Northern Michigan Euthanasia Reports 2009

Every year, the Michigan Department of Agriculture releases the “Michigan Animal Shelter Activity Reports” for licensed animal shelters in Michigan. Fostering-only groups do not have to report. This report includes, among other things, intake and euthanasia information.

I have organized the information for you so that you can more easily check out the numbers for the animal shelters in your community. The results we have listed are for the shelters in our area that are on the Pet Friends Magazines shelters & rescues link. Some groups didn’t report last year or didn’t make the deadline to report this year.

For the purposes of Pet Friend Magazine’s 2nd Annual “PAW” Award (Pet Friends Animal Welfare Award), the winners are based on the percentage of the least amount of euthanasias for the year 2009 compared to the intake numbers of cats and dogs.

Because I'd like the numbers to be as accurate as possible, I subtracted the "returned" animals from the intake numbers before figuring out the euthanasia rates.

Homeward Bound Animal Shelter and AC Paw have tied to win the 2009 PAW Award from Pet Friends Magazine in the dog category for the least amount of euthanasias.

Homeward Bound Animal Shelter and Leaning Oaks Cat Haven tied to win the cat category for the least amount of euthanasias.

Congratulations to our winners - and to those of you who are doing a great job to reduce the number of animals killed in your care.

And to the rest of you, especially those of you who appear at the bottom of the list every year, please take a look at your policies and PLEASE try some new creative ideas from your staff and volunteers so that less animals have to be killed. Call someone at one of the shelters that has low euthanasia rates and pick their brain. Do what you can to save the lives of more cats and dogs.

2009 DOG Animal Welfare Results
The shelters below are listed best-to-worst for dog euthasias based on intake numbers. Duplicate numbers are ties in percentages).

1. AC Paw
1. Homeward Bound
2. Cherryland Humane Society
3. AuSable Valley Animal Shelter
4. Missaukee Humane Society
5. Little Traverse Bay Humane Society
6. Otsego Co. Animal Shelter
7. Benzie Co. Animal Control
8. Osceola Co. Animal Control
9. Charlevoix Co. Humane Society
10. Emmett Co. Stray Center
11. Antrim Co. Animal Control
12. Kalkaska Co. Animal Control
13. Oceana Co. Animal Shelter
14. Wexford Co. Animal Shelter

2009 CAT Animal Welfare Results
The shelters below are listed best-to-worst for cat euthasias based on intake numbers.

1. Homeward Bound
1. Leaning Oaks Cat Haven
2. AuSable Valley Animal Shelter
3. AC Paw
4. Missaukee Humane Society
5. Otsego Co. Animal Shelter
6. Little Traverse Bay Humane Society
7. Benzie Co. Animal Control
8. Charlevoix Co. Humane Society
9. Cherryland Humane Society
10. Emmet Stray Center
11. Kalkaska Co. Animal Control
12. Osceola Co. Animal Control
13. Antrico. Animal Control
14. Oceana Co. Animal Shelter
15. Wexford Co. Animal Shelter

I will gladly publish any comments from the shelters on this list. I will also make any corrections on any information that was mistakenly converted from the shelter report to this website.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS COMPILED FROM 2007, 2008 & 2009 SHELTER ACTIVITY REPORTS
(All percentage amounts are rounded down). Info. was put together from reports available at press time.

ANTRIM COUNTY:

Antrim County Animal Control - 2007
Dogs admitted: 501
Dogs euthanized: 143 (28%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 17
Cats admitted: 506
Cats euthanized: 207 (40%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 62

Antrim County Animal Control - 2008
Dogs admitted: 445
Dogs euthanized: 126 (28%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 18
Cats admitted: 517
Cats euthanized: 248 (47%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 90

Antrim County Animal Control - 2009
Dogs admitted: 324
Dogs euthanized: 96 (29.6%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 6
Cats admitted: 521
Cats euthanized: 259 (49.7%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 151


BENZIE COUNTY:

Benzie County Animal Control - 2007
No report available

Benzie County Animal Control - 2008
Dogs admitted: 225
Dogs euthanized: 20 (8%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 138
Cats euthanized: 26 (18%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 4

Benzie County Animal Control - 2009
UPDATED
Dogs admitted: 287
Dogs euthanized: 19 (6.6%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 247
Cats euthanized: 85 (34.4%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 27


CHARLEVOIX COUNTY:

Charlevoix Co. Humane Society - 2007
Dogs admitted: 345
Dogs euthanized: 73 (21%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1
Cats admitted: 430
Cats euthanized: 310 (72%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 113

Charlevoix Co. Humane Society - 2008
Dogs admitted: 292
Dogs euthanized: 23 (7%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 371
Cats euthanized: 211 (56%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 88

Charlevoix Co. Humane Society - 2009
Dogs admitted: 131
Dogs euthanized: 12 (9.1%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1
Cats admitted: 318
Cats euthanized: 110 (34.5%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 42


CRAWFORD COUNTY

AuSable Valley Animal Shelter - 2007
Dogs admitted: 230
Dogs euthanized: 4 (1%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 34
Cats euthanized: 1 (2%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0

AuSable Valley Animal Shelter - 2008
Dogs admitted: 267
Dogs euthanized: 3 (1%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 44
Cats euthanized: 0 (0%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0

AuSable Valley Animal Shelter - 2009
Dogs admitted: 121
Dogs euthanized: 3 (2.4%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 54
Cats euthanized: 1 (1.8%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0


Leaning Oaks Cat Haven - 2007
Cats admitted: 21
Cats euthanized: 1 (4%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1

Leaning Oaks Cat Haven - 2008
Cats admitted: 14
Cats euthanized: 1 (7%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1

Leaning Oaks Cat Haven - 2009
Cats admitted: 12
Cats euthanized: 0 (0%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0


EMMET COUNTY

Emmet Co. Stray Center - 2007
Dogs admitted: 177
Dogs euthanized: 7 (3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 154
Cats euthanized: 60 (38%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 15

Emmet Co. Stray Center - 2008
Dogs admitted: 163
Dogs euthanized: 5 (3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 161
Cats euthanized: 69 (42%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 27

Emmet Co. Stray Center - 2009
Dogs admitted: 43
Dogs euthanized: 7 (16.2%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 143
Cats euthanized: 52 (36.3%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 19


Little Traverse Bay Humane - 2007
Dogs admitted: 225
Dogs euthanized: 9 (4%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 249
Cats euthanized: 5 (2%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0

Little Traverse Bay Humane - 2008
No report available

Little Traverse Bay Humane - 2009
Dogs admitted: 194
Dogs euthanized: 6 (3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 191
Cats euthanized: 10 (5.2%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 4


GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY

AC Paw - 2007
(Ac Paw operates out of Antrim Co.
but adopts out of Grand Traverse Co.)
Dogs admitted: 76
Dogs euthanized: 0
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 741
Cats euthanized: 3 (below 1%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1

AC Paw - 2008
No report available

AC Paw - 2009
Dogs admitted: 103
Dogs euthanized: 0
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 308
Cats euthanized: 8 (2.5%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 5


Cherryland Humane Society - 2007
Dogs admitted: 908
Dogs euthanized: 39 (4%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 6
Cats admitted: 1317
Cats euthanized: 541 (41%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 242

Cherryland Humane Society - 2008
Dogs admitted: 916
Dogs euthanized: 35 (3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 8
Cats admitted: 1393
Cats euthanized: 836 (60%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 383

Cherryland Humane Society - 2009
Dogs admitted: 976
Dogs euthanized: 13 (1.3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 1793
Cats euthanized: 641 (35.7%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 310


KALKASKA COUNTY

Kalkaska Co. Animal Control - 2007
Dogs admitted: 246
Dogs euthanized: 105 (42%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 32
Cats admitted: 214
Cats euthanized: 145 (67%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 11

Kalkaska Co. Animal Control - 2008
Dogs admitted: 319
Dogs euthanized: 87 (27%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 43
Cats admitted: 224
Cats euthanized: 121 (54%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 18

Kalkaska Co. Animal Control - 2009
Dogs admitted: 264
Dogs euthanized: 108 (40.9%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 18
Cats admitted: 253
Cats euthanized: 112 (44.2%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 56


MANISTEE COUNTY

Manistee Co. Humane Society - 2007
No Report Available

Manistee Co. Humane Society - 2008
Dogs admitted: 225
Dogs euthanized: 8 (3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 195
Cats euthanized: 5 (2%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 4

Manistee Co. Humane Society - 2009
No Report Available


MANISTEE COUNTY

Homeward Bound - 2007
Dogs admitted: 134
Dogs euthanized: 0 (0%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 68
Cats euthanized: 1 (1%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1

Homeward Bound - 2008
No Report Available

Homeward Bound - 2009
Dogs admitted: 225
Dogs euthanized: 0 (0%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 131
Cats euthanized: 0 (0%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0


MISSAUKEE COUNTY

Missaukee Humane Society - 2007
Dogs admitted: 94
Dogs euthanized: 2 (2%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 130
Cats euthanized: 1 (below 1%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0

Missaukee Humane Society - 2008
Dogs admitted: 117
Dogs euthanized: 3 (2%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 2
Cats admitted: 102
Cats euthanized: 0 (0%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0

Missaukee Humane Society - 2009
Dogs admitted: 169
Dogs euthanized: 5 (2.9%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 1
Cats admitted: 115
Cats euthanized: 3 (2.6%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0


OCEANA COUNTY

Oceana Co. Animal Shelter - 2007
Dogs admitted: 318
Dogs euthanized: 120 (37%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 11
Cats admitted: 106
Cats euthanized: 45 (42%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 13

Oceana Co. Animal Shelter - 2008
Dogs admitted: 321
Dogs euthanized: 101 (31%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 9
Cats admitted: 158
Cats euthanized: 71 (44%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 17

Oceana Co. Animal Shelter - 2009
Dogs admitted: 238
Dogs euthanized: 103 (43.2%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 11
Cats admitted: 192
Cats euthanized: 125 (65.1%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 27

UPDATE: Terri Fisk, Oceana County Animal Control Officer, asked that I clarify their euthanasia numbers. She wanted you to know that their shelter offers a public service by humanely euthanizing family pets for people who need to make that decision. Those numbers are included in the overall euthanasia numbers reported. Their 2009 euthanasia breakdown report is here. Their facility has 9 dog kennels and 6 cat kennels which all animals are held in the same room. They do the best that they can to place this animals and provide them with the best care and comfort they can. All the dogs have Kuranda beds, get blankets, toys with outside exercise in our exercise areas that  have been donated to them. All animals receive names while they are there, because, everyone deserves to have a name. They do not take euthanasia lightly and asked me to convey that message to my readers.


OSCEOLA COUNTY

Osceola Co. Animal Control - 2007
Dogs admitted: 484
Dogs euthanized: 38 (7%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 3
Cats admitted: 383
Cats euthanized: 174 (45%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 72

Osceola Co. Animal Control - 2008
No report available

Osceola Co. Animal Control - 2009
Dogs admitted: 499
Dogs euthanized: 39 (7.8%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 2
Cats admitted: 673
Cats euthanized: 326 (48.4%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 152


OTSEGO COUNTY

Otsego Co. Animal Shelter - 2007
Dogs admitted: 388
Dogs euthanized: 12 (3%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 413
Cats euthanized: 56 (13%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 16

Otsego Co. Animal Shelter - 2008
Dogs admitted: 389
Dogs euthanized: 9 (2%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 380
Cats euthanized: 26 (6%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 7

Otsego Co. Animal Shelter - 2009
Dogs admitted: 222
Dogs euthanized: 13 (5.8%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 0
Cats admitted: 337
Cats euthanized: 11 (3.2%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 2


WEXFORD COUNTY

Wexford Co. Animal Shelter - 2007
Dogs admitted: 666
Dogs euthanized: 180 (27%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 50
Cats admitted: 498
Cats euthanized: 259 (52%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 100

Wexford Co. Animal Shelter - 2008
Dogs admitted: 779
Dogs euthanized: 330 (42%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 54
Cats admitted: 510
Cats euthanized: 373 (73%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 55

Wexford Co. Animal Shelter - 2009
Dogs admitted: 472
Dogs euthanized: 235 (49.7%)
Dogs 6 mos. & under euthanized: 122
Cats admitted: 443
Cats euthanized: 324 (73.1%)
Cats 6 mos. & under euthanized: 140