Animal shelter in need of cat litter, canned food and adoptions

HILLSDALE — A popular gift idea during the holiday season is a new pet, usually a puppy or a kitten. Sometimes the decision to gift a pet can be made without the proper foresight, and the animal ultimately ends up at an animal shelter once it starts growing.

Workers at the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society see animals left at their door frequently. Since it is a no-kill shelter, they keep all animals until they can be placed into new homes.

Being a no-kill shelter for unwanted cats and dogs has its burdens – it takes a lot of money and supplies to function.Currently, the biggest need at the shelter is clay cat litter and canned cat food.

"Not scoopable (cat litter),” said Renee Goshorn. “We use so little litter at a time because it generally gets dumped everyday.”

There’s a difference between clay cat litter and "scoopable" cat litter. More of the latter type is necessary for cats because it becomes clumped as they use it.

Right now anyone who donates at least five bags of litter will receive a “Santa sled” made by second graders of Mr. Falers' class at Gier Elementary School. Workers at the shelter recently brought dogs into the classroom for the students.

Even greater than the need for cat supplies is the need for people to adopt cats. Currently, the shelter has cats in the shelter which arrived in 2008.

“Right now we need a lot of cat adoptions,” said Goshorn. “We have cats, cats, cats, more cats, and more cats on top of that.”

The shelter currently has a “senior-to-senior" special. Anyone 60 years old and over can adopt a cat that’s 5 years old and over for $10.

“This is huge,” said Goshorn. “We try to get them into the hands of people who will actually care for them.”

Additionally, any adult cat that is 1 year old and over are 50 percent off to everyone else.

Goshorn emphasized that all the animals adopted from the shelter come completely vetted.

“Right now a female cat at any vet is running right around $100, just for the spaying,” she said. “So it’s a huge savings if you adopt.”

Although the shelter needs canned cat food, it has plenty of dog food.

"(The) Walmart distribution center over in Quincy and our local Walmart donate all their ripped and torn bags,” said Goshorn. “So food is generally not an issue, other than the canned cat food. Pretty much on any given day we can go over and get what we need and it’s free. So we try to direct people into the areas that we actually need filled.”

What the shelter does always need in addition to supplies is monetary donations.Goshorn says the shelter takes about $10,000 a month to operate.

“When you tell people that, they’re floored,” she said. “We have our fixed expenses. We hire employees, we have to pay the light bill, the heating bill and the gas bill ... the phone bill, internet service and garbage, just like any other business.”

On top of the costs just to keep the facility running, funds are needed for veterinary bills.

“$5,000 a month goes towards medical costs,” she said. “Which could include spaying and neutering, rabies, boosters, deworming, and several of the cats have upper-respiratory problems and they receive additional medication for that.”

One of the battles the shelter faces in addition to its financial burden is the fact that if people don't adopt animals out of the shelter, the shelter can’t take in any more animals due to a lack of space.

“We seem to be supporting the community by taking in the animals in need,” said Goshorn. “But when animals aren’t being adopted out, we can’t do that as much as we would like.”

That’s why when someone interested wants to adopt a pet, they go through a screening process to make sure they would make a good match with the animal. She says when an animal is placed in a home, they try their best to make sure it will be a permanent home.

“If something doesn’t work out with the animal, we take it back,” said Goshorn. “We’ll do what we can to make sure the animal is taken care of.”

If interested in making a donation or adopting a dog or cat from the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society, call 517-523-2308 or visit their Facebook page by searching “Greater Hillsdale Humane Society.” The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12-3 p.m.