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Michigan is now ‘no-kill’ state for shelter animals

More than 100 people lined up at the Jackson County Animal Shelter for an special adoption event on Aug. 17.

To be considered a “no-kill” state, 90 percent of animals are either returned to owners, transferred to other shelters and rescue organizations, or adopted.

“This is an amazing first for our state,” said Deborah Schutt, MPFA founder and chairperson. “When the shelters in a state combine to meet the 90% target, that state is considered No-Kill for shelter animals. Only Delaware, which has three shelters, compared to 174 in Michigan, also reached the No Kill benchmark last year.”

In 2018, Michigan reached that percentage.

“While it’s exciting to see Michigan as a state achieve No-Kill status by reaching the 90% goal, we still have a few communities struggling to save lives, especially with cats,” Schutt said. “We will continue to work with shelters and rescue organizations to implement best practices, decrease overall length of stay in the shelter and improve the quality of life for homeless pets while they are in a shelter.”

The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance (MPFA) began tracking these statistics in 2009 from annual reports submitted by shelters to the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.

According to the MPFA, approximately 120,000 dogs and cats were being euthanized in Michigan shelters every year.

The MPFA said that number is now just over 13,000.

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21 dogs rescued from South Carolina as Hurricane Dorian comes closer

An Arlington-based animal rescue group took 21 dogs from a shelter in Florence, S.C., where hundreds of people have evacuated as Hurricane Dorian bears down, and brought the animals to the Washington area to be adopted.

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue evacuated the dogs from the county-run shelter in Florence. Mirah Horowitz, founder and executive director of Lucky Dog, said Tuesday that the group is also working to rescue another 40 dogs Saturday.

She said that while the shelter in Florence is inland, it has become crowded because people near the coast are evacuating and leaving animals at the shelter.

“It’s a double whammy,” Horowitz said. The complexities of helping the dogs include the logistics of driving there, putting dogs in crates and bringing them to the D.C. area., as well as making sure they have enough foster families lined up.

“It’s like Tetris of moving dogs,” Horowitz said, comparing it to the video game.

Most of the dogs will go to foster families and then be adopted at events in the D.C. region. One dog already has been adopted. The latest load included several puppies.

The group plans to get more dogs from South Carolina this weekend, then hold an adoption event at noon Sunday at the PetSmart store on Nicholson Lane in Kensington, Md.

Monday’s feat of moving dogs from South Carolina happened with little planning.

Horowitz said she was talking to her counterparts in Florence late Sunday night when the state’s governor put mandatory evacuations in place. They decided to take some animals that were being brought to the Fredericksburg area and quickly sent emails to supporters looking for families to take in the dogs.

“We had to find people to take those animals between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when they were coming,” Horowitz said. “We were getting emails up until 2 a.m. of people willing to help.”

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is also in touch with staff at a local humane society shelter for animals in the Grand Bahamas, Horowitz said. While the staff there is safe, Horowitz said they “don’t know the situation on the animals” but heard reports of heavy flooding. She said her group has a pilot who’s “ready to do flights out of the Bahamas” to help rescue animals when it becomes safe.

Horowitz said it’s rewarding to rescue animals from areas harmed by weather events.

“You roll in with your van full of barking dogs, and many of them have pooped in their crates, and you’re greeted by people who want to help get the dogs off the van and help you,” she said. “It makes it all worth it.”

This isn’t the first time the group has stepped in for animals in disaster areas.

In 2017, it helped when Hurricane Harvey hit parts of Texas and brought animals to the D.C. area. After a van broke down while full of animals, dozens of volunteers showed up to help take them the rest of the way.

In January, Lucky Dog helped bring in supplies and rescue about 60 dogs from Puerto Rico. The animals flew on a Boeing 737 after Southwest Airlines donated a round-trip flight.

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The 9/11 Dog That Led Blind Owner And 30 Other People To Safety

Today marks 18 years since the world’s most famous terror attack, which changed the city of New York forever.

As the Twin Towers were being engulfed in flames on the morning of 11 September 2001, nearly 3000 people were desperately trying to escape the inferno before the World Trade Centre inevitably collapsed.

Among those that joined the rescue effort were almost 300 dogs. One of these canine heroes was Labrador Roselle. The fearless guide dog saved her owner and 30 other people, calmly leading them to safety down 80 floors, navigating them through fire, smoke and debris.

Michael Hingson, a sales manager for Fortune 500 company Quantum, had first met his guide dog in 1999, and she was sat under his desk, just like every other day, when the disaster struck.

In an interview with the Sunday Express, Michael told about the moment he knew something was wrong.

“I heard a tremendous boom, and the building started to shudder violently, before slowly tipping, leaning over 20 feet,” he said.

“Those inside became convinced they were on the verge of death. Tearfully, colleagues said goodbye to each other. I was sure I was going to die.”

Although they didn’t know it at the time, the building had just been hit by American Airlines Flight 11, which is said to have been hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorist Mohammad Atta and four others. After the initial impact, the building slowly, somehow, righted itself.

And then the repercussions of the impact began, with debris beginning to fall down around his colleagues.

Michael said: “I had always paid attention to fire drills and I knew to avoid the elevators, take the stairs and not to panic.

“While everything was happening, the explosion, the burning debris, the people in the conference room screaming, Roselle sat next to me as calm as ever.

“She didn’t sense any danger in the smoke and flames, everything happening around us.

“If she had sensed danger she would have acted differently, but she didn’t. Roselle and I were a team and I trusted her.”

They headed towards the door, surrounded by unsure people with no idea what to do. At this point, the 3000 degree heat from the explosion above was making its way down the elevator shaft.
As Roselle led Michael down the stairs, more people began to follow.
“We started to walk down and I noticed a strong smell, a little like kerosene,” Michael continued. “Suddenly I realised what it was. As a salesman I’d flown all over the world and I’d smelled it on runways. It was the smell of jet fuel. Then I thought- what if a plane had hit the building?”
As the group, led by the hero Labrador, descended down the building, the kerosene in the air became so strong it started to burn their eyes as they passed wounded people with horrific injuries.
“I suddenly thought – what if the lights go out? There was no real panic yet. New Yorkers are tough. But that could change if the stairwell was plunged into darkness.
“The thought hit me that I could be a guide. So I called out to everyone not to worry, that Roselle and I would lead the way. Some people laughed, but the mood was definitely lightened.”
After an hour, they finally reached the lobby. Michael tried to call his wife Karen, but couldn’t. He would later find out that this was because of the sheer amount of people trying to get in touch with their loved ones.
Suddenly, a police officer started shouting at them to evacuate as the building was collapsing. Michael recalls that it only took around 10 seconds for it to fall to the ground. Michael picked up Roselle and began to run with her, quickly realising that everybody was now running for their lives.
“I heard the sound of glass breaking, of metal twisting, and terrified screams. I will never forget the sound as long as I live.
“Then we were engulfed by a monstrous cloud of sand and gravel. It filled my throat and lungs and I was drowning, trying to breathe. But we kept running, and Roselle kept guiding me perfectly. She didn’t stop once. Roselle and I are a team, and I was not about to let her go.”
Hingson was one of the lucky survivors and he puts it all down to Roselle’s guidance. He went on to leave his career in sales to work for Guide Dogs for the Blind – the organisation that had paired him up with Roselle.
Roselle retired from guiding in 2007 after medication she had for a long term illness began to damage her kidneys. She lived with Hingson until 2011, when she was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer and passed away.
But the heroic legacy of Roselle lives on. In her memory, Roselle’s Dream Foundation was set up to continue to help visually impaired people. She was posthumously named American Hero Dog of the Year 2011 by American Humane and even has a book written about her.
Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust is available now.

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Man Rescues A Beagle From Being Euthanized In A Shelter, The Dog Can’t Contain His Gratitude, Hugs His Rescuer

Lots of dogs end up in rescue shelters and some are euthanized if they have serious medical problems that are too costly to treat. However, man’s best friends don’t warrant such a horrible fate. Every doggo and pupper deserves to be cured, to have a forever home as well as a kind, caring owner to look after them (chew toys are optional). Gregory the Beagle was nearly put down at an animal shelter but his story had a happy ending.
The cavalry — Joe Kirk — arrived just in the nick of time to save the dog. A thankful Gregory had a very special gift for his hero — the cutest hug you’ve probably seen all week. Photos of the dog snuggling up to Joe quickly went viral online.

Gregory the Beagle was two years old when Joe Kirk saved him from an animal shelter that was going to put him down

Joe saved the Beagle two days before it was scheduled to be put to sleep. Joe and his wife Schenley Hutson-Kirk are co-founders of Hound Rescue and Sanctuary, a non-profit organization based near Findlay, Ohio. It helps neglected dogs find new homes, provides lifelong sanctuary to “unadoptable and senior” canines and helps strays. Its main mission is to save dogs from euthanasia by taking them in from “high risk and kill shelters”. Hats off to these wonderful people.

Gregory rewarded his savior Joe with a warm hug once he understood that he was being rescued

“Gregory is one thankful and appreciative Beagle! He KNOWS he is SAFE! He is Heartworm Positive and will be going through treatment, but he knows he is in good hands! We will get him healthy and provide him all the love he so deserves and a wonderful future!!” Schenley detailed in a Facebook post a year ago.

“We generally house and care for 25 to 30 dogs at a time, consisting of dogs that are available for adoption as well as sanctuary dogs that will live out their lives being loved and cared for by us,

Schenley and Joe Kirk told Petreadset. “After saving Gregory from the euthanasia list at the shelter, we provided him the veterinary care and heartworm treatment he required.”

The couple also added that “after successfully completing his treatment, Gregory was adopted to his forever home. He now has a wonderful family that loves him very much and he is enjoying a very happy life. Gregory’s family also has another Beagle and he and Gregory have become best pals.”

“We are often asked how many dogs we have saved. The answer that always comes to mind is, “we have saved one more”. One more dog is safe and will have all of the love and respect that they are so deserving of. One more dog will be properly fed and receive needed veterinary care. One more dog will have a loving forever home. There is no better feeling and nothing in life that is more fulfilling,” the couple explained.

This Beagle was going to be put to sleep because he was diagnosed with heartworm disease

Schenley told Today that, according to her husband, all Gregory wanted to do during the car ride was “cuddle” up to Joe. “He is very loving, very affectionate,” she confirmed that the Beagle was, without a shadow of a doubt, a very good boy. “He loves to be next to you. He loves to give kisses.”

The Beagle had been taken in by the Franklin County Dog Shelter on April 25, 2018, when he was two years old. The shelter was planning to euthanize Gregory because of his health problems. Fortunately, Joe and Schenley immediately started treating the Beagle for heartworms after saving him.

Heartworm disease is caused by foot-long worms that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Signs of this illness in dogs can be weight loss, fatigue, decreased appetite, reluctance to exercise, a mild persistent cough, a swollen abdomen, and heart failure.

Petful states that a shocking 2.7 million out of 7.6 million pets that enter animal shelters are euthanized each year in the United States. There are various reasons for putting an animal down. Such as contagious illnesses. Or overly aggressive behavior. However, the most heartbreaking reason is probably overpopulation: some shelters that get overcrowded put less adoptable animals to sleep to make space. However, there are everyday heroes like Joe and Schenley who make sure to rescue every animal they can.

 

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Shelters Under Stress as Floridians Fleeing Hurricane Leave Pets Behind

Hurricane Dorian threatened the entire state of Florida last week. Winds over 150 mph were expected to cause catastrophic damage and residents braced for flooding from storm surge. Windows began being boarded up and grocery store shelves were bare.  Evacuations began on Florida’s east coast as the storm continued to gain strength, eventually becoming a category 5.

Selfish People Leave Vulnerable Pets at Risk

Families loaded up their cars and headed away from the coast or to their hurricane local shelter. It seems though that in the midst of such chaos, some people decide their dog isn’t worth protecting. It’s a reality that’s hard to fathom.

People were tying their fur babies to trees and bushes or simply dropping them off in abandoned parking lots. Left to fend for themselves in life-threatening conditions with no food, water or shelter.

A Hero Saves the Day

Meg Sadhala runs the Miami Animal Rescue that worked diligently to comb the streets of South Florida for days before the storm was expected to make landfall. The group collected 17 dogs that had been left for dead.

“People are leaving their animals out in the streets, and we’re getting tons of calls about animals tied to bushes and trees. People are just thinking about themselves,” Sadhala told Miami New Times.

The additional 17 dogs put a severe strain on the rescue, who does not have an actual headquarters. The group operates out of Kendall Lakes Petsmart where their main focus is feeding and placing dogs with new families. Despite their small size, the group has saved nearly 1,300 dogs since 2016!

Sadhala took to Facebook to ask for donations before the storm hit. It was clear that help was desperately needed. The rescue said they were completely out of food and had no more beds left for the dogs to sleep on- a small comfort during such a terrifying time for these little guys.

The Aftermath Continues but You Can Make a Difference

Hurricane Dorian is finishing up its destruction from the Bahamas, all the way up the east coast of the United States. However, the aftermath will be felt for months as families work to rebuild their lives. Countless pets have been evacuated to shelters across the northeast United States in an attempt to escape Dorian’s destruction. They need all the help they can get.

 

 

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