By Aspen Strauss
This year with the rapid spread of COVID-19, hundreds of families stuck at home have now more than ever looked into adding new additions to their families. From dogs, cats, rodents, birds, and reptiles! All animals, this COVID-19 season, are waiting patiently to find their forever homes, and what better time to adopt while you are stuck at home? I along with many have adopted a pet during this pandemic. If you’re looking for a purrfect place to find a pal the West Michigan Humane Society’s doors are wide open for incoming families.
The WMHS is located locally in Grand Rapids and houses dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rats, and sometimes, if available, pigs! The humane society is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping homeless animals in West Michigan and beyond. They also strive to be a resource for the community as well as other shelters across the state and country.
I had the opportunity to speak to Ashley Dahl who is the director of community programs and education coordinator. Dahl explained how animals come in contact with the WMHS.
“We take animals in three different ways, we take them in strays, as owners surrender and transfer from other shelters. We assess each animal both behaviorally and medically and if the animal is good with both they are placed up for adoption and will stay up for adoption until they find a forever home. The only time we will euthanize an animal is if we determine they do not have safe behavior or an illness we cannot treat.”
The first step to adoption is visiting the website: https://www.hswestmi.org
Once you visit the website you will be able to look through the adoptable animals. After you find an animal you like, you are able to look at all the pictures provided, along with information on the breed, size, age, etc. And read a biography all about the animal. Dahl recommends that if anyone is interested in adopting from the WMHS and or anywhere else they should do their research.
“Make sure that you know what you are getting involved with and come with questions,” said Dahl. “Our staff and volunteers are here to celebrate adopters. We want them to be just excited as we are to add a new furry family member to their home.”
After you have found the perfect pet for you, you then submit an application for the pet you want by sending in your email. After a few business days, you should receive a phone call and or email to inquire about the animal you picked. From there you will talk to the staff about the next steps to adopting. The humane society practices open adoptions meaning they do not have requirements for being a pet owner. Rather they look for and make sure that the pet is a good fit for the home and that the adopters will meet all the expectations of a pet owner.
“For instance, if I have an adopter who wants to watch movies with their dog I am not going to send them off with one of our younger active dogs,” said Dahl. “It’s all about matchmaking and finding the right fit for both pet and owner.”
Once you have been in contact with the staff and your adoption has gone through, adopters have to remember that there is an adoption fee for all animals.
“Many people do not know that we send each animal home spayed/neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations/flea and tick preventative as well as given a basic exam prior to adoption,” said Dahl. “These adoption fees just scratch the surface of helping us to cover the care costs for each animal. We are 100% donor-funded. We do not receive any money from taxes or the government so every penny donated truly saves lives. We are also not owned or operated by ASPCA or the Humane Society of the United States. We encourage people to adopt and donate locally if they can.”
Because COVID-19 has brought many hardships among all of us. Now more than ever is the best time to find a furry friend to accompany us while we stay confined to our homes. Even if you are not ready to commit to adopting, you can reach out to WHMS and inquire about fostering before you decide if adoption is right for you. Visit the website today and find the pet that is right for you.
