Posts by Wendy Welch

TNR Survey Results

TNR Survey Results

August 16, 2021 | Comments Off on TNR Survey Results

In 2020 HSHV conducted a phone survey of past clients that were involved with our TNR program. This was done to give a sense of how well HSHV’s TNR program is doing, as well as to help benchmark the effectiveness of TNR overall.   TNR Survey HSHV conducted a phone survey to help determine the effectiveness of our TNR program for clients who leveraged our program between 2014 and 2017. Questions were designed to help us understand the size and condition of the colony in 2020 as compared to when TNR began at the location. Out of the 136 individuals contacted,
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Navigating Pet Insurance

Navigating Pet Insurance

July 19, 2021 | Comments Off on Navigating Pet Insurance

Even if your pet is healthy, accidents and illnesses can happen suddenly. Pet insurance can help you focus on your pet’s recovery—rather than the medical bill.
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Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners commended by HSHV for opposing wildlife killing contests

Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners commended by HSHV for opposing wildlife killing contests

July 9, 2021 | Comments Off on Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners commended by HSHV for opposing wildlife killing contests

Ann Arbor, MI (July 9, 2021) — The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) applauds the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners for passing a resolution Wednesday opposing wildlife killing contests in Michigan and encouraging the state to ban them outright. The resolution notes that such contests promote indiscriminate killing, are counterproductive to wildlife management and violate responsible hunting practices. It also states that, while all wildlife play a critical role in Michigan’s ecosystem, mesocarnivores like coyotes, foxes and bobcats are especially important, naturally controlling rodent populations and keeping diseases like Lyme disease in check. Wildlife killing contests are also opposed
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Meet the TrapKing

Meet the TrapKing

June 28, 2021 | Comments Off on Meet the TrapKing

This month we want to highlight this year’s Compassionate Feast’s guest speaker, TrapKing Sterling Davis! Sterling Davis embodies the new momentum and energy within the TNR community. Located in Atlanta, Davis founded TrapKing Humane in 2015 as a mobile unit to help community cats. In addition to creating multiple connections within the community to come together to help community cats, he has also brought awareness about TNR to many people through his outspokenness and his music.  A great example of Davis’s community building capabilities is a recent event he planned with the goal of TNRing 300 cats – in a
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What “fine” looks like

What “fine” looks like

May 27, 2021 | Comments Off on What “fine” looks like

When we say our pets are “fine,” we need to explain what “fine” looks like.  Animals can have different fear responses, which include the well-known “fight or flight” behaviors, but also “fret” and “freeze.” 
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Bald Eagle rejoins Ann Arbor family, after rescue from fishing wire

Bald Eagle rejoins Ann Arbor family, after rescue from fishing wire

May 21, 2021 | Comments Off on Bald Eagle rejoins Ann Arbor family, after rescue from fishing wire

Ann Arbor, MI (May 21, 2021) — Dangling upside down, entangled in a mass of fishing line which tied him to a branch hanging over Huron River, about 4 feet from shore and 1 foot from water, a Bald Eagle needed rescuing. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan called the Humane Society of Huron Valley’s (HSHV) wildlife rescue line Saturday. “He was still tangled up, and many of his feathers had been broken,” says Michael Shivak, HSHV Rescue Field Agent. “Thankfully, with our veterinarians’ help, we were able to remove the rest of the fishing line from the bird who, luckily, didn’t
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How to become a cat person

How to become a cat person

May 12, 2021 | Comments Off on How to become a cat person

My last cat died before I was married and my husband had never had a cat at all. He used to have a dog. I missed having furry family enough to switch teams and get a dog, but my husband knew how much I love cats – so he agreed to be the one to switch. We found Scotty at HSHV. He was about 7 years old and was friendly even in the stressful shelter environment. When we brought him home he hid for a few hours before coming out and settling in on my husband’s lap. He has spent
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In memorium – Nora Mayes

In memorium – Nora Mayes

May 12, 2021 | Comments Off on In memorium – Nora Mayes

With heartfelt sympathy for her many friends and family, we are saddened by the loss of our beautiful young friend and coworker, Nora Mayes. Nora died May 11, 2021 after suffering a severe allergic reaction from an insect sting. Nora was well known for her incredibly sweet and helpful nature. Nora had an easy laugh and brought a warm, always kind energy to our team and our animals. We are heartbroken over her sudden loss. She is already greatly missed by both the many people and animals who loved her dearly. If you or your companion animal met her in
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See kittens? Here’s what to do!

See kittens? Here’s what to do!

April 29, 2021 | Comments Off on See kittens? Here’s what to do!

It’s kitten season! From spring to fall, cats are much more likely to give birth, so you may see kittens outside. Ask yourself: How old are the kittens (see the graphic here for help guessing their age!) Are they in a sheltered area? Do they look healthy?  Is the mom around? If the kittens are less than 5 weeks old, it’s usually in their best interest to leave them with mom! The survival rate is much lower for kittens separated from mom before they are old enough to feed themselves. Mom also helps them stay clean and go potty. Leave them
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The Dramatic Impact of Community Targeting in TNR

The Dramatic Impact of Community Targeting in TNR

April 12, 2021 | Comments Off on The Dramatic Impact of Community Targeting in TNR

Written by Bryan Kortis, the National Program Director at Neighborhood Cats in New York City I learned about targeting by accident. The first colony I ever TNR’ed was near where I lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  The 30 or so cats lived in the inner courtyards of a nearby block and could be seen running around in an empty grass lot, a rare bit of open space in that densely populated, high rise neighborhood.  I had never heard of TNR when I first started working with the colony, but after dealing with six teenage feral kittens as
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