Shelter News
Our latest newsletter is now online! Click below to read it!
Here is our -- Fall/Winter Newsletter. We hope you enjoy it!
Previous Newsletters:
Spring 2009 Newsletter
Fall/Winter 2008 Newsletter
Summer 2008 Newsletter
Spring 2008 Newsletter (pdf)
Winter 2007 Newsletter (pdf)
(Please note this edition is in printer format so check the page numbers on bottom for order).
Summer 2007 Newsletter (pdf)
We now have our general brochures online and available for printing. Click on the links below for the brochure you are interested in!
Volunteer Brochure
Information Brochure
Donate Brochure
If you would like to receive e-mail updates about upcoming events, shelter needs, and news please send email to hssmnews@sbcglobal.net and place subscribe in the subject line.
Emails are confidential and will never be given out or sold
August 14- 1st Annual Humane Society Golf Outing- ATTENTION Golfers. We are having our first annual golf outing at Lake Michigan Hills Golf Course on August 14th. Competition starts at 8AM and will be shotgun style. Four person team cost is $280.00/scramble format. For a printable poster click here. The day will include hole prizes, raffles, and giveaways. For more information or to reserve your spot call Steve at 269-757-2426.
.Casey was adopted from the Humane Society a couple of months ago and found a wonderful home. Her family brought her back to the Humane Society for a visit for her birthday! We love it when people share their happy stories with us! Casey has the best gift a dog could ask for, a loving home! Happy Birthday Casey!
This is Dot Stacey. She made these adoption capes pictured here so we can showcase our adoptable pets when they are out at special events! She even embroidered our logo on them! Dot is a SUPER volunteer. She donated her time and materials after she saw a need and knew she could help fill it! Because of her our adoptable pets will "Stand Out" in a crowd! Thanks Dot!
5/7/09-
The Humane Society was priveleged to welcome the GlenHaven Home residents to our shelter for a tour and pet therapy time! Everyone loved kitty cuddles and puppy kisses and we hope we brightened the residents day as much as they brightened ours!
The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan is teaming up with Animal Aid and area veterinarians again to host a Team Neuter clinic for low income and senior citizens of our community. The first clinic will be at Hecht Veterinary clinic in Berrien Springs on May 3, the second on May 30th at Wil-O-Paw Veterinary Clinic. Cats will be neutered for $15.00 and spayed for $25.00. FELV/FIV tests will be done for $15.00 Please contact the Humane Society for more information or to schedule a cat at 269-927-3303. If you want to volunteer at the clinic please email animalaidofswmi@yahoo.com If you want to help spread the news about this clinic please download a flyer and pass it out or post it on a community bulletin board! Downloadable poster click here!
April 1, 2009- Many Thanks to Pet Supplies Plus for hosting their Easter Raffle to benefit the Humane Society and Animal Aid. Stop in anytime before Easter (April 12) and donate to be entered into a raffle for $50.00 in gifts and a Gift Card!
March 31, 2009- Announcing May 16, 2009 - Bids For Barks! BENEFIT EVENT 7:00PM -11:00 PM FOP LODGE, 2665 NILES ROAD, ST JOSEPH, MI $25.00 per ticket 50/50 raffle 98.3 THE COAST WILL BE BROADCASTING LIVE!
Grillin’ will be going on, appetizers, desserts & cash bar. Many fine auction items including appliances, fine jewelry, art, area rugs, sports memorabilia, golf packages, beauty packages, trees for spring planting and much more! Please plan to attend this wonderful night of fun and excitement! For tickets you can contact the Humane Society at 269-927-3303 (or by stopping in), email hssmnews@sbcglobal.net or call Lynn at 269-921-6743!
March 25, 2009- A huge thank you goes out to the organizers, volunteers, and participants of our 1st Annual Freezin For a Reason Event! The event raised over $1200 for our shelter! We look forward to having this event again next year and the growth of of this fun and worthy event.
March 23, 2009
Give to your favorite animal welfare organization and save on Purina® brand pet food!When you redeem your coupon, Purina donates $1.00 worth of Purina® brand pet food coupons to The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan when you designate them your shelter of choice! Please help us keep our critters fed!
March 9, 2009- A big thanks to the Orchards Mall for hosting their annual Community Awareness Day. We had a great time at this event and were able to speak to a lot of visitors who had questions or who just stopped to say hi to our adoptable pets there! Our dedicated volunteers did a wonderful job with this event and we are looking forward to attending again next year!
August 11, 2008- The folks at Berrien Teachers Credit Union are running a fundraising and donation drive to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan for the entire month of August. At all their branches they are accepting both monetary and product donations. They are also selling "Puppy Chow & Puppy Popcorn" with the proceeds going to the Humane Society! Please stop in and support their fundraising efforts on our behalf!
August 11, 2008 - The Gallery Salon at 715 Broad St. St. Joseph is hosting a drawing for services at their salon with the proceeds from drawing to be donated to the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Please stop by the Gallery Salon today to enter!
URGENT NEED 7/19/2008- We are in desperate need of a window air conditioner for our "Maternity & Recovery Ward". The window air conditioner that we had has quit in the full heat of the summer! The Maternity & Recovery ward normally houses our newborn animals, extremely pregnant (due any day) cats and dogs recovering from Heartworm treatment. For the health and well being of the animals in this ward who are already fragile, it is urgent that we keep them calm and comfortable. With temperatures soaring well above 90 in this room without air conditioning we are having to try to relocate them to other areas of the shelter which are already full and not designed to house these animals. Any donations towards purchasing a new air conditoner would be greatly appreciated and will truly be directly responsible for saving the lives of our most fragile residents! Please contact Jill at 269-927-3303 or make an online donation today via our donation page with a note "air conditioner fund"! Thank you!
July 16, 2008 - We would like to thank Becky & Paul Heaps of Pro Brokers Real Estate for their continual support of the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Once a month they send out a newsletter to all of their clients and in each newsletter they promote the Humane Society and our homeless pets. These small "advertisement blurbs" always direct folks to our website and reaps great positive results for the Humane Society. Our hats off to the "Heaps Team" for thinking of this simple yet productive way to reach new people!
July 1, 2008 - We welcome Modern Denistry 3915 Stonegate (off Hollywood) in St. Joseph as a new donation drop off point for the Humane Society! The great folks at Modern Denistry wanted to save some folks gas money but still promote donating to the Humane Society. Realizing that there was a growing "daytime" population near their office they decided they were the perfect stop off point for Starting August 1st all persons dropping off donations at Modern Denistry will be entered into a weekly drawing for a free teeth whitening treatment!
June 20, 2008- A blooming thanks to Tami Smith for sprucing up our flowerbeds in front of the shelter. She culled plants out her garden and brought them along to add to our small but growing flower garden. She also purchased mulch and a new hose/nozzle and brought them along! We are getting lots of comments from guests on the pretty blooms in the garden!
June 6, 2008- A big thanks to Brookview School for raising $100 for the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan from their "Social Action Project!"
June 5, 2008- We would like to thank Alison Sobottke of St. Joseph who made and sold bracelets to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Alison donated $100.00 to help the animals from money raised from her bracelet project!
May 17, 2008-A big thank you goes out to Michelle Crean of Treasured Heirlooms. Michelle and her husband are long term animal supporters and volunteers and like to find innovative ways to help animal organizations. Michelle made 500 hand crocheted CatNip Balls and donated them to be sold and the money generated placed in the Humane Society's Emergency Medical Fund to assist animals who come into our shelter with injuries or illness. We currently have 3 heartworm positive dogs and one seriously injured cat that came into the Humane Society that will need extra care. Donations like Michelle's help us go above and beyond the "normal" shelter care and truly help these animals in need. Something we were not able to do even a year ago! So thank you Michelle. Michelle has also been kind enough to offer use of her pattern for these balls for any crafters who would also like to join her in her goal to raise money for this fund. The pattern can be found at http://www.treasuredheirloomscrochet.com/catalog-free.html and your completed balls can be dropped off or mailed to the Humane Society! Michelle challenges other crafters to donate an item/items that the Humane Society can sell in their "Bow Wow Boutique" or at special events to help these animals who deserve a chance as well as the healthy ones!
May19, 2008- Fluffy the cat was captured this morning! Volunteers from the Humane Society along with Fluffy's owner, Ernie and concerned neighbors have been trying to catch Fluffy since the fire. Saturday Fluffy was seen running back into the burnt out house but hid and was unable to be located. Live traps have been set for Fluffy since the fire however up until this morning he hasn't entered them. This morning he finally did. Fluffy is at Hecht Veterinary Clinic being treated for some respitory complications from the fire and being checked for burns or other injuries. He will need bathing and some good food to get him back up to par but is doing extremely well after everything he has been through! Ernie would like to thank EVERYONE who helped during this tragedy and all those who have sent in donations to help cover his pets medical bills. Fluffy once released from Hecht Veterinary Clinic will stay at the Humane Society while Ernie continues his search for new pet friendly housing.
May 15, 2008-Despite extensive treatment we are sad to report that Cocoa did not survive her injuries and passed away. Her owner, Ernie is grateful for all the support and assistance rendered during this tragic event. Your monetary donations will be used to pay Cocoa's bill. The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan volunteers continue to assist Ernie in attempting to catch Fluffy the cat who has been spotted near the house fire but still remains to scared to be caught and checked for injuries. Once Fluffy is caught we will assist Ernie in getting veterinary assistance for Fluffy.
May 12, 2008- Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan Needs support in Helping K-9 Fire Victim!
May 5, 2008-Adopt a Buddy Special is back! We have so many wonderful cats and kittens for adoption at this time that we are once again offering our "Adopt A Buddy" Special where you get two cats or kittens for the price of one. Many cat owners find that cats and young kittens that are adopted together are happier and healthier because they have a "Buddy" to play with and keep exercised! They also offer each other companionship when you are away. Our cat/kitten adoption fee is $35.00 and if the pets are not spayed or neutered a $25.00 refundable spay/neuter deposit is required. Many of our cats are currently spayed or neutered at this time thanks to Team Neuter/Spay Clinics! Come in and visit with our cats/kittens today and find yourself a new friend (or two)!
April 18, 2008- Thanks goes out to Harrington Photography and the Orchard Mall for raising over $600.00 for the Humane Society Animals at their "Fashion Show" on April 14th. A great time was had by all the attendees and our adoptable pets got some great publicity also! Thank you!
April 10, 2008 At the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan we can always tell when Spring has really arrived because we start getting "wildlife" calls.
The Humane Society does not have the licensing or skills to care of wild animals. However there are several wonderful wildlife resources in our community. Rainbow's End Wildlife Rehab Center at 468-6730, Sarrett Nature Center at 927-4832, Love Creek Nature Center 471-2617, and Fernwood Nature Center at 695-6491. Here is a list of some of the licensed rehabbers in the area and their speciality:
April 05, 2008 Thanks are in order to the wonderful people at Edgewater Banks for allowing our Board of Directors to utilize a conference room for Board meetings! We want to thank this locally owned bank for giving back to the community!
March 31, 2008: A huge thank you goes out to A&J Hardware of Baroda for donating paint and painting supplies so we can "spiff" up our lobby, get aquinated room, office, and bathroom! Our volunteer painter has completed the "sand" colored walls and in the next week or so will be putting up our contrast wall! We are excited about our new look and hope you will stop in and check it out for yourself!
February 16, 2008- The 4th grade classrooms at Lincoln Elementary School in St. Joseph hosted a "We Love Animals Drive" to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan from January 1st through February 14th! Teachers Kelly Nimtz and Leah Alsbro incorporated the Humane Society, its role in the community, and its needs in helping homeless animals into their "Community Share" unit. Donation drives for needed items were combined with a Valentine Day Candy Sale and ended in an extremely successful campaign with over 700 items and $100.00 donated to the Humane Society to help us care for the pets awaiting adoption at our shelter! Pictured above our the delivery volunteers needed to transport all the items from the school to the Humane Society! Thank you Lincoln Elementary School showing that Humane Kids are alive and well in the classrooms!
February 15, 2008- Please join us in welcoming Jill Hercik as the Interim Shelter Director. Jill comes to us with a background in education and management and lives with her Humane Society adopted cat and Animal Aid adopted dog. Jill brings with her a gift for organization, a passion for customer service, and a "Can Do" attitude.
February 14, 2008- Dozens of volunteers came out in force over the past weekend to participate in a 2 day adoptathon at the new PetSmart in Benton Harbor. Volunteers greeted guests with dozens of available animals from the Humane Society. When all was said and done our hard working volunteers were happy to discover that almost a dozen animals had found new homes! Along with that we were able to educate hundreds of people about our organization and our programs. We couldn't do that without the help of our volunteers and we thank them! If you want to be a part of excitement please visit our Volunteer Page for more information!
February 11, 2008 -A giant thank you to JohnsonRauhoff Communications Group and Whirlpool for working together to design our donation cannisters and process the lids to accept donations! Look for our new and colorful cans at locations throughout Southwestern Michigan and consider dropping your spare change inside to help our homeless pets! If your a business and would like a donation cannister at your business please contact the shelter for delivery!
February 2, 2008- Casual Friday's at Whirlpool to Benefit Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan & Animal Aid of Southwestern Michigan! A huge thank you goes out to Whirlpool for designating the month of February HSSM & AA Jean Day Month! Employees are allowed to wear jeans on Friday for a minimal $1.00 donation. All the donations for the month will then be split between HSSM &AA. With over 6000 employees in the Twin Cities, Whirlpool employees expect to make a sizeable donation to the two organizations. THANK YOU WHIRLPOOL your support in our community does not go unnoticed or unappreciated! Whirlpool has been a friend to the animals in our community for many years and this is one more way they are showing their support for our homeless and needy pets!
February 1 2008- Team Neuter is Back! Every year for the past several years a dedicated group of volunteers from the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan, Al-Van Humane Society in South Haven, & Animal Aid of Southwestern Michigan, along with area Vets, get together and host low cost Neuter Clinics for our areas low income citizens. This year we are proud to participate in two neuter clinics, one in South Haven and one in Berrien County, as well for the first time EVER for Team Neuter two low cost Spay Clinics. Watch our Event Page and Spay/neuter Page for details from this event! if you would like to volunteer to help with these events email greytniki@yaoo.com for details!
January 15, Hope for the Holidays UPDATE! Stedman, after he was finally healed and had his pins removed was placed at our offsite PawMart adoption Center inside the PawMart store on Cleveland Ave. in St. Joseph and was adopted soon after his arrival! Another example of "It takes a community to save an animal". Without the person who brought Stedman to the shelter, the shelter staff who cared for him, Dr. Almus and his staff who fixed him and took care of him until he was healed, PawMart for having a wonderful adoption center inside their store, and the volunteers from both the Humane Society and Animal Aid who take care of the cats at PawMart while they await new homes! So thank you Southwestern Michigan Community for saving this cat!
December 18, A huge thank you to the employees of Golden Brown Bakery in Downtown St. Joseph who have been collecting their change tips for the Humane Society! Thank you!
November 13, We would like to thank IPC printing for donating the printing cost for our Winter newsletter! Thank you IPC! Also thank you to Becky Heaps of Pro Broker Real Estate in Stevensville for compiling and formating our newsletter!
November 10, Thank you to Maritimes in St. Joseph for hosting a fundraiser dinner for the Humane Society and also the employees have been saving their change tips to donate to the animals also! We love you Maritimes!
Hope for the Holidays-Stedman came to our shelter with a badly broken back leg. Thanks to the generous donation of time and talent from Dr. Almus of Nickerson Animal Health Care Center, who donated the repair of Stedman's leg, Stedman will be healed and ready to be adopted just in time for the Holidays! Stedman was a lucky boy, many animals come into our facility with serious injuries that are repairable but due to lack of medical funds to help them we are often not able to save them. If you would like to make a donation to help animals like Stedman, please follow this link and make an online donation that will give other animals, "Hope For The Holidays"!
YES I WANT TO DONATE NOW!
October 24, 2007-What if each time you shopped online, a percentage of the sale went to The Humane Society of Southwestern MI?
That's the idea behind GoodShop, our new online shopping mall. Brought to you by the same great folks who are behind GoodSearch the online search engine that rewards paybacks to your favorite charity!
We're pleased to share with you some success stories...
September 26, 2007 The Humane Society is committed to finding loving homes for our adoptable pets and realize that sometimes initial costs of adopting a pet may prohibit some of our pets from being adopted. We also realize that there are lots of options available to people who are looking to add a pet to their household. Because of this the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan has initiated a new adoption fee schedule for our animals with an additional rebate incentive made available with a grant from the Heart of Cook Foundation.
Our new adoption fees are as follows:
Adoption fee for dogs is $50.00 + $25.00refundable Spay neuter deposit required by law = $75.00
Adoption fee for cats is $35.00 + $25.00 refundable spay neuter deposit required by law = $60.00
Along with the $25.00 refund, a $10.00 refund from the Heart of Cook Grant will also be given to each adopter when proof of spay/neuter is presented. The Heart of Cook Grant must be used for spay/neuter only. Total refund: $35.00.
August 29, 2007 A HUGE thank you to RADIX Communications in St. Joseph and owner Carl Mosher who donated 10 computers, desks, lockers, and office supplies to the shelter! It's like Christmas in August!
August 20, 2007- Many Woofs & Wags to Pet Supplies Plus in Benton Harbor for raising $1230 through our "Give A Buck to Change Their Luck" campaign. Thank you Pat, Terri & staff! PSP was so excited about the results of their
Here is our -- Fall/Winter Newsletter. We hope you enjoy it!
Previous Newsletters:
Spring 2009 Newsletter
Fall/Winter 2008 Newsletter
Summer 2008 Newsletter
Spring 2008 Newsletter (pdf)
Winter 2007 Newsletter (pdf)
(Please note this edition is in printer format so check the page numbers on bottom for order).
Summer 2007 Newsletter (pdf)
We now have our general brochures online and available for printing. Click on the links below for the brochure you are interested in!
Volunteer Brochure
Information Brochure
Donate BrochureIf you would like to receive e-mail updates about upcoming events, shelter needs, and news please send email to hssmnews@sbcglobal.net and place subscribe in the subject line.
Emails are confidential and will never be given out or sold
August 14- 1st Annual Humane Society Golf Outing- ATTENTION Golfers. We are having our first annual golf outing at Lake Michigan Hills Golf Course on August 14th. Competition starts at 8AM and will be shotgun style. Four person team cost is $280.00/scramble format. For a printable poster click here. The day will include hole prizes, raffles, and giveaways. For more information or to reserve your spot call Steve at 269-757-2426. .Casey was adopted from the Humane Society a couple of months ago and found a wonderful home. Her family brought her back to the Humane Society for a visit for her birthday! We love it when people share their happy stories with us! Casey has the best gift a dog could ask for, a loving home! Happy Birthday Casey! This is Dot Stacey. She made these adoption capes pictured here so we can showcase our adoptable pets when they are out at special events! She even embroidered our logo on them! Dot is a SUPER volunteer. She donated her time and materials after she saw a need and knew she could help fill it! Because of her our adoptable pets will "Stand Out" in a crowd! Thanks Dot!5/7/09-
The Humane Society was priveleged to welcome the GlenHaven Home residents to our shelter for a tour and pet therapy time! Everyone loved kitty cuddles and puppy kisses and we hope we brightened the residents day as much as they brightened ours! The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan is teaming up with Animal Aid and area veterinarians again to host a Team Neuter clinic for low income and senior citizens of our community. The first clinic will be at Hecht Veterinary clinic in Berrien Springs on May 3, the second on May 30th at Wil-O-Paw Veterinary Clinic. Cats will be neutered for $15.00 and spayed for $25.00. FELV/FIV tests will be done for $15.00 Please contact the Humane Society for more information or to schedule a cat at 269-927-3303. If you want to volunteer at the clinic please email animalaidofswmi@yahoo.com If you want to help spread the news about this clinic please download a flyer and pass it out or post it on a community bulletin board! Downloadable poster click here!April 1, 2009- Many Thanks to Pet Supplies Plus for hosting their Easter Raffle to benefit the Humane Society and Animal Aid. Stop in anytime before Easter (April 12) and donate to be entered into a raffle for $50.00 in gifts and a Gift Card!
March 31, 2009- Announcing May 16, 2009 - Bids For Barks! BENEFIT EVENT 7:00PM -11:00 PM FOP LODGE, 2665 NILES ROAD, ST JOSEPH, MI $25.00 per ticket 50/50 raffle 98.3 THE COAST WILL BE BROADCASTING LIVE! Grillin’ will be going on, appetizers, desserts & cash bar. Many fine auction items including appliances, fine jewelry, art, area rugs, sports memorabilia, golf packages, beauty packages, trees for spring planting and much more! Please plan to attend this wonderful night of fun and excitement! For tickets you can contact the Humane Society at 269-927-3303 (or by stopping in), email hssmnews@sbcglobal.net or call Lynn at 269-921-6743!
March 25, 2009- A huge thank you goes out to the organizers, volunteers, and participants of our 1st Annual Freezin For a Reason Event! The event raised over $1200 for our shelter! We look forward to having this event again next year and the growth of of this fun and worthy event.
March 23, 2009
Give to your favorite animal welfare organization and save on Purina® brand pet food!When you redeem your coupon, Purina donates $1.00 worth of Purina® brand pet food coupons to The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan when you designate them your shelter of choice! Please help us keep our critters fed!March 9, 2009- A big thanks to the Orchards Mall for hosting their annual Community Awareness Day. We had a great time at this event and were able to speak to a lot of visitors who had questions or who just stopped to say hi to our adoptable pets there! Our dedicated volunteers did a wonderful job with this event and we are looking forward to attending again next year!
August 11, 2008- The folks at Berrien Teachers Credit Union are running a fundraising and donation drive to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan for the entire month of August. At all their branches they are accepting both monetary and product donations. They are also selling "Puppy Chow & Puppy Popcorn" with the proceeds going to the Humane Society! Please stop in and support their fundraising efforts on our behalf!
August 11, 2008 - The Gallery Salon at 715 Broad St. St. Joseph is hosting a drawing for services at their salon with the proceeds from drawing to be donated to the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Please stop by the Gallery Salon today to enter!
URGENT NEED 7/19/2008- We are in desperate need of a window air conditioner for our "Maternity & Recovery Ward". The window air conditioner that we had has quit in the full heat of the summer! The Maternity & Recovery ward normally houses our newborn animals, extremely pregnant (due any day) cats and dogs recovering from Heartworm treatment. For the health and well being of the animals in this ward who are already fragile, it is urgent that we keep them calm and comfortable. With temperatures soaring well above 90 in this room without air conditioning we are having to try to relocate them to other areas of the shelter which are already full and not designed to house these animals. Any donations towards purchasing a new air conditoner would be greatly appreciated and will truly be directly responsible for saving the lives of our most fragile residents! Please contact Jill at 269-927-3303 or make an online donation today via our donation page with a note "air conditioner fund"! Thank you!
July 16, 2008 - We would like to thank Becky & Paul Heaps of Pro Brokers Real Estate for their continual support of the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Once a month they send out a newsletter to all of their clients and in each newsletter they promote the Humane Society and our homeless pets. These small "advertisement blurbs" always direct folks to our website and reaps great positive results for the Humane Society. Our hats off to the "Heaps Team" for thinking of this simple yet productive way to reach new people!
July 1, 2008 - We welcome Modern Denistry 3915 Stonegate (off Hollywood) in St. Joseph as a new donation drop off point for the Humane Society! The great folks at Modern Denistry wanted to save some folks gas money but still promote donating to the Humane Society. Realizing that there was a growing "daytime" population near their office they decided they were the perfect stop off point for Starting August 1st all persons dropping off donations at Modern Denistry will be entered into a weekly drawing for a free teeth whitening treatment!
June 20, 2008- A blooming thanks to Tami Smith for sprucing up our flowerbeds in front of the shelter. She culled plants out her garden and brought them along to add to our small but growing flower garden. She also purchased mulch and a new hose/nozzle and brought them along! We are getting lots of comments from guests on the pretty blooms in the garden!
June 6, 2008- A big thanks to Brookview School for raising $100 for the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan from their "Social Action Project!"
June 5, 2008- We would like to thank Alison Sobottke of St. Joseph who made and sold bracelets to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Alison donated $100.00 to help the animals from money raised from her bracelet project!
May 17, 2008-A big thank you goes out to Michelle Crean of Treasured Heirlooms. Michelle and her husband are long term animal supporters and volunteers and like to find innovative ways to help animal organizations. Michelle made 500 hand crocheted CatNip Balls and donated them to be sold and the money generated placed in the Humane Society's Emergency Medical Fund to assist animals who come into our shelter with injuries or illness. We currently have 3 heartworm positive dogs and one seriously injured cat that came into the Humane Society that will need extra care. Donations like Michelle's help us go above and beyond the "normal" shelter care and truly help these animals in need. Something we were not able to do even a year ago! So thank you Michelle. Michelle has also been kind enough to offer use of her pattern for these balls for any crafters who would also like to join her in her goal to raise money for this fund. The pattern can be found at http://www.treasuredheirloomscrochet.com/catalog-free.html and your completed balls can be dropped off or mailed to the Humane Society! Michelle challenges other crafters to donate an item/items that the Humane Society can sell in their "Bow Wow Boutique" or at special events to help these animals who deserve a chance as well as the healthy ones!
May19, 2008- Fluffy the cat was captured this morning! Volunteers from the Humane Society along with Fluffy's owner, Ernie and concerned neighbors have been trying to catch Fluffy since the fire. Saturday Fluffy was seen running back into the burnt out house but hid and was unable to be located. Live traps have been set for Fluffy since the fire however up until this morning he hasn't entered them. This morning he finally did. Fluffy is at Hecht Veterinary Clinic being treated for some respitory complications from the fire and being checked for burns or other injuries. He will need bathing and some good food to get him back up to par but is doing extremely well after everything he has been through! Ernie would like to thank EVERYONE who helped during this tragedy and all those who have sent in donations to help cover his pets medical bills. Fluffy once released from Hecht Veterinary Clinic will stay at the Humane Society while Ernie continues his search for new pet friendly housing.
May 15, 2008-Despite extensive treatment we are sad to report that Cocoa did not survive her injuries and passed away. Her owner, Ernie is grateful for all the support and assistance rendered during this tragic event. Your monetary donations will be used to pay Cocoa's bill. The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan volunteers continue to assist Ernie in attempting to catch Fluffy the cat who has been spotted near the house fire but still remains to scared to be caught and checked for injuries. Once Fluffy is caught we will assist Ernie in getting veterinary assistance for Fluffy.
May 12, 2008- Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan Needs support in Helping K-9 Fire Victim!
The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan is asking for help to pay for life-saving medical treatment for a dog injured in a house fire in Benton Township Saturday evening.
Ernie Broach is living every pet owner's worst nightmare. He got home from work around 7 pm Saturday night to find Benton Township firefighters battling the blaze that engulfed his dwelling on Charles St.
Ernie Broach is living every pet owner's worst nightmare. He got home from work around 7 pm Saturday night to find Benton Township firefighters battling the blaze that engulfed his dwelling on Charles St.
His cat had been in the house that was now engulfed in flames, and he had left his dog in an enclosed porch. It was obvious that the home would be a total loss, but Mr. Broach's only concern was for his pets. He found his dog, Cocoa, fighting to breathe in the arms of firefighter Lt. John Cayo. When the units from the Benton Twp FD had first arrived on the scene, firemen got the dog out of the enclosed porch and put her in the fenced yard. However, the first chance she got, the terrified chow/shepherd mix dodged past them and rushed back into the flame-and-smoke-filled house that had once been her safe haven.
Firefighters went in after her, but by the time they found her, she had been overcome by the thick smoke. Firefighters quickly rendered aid to the dog, putting her on oxygen and cooling her down with a damp towel while they waited for help to arrive.
Firefighters went in after her, but by the time they found her, she had been overcome by the thick smoke. Firefighters quickly rendered aid to the dog, putting her on oxygen and cooling her down with a damp towel while they waited for help to arrive.
The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan has in the past offered shelter to pet fire victims, while their owners deal with the loss of housing and all of their belongings but this is the first time we have had an animal that needed immediate medical care. Humane Society volunteers contacted Hecht Veterinary Service & Dr. Holly Shaffer, HSSM Board Member and she agreed to meet them at her office and render aid to Cocoa. Upon examination Dr. Shaffer determined that Cocoa would need to be hospitalized with IV fluids, Oxygen treatments, steroid treatments, and other medications. As of this morning Cocoa's condition is still guarded Ernie her owner is planning to visit with her and see if he can lift her spirits and convince her to try to eat something.
The cat was first thought to have perished in the fire but Ernie was encouraged by Humane Society volunteers to return to the house and search for her as often times cats escape through doors or windows broken out by firefighters and then hide in the vicinity. Ernie searched Saturday night for Fluffy with no response but finally caught sight of him yesterday afternoon although he ran from Ernie and is obviously scared and confused. The Humane Society will be assisting in trapping Fluffy and getting him examined for medical care as soon as we catch him.
Hecht Vet Clinic and the Humane Society are setting up a "Cocoa Fund," Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so by dropping it off at the shelter or sending it to: Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan, Attn: "Cocoa Fund", 641 S. Crystal Ave., Benton Harbor MI 49022. Online donations can also be made through the shelter's website, www.humanesocietyswm.org - Please put "Cocoa Fund" in the Remarks box.
When Cocoa is well enough and Fluffy is caught, they will be staying at the shelter until Ernie can rebuild his life.
When Cocoa is well enough and Fluffy is caught, they will be staying at the shelter until Ernie can rebuild his life.
Please everyone take a moment and think about what you would do if you had a house fire. Do you have accessible carriers or leashes & collars to safely move your pets outside? Do you have identification (tags and/or microchips) in case you pet escapes and is found by someone? Do you have an emergency plan in case your house becomes un-inhabitable for shelter and care for your pets?
Thank you for caring and remember to go home today and love YOUR pets!
May 5, 2008-Adopt a Buddy Special is back! We have so many wonderful cats and kittens for adoption at this time that we are once again offering our "Adopt A Buddy" Special where you get two cats or kittens for the price of one. Many cat owners find that cats and young kittens that are adopted together are happier and healthier because they have a "Buddy" to play with and keep exercised! They also offer each other companionship when you are away. Our cat/kitten adoption fee is $35.00 and if the pets are not spayed or neutered a $25.00 refundable spay/neuter deposit is required. Many of our cats are currently spayed or neutered at this time thanks to Team Neuter/Spay Clinics! Come in and visit with our cats/kittens today and find yourself a new friend (or two)!
April 18, 2008- Thanks goes out to Harrington Photography and the Orchard Mall for raising over $600.00 for the Humane Society Animals at their "Fashion Show" on April 14th. A great time was had by all the attendees and our adoptable pets got some great publicity also! Thank you!
April 10, 2008 At the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan we can always tell when Spring has really arrived because we start getting "wildlife" calls.
The Humane Society does not have the licensing or skills to care of wild animals. However there are several wonderful wildlife resources in our community. Rainbow's End Wildlife Rehab Center at 468-6730, Sarrett Nature Center at 927-4832, Love Creek Nature Center 471-2617, and Fernwood Nature Center at 695-6491. Here is a list of some of the licensed rehabbers in the area and their speciality:
• Rainbow's End Wildlife Rehab Center 468-6730 (all wildlife)
• Barbie Carrell (mammals and has other contact people) - (269) 641-5049
• Faye Handley (mammal babies) - (269) 683-0352
• Larry Kauffman (songbirds, no waterfowl) - (574) 654-3652
• Diane Kuhl (waterfowl, shorebirds, turkeys, pheasants, herons) -(574) 654-8714
• Nolan & Sons Farms (deer) - (269) 641-7953
• Carol Riewe (raptors) - (574) 288-5549
• Cindy Sellers (mammals, no raccoons) - (574) 291-7331
• Donna Sorenson (squirrels, raccoons, opossums, groundhogs, no bunnies) -(269) 663-8341
• Nancy or Jennifer (mammals, but call for others) - (269) 362-7297
April 10, 2008 We would like to thank long time supporter and sponsor of our "Pet of the Week" in the Herald Palladium, Country Carpet Shoppe (www.countrycarpetshoppe.com)! Our "Pet of the Week" actually runs every other week and the ad space has been donated by Country Carpet Shoppe. The great folks at Country Carpet Shoppe are now going to donate ad-space every week for one of our pets! We have always gotten a great consumer response from our Pet of the Week profile and are thrilled to be able to offer even more publicity for our homeless pets thanks to Country Carpet Shoppe!
April 05, 2008 Thanks are in order to the wonderful people at Edgewater Banks for allowing our Board of Directors to utilize a conference room for Board meetings! We want to thank this locally owned bank for giving back to the community!
March 31, 2008: A huge thank you goes out to A&J Hardware of Baroda for donating paint and painting supplies so we can "spiff" up our lobby, get aquinated room, office, and bathroom! Our volunteer painter has completed the "sand" colored walls and in the next week or so will be putting up our contrast wall! We are excited about our new look and hope you will stop in and check it out for yourself!
February 16, 2008- The 4th grade classrooms at Lincoln Elementary School in St. Joseph hosted a "We Love Animals Drive" to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan from January 1st through February 14th! Teachers Kelly Nimtz and Leah Alsbro incorporated the Humane Society, its role in the community, and its needs in helping homeless animals into their "Community Share" unit. Donation drives for needed items were combined with a Valentine Day Candy Sale and ended in an extremely successful campaign with over 700 items and $100.00 donated to the Humane Society to help us care for the pets awaiting adoption at our shelter! Pictured above our the delivery volunteers needed to transport all the items from the school to the Humane Society! Thank you Lincoln Elementary School showing that Humane Kids are alive and well in the classrooms!February 15, 2008- Please join us in welcoming Jill Hercik as the Interim Shelter Director. Jill comes to us with a background in education and management and lives with her Humane Society adopted cat and Animal Aid adopted dog. Jill brings with her a gift for organization, a passion for customer service, and a "Can Do" attitude.
February 14, 2008- Dozens of volunteers came out in force over the past weekend to participate in a 2 day adoptathon at the new PetSmart in Benton Harbor. Volunteers greeted guests with dozens of available animals from the Humane Society. When all was said and done our hard working volunteers were happy to discover that almost a dozen animals had found new homes! Along with that we were able to educate hundreds of people about our organization and our programs. We couldn't do that without the help of our volunteers and we thank them! If you want to be a part of excitement please visit our Volunteer Page for more information!
February 11, 2008 -A giant thank you to JohnsonRauhoff Communications Group and Whirlpool for working together to design our donation cannisters and process the lids to accept donations! Look for our new and colorful cans at locations throughout Southwestern Michigan and consider dropping your spare change inside to help our homeless pets! If your a business and would like a donation cannister at your business please contact the shelter for delivery!February 2, 2008- Casual Friday's at Whirlpool to Benefit Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan & Animal Aid of Southwestern Michigan! A huge thank you goes out to Whirlpool for designating the month of February HSSM & AA Jean Day Month! Employees are allowed to wear jeans on Friday for a minimal $1.00 donation. All the donations for the month will then be split between HSSM &AA. With over 6000 employees in the Twin Cities, Whirlpool employees expect to make a sizeable donation to the two organizations. THANK YOU WHIRLPOOL your support in our community does not go unnoticed or unappreciated! Whirlpool has been a friend to the animals in our community for many years and this is one more way they are showing their support for our homeless and needy pets!February 1 2008- Team Neuter is Back! Every year for the past several years a dedicated group of volunteers from the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan, Al-Van Humane Society in South Haven, & Animal Aid of Southwestern Michigan, along with area Vets, get together and host low cost Neuter Clinics for our areas low income citizens. This year we are proud to participate in two neuter clinics, one in South Haven and one in Berrien County, as well for the first time EVER for Team Neuter two low cost Spay Clinics. Watch our Event Page and Spay/neuter Page for details from this event! if you would like to volunteer to help with these events email greytniki@yaoo.com for details!
January 15, Hope for the Holidays UPDATE! Stedman, after he was finally healed and had his pins removed was placed at our offsite PawMart adoption Center inside the PawMart store on Cleveland Ave. in St. Joseph and was adopted soon after his arrival! Another example of "It takes a community to save an animal". Without the person who brought Stedman to the shelter, the shelter staff who cared for him, Dr. Almus and his staff who fixed him and took care of him until he was healed, PawMart for having a wonderful adoption center inside their store, and the volunteers from both the Humane Society and Animal Aid who take care of the cats at PawMart while they await new homes! So thank you Southwestern Michigan Community for saving this cat!December 18, A huge thank you to the employees of Golden Brown Bakery in Downtown St. Joseph who have been collecting their change tips for the Humane Society! Thank you!
November 13, We would like to thank IPC printing for donating the printing cost for our Winter newsletter! Thank you IPC! Also thank you to Becky Heaps of Pro Broker Real Estate in Stevensville for compiling and formating our newsletter!
November 10, Thank you to Maritimes in St. Joseph for hosting a fundraiser dinner for the Humane Society and also the employees have been saving their change tips to donate to the animals also! We love you Maritimes!
Hope for the Holidays-Stedman came to our shelter with a badly broken back leg. Thanks to the generous donation of time and talent from Dr. Almus of Nickerson Animal Health Care Center, who donated the repair of Stedman's leg, Stedman will be healed and ready to be adopted just in time for the Holidays! Stedman was a lucky boy, many animals come into our facility with serious injuries that are repairable but due to lack of medical funds to help them we are often not able to save them. If you would like to make a donation to help animals like Stedman, please follow this link and make an online donation that will give other animals, "Hope For The Holidays"!YES I WANT TO DONATE NOW!
October 24, 2007-What if each time you shopped online, a percentage of the sale went to The Humane Society of Southwestern MI? That's the idea behind GoodShop, our new online shopping mall. Brought to you by the same great folks who are behind GoodSearch the online search engine that rewards paybacks to your favorite charity!
We're pleased to share with you some success stories...
- A $7,100 purchase placed at Giaiam.com resulted in a $284 donation to the Motion Mania Dance Theater in Gaithersburg, Maryland!
- A $432 purchase at online shoe store Zappos.com earned $26 for the Berkshire Humane Society!
- A $4,700 order was placed at Adobe Software, earning Capri Elementary School in California $191.
Hundreds of top merchants including Target, BestBuy, Zappos, ebay, Staples, Macy's, Apple, Nike, Wal-Mart, Home Shopping Network, Kohls, Itunes, Lands End, and Barnes & Noble are on-board, and we're rapidly adding new stores.
Just go to GoodShop, click on the store's logo and then shop as you normally would. No username or password is required. Yes, it's that easy! You'll get the exact same prices as if you went to the store's website directly except now a percentage of the sales price will be donated to your favorite cause. The donations average around 3%, but can go as high as 37%!
With the Holidays coming up this would be a fantastic opportunity to get some of your Holiday Shopping done AND benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern MI at the same time!
Don't forget to select Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan as your charity of choice!
Please feel free to forward to all your animal loving friends and family and thank you for supporting the Humane Society of Southwestern MI
September 26, 2007 The Humane Society is committed to finding loving homes for our adoptable pets and realize that sometimes initial costs of adopting a pet may prohibit some of our pets from being adopted. We also realize that there are lots of options available to people who are looking to add a pet to their household. Because of this the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan has initiated a new adoption fee schedule for our animals with an additional rebate incentive made available with a grant from the Heart of Cook Foundation. Our new adoption fees are as follows:
Adoption fee for dogs is $50.00 + $25.00refundable Spay neuter deposit required by law = $75.00
Adoption fee for cats is $35.00 + $25.00 refundable spay neuter deposit required by law = $60.00
Along with the $25.00 refund, a $10.00 refund from the Heart of Cook Grant will also be given to each adopter when proof of spay/neuter is presented. The Heart of Cook Grant must be used for spay/neuter only. Total refund: $35.00.
August 29, 2007 A HUGE thank you to RADIX Communications in St. Joseph and owner Carl Mosher who donated 10 computers, desks, lockers, and office supplies to the shelter! It's like Christmas in August!
August 20, 2007- Many Woofs & Wags to Pet Supplies Plus in Benton Harbor for raising $1230 through our "Give A Buck to Change Their Luck" campaign. Thank you Pat, Terri & staff! PSP was so excited about the results of their August 6, 2007-The Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan is committed to finding our adoptable pets lasting and loving homes. In our quest to accomplish this mission we are utilizing all resources available to promote our adoptable pets. Petfinder is an internet based weblisting to help promote adoptable pets throught the United States. The Humane Society is listing adoptables on Petfinder at http://west.petfinder.com/shelters/MI354.html as well as on our own website!
August 3, 2007-Thank you to the Berrien County Courthouse Employees for hosting a Bake Sale on Monday August 6th at the Courthouse in St. Joseph. You Raised over $600.00 to help repair the air conditioning at the Shelter! Our Cool Cats and Dogs salute you!