A plan to help Cherryland Humane Society become a 'no kill' shelter.
Animal shelters are facing unique challenges these days as more people can't afford to care for their pets.
The Cherryland Humane Society has dozens of volunteers and employees who work tirelessly to help hundreds of cats and dogs find homes.
But one Grand Traverse County woman wants them to do more and has come up with a plan to help. Last night she presented that plan to the shelter's board of directors.
The details are tonight's Fact Finder Report.
Jeniffer Isbell has been rehabilitating and finding homes for animals for years. It is her passion and her mission.
But a little research for her website was a big eye opener.
Jennifer Isbell says, "I was surprised to see how many cats have been killed at Cherryland in recent years."
According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Shelter Report for 2008, Cherryland took in nearly 1,400 cats in 2008. 836 were euthanized: 60%. While 591 were adopted.
The numbers for dogs measured up a little differently. The shelter took in 916 dogs; adopted 830 and euthanized 35. Roughly 4%.
Isbell would like to change those numbers by helping Cherryland become a no kill shelter.
Isbell says, "What the shelters are doing on the other hand is killing for space or maybe for money."
In other words, she says, the shelters don't have enough room or resources to properly care for all of the animals they take in.
But Isbell says it doesn't have to be that way and this past spring she began work to change it.
After several discussions with Cherryland leaders, they invited her to come up with a detailed plan for the shelter to explore the possibility of becoming a no kill shelter.
The 50 plus page plan covers a lot of ground. But Isbell says there are two easy places for Cherryland to start.
Isbell says, "They don't spay and neuter 100% of pets they let out and they don't have foster homes."
And while it would mean some big changes at Cherryland, Isbell believes the community would come together to help the shelter make it happen.
Isbell says, "I think they would have more volunteers and I think they would get more money too. I have a lot of friends in the animal community who refuse to help there because they're not no kill. So I think there's a volunteer base out there if their worried about the manpower to implement some of this. They're people out there that would love to come over and help them do it."
Isbell introduced her plan to the Cherryland Humane Society Board last night. I talked with a board member who says they are taking a closer look at the proposal, but want to stress that Cherryland does try to find homes for all adoptable animals. However, they say some animals they receive are too sick or troubled to find homes.
Click here to read Isbell's complete no kill plan for Cherryland Humane Society.
Click here to read the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Shelter Report which includes adoption and euthanization rates for Michigan Animal Shelters.
