Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals

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A Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals

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In Memory: Mr. Butler Page 23 The impact of the coronavirus Pages 9-10

Pound Buddies Rescue’s new building Page 16

Mags needs a home Before and after rehab LuvnPupz – Page 13

Summer 2020

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CONTENTS Animals for Adoption Carol’s Ferals ........................................................................

5

Cannonsville Critters ...................................................

6

Muskegon Humane Society .........................................

11

LuvnPupz ..................................................................................

13

Reuben’s Room Cat Rescue ............................................

14

Crash’s landing .................................................................

17

BestPals Animal Rescue ..................................................

24

Almost Every Month Business Card Directory ..............................................

4

Ask the Trainer ...................................................................

15

Furry Philosophy ..............................................................

18

Willow’s World ..................................................................

19

Community Resource Guide .......................................

21

In Memory ...............................................................................

23

On the Wild Side ................................................................

23

Furry Philosophy Page 18

Features The Impact of the Coronavirus ...............................

9

Pound Buddies Announces new location ........

16

Cannonsville Critters Page 6 Cats and Dogs PO Box 996, Jenison, MI 49429-0996 616-777-0645 catsanddogsmagazine@comcast.net www.catsanddogsmagazine.com Cats and Dogs, founded in 2006, is a free publication supported by advertisers. Magazines are distributed throughout Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and surrounding counties. We are not responsible for services and products advertised. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

Summer 2020 • www.catsanddogsmagazine.com

Publisher: Janet Vormittag Owner: JLV Enterprises LLC Deadlines Spring: Feb. 10 - Summer: May 10 Fall: August 10 - Winter: Nov. 10 Home delivery of Cats and Dogs is $16 per year. Make your check payable to Cats and Dogs and mail to: Cats and Dogs, P.O. Box 996, Jenison, MI 49429-0996

Advertising information: 616-777-0645 - catsanddogsmagazine@comcast.net

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From the Editor

BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY

Janet Vormittag

I debated whether I should publish a Summer issue of Cats and Dogs while the pandemic was turning our lives upside down. So I contacted some of the magazine’s advertisers and the majority of them were in favor of a Summer magazine.

Several of the drop-off locations are closed so the number of printed magazines will be reduced, but the online edition will be available.

One of the downsides of our Governor’s stay-athome orders was the closing of veterinarian offices for non-emergency procedures, which meant no spay/neuter surgeries. To those involved in rescue the stoppage of those surgeries was devastating, especially since it coincided with the beginning of kitten season.

Be prepared for an explosion of kittens. If you were thinking of adopting a cute little fluff ball, please consider adopting two littermates.

One bit of good news is adoptions seem to be up. In talking to a handful of rescues, they are surprised by the number of people wanting to adopt.

Another piece of good news is Pound Buddies Rescue in Muskegon kicked off a capital campaign for a new building. Anyone who has visited the county shelter, which is managed by Pound Buddies, won’t question why a new facility is needed. The first time I visited the shelter I left in tears. Everything about it, except for the people, was inadequate. The kennels were small and constructed of concrete and metal. Hallways, called wards, had kennels on each side and there was nothing to absorb the endless barking. The noise made it impossible to hear anything except the pleas for attention and help. It was heartbreaking. If you can help, please donate. If you donate a million dollars, you can have the building named after you. Don’t you wish you could donate a million? If that’s out of your price range, check out poundbuddies. org for other naming opportunities.

This issue includes briefs regarding how the coronavirus crisis is affecting various pet-related businesses. Bear in mind these short accounts were submitted May 15. The shutdown orders are in flux and could be changed by the time you read this.

Until this virus is tamed or contained, stay safe.

616-949-1390 www.noahspetcemetery.com noahspc@comcast.net

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Books for people who care about animals

The Save Five Series is a collection of fictional books that explore some of today’s relevant animal issues such as factory farming, medical and cosmetic research, dog fighting, animal hoarding, and captive hunting preserves.

If you have compassion for animals and love to read, you’ll appreciate Janet Vormittag’s heroic tales of Alison Cavera as she fights for animals who share this planet with us.

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The Save Five Series Dog 281 (book 1) MoreThan a Number (book 2) The Save Five Club (book 3) You Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if ...

Available at amazon.com janetvormittag.com

www.catsanddogsmagazine.com • Summer 2020

How the coronavirus has impacted pet-related businesses (as of May 15)

C-SNIP Like so many others, the coronavirus turned our world upside down. In mid-March, the American Veterinary Medical Association and a few other nationally recognized animal welfare experts recommended that all “elective” spay/neuter surgeries, not considered emergency, be suspended. Following this guideline, C-SNIP temporarily shut down our clinics in Kentwood and Fruitport on March 20, assuming we would reopen in 2-3 weeks. Shortly after, the Governor issued the Stay Home/Stay Safe order. This included a provision that cited routine spay/neuter surgery as non-essential and not allowed.

While it is important for C-SNIP to do its part in preventing the spread of COVID-19, it has been heartwrenching to stop our high-impact services at the onset of kitten season, when the cat population explodes. It has also been a significant financial challenge, with the loss of over 75% of our monthly revenue because we are closed.

C-SNIP did receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan which will help. But we still are paying the monthly bills and need the support of the community to make it through this crisis. We look forward to getting back to work, serving the community, and preventing accidental and unwanted litters.

UPDATE: C-SNIP is thrilled to announce we will reopen to the public for spay/neuter appointments starting June 8, 2020. We will begin booking appointments for that week starting the week of June 1. Online appointment requests will open on June 1 and phone requests will open Tuesday, June 2. Please be patient as we expect our phones will be very busy. We suggest requesting your appointment online if possible.

Star 105.7’s 15th Annual West Michigan Pet Expo Rescheduled Due to the projected impacts of COVOID-19 and the concern for the safety of our guests and animals, Star 105.7 has rescheduled the 2020 West Michigan Pet Expo.

The new date for the pet expo will be Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4 at The Deltaplex Arena.

The West Michigan Pet Expo is the longest running and best-attended pet expo in Michigan. It is packed with fun activities for families, providing kid-friendly and affordable entertainment. The two-day event will feature animal entertainment, Goat Yoga, on-site adoption from over 15 animal shelters, over 80 pet-related vendors, and thousands of animal products. The 2020 West Michigan Pet Expo will also feature a 1,000 square-foot Reptile and Amphibian Exhibit, featuring creepy crawly critters from all over the world.

The 2020 West Michigan Pet Expo will be held Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. Summer 2020 • www.catsanddogsmagazine.com

4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Deltaplex Arena, 2500 Turner Ave., Grand Rapids. Tickets are on sale at www. westmichiganstar.com or at the Deltaplex’s Box office – admission for adults will be $12, children 12 and under will be $6, and children 4 and under will be admitted free of charge. To participate in Goat Yoga, a ticket add on will be available online.

Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry Our mission at Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry is simple ... to keep pets with their families and out of shelters. We knew when things started to shut down and people were out of work or weren’t able to work safely, that we wanted to do all we could to help our community be able to keep their pets and keep them happy.

On average, we distribute an average of 1,200 to 1,500 pounds of dog, cat, and critter food (that doesn’t count treats & the hundreds of pounds of litter) every other weekend to our clients. These numbers have been steadily growing over the past 3 1/2 years so we were prepared and expected to do more during these unprecedented times.

To do this during the COVID-19 pandemic, we started offering no-contact delivery to clients who were homebound due to the virus, as well as adding a weeknight distribution to our schedule for those who weren’t able to make it to our weekend distributions.

We made masks and gloves mandatory for our volunteers, asked that clients wear masks if they had them. The biggest change was moving to a drive up and n0-contact distribution. To keep our clients and volunteers safe, we had clients line up and stay in their vehicles, our volunteers gather their information, go into our warehouse and fill their ‘order’, then bring it out and put it into an open trunk or door. We also started campaigning a bit more for both in-kind and monetary donations to allow us to purchase more items that may be needed. We were blown away (per usual) by our supporters! The amount of Amazon and Chewy boxes being delivered, donations being dropped off, and online and Facebook donations were overwhelmingly heartwarming. We definitely had more members of our community reach out to us for assistance and we made sure we were able to make that happen!

Our needs are always canned and dry dog food, canned and dry cat food, and cat litter. We’ve been running low specifically on grain-free/poultry-free dog food, canned dog food, and scoopable cat litter.

How can you help us keep pets and families together?

Check out the ‘donate’ page on our website - www. pleasantheartspetfoodpantry.org/donate.

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How the coronavirus has impacted pet-related businesses (as of May 15)

The Paragon School of Pet Grooming This was announced to “pet parents” on Paragon’s Facebook page. While they are closing their physical campus, they still offer a Distance Learning Program. www.paragonpetschool.com Like many businesses, we temporarily closed The Paragon School of Pet Grooming, 110 Chicago Dr., Jenison, due to the COVID19 pandemic. During this time, we took a hard look at our future. What will life look like once the stay-at-home orders are lifted?

We need to keep both our students and your pet safe. Teaching students requires close supervision and timely communications. It will be impossible to achieve these objectives in the future. The new COVID19 safety protocols simply put your pet and our students at risk.

We have made a difficult decision. Closing the physical campus of The Paragon Pet School of Pet Grooming is bittersweet. It has been the foundation - and progression - of our curriculum for 28 years. Together with your help, we have turned thousands of student’s dreams of working with animals into a rewarding career.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We have loved our “face-time” with you. We will miss you and all the pets. We have always enjoyed pampering your pups while training our treasured alumni.

Thanks to Paragon’s rich history, there are plenty of skilled groomers in West Michigan. They are wellequipped to assist anyone who frequented the school for your pet’s grooming needs.

Again, we will miss all of you very much and wish nothing but the best for you and your pets.

Heaven At Home Euthanasia & Hospice During COVID-19 The Heaven at Home team has continued the essential service of helping pets pass peacefully at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we’ve stepped up to help offset the reduced availability of local veterinarians, and welcome Dr. Katie Tillman to our team. We’ve adjusted our policy during home visits to comply with safe, sanitary protocols in accordance with the CDC and AVMA. This includes restricting the number of people in physical attendance, maintaining social distance, and generally performing our service outdoors or in a light traffic enclosure on your premises. Despite these precautions, we are able to deliver a meaningful and compassionate experience for you and your beloved pet.

For hospice clients, we’ve introduced a new Telemedicine system to assist with care, monitoring, Cats and Dogs -10

advice, and quality of life assessments. Hospice consultations are available by Hippa-compliant Video service through an easy-to-use app. For complete details, visit our website at www.PetHospiceVet.com, or ask your routine care veterinarian for a referral, which enables us to provide the most comprehensive level of telemedicine service possible, including prescriptions. We are here to help pet parents prevent needless suffering through hospice care and help them determine when the time is right to say goodbye.

Ottawa County Dog Parks Closed As of April 24, Grand Ravines Dog Park and the off-leash dog beach at Kirk Park in Ottawa County were temporarily closed due to updated recommendations from the CDC. Dogs are still permitted on-leash outside the fenced area at Grand Ravines and other parks where dogs are usually allowed.

Paradigm Dog School Robert Crough, Owner As a business owner and professional dog trainer I see this virus and the resulting lockdowns from a different perspective. It has stifled business in a few different ways.

First, being the obvious immediate shut down of group classes, socialization, and proofing behaviors in public, or anything that brings people together or allows us to practice in real public situations.

Second, in many ways us trainers fall through the cracks of the system. Depending on a few variables we may not qualify for some of the business or state aid offered due to the nature of the business. It’s a weird catch 22 for some of us. We are allowed to work and in many cases are considered essential, but are not allowed to do half of our business’s “bread and butter” approaches. On the flip side, understandably people are reluctant to have strangers in their homes. This has resulted in the loss of many of our private trainings.

Boarding school is becoming the more popular choice for clients (in my personal experience), but the cost of such programs can shy folks away when income is tight.

In the end, I have hope. I know this business in and out, and dogs will always be naughty and owners will always need help. Trainers are eagerly waiting for this to be over, so people can become more comfortable in public, and we can resume helping every dog that needs it! www.catsanddogsmagazine.com • Summer 2020

This page paid for by Clock Timeless Pets!

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In-Home Pet Care When You Can’t Be There THE CAT’S MEOW Pet Sitters Jeanine Buckner Veterinary Assistant

616-791-9696 Loving Home Care For Your Pet During my 18 years of working in veterinary medicine, I realized the need for an alternative to boarding. Thus, The Cat’s Meow Pet Sitters was created.

By keeping your feline friend in her familiar home surroundings, you and your cat experience less stress while you are away. My first home visit with you and your cat is at no charge. Information regarding medical care, instructions on feeding and watering, litter box patrol and playing with and/or grooming your cat will all be discussed. At no additional charge, bringing in mail and/or newspapers and watering plants can also be done. Pampering your cat in her/his own home is a wise alternative to boarding. Your cat will thank you!

Jeanine Buckner, Owner

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Summer 2020 • www.catsanddogsmagazine.com

Ask the Trainer Dog behaviors to avoid after quarantine

By Robert Crough It is known that during all life stages of dogs, especially puppyhood, domestic canines with limited exposure to a wide selection of people, places and things have a higher chance to become standoffish, shy, fearful, reactive and maybe even aggressive towards strangers, other dogs, or things in the environment as they mature.

We also risk the future headaches of separation anxiety due to the fact we are all home and not leaving daily for school or work. We are likely to see troubles that will stem from the lack of early socialization as they lie dormant and are not apparent at the moment because we are all home and life is not running like it will be soon.

Most young dogs appear to be friendly and very confident even during this lockdown. However, it is normal (and natural) behavioral development for fears and phobias to emerge and intensify during adolescence and adulthood, especially when socialization was restricted. What should we do to prevent this from manifesting in our dogs in the future when this quarantine ends?

To avoid issues such as separation anxiety it’s a good idea to try to mimic what your normal routine, after quarantine would look like from the dog’s perspective.

That means, grab you keys and phone and mimic leaving for work and leave the pup home for short periods of time alone to get used to seeing you leave everyday. What you are trying to avoid is the dog getting too used to everyone being home and being smothered with attention 24/7. It’s not fair to the dog to not have some sort of lead up to the fact you will eventually be going back to school and work.

When thinking of such activities like leash walking, dog interactions, and properly meeting people, we are limited right now as to what we are and are not allowed to practice with the public. It’s still the best practice to get your dog outside on the leash, walking in your neighborhood every day to maintain consistent behavior.

You can also continue to practice a formal meet process using friends and family members with a simple Sit Stay as a go to behavior. You don’t want the dog to forget (or in the case of puppies, learn too late) what is expected in certain situations. You are trying to keep it fresh in the dogs mind, what it’s going to look like when this ends and the dog starts seeing more people.

Robert Crough is a professional dog trainer and the owner of Paradigm Dog School.

Contact him at 616-886-4214 or paradigmds@ gmail.com. www.paradigmdogschool.com Cats and Dogs - 15

Pound Buddies Announces New Shelter Location Kicking off a $2.5 million capital campaign in the midst of a global pandemic may not be the best timing, but officials from Pound Buddies Rescue in Muskegon felt there was no choice.

“We didn’t have another option because of the condition of the building,” said campaign director Jan Jacobs. Among other problems, the shelter has a leaky roof that’s beyond repair, lacks air conditioning, has kennels that are too small for large dogs, doesn’t have room to quarantine or isolate incoming dogs, and has minimum office space.

Pound Buddies, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, manages the county shelter, 1300 East Keating. The building, owned

by Muskegon Township, is leased to Muskegon County. It was deemed fiscally unreasonable to update the structure to meet code regulations and guidelines for effective shelter management.

“The housing for animals is as antiquated as it comes,” said Lana Carson, the Executive Director of Pound Buddies. The building, constructed in the 1960s for animal control, was designed to hold stray dogs for the required 4 to 7 days before they were euthanized.

Lana said over the years the mindset has changed from euthanasia to adoption, but the change required providing homeless dogs a place to live until new homes could be found. The animals needed more space, exercise and mental stimulation.

“You can’t change the function of a building without changing the flow,” Lana explained.

The search for a new location began in August 2019.

Earlier this year the owners of Hughes Builders suggested Pound Buddies purchase their facility at 3279 East Laketon Ave., Muskegon. The construction company wanted to downsize and plan to construct a new building to house their business.

“Their offer was a godsend,” Jan said. The purchase price included Hughes Builders replacing the roof and doing other renovations. “They’ve already donated more than $30,000 towards the project,” she said.

Lana is beyond thrilled at the prospect of a new building. “I can’t wait. It’s surreal. It’s so needed.”

Pound Buddies handles more than 1,500 dogs every year.

They hope to make the move to the new building before the end of the year, but there’s much that needs to be done. The biggest project will be the construction of an addition to provide room for 140 dog kennels. “We’re committed to not euthanize dogs for space,” Jan said.

The current shelter has 98 kennels that are only 3by-5 foot. The small size results in large dogs stepping in their own waste. Dogs with happy tails---tails that wag constantly, end up with open sores from their tail hitting the sides of the narrow kennels. They don’t heal until the dog gets adopted.

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The Hughes Building, 3279 East Laketon, will be the new home of Pound Buddies Rescue, the only open admission animal shelter in Muskegon County.

The new kennels will be 5-x-8 foot.

When completed, the new building will be close to 25,000 square feet, which is more than three times larger than the current shelter. It will be owned by Pound Buddies and will meet the Michigan Department of Agriculture standards including larger kennels, designated intake and isolation areas, dedicated air exchange systems and efficient heating and cooling equipment.

In addition, it will have an indoor exercise and training area, rooms for cats, and family adoption rooms.

Four acres outside will be fenced and used for outdoor walking and play areas for dogs. The shelter will also be equipped with a fire suppressant system.

Since 1998, Pound Buddies has assisted the county with shelter operations. In October 2019, Pound Buddies signed a contract with the county to manage the shelter for 10 years.

Pound Buddies is the largest shelter in Muskegon County and is the only open admission shelter, meaning they accept all dogs regardless of age, demeanor, health, or breed.

To make the new shelter a reality, Pound Buddies needs the support of animal lovers, area businesses and philanthropists.

As part of their fundraising strategy, they are offering naming opportunities. Donate a million dollars and the building will bear your name. Every room, kennel, brick and bench has a naming price tag.

“It’s a community shelter. We need people to reach into their pockets and help,” Lana said.

More information, along with floor plans, construction photos, naming opportunities and ways to donate can be found at www.poundbuddies.org and on the Pound Buddies Facebook page.

The Pound Buddies campaign video, produced prior to the Covid 19 crisis, can be viewed on the website or at https://youtu.be/5c8x6HUlQ9w.

Contact Jan Jacobs at (231) 557-8268 or jacobs0414@gmail.com. www.catsanddogsmagazine.com • Summer 2020

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Furry Philosophy

By Jodi Jarvis -Therrian, CCPDT-KA CTDI “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” ~ Josh Billings The year 2020 did not start out very well. My best furry friend, Odin J., transitioned to the Rainbow Bridge.

Now we are in a crazy pandemic. I would like a do-over please!

I am so, so thankful to Alexis, director at Muskegon Humane. At the end of February, she connected me with a sweet boy to foster. Fostering, led to adopting. I could not even fathom another dog after losing my soul dog.

Someone told me and it stuck in my mind; you can love two siblings. You can love both and not feel guilty. It helped me to cope and look at things differently. I hope it helps others who are struggling.

Olaf, my new adopted dog, is not a replacement.

However, I have so much love to give this sweet rescue who is being treated for heart worm. He has given me so much love and consoling in return! He is definitely lived up to his proper name, Odin J.’s Heavenly Sent Heart “Olaf A. Snowman.” Kitty Raven instantly fell in love with him, after she batted him in the face, and he fell on his back all four feet up in the air. They became fast friends!

Olaf was transferred from a shelter in Louisiana. Muskegon Humane went to help St. Landry Parish, the poorest in Louisiana, because they are in the Bissell Pet Foundation network. They have an extraordinarily high intake and no funding for adoption preparation. The animals who enter that shelter only have a chance if they are transferred out.

Olaf’s shelter mate was also rescued and pregnant.

After the puppies were born my friend and partner, Paula, took them into foster to help them get a good start. Some people think they should wait until a puppy is through its whole set of vaccines before exposing the puppy to anything. We believe that is too long to wait to have a well-rounded, fear-free happy life. When a puppy is young, they should be curious about anything new. If you present it in a positive way, it will seem normal. We Cats and Dogs - 18

dressed up in big bulky clothing, sunglasses, hats and backpacks and picked up the puppies. We exposed them to things such as under the car dollies and rolling chairs.

We showed them moving ceiling fans. These things can be very scary for a puppy if introduced too late in life.

During this pandemic meeting other people is quite difficult. Paula and I met outside at her house, social distanced and worked with the puppies. I brought my vaccinated dog so that they could get used to other dogs.

Paula introduced her dog Pepper. It is so important to introduce puppies to adult dogs, children, and new people, so they do not become fearful. The puppy’s mother and you are not enough. Understandably, it is hard right now with social distancing, but you can find ways. You could put your puppy on a very long leash.

You can meet a friend in their fenced backyard. Paula went above and beyond and showed the puppies cows, pigs, goats and horses. They had multiple surfaces to walk on and interactive toys to explore. If you go to Dog Blessed LLC’s Facebook page, there are a lot of videos and puppy how-to instructions. I really want to commend Paula for everything she has done for these puppies. I am thankful I had the opportunity to help.

If you adopt a puppy, I encourage you to make this your number one priority. Waiting until they’re six months old it is too late.

Remember a dog will love your unconditionally.

If you give them what they need, they pay you back tenfold. Also, try to remember everyone is dealing with this pandemic in different ways. I believe we all must try to think like a dog and just be understanding. We all need to strive to be more like the animals who don’t judge (myself included). They live in the moment. I believe we all need to listen to the animals and nature.

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Community Resource Guide Cemeteries

Pet Boarding/Sitters

Clock Timeless Pets 1469 Peck St., Muskegon, MI 49441 231-722-3721 - www.clocktimelesspets.com

Canine Country Club In-home pet sitting and dog walking 231-755-3230

Noah’s Pet Cemetery & Crematory 2727 Orange Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 616-949-1390 – noahspc@comcast.net www.noahspetcemetery.com

Dogs Bay Inc Boarding, daycare, grooming, CBD products 3675 64th St., Holland 49423 or 3225 132nd Ave., Holland, 49424 616-218-4493 – dogsbayinc@gmail.com – www.dogsbay.net

Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery 2755 64th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315 616-538-6050 – www.sleepyhollowpc.com info@sleepyhollowpc.com

Pet Villa – Lodging, Daycare, Grooming 3934 3 Mile Road NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534 616-735-3191 – pvpetvilla@gmail.com www.thepetvilla.com

Feral Cat Support Services A Feral Haven Supporting feral/community cats in Ottawa and Allegan Counties by loaning live traps, and providing spay/neuter vouchers and food. http://www.aferalhavenmi.org – 616-399-1774 a.feral.haven.mi@gmail.com

Humane Societies/Shelters Allegan County Animal Shelter 2293 33rd Street, Allegan, MI 49010 269-686-5112 - www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI299.html Harbor Humane Society 14345 Bagley Street (at US 31), West Olive, MI 49460 616-399-2119 - www.harborhumane.org Humane Society of West Michigan 3077 Wilson Drive NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534 616-453-8900 - www.hswestmi.org Ionia County Animal Shelter 3853 Sparrow Drive, Ionia, MI 48846 616-527-9040 - www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI342.html Kent County Animal Shelter 740 Fuller Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 616-632-7300 - www.accesskent.com/kcas Pound Buddies Animal Shelter & Adoption Center 1300 East Keating Ave., Muskegon, MI 231-724-6500 - www.poundbuddies.org

Grooming Doggie Paws Brenda Christensen 410 E Division St, Sparta, MI 49345 616-887-7060 – brendasilverleaf@yahoo.com www.doggie-paws.com

The Cat’s Meow Loving Home Care For Your Cat Jeanine Buckner, veterinary assistant - 616-481-6878

Pet In-Home Hospice Heaven at Home Pet Hospice In-home pet hospice, palliative pet care and euthanasia for companion animals 616-498-1316 – doc@pethospicevet.com www.pethospicevet.com

Pet Services Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry Helping keep pets and families together since 2016 info@pleasantheartspetfoodpantry.org www.pleasantheartspetfoodpantry.org 1539 Taylor Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505

Pet Training Paradigm Dog School Professional dog training 616-886-4214 – paradigmds@gmail.com www.paradigmdogschool.com Wolf Song Enterprises, LLC Animal behavior consulting, Animal training, Animal talent Wolfsongenterprises@gmail.com – 231-744-7141

Rescue Groups Bellwether Harbor P.O. Box 475, 7645 West 48th St., Fremont, MI 49412 231-924-9230 - www.bellwetherharbor.org BestPals Animal Rescue Center 13888 Blair St., Holland, MI 49424 Call for appointment, 616-212-3368 www.bestpalsarc.wix.com – bestpalsarc@gmail.com Cannonsville Critters Helping cats in Montcalm County Michelle Hocking, 989-287-2553 Continued on page 22

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Community Resource Guide Carol’s Ferals Trap-Neuter-Return and Adoption 616-560-0555 – www.carolsferals.org Crash’s Landing Cat Rescue & Placement Center No-kill, Non-profit 501(c) organization 616-821-6065 - www.crashslanding.org Headin’ Home Pet Rescue 185 Panther Dr., Holland, MI 49424 616-886-1474 - headinhomerescue@sbcglobal.net www.headinhomerescue.org Hearts of Hope Dog Rescue Until there are none, rescue one 616-366-8455 - rescueofhope@gmail.com www.rescueofhope.com Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary ‘A home along the way’ for dogs in need.

Adopt - Volunteer - Donate 8935 Thompson Rd. Lake Odessa, MI 48849 www.mackenzies.info Muskegon Humane Society - a no kill, non-profit shelter 2640 Marquette Ave., Muskegon, MI 49442 231-773-8689 - www.muskegonhumanesociety.org Pet Tales Rescue A non-profit, volunteer, foster-based, all-breed dog/cat rescue.

Kathy Brown, P.O. Box 88084, Kentwood, MI 49518 616-446-1591 – pettalesrescueboard@gmail.com www.pettalesrescue.com – www.facebook.com/pettalesrescue Reuben’s Room Cat Rescue Jeanine Buckner A no-kill, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization 616-481-6878 - www.reubensroom.petfinder.com Safe Haven Humane Society P.O. Box 55, Ionia, MI 48846 Fax: 517-579-5948 616-522-1611 – shhspets@hotmail.com – www.shhspets.com Vicky’s Pet Connection www.vickyspetconnection.com West Michigan Ferret Connection Education - Boarding - Adoptions - Rescue Dee Gage, 616-447-2978 - wmfc2001@sbcglobal.net

www.westmichiganferretconnection.com

Westie Rescue Michigan Inc A nonprofit volunteer organization providing assistance and foster care for homeless West Highland White Terriers.

Jackie Curtis – 810-632-5477 westierescuemi2@yahoo.com – www.westierescue-mi.com

Spay/Neuter

C-SNIP Affordable spay/neuter services We have clinics in Grand Rapids and on the Lakeshore 616-455-8220 – info@csnip.org www.csnip.org

Specialty Businesses Critter Cottage Adoption/outreach for Vicky’s Pet Connection 7205 Thornapple River Drive SE, Ada, MI 616-682-4855 - www.vickyspetconnection.com Happy Cat Cafe Cat Lounge & Adoption Center 447 S Division, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 616-202-4750 – happycatgr@gmail.com www.happycatgr.com.

Kristina VanOss Studio Pet portraits made personal 616-566-2113 – inastateofre@gmail.com Wishbone House Thrift shop and Pet Adoptions 165 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, MI 269-455-5247 – www.wishbonepetrescue.org

Veterinarians Family Friends Veterinary Hospital 6555 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 616-575-6520 – chelsey.rosemeck@familyfriendsvet.com www.familyfriendsvet.com Laketown Cat Hospital 3604 64th Street, Saugatuck, MI 49453 (269)455-5056 mail@laketowncathospital.com www.laketowncathospital.com Mapleview Animal Hospital 185 Panther Dr., Holland, MI 49424 616-399-2140 -mapleviewah@sbcglobal.net www.mapleviewanimalhospital.net

Wildlife Lowell Farm and Wildlife Center 12494 Vergennes St., Lowell, MI 616-885-4223 – www.farmwildlife.org Wildlife Rehab Center 1504 Union Ave. NE, Grand Rapids 616-361-6109 – www.wildlife-rehab-center.org

Wishbone Pet Rescue Alliance Managing the Allegan County Animal Shelter P.O. Box 124, Douglas, MI 49406 (800) 475-0776 - www.wishbonepetrescue.org

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www.catsanddogsmagazine.com • Summer 2020

In the

In Memory

Celebrating the Lives of Animal Friends

On the Wild Side with Allyson Swanson

Mr. Butler

We are sad to share with you the loss of our dear store kitty, Butler. He passed away peacefully today.

We were fortunate to enjoy him for 12 1/2 years, during which time he made many friends and fans from near and far. We will miss his gentle spirit. The above notice was posted on Santa Fe Trading Co’s Facebook page on April 27. Ninety-five people expressed their condolences.

In the summer of 2007, Butler was one of several feral cats living on the streets of Saugatuck­­---he was named after Butler Street, the home of Santa Fe Trading Co. Store co-owner Doug Hoeksema befriended the tabby with food, but it was a shared lunch of rotisserie chicken that cemented their friendship. When Carol’s Ferals of Grand Rapids spearheaded a trap-neuterreturn program, Butler was trapped. Doug and his wife, Korry, were happy when he was returned. They were even happier to see that Butler was a friendlier cat after being neutered. When the couple started serving Butler his meals inside the store, a new routine was born. For a couple months he stayed inside during the day and went out in the evening. One night he was sound asleep at closing time and missed his opportunity to go out on the town. He didn’t seem to mind and after that he stayed in full time.

Because of his dignified manner, the tabby was often called Mr. Butler. Shoppers were delighted to see the store mascot snoozing on the jewelry counter or basking in the warmth of the fireplace. When the Santa Fe Trading Co opens after the pandemic, the store won’t be the same without the presence of Mr. Butler.

Summer 2020 • www.catsanddogsmagazine.com

Ahhh, the sounds of Spring: chirping baby birds, the chatter of baby squirrels … and, of course, the incessant ringing of the phone.

It’s Baby Season at the Wildlife Rehab Center and amidst a pandemic, it couldn’t be more chaotic. The Covid-19 virus has impacted everyone and WRC is no exception. While we aren’t strangers to the insane nature of baby season, this year has seen an increase in animals already due to other centers across the state having to close down for quarantine. So, as you can imagine, the last thing we needed was an explosion of abandoned pet rabbits to catch.

That’s exactly what happened.

A little over a month ago we received a call regarding an injured baby bunny on a Good Samaritan’s property north of Grand Rapids. As you can imagine, injured baby bunnies are a daily occurrence for our group, but when the photo came through and the bunny was white with tawny markings, we immediately knew this was no wild rabbit. Upon further questioning we found out there were many more rabbits running loose outside.

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Alesha, headed the capture and rescue on our end and with x-pens, trail cams and good old fashioned chasing.

The game was afoot!

Over the span of a month, in partnership with The Humane Society of West Michigan, West Michigan Critter Rescue and Lost Paws LLC we were able to capture, rescue and find fosters for 26 rabbits.

With limited resources and approximately 3,000 animals taken in each year, we try to stick to wildlife as much as possible but we simply cannot deny an animal in need. As tricky as this situation was, we are so happy that all the rabbits are living happily indoors and are set to be spayed and neutered soon.

Please encourage domestic animals to stay inside and wild to remain in the wild.

Allyson Swanson is a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator with Wildlife Rehab Center Ltd, 1504 Union Ave. NE, Grand Rapids. She has been licensed since 2013 but started as a volunteer over sixteen years ago. Since then she has worked with countless species of birds and mammals and has become one of the main local resources for Virginia Opossums. She is also the Center’s Education Coordinator and does presentations with their Educational Ambassador animals. allyson@ wildlife-rehab-center.org – 616-606-5805.

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