Kalamazoo County Humane Society

THE MISSION OF THE KALAMAZOO HUMANE SOCIETY IS TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT OF RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPASSION FOR ALL ANIMALS THROUGH EDUCATION, PET POPULATION CONTROL AND LEADERSHIP.

KHS'S OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WERE LIMITED BY COVID-19 DURING 2021. WE DISTRIBUTED 4,500 COPIES OF ONE EDITION OF OUR NEWSLETTER, HUMANE NEWS & VIEWS, TO AREA RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. ALL OTHER OUTREACH AND FUNDRAISING EVENTS WERE POSTPONED. A TOTAL OF THREE BROADCAST INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH WKZO RADIO, TOPICS INCLUDED WINTER HEALTH HAZARDS, THE NEW ANIMAL CARE & RESOURCE CENTER, AND 4TH OF JULY HAZARDS FOR PETS. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES -HUMANE SOCIETY STAFF MEMBERS RESPONDED TO APPROXIMATELY 26,000 CALLS (100/DAY) AND 7,500 (50/WEEK) VISITS FROM PEOPLE ASKING PET-RELATED QUESTIONS OR REQUESTING EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE. DURING COVID THE KHS REMAINED OPEN FOR FOOD BANK DRIVE-UP SERVICE ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. ANIMAL WELFARE/CRUELTY COMPLAINTS - KHS STAFF MEMBERS RECEIVED AN AVERAGE OF FIVE CALLS PER WEEK ABOUT ALLEGED ANIMAL ABUSE OR NEGLECT. REFERRALS, COUNSELING, AND EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION WERE GIVEN BASED ON AN EVALUATION OF THE CALLER'S COMPLAINT/CONCERN. THE KHS BOARD AND STAFF WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE KALAMAZOO ANIMAL SERVICES AND ENFORCEMENT SHELTER TO HELP MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SHELTER FACILITY TO IMPROVE ANIMAL HEALTH AND HELP INCREASE PET ADOPTIONS.

ANIMAL CARE & RESOURCE CENTER CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE -THE CHARLES & LYNN ZHANG ANIMAL CARE AND RESOURCE CENTER WHICH OFFICIALLY OPENED IN DECEMBER OF 2020 BEGAN PROVIDING NON-EMERGENCY VETERINARY SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC IN OCTOBER 2021. A TOTAL OF 192 WELLNESS CHECKUPS WERE GIVEN ALONG WITH 90 SICK APPOINTMENTS, 36 RECHECK APPOINTMENTS, AND 11 SURGERY APPOINTMENTS IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 2021. ANIMAL SHELTER VETERINARY SERVICES - A KHS VETERINARIAN PERFORMED WEEKLY ROUTINE HEALTH CHECKUPS ON STRAY ANIMALS AT THE COUNTY-OPERATED ANIMAL SHELTER. A KHS VETERINARIAN PROVIDED EMERGENCY CARE TO ANIMALS PICKED UP BY ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE CARE. DOGS WERE PROVIDED WITH A HEARTWORM TEST BEFORE ADOPTION, COURTESY OF KHS. ADOPTION COUNSELING - A TOTAL OF 5 VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED ADOPTION COUNSELING AND ASSISTED THE PUBLIC WITH FINDING LOST PETS AT KALAMAZOO COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT. VOLUNTEERING WAS RESTRICTED FOR MOST OF 2021 DUE TO COUNTY COVID POLICIES. SAFE PET HOUSING - KALAMAZOO HUMANE SOCIETY PROVIDES SAFE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR COMPANION ANIMALS OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND DOMESTIC CRISIS. WHILE THE OWNERS ARE RESIDING IN THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER OR AN AREA TREATMENT CENTER KHS WILL PAY FOR THE BOARDING OF THEIR DOGS OR CATS AND PROVIDE VACCINATIONS AND MEDICAL CARE AT NO COST. IN 2021, KHS PROVIDED TEMPORARY HOUSING TO 5 DOGS AND 6 CATS. LOST AND FOUND AND PET IDENTIFICATION MICROCHIPS - KHS RESPONDED TO CALLS FROM THE PUBLIC ASKING QUESTIONS RELATED TO LOST OR FOUND ANIMALS. CALLERS WERE REFERRED TO THE LOST/FOUND REPORT AREA ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE. A TOTAL OF 474 ANIMALS WERE MICROCHIPPED FOR IMPROVED IDENTIFICATION BY THE KHS STAFF. HUMANE SHELTER PROGRAM - KHS, WITH THE HELP OF VOLUNTEERS, BUILT 15 DOG HOUSES AND 35 OUTDOOR CAT HOUSES THAT WERE PROVIDED AT NO COST TO PET OWNERS LACKING PROPER OUTDOOR SHELTER FOR THEIR PETS OR COMMUNITY CATS. ASSISTANCE TO THE UNHOUSED AND THOSE WITH LIMITED RESOURCES - KHS PROVIDED VETERINARY CARE TO INCOME-CHALLENGED AND UNHOUSED PET OWNERS. IN 2021, WE HELD TWO VACCINE CLINICS AT A LARGE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT, PROVIDING HEALTH CHECKS AND VACCINATIONS FOR 29 ANIMALS, INCLUDING IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO A PARVOVIRUS OUTBREAK IN A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT. SPAY/NEUTER ASSISTANCE - IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE UNWANTED PET POPULATION, KHS OFFERS LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. OUR SPAY/NEUTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GREATLY REDUCES THE COST OF THE SURGERY AND ALSO OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER AT KHS TO EARN CREDITS TO PAY FOR THE REMAINING FEE. IN 2021 A TOTAL OF 4,611 CATS AND DOGS WERE SPAYED/NEUTERED THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY SPAY/NEUTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. FERAL CAT TRAPPING/NUISANCE ANIMAL TRAPPING - LIVE TRAPS WERE LOANED TO 5 INDIVIDUALS SEEKING TO HUMANELY TRAP AND SPAY/NEUTER ANIMALS LIVING ON THEIR PROPERTY. REFERRALS WERE ALSO MADE TO OTHER TRAP LOAN AGENCIES/BUSINESSES AND ANIMAL REMOVAL SERVICES. EMERGENCY PET FOOD BANK - THE KHS EMERGENCY FOOD BANK OFFERS FREE DOG FOOD, CAT FOOD, AND CAT LITTER TO ANYONE WHO NEEDS HELP FEEDING THEIR PETS. WE DO NOT REQUIRE THAT CLIENTS PROVE THAT NEED. IN 2021, THE KHS EMERGENCY FOOD BANK HAD 1,600 VISITS, DISTRIBUTING 2,856 BAGS OF DRY PET FOOD, 5,216 CANS OF DOG/CAT FOOD, AND 4,584 BAGS OF CAT LITTER TO 415 INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES EXPERIENCING TEMPORARY DIFFICULTY FEEDING AND CARING FOR THEIR PETS. SIX AREA BUSINESSES, TWO ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS, ONE HUMAN NON-PROFIT, AND OVER 30 PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES PROVIDED FOOD AND CAT LITTER TO THE PROGRAM. SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS PROVIDED FINANCIAL SUPPORT SO THAT KHS COULD PURCHASE FOOD FOR THE FOOD BANK. OVER 68,300 POUNDS OF PET FOOD AND CAT LITTER WAS PROVIDED TO AREA FAMILIES IN NEED. VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS - KHS OFFERS A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED IN OUR MISSION, FROM MONITORING CATS POST SURGERY TO HANDING OUT PET FOOD TO BUILDING DOG HOUSES, WE WORK TO ENGAGE INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP VOLUNTEERING. ALTHOUGH KHS LIMITED THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN EARLY 2021 DUE TO COVID PROTOCOLS, WE STILL HAD 32 VOLUNTEERS SERVE A TOTAL OF 1,148 HOURS FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.