Moving Forward
Pros: Knowledgeable, friendly, helpful staff; clean shelter; happy, healthy animals
Cons: Not enough space or funds to provide all the services we would like; need a volunteer coordinator
Reviewed: 10 months ago -- Friday, November 2, 2007
Reviewed Service
Review Details
I have been involved with the Marquette County Humane Society for nearly thirty years and have seen and often been part of many changes over the that time.
We are located in a remote part of Michigan (central Upper Peninsula) and in the largest and most populated county in the U.P. Over the years, while our primary goal has been to address the immediate needs of animals, we also found it necessary to respond to the needs of a community that too often has had nowhere else to turn regarding animal issues. And while our primary service area is Marquette County, our organization has traditionally been committed to helping wherever we can and have many times provided help in large animal cases and in situations involving large numbers of animals across the Upper Peninsula. We have managed this without having a wealthy population or large business base to help support our programs. What we do have is the support of average people and small businesses, for which we are extremely grateful and and are extremely proud.
At current rates, it appears our shelter will be caring for over 2,000 animals by the end of our fiscal year in May -- a new record. While it is a huge plus that the community has the confidence and trust in our organization to know we will do everything possible to make the right decisions regarding their pets and to do whatever we can to provide them with a second chance, such numbers also provide a strain on a small facility, staff and limited resources.
However, even given our limited resources, the past year has seen many forward strides in meeting the needs our community. It's been rather like the story of Stone Soup - we begin with a stone, and through the generosity of others, feed a community. Shelter hours open to the public have been expanded from five to seven days per week, and with an additional two hours per day! New adoption policies have been instituted that have made the procedure faster and easier and has increased adooptions substantially. Shelter management has embraced a teamwork approach, which has translated into an overall more efficient, organized and knowledgeable staff. Shared ideas have resulted in innovations that have improved quality of stay for animals, reducing stress and providing training for many behavior problems, thus making more of them adoptable. Media support via advertising and publicity has been awesome over the past year and has contributed largely in more pets finding homes. Individuals and groups have responded in record numbers to offer help in foster-homing, providing for specific needs, putting on fundraising benefits, and helping us to better answer the needs of our community.
On the down side, while we have seen a surge in people wishing to volunteer we are still sorely in need in of someone with the time and skills necessary to coordinate and capitalize on this outpouring of support. It's like having a chest of gold, and not having the key to open it.
All in all, it is a very exciting time of change, hope and vision! We invite one and all to stop in an visit us.
We are located in a remote part of Michigan (central Upper Peninsula) and in the largest and most populated county in the U.P. Over the years, while our primary goal has been to address the immediate needs of animals, we also found it necessary to respond to the needs of a community that too often has had nowhere else to turn regarding animal issues. And while our primary service area is Marquette County, our organization has traditionally been committed to helping wherever we can and have many times provided help in large animal cases and in situations involving large numbers of animals across the Upper Peninsula. We have managed this without having a wealthy population or large business base to help support our programs. What we do have is the support of average people and small businesses, for which we are extremely grateful and and are extremely proud.
At current rates, it appears our shelter will be caring for over 2,000 animals by the end of our fiscal year in May -- a new record. While it is a huge plus that the community has the confidence and trust in our organization to know we will do everything possible to make the right decisions regarding their pets and to do whatever we can to provide them with a second chance, such numbers also provide a strain on a small facility, staff and limited resources.
However, even given our limited resources, the past year has seen many forward strides in meeting the needs our community. It's been rather like the story of Stone Soup - we begin with a stone, and through the generosity of others, feed a community. Shelter hours open to the public have been expanded from five to seven days per week, and with an additional two hours per day! New adoption policies have been instituted that have made the procedure faster and easier and has increased adooptions substantially. Shelter management has embraced a teamwork approach, which has translated into an overall more efficient, organized and knowledgeable staff. Shared ideas have resulted in innovations that have improved quality of stay for animals, reducing stress and providing training for many behavior problems, thus making more of them adoptable. Media support via advertising and publicity has been awesome over the past year and has contributed largely in more pets finding homes. Individuals and groups have responded in record numbers to offer help in foster-homing, providing for specific needs, putting on fundraising benefits, and helping us to better answer the needs of our community.
On the down side, while we have seen a surge in people wishing to volunteer we are still sorely in need in of someone with the time and skills necessary to coordinate and capitalize on this outpouring of support. It's like having a chest of gold, and not having the key to open it.
All in all, it is a very exciting time of change, hope and vision! We invite one and all to stop in an visit us.
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