Our Goals
No single organization can do everything, but together, we can make a difference for the people and pets within Barry County! Some of our upcoming goals and to-be-launched initiatives are outlined below. Join us on this epic journey as we create paw-sitive change!
Evaluate & Pursue New Avenues for Funding
Barry County Humane Society is looking to the future! We know that we need to step up our game when it comes to funding our plans, goals, and dreams for the future! In addition to accepting online donations through our website, we will begin to investigate attracting more interest through social media to expand who might support our mission; seek out state, federal, and organizational grants; look into "round up" funding within local businesses and organizations; restructure our fees with adoption/drop-off; and so much more!
Create New Programs for Low & No Cost Vet Assistance for Pet Parents in Need
Barry County has 64,000 people and an estimated 2/3 of households within our communities has at least one pet! That means that there may be as many as 40,000 pets within Barry County - and that's just the ones that are in a home! As such, we recognize that there is definitely a need for some people to have help paying for pet veterinary needs. Our goals include providing vouchers for families who need aid and (hopefully) creating a mobile clinic that can go to remote locations that are underserved in our county to meet pet needs.
Create a Foster & Adoption Program
Within the next 12 to 18 months, we hope to establish a foster and adoption program to increase lifesaving capacity, improve animal outcomes, support volunteers, and position BCHS for sustainable growth. Initially, we're looking to start with cat and kitten fosters and as the program grows expand into dogs and other common local pets. If you're interested in helping foster in Barry County, please use our contact page and include a note for Volunteer Mardi, who will be happy to help get you going!
Create a Partnership with Local Police & Animal Control to Address Animal Cruelty in Barry County
Did you know that Michigan has both felony and misdemeanor statues to prevent animal cruelty? Michigan law mandates that all pet owners provide their pets with adequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care. Sadly, some people mistreat, abandon, or intentionally harm animals and pets within our communities. As part of our education initiative, BCHS hopes to foster a stronger relationship with Barry County Animal Control and the Barry County Police Department to better identify those who are abusing animals and ultimately, better outcomes for the animals and pets involved.
Trap & Release (TNR)
Last year one of our volunteers, Tim, trapped and released and/or rehomed 1,500 cats! It sounds like a large number and it is an immense example of the work that our volunteers do but its just a drop in the bucket. According to the Feral Cat Project, a single female cat will average six kittens annually with nearly 75% dying before they themselves reach four months of age (in which they could become pregnant). In a perfect environment, a single unspayed female cat and her offspring could product over 100 cats in seven years. Multiplied by how many cats are indoor/outdoor, abandoned, escaped, colony cats, or a dozen other scenarios, it is easy to see that we need to continue to step up our efforts in TNR within Barry County.
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In Barry County, the typical cost to TNR a single cat ranges from $30 to $75 per animal. This option typically covers the spay/neuter surgery, a rabies vaccination, a mandatory left ear-tip for identification, and sometimes additional treatments as necessary. Our goal is to not only create a fund to provide vouchers for TNR volunteers, so that they do not have to fund these efforts out of their own pockets, but also to expand our volunteer network so that we can better serve more cats within our borders.
More to Come!
This list is by no means an exhaustive look at all of the great things that we have planned for the next 12 to 18 months. We look forward to sharing the Barry County Humane Society's journey with you, each step of the way and encourage you to use our Contact Form if you have other ideas, goals, or projects that are on your heart for the animals and pets of our county! We've got great things coming! You will want to be part of this journey!