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Frequently
Asked Questions
What can I do if I can no longer keep my pet?
If you can no longer keep your animal you may bring it to us, but you should do so only as a last resort. In addition, stray animals should be brought to a shelter in the area where the animal was found. This gives the animal the best chance to be reunited with his/her owners. For a listing of other shelters serving counties in Southeast Michigan click here. If you choose to surrender your animal to us, please download, fill out, and bring the Owned Pet Information form with your pet and any available veterinarian records to our shelter.
IMPORTANT: Please call ahead to discuss your options before you bring your pet to HSHV.
Call (734) 661-3510
When you call, we will let you know what your options are at that time. Our shelter serves homeless animals in Washtenaw County, Canton and Plymouth and requests a small relinquishment fee to help pay for your animal’s care. If you live outside of these areas please bring your animal to your own community designated shelter.
For a list of shelters and rescues in your own area, please click here.
Canton and Plymouth are considered out of county. We will work with you if you choose to relinquish your pet to us but there will be a fee and if we do not have the space you may need to wait or find another shelter.
Animal Intake is open Monday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (call ahead)
If you live within Washtenaw County, there is a $20 surrender fee for your pet, unless for age, health or temperament reasons it is known to be unadoptable. In such unadoptable cases, there is an euthanasia fee.
If you reside outside of Washtenaw County (proof of residency is required), there is a minimum fee of $40 to surrender your companion animal to HSHV.
Can I bring an animal in from another County?
Yes, but if we do not have space we may ask you to wait or find other assistance. If you reside outside of Washtenaw County (proof of residency is required), there is a minimum fee of $40 to surrender your companion animal to HSHV. Again, please call ahead to discuss your options.
Are
you affiliated with Michigan Humane Society or the Humane
Society of the United States?
No. All Humane Societies are
completely independent nonprofit corporations. HSHV
serves Washtenaw County. Michigan Humane Society serves
Wayne and Oakland County only and is not a statewide organization.
In fact there are almost 30 different Humane Societies in
Michigan serving their local areas—all of which have
no formal ties to one another. The Humane Society of
the United States offers education, training, and advocacy
on animal welfare issues, but is not an umbrella organization.
Where
does the Humane Society of Huron Valley get its funding?
Our funding comes
from generous individual and corporate donors. We do
not receive any government funding aside from a contract with
Washtenaw County to house strays. This contract makes
up less than 10% of our budget. We receive no money
from any other humane organization and we are not funded by
United Way. We are a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization
and donations to HSHV are tax-deductible to the full extent
of the law.
To learn more about how to support
HSHV please click Donations.
I
get a lot of mailings and stuff from HSHV. How much
do you spend on fundraising?
HSHV relies on community
donors to keep our doors open. To buy our animals food
and medication, to keep our lights on, and to pay the staff
who care for the animals, we depend on a steady stream of
donor support. We do occasionally offer very inexpensive
appreciation items like mailing labels and decals that our
members seem to enjoy. The majority of your contribution
goes towards the care and adoption of our animals. We
currently spend 12% on fundraising.
If you are dissatisfied with the mailings
you receive from HSHV and would like to be taken off of our
list, please contact Jaci
at (734) 662-5585x125. However, it is also likely that
you are getting mailings and “gifts” from other
the Humane Societies, including the Humane Society of the
United States or the Michigan Humane Society. We get
several calls a year from people who ask to be taken off our
mailing list, who were never on it in the first place.
There is no connection between HSHV and these other groups
so you should contact them directly to be removed from their
mailing list
Where
does the money from my donation to HSHV go?
Donations allow us to
care for all of the abused, abandoned, injured, and unwanted
animals that come through our door. Additionally, our
Cruelty and Rescue Department, Volunteer Program, Community
Outreach, and Harbor Program are 100% donor supported.
We keep our administrative and fundraising costs low, so more
than 83% of funding goes directly toward programs and services.
How
many animals do you help each year?
We care for about 10,000 dogs, cats,
rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, ferrets, and other small domestic
animals every year.
Are
you a "no-kill" shelter?
HSHV does not consider
itself a “no-kill” shelter. We have an open-door
policy, which means that no animals are turned away.
Because we serve as the impoundment facility for our entire
County, we are obligated to humanely euthanize animals that
pose a threat to the community. Our current euthanasia rate
is about 33%--well below the national average. We are,
however, constantly striving to save more lives and increase
adoptions. We have several programs in place to improve
the adoptability of our animals and to give support to pet
owners so they can keep their animals. You can help
this effort by making a donation
or volunteering your time
giving our animals the love and attention they need to be
healthy and happy.
Do
you euthanize for space? How long can an animal stay
at your shelter?
We work very hard to not euthanize for lack of space and there are no time limits on how long an animal can stay with
us. Although our 55 year old facility puts limits on
what we can accomplish, we work hard to give our animals the
care and treatment they need to stay healthy and happy so
they can be adopted into loving homes. Foster
homes are a critical
part of helping deal with shelter overcrowding, giving respite
to the sick or those too young to adopt, and extra care or
training to those that are overly stressed in our shelter.
To help us increase our adoptions, please consider
becoming a foster
parent, volunteering
as a dog walker or cat comforter, or sponsoring a sick animal.
What
do I do if I see animal abuse?
In Washtenaw County,
report animal abuse or neglect to HSHV, call 662-5585 ext.
112. Click here for other ways
you can help prevent animal cruelty.
Does
the HSHV Rescue Department pick up strays?
No. Animal Control or the police pick up
strays and brings them to our shelter. Our Rescue workers
do the important job of helping sick and injured domestic
animals and wildlife. If you see an animal hit by a
car, injured, or appearing to be sick, please call (734) 662-5585
x112. This service is available throughout Washtenaw
County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
IMPORTANT: HSHV provides 24 hour rescue services for sick and injured wildlife and stray animals. Please note that HSHV does not accept healthy animals, including feral cats or wildlife, for euthanasia. Please contact our Trap, Neuter and Return Coordinator for issues regarding feral cats at (734) 662-5585. Please go to http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/urban_wildlife_our_wild_neighbors/for more information on humane solutions to wildlife problems.
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For any of the
following call your local animal control
- Stray dogs/cats
- Barking complaints
- Loose dogs
- Bite cases
Ann
Arbor (city) – 994-2911
Ypsilanti
(city) – 482-1025
Washtenaw
County Sheriff – 973-4911
Canton
– 394-5400
Who
do I call when I see animal abuse?
Please call our Cruelty
Department at (734) 662-5585 x112 to report a case of
suspected animal abuse or neglect.
What
do I do if I lost my cat or dog?
The Humane Society of Huron Valley is the only animal holding facility serving Washtenaw County, Canton, and Plymouth Township. We also receive many stray animals from surrounding counties.
If you have lost your pet, please do the following:
- Call our shelter immediately to file a lost report
- Come to our shelter as soon as possible (during business hours) to look for your pet. Since descriptions of animals can vary, you’ll want to come to our shelter every 2 days to look for your pet after filing a lost report
- To claim your pet, please bring:
- A picture of you and your pet, veterinary records, or other proof that the
animal we are sheltering is your pet.
- Proof of a rabies vaccination. We can vaccinate your pet for an additional charge,
if necessary.
- Proof of your dog license.
Be prepared to pay a $35 intake fee plus a board fee of $25 for each day your pet is here. You will also need to pay medical fees, if necessary.
Animals brought to us as strays are kept for 4-7 days (depending
on whether they have ID), and then may be put up for adoption.
If the animal is aggressive or severely ill or injured, it
is not considered adoptable and will be humanely euthanized.
What
do I do if I find a lost dog or cat?
You can bring the animal
to the Humane Society. We will hold it for 4 to 7 days
(depending on whether it has identification), to give its
owner a chance to find it. If the animal is not claimed,
it may be put up for adoption. (If the animal is aggressive
or severely ill or injured, it is not considered adoptable
and will be humanely euthanized.)
But before you bring a lost cat to our shelter, you should
talk to your neighbors. Domesticated cats tend to roam
not far from home, and because many people let their cats
outdoors, the cat you find may not in fact be lost.
Click here
for more information on identifying stray cats.
Can I bring my pet to the shelter to have it euthanized?
Yes. HSHV offers humane euthanasia to owners who have an animal that needs to put down due to serious illness, injury and old age. This cost for this service is:
- Cats - $70 if animal is left with us or $35 if you choose to take the animal with you
- Dogs (less than 90 pounds) - $70 if animal is left with us or $35 if you choose to take the animal with you
- Dogs (more than 90 pounds) - $90 if animal is left with us or $45 if you choose to take the animal with you
- Rabbits - $50 if animal is left with us or $25 if you choose to take the animal with you
- Small domestics - $20 if animal is left with us or $10 if you choose to take the animal with you
Cremation services are extra and depend on the weight of the animal. Please contact our clinic at 734-662-4365 to make an appointment. On weekends, please come to the Animal Intake area:
Sat., Sun., & Mon.: 10:00 am to 6:00pm
Tues., Wed., & Thur.: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Do
you ever get purebred animals?
Yes. We get all types of animals
here from purebreds to pure shelter mutts. Our shelter staff can help match you with the animal that best fits
your lifestyle. Take a look at some of our recent adoptions of purebred animals.
Why
do we have to have our adopted pet "fixed?"
Pet overpopulation continues to be
a very serious problem. For every person born in the
United States, there are 15 dogs and 45 cats born. As
a result, each year millions of cats and dogs are needlessly
euthanized because there are not enough homes for them.
The only answer to this crisis is to ensure that all pets
are spayed and neutered. It is HSHV policy and State
Law that animals are spay/neutered before they go to their
permanent home.
In addition, spaying and neutering your animal has other
benefits. The surgery prevents common causes of infections,
cancers, and reduces or eliminates many behavioral problems,
including spraying, aggression, and roaming far from home.
Why
are all shelter animals microchipped at adoption?
Each year hundreds of
lost pets come to our shelter, but are never reunited with
their owners because of lack of identification.
Therefore it is our policy that each adopted animal is implanted
with a small chip on the back of his or her neck before leaving
the shelter. (The price of the microchip is included
in your adoption fee.) This chip helps ensure that your
pet is identified and returned to you quickly should he or
she get lost. The chip can be read at veterinary offices
and animal shelters. If you move, be sure to contact
the microchip company and notify them of your new contact
information.
How
much does it cost to adopt?
Adoption fees help offset
some of the costs of caring for the animals in our shelter.
Click here to see our low adoption
fees.
Can
I bring my animal to your clinic for their veterinary care?
Yes. HSHV operates
a full service veterinary Clinic.
We have wonderful veterinarians on staff who treat our shelter
animals, do low cost
spay/neuters, and offer affordable routine veterinary care
to any companion animal in our community. Our clinic
is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am – 6:00pm.
For an appointment, please call 734-662-4365.
I'm expecting a baby. Can I still keep my pet?
Yes. Some people get worried that a pet and baby can't coexist. All you need to do is be prepared for changes in your home. Click here for more details.
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