in-the-yard dog, loves people and other dogs, and he has manners. He has made both Vi and Bill very happy and immediately fit in as if he was meant to live with them. Not living far from them, I would stop to see how things were going and the only conversation from Vi was about Tucker – and what a great dog he was.

Update: Both Vi and Bill have recently moved to Colorado and Tucker now lives with Bill. But together they visit Vi and the love for her wonderful companion is still evident.

Before: #376, Scheduled for Euthanasia

by Ruth Clark
The 48-Hour Notice. It’s a phone call that we always dread receiving here at HSoMC.  The final cry for help from the abandoned and surrendered pets at Midland Animal Control.  The last few hours for volunteers to make phone calls, to post ads, to do anything we can to help keep an animal from being euthanized.

But for Animal Control Case #376, a female blonde pit bull, the countdown to the end became the exciting countdown to a new life.

While searching for another canine companion, Tonya Shorkey and her family came across an ad on Craigslist posted by the HSoMC. It stated that a sweet blonde pit bull had been given 48 hours to find a new home, or she would be euthanized.

After: Adopted and named Jersey by the Shorkey Family of Midland.

“We really wanted another pit bull,” Tonya writes, “Our first puppy was adopted at eight-weeks-old from MAC back in December, and we fell in love with the breed.”

And when the Shorkey family arrived at Midland Animal Control to see #376, they fell in love all over again.

“I knew when I first saw her that she was going to come home with us and be part of the family,” Tonya shares, “She was beautiful and very sweet. She was wonderful around all the children as well as me and my husband!”

The Shorkey family worked hard over the next couple of days with HSoMC volunteers to get #376, renamed Jersey, cleared for adoption. After paperwork was completed and Jersey received her shots, she was on her way to her new forever home.

Thank you to Tonya, who wrote to let us know that Jersey loves her new home.  “I would like to announce that Jersey is doing wonderfully!” Tonya writes, “In the week she has been in our home, she put on a lot of weight. She is very playful and can now keep up with our other 7-month-old pit bull. They are best friends. Jersey was sent to us for a reason and our family is very thankful for that. We love her so much and we could not ask for a better well-behaved dog! So we would like to say THANK YOU again to Midland Animal Control and all the lovely people from Humane Society for bring Jersey into our home and hearts! We will forever be grateful!”

What a fabulous happy ending, Tonya! Thanks for sharing.

Do you want to share your Happy Tail?  If so, we’d love to hear about it!