Help Michigan Pets

Did you know that July 5 is the busiest day of the year for animal shelters in the United States? That's when they have more strays than at any other time.

Pets don't like loud noises, and when they see and hear fireworks, they get scared. If they're outside, they run, and it's not easy to catch them.

It doesn't even have to be a major fireworks display to send a dog or cat into panic mode. Backyard fireworks have the same result. That's why it's so important to keep pets inside whenever you know or strongly suspect that fireworks will be set off.

We all know that fireworks aren't limited to just one day a year, but we also know that July 4 is a huge day for fireworks lovers. It's important to keep your pets inside so that when the action starts, they'll be safe and unable to run away in terror.

Here's a writing contest geared toward dog lovers. It's free to enter, and the winner will get to choose an animal shelter to receive a $50 donation. The general info is given below, but be sure to follow the link at the end of this post for additional important details.

Genre: Non-fiction

Restrictions: For dog rescuers 18 and older. Write a compelling story about your dog's rescue in 500-1000 words. A photo of your dog is encouraged but not required. One entry per family. Must include word count and author's name, address, e-mail address, and phone number. All submissions must be submitted via e-mail in a .doc or .rtf format.

Deadline: September 1, 2012

Prizes: A $50 donation will be made to the animal shelter of the winner's choice. Everyone selected for publication in Mighty Tales of Rescue will receive a digital copy of the anthology. In addition, the winner will also receive a digital copy of Beating Cancer, an anthology of cancer survivor stories.

Entry Fee: None

Additional information: Writing Contest for Dog Lovers

Tail Wagger's 1990 has a simple mission: to help people help animals. One way they do this is with their low-cost vaccination clinics.

Tail Wagger's 1990 operates mobile clinics for routine pet vaccinations in seven cities across southeastern Michigan. They offer affordable rabies, distemper, and bordetella shots as well as reduced-cost microchipping services. If it's time for your pets to be vaccinated, this is a good opportunity to have it done at a much lower price.

If you're in the area, please consider helping out with the clinics. Tail Wagger's 1990 is seeking volunteers to help out with the check-in process and directing clients to the proper areas. The clinics last 4 hours, and volunteers will receive a free lunch.

The next mobile clinics will be in Sterling Heights and Beverly Hills.

Saturday, June 23, 10am until 2pm
Sit Means Sit
43674 Utica
Sterling Heights, MI 48314

Sunday, June 24, 10am until 2pm
Premier Pet Supply
31215 Southfield Road
Beverly Hills, MI 48025

Information about these and additional clinics is available on the Tail Wagger's 1990 website.

Tail Wagger's 1990 is also on Petfinder.

Here's a great opportunity to help some of Michigan's rescue animals!

Few Steps From Home, a rescue based in Bay City, has partnered with the Midland Loons to help animals. They're looking for volunteers to work the concession stands at Loons games, and the rescue will get 100% of the proceeds on everything they sell!

Few Steps From Home needs 12 volunteers to work during each game at the Loons baseball diamond. Here's the schedule:

Tuesday, July 3, 5-7pm
Saturday, August 25, 5-7pm
Saturday, September 1, 5-7pm
Saturday, September 3, 12-2pm

Please contact Lmbln1@hotmail.com to sign up.

If you'd like to help the rescue in another way, check out their volunteer application. Volunteer positions include follow-up calls to adopters, making crafts, updating websites, fostering, and much more. They're also open to your ideas for how you'd like to help them.

The application lists many more possibilities, so please take a look and see whether there's something that appeals to you. And of course, they're always grateful for donations!

Few Steps From Home is also on Petfinder.

Image of Logan courtesy of the Ionia County Animal Shelter

Many of last week's pets are still on the urgent list today. In addition, a few others have been designated "urgent."

CATS

Long-haired calico mix Leona and Maine Coon mix Shandy are still at the Ionia County Animal Shelter, and they're joined by three beautiful tiger cat mixes. Scully has a gorgeous coat, Clara is a very pretty kitty, and Mary Ann is a cute, playful girl.

Black domestic shorthair (DSH) mix Andy is still at the Manistee County Humane Society.

DOGS

In Beulah, fun GSD mix Nicholas, super cute Staffie mix Rebel, and shy Corgi mix Corky are still available at a reduced adoption fee from Benzie County Animal Control.

Rusty, a terrific young GSD mix currently at Hazel Park Animal Control, is still waiting for a foster home.

Beagle/terrier mix Logan (pictured) is still at the Ionia County Animal Shelter.

Chico is a cute pointer/lab mix about 6 months old; he arrived at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter with a sibling, but apparently he's there by himself now. Odie is a super cute beagle boy also in Lapeer; his status is VERY URGENT.

Lab mix Zippy and lab/pittie mix Bear are still available from the Manistee County Humane Society, and they both have a reduced adoption fee!

Pointer mix Duke is also still waiting for someone to adopt him from the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society shelter in Osseo.

Betsy, a cute American bulldog mix puppy, is still waiting for a quiet foster or foster-to-adopt home. Until then, she'll be with the Humane Society of Muskegon County.

ADOPTED/RESCUED

Now for the good news. Several pets from last week's posts were adopted or rescued. Young shepherd mix Rosco 154D12 was adopted, as was polite pointer/spaniel mix Bandit. Sweet senior lab mix Granny was also adopted, as was lab/spaniel mix Daisy.

Pug/beagle mix Gus was rescued by Golden Retriever Rescue Resource. Older black lab Daisy May also went to a rescue.

If you're interested in learning more about any of these pets, please don't hesitate to visit their Petfinder pages and contact the appropriate shelter.

Image of Meg courtesy of Michigan Friends Rescue Shelter.

This week, four unadoptable dogs urgently need help. One can't be adopted until she can get medical treatment; the other three are seeking foster homes.

CRITICAL

Welsh terrier Meg (pictured) is currently at the Michigan Friends Rescue Shelter in Morley. She won't be available for adoption until she can get medical care--which can't happen unless she gets donations. Because of her past in a puppy mill, she's in horrible shape. Despite the pain she must feel, she's a very happy girl. The volunteers at the rescue would love to save her; they accept donations by Paypal or in the mail. Every little bit helps!

FOSTERS NEEDED

Daisy May is a 10-year-old black lab currently at the Southgate Animal Shelter. She ended up at the shelter when her owner was no longer able to care for her. Daisy May is very friendly and alert; she loves to be around people. After arriving at the shelter, she was adopted and then returned due to some habits the adopters couldn't deal with. Daisy May has separation anxiety and tends to be somewhat destructive, so she needs someone who can work with her to fix these problems. See her video!

Betsy is a cute American bulldog mix puppy in the care of the Humane Society of Muskegon County. She needs a quiet foster (or foster-to-adopt) home where she can recover from an injury and help her reach her potential; she's been at the shelter since she was about 7 weeks old. Betsy is sweet and fun. She has a terrific personality, plays well with dogs, and is well socialized with people. Check out her video!

Rusty urgently needs a foster home so he can leave the shelter at Hazel Park Animal Control. He's a terrific 10-month-old boy, possibly a German Shepherd mix. He gets along great with kids, dogs, cats, and small furry animals. He loves to play and cuddle. Rusty ended up at the shelter due to an illness preventing his owner from taking care of him. From the listing, it's not clear whether the foster situation would just be until he could go back home; anyone interested in helping him should contact the shelter for the details.

If you can help any of these dogs, please follow the links to their Petfinder profiles for more information.

Image of Rebel courtesy of Benzie County Animal Control.

This week, there are several dogs designated as "urgent," some of which have a reduced adoption fee. This is a long list; those not currently available for adoption but needing fosters or medical care will be in a separate post.

Benzie County Animal Control in Beulah has several dogs available for a reduced adoption fee. Nicholas is a fun and energetic German Shepherd mix. American Staffordshire terrier mix Rebel (pictured) is a super cute 2-year-old boy who would love to find a forever family that will let him be an inside dog; until arriving at the shelter, he spent his whole life chained up outside. Corky the Corgi/Chow Chow mix was a stray until someone managed to catch him and take him to the shelter. His time on the streets has left him shy and scared, so he needs someone to help him regain his confidence.

At the Clare County Animal Shelter in Harrison, Rosco 154D12 is running out of time. This young shepherd mix was found on S Dover Rd in Beaverton; he didn't have a collar or any identification. Rosco is very nice, friendly, and outgoing. He's been at the shelter for over a month and doesn't have much time left.

Hunter is an older black and tan coonhound/Rottweiler mix currently at the Livingston County Animal Control shelter in Howell. This loving, quiet boy has a lot of energy to burn. He would love to find a forever family with kids and a fenced yard--but no cats, please. Hunter is available for a reduced adoption fee.

Beagle/terrier mix Logan is currently at the Ionia County Animal Shelter. He loves to talk and go for walkies. Logan is about 4 years old, neutered, and current on vaccinations.

Gus is a pug/beagle mix about 5 years old. He's neutered and current on shots. Gus tends to get anxious when left alone, so he'll need help with that. He loves attention and would enjoy a home with older children.

Bandit is a very nice pointer/spaniel mix currently at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter. This sweet boy is about 2 years old and has great manners. Bandit has a reduced adoption fee, thanks to a sponsor who thinks he's pretty terrific!

Sweet, handsome Zippy is such a wonderful boy! He was featured here last month. This labrador retriever mix is available from the Manistee County Humane Society at a reduced adoption fee, thanks to a kind sponsor who wants to help him find a loving forever home. Zippy is a very happy boy who loves everybody. He had hoped to find a home by Christmas, but that didn't happen. He deserves a chance! Check out his Petfinder listing to see his holiday pictures!

Lab/pit bull mix Bear has a lot in common with Zippy besides being at the same shelter in Manistee. He's a very nice boy, he's been waiting for a forever family since before the holidays, and he has a sponsor who donated to help him find a home. He was also featured here last month.

Also in Manistee, sweet senior lab mix Granny hopes someone wonderful will come along and give her the TLC she needs and deserves. Granny is probably at least 12 years old; she is hard of hearing, has limited vision, and seems to be arthritic. She would love to find a comfy forever home where she'll be treated with love, kindness, and respect.

Daisy is a lab/spaniel mix available from the Humane Society of Midland County for a reduced adoption fee. This nice 4-year-old girl loves kids and gets along with most dogs; she doesn't like cats.

Pointer mix Duke has already been featured here twice--2 years apart! That's right; he's been at the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society shelter in Osseo for a very long time. Won't someone please help him?

If you're interested in any of these dogs, please follow the links to their listings for more information.

Image of Leona courtesy of the Ionia County Animal Shelter.

This week, there were three cats in Michigan designated as "urgent." Two are female cats in Ionia; the third is a male located in Manistee.

Leona (pictured) was featured on this blog last month, and she's still at the Ionia County Animal Shelter. This beautiful long-haired calico mix is about 9 years old, current on shots, and trained to use a litter box. She needs a quiet home where she can stay indoors.

Maine Coon mix Shandy in also in Ionia, and she was also featured here last month. Shandy is about 8 years old, spayed, current on shots, and trained to use a litter box. She ended up at the shelter after her owner became very sick and couldn't take care of her. Like Leona, she needs to be an indoor kitty.

Andy, a black domestic shorthair (DSH) mix cat featured last month, is still looking for a forever home. He's been at the Manistee County Humane Society for almost a year! Andy is a nice boy who would prefer to be the only pet in the household.

As always, if you're interested in adopting any of these cats, please visit their Petfinder listings for more information.