Posts by Wendy Welch

Cut Up Dog Found in Ypsilanti – Tips Wanted

Cut Up Dog Found in Ypsilanti – Tips Wanted

March 29, 2021 | Comments Off on Cut Up Dog Found in Ypsilanti – Tips Wanted

Ann Arbor, MI (March 27, 2021) — An Ypsilanti family is desperate for answers on what happened to their dog. Their 12-year-old terrier was found dead on the side of Ecorse Road, just off Michigan Avenue on Monday, March 22. The owners said he’d been missing for four days, last seen at 7 a.m. on Thursday, March 18 at their residence about 2 ½ miles away, in the Ypsilanti area of Chevrolet Street and Zephyr Avenue. He was reportedly in their backyard on a tie-out, and when the family came home from the hospital at 3 p.m. on March 18,
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Ypsilanti Resident Charged with Animal Cruelty, Sentenced to Probation 

Ypsilanti Resident Charged with Animal Cruelty, Sentenced to Probation 

March 26, 2021 | Comments Off on Ypsilanti Resident Charged with Animal Cruelty, Sentenced to Probation 

Ann Arbor, MI (March 26, 2021) — After pleading “no contest” to animal cruelty, on February 18, 2021, the Honorable Judge Erane Washington sentenced Ypsilanti Resident Connie Denham to one year probation and over $5,000 in restitution fees. In late December 2019, Animal Cruelty Investigators from the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) executed a search warrant on Denham’s residence, following a tip from another case. The property was infested with cockroaches, littered with excrement, and inhabited by Denham, an older adult, and six dogs. With fur caked in feces and urine, the dogs were so matted that they had
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Animal “refugees”?

Animal “refugees”?

March 16, 2021 | Comments Off on Animal “refugees”?

Ecologists, conservationists and other scientists argue that we are on the brink of experiencing the world’s first mass extinction event since the time of the dinosaurs.  But while previous mass extinctions have occurred due to dramatic natural events like volcanic eruptions and meteor strikes, the next mass extinction will likely be the result of human activity’s impact on the environment. Continuous land development and human sprawl is undoubtedly one of the leading factors in our current extinction problem.  Every time we clear land for a new subdivision or strip mall we are destroying a habitat and creating animal refugees who
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Deer Doctor makes a virtual house call to Ann Arbor

Deer Doctor makes a virtual house call to Ann Arbor

March 12, 2021 | Comments Off on Deer Doctor makes a virtual house call to Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI (March 12, 2021) – In 2015, Ann Arbor City Council approved a four-year deer management plan including shooting deer in city limits; 2020 was the fifth year. To date, Ann Arbor has spent over $750,000 on deer management, including $469,700 to contracted sharpshooters who have also been counting the deer. In 2020, their aerial survey counted 137 deer in the city, versus 224 the year previous. “As a community leader faced with the impact of deer damage in parks, yards, and gardens, and conflict among your constituents regarding an effective solution, you are not alone,” writes Sandy Baker,
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Why all the barking?

Why all the barking?

March 2, 2021 | Comments Off on Why all the barking?

“How do I stop my dog from barking?”  is a common question trainers get. To answer that, the first things we need to know are 1) in what type of situations is your dog barking, and 2) what need are they trying to meet? Dogs bark for a lot of reasons: boredom, fear, attention, excitement, etc.  In any of these cases, the focus shouldn’t be on stopping the behavior, but instead, thinking about meeting the dog’s need before the barking starts.  For good tips on addressing different types of barking, check out this blog post: https://positively.com/dog-behavior/nuisance-behaviors/barking/ Avoid devices or methods
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The DC Cat Count

The DC Cat Count

February 26, 2021 | Comments Off on The DC Cat Count

This month, we wanted to highlight a first-of-its-kind study on feral cat populations. In late 2020, the D.C. Cat Count project wrapped up its field work. Over two years, they collected over 6 million photos in the D.C. area in order to figure out how many cats live there. A final result of the 3-year project is set to come out later in 2021. This kind of work is, in our opinion, incredibly exciting and extremely important. So much about community cats – including even basic things like how many are out there – is not fully understood. The more
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Humane Society of the United States awards HSHV’s Cruelty and Rescue Supervisor

Humane Society of the United States awards HSHV’s Cruelty and Rescue Supervisor

February 16, 2021 | Comments Off on Humane Society of the United States awards HSHV’s Cruelty and Rescue Supervisor

Melinda Szabelski, Cruelty and Rescue Supervisor at Washtenaw County’s Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV), was named a “local hero” in the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Stop Puppy Mills Campaign. The award is given annually to 14 people across the nation who’ve made a difference fighting puppy mills in their communities.
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Bringing outdoor kitties in – When should you do it and how?

Bringing outdoor kitties in – When should you do it and how?

January 25, 2021 | Comments Off on Bringing outdoor kitties in – When should you do it and how?

We have all faced times when we find an outdoor cat that we think would do well inside. Still, the first question to ask yourself is how likely the kitty would be to even want to be inside. As indoor creatures ourselves, sometimes we assume that all animals would want to be indoors. But cats that come for feeding, and eat near you, but never want you to touch them may love you and still not want to live inside – living outdoors can be a great life for a cat, particularly when they have caregivers who feed them and
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