Animals rescued from home still need help
Fri, Jun 5, 2009 
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BY BRIAN KEILEN
bkeilen@grandhaventribune.com
WEST OLIVE — Of all the animals removed from a Grand Haven home last week, Abbei Monroe of the Harbor Humane Society thinks three-legged Homer is in the best shape.
The 11-year-old golden retriever/yellow Labrador retriever mix is one of five dogs and nine cats removed from a home on the 400 block of Ferry Street on May 26 after a report of possible "animal hoarding."
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Police said an odor of urine and fecal matter could be detected 15 feet from the house, which was found to be unfit for occupation by both animals and humans. An investigation into the incident could lead to charges against the owner, authorities said.
The animals were taken to Harbor Humane Society in West Olive. A week later, shelter employees are still working with some of the animals to get them healthy and ready for adoption, Monroe said.
"We're just trying to go real slow with them and give them time to adjust," the shelter's marketing director said.
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Foster homes for two of the dogs have been arranged and four of the cats have been taken to Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake, Monroe said, but Harbor Humane Society still has two dogs and one cat looking for places to stay.
Foster homes provide love, shelter and food while getting the animals ready for adoption. The local humane society pays for all the animals' veterinarian care while they are in a foster home, and the homes are an important part of the animals' transition, Monroe said.
Monroe said the three dogs they still have at the shelter are experiencing kidney failure, and some shake uncontrollably and had to be shaved to remove the feces from their fur. They all need a lot more blood work and costly veterinarian care, Monroe said.
"They're still all pretty shaken up," she said. "They're elderly dogs, so this is all pretty traumatic for them."
Because none of them has been to a veterinarian in years, Monroe said, they will all need special treatment — such as special diets, medications, antibiotics, diabetes testing and arthritis testing.
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Monroe likens animals removed from their homes and taken to the shelter to a human being forced to live in a mission — a process that can be very traumatic, she said.
"They're literally homeless," Monroe said of the taken animals. "Whether they come from a good home or a bad home, it's the only home they know."
With the shrinking economy, Harbor Humane Society has seen a rise in the number of borders, Monroe said. The shelter is currently taking in about 400 animals a month — nearly double from two years ago.
The poor economy has also led to a rise in the number of animals who haven't seen a vet in a while or who haven't received proper heartworm prevention.
"When people are determining how to pay their mortgage, vet care can be the first thing to go," Monroe said.
All of this has put a financial strain on Harbor Humane Society, Monroe said. The animals taken from the Ferry Street home have all had X-rays and blood work done, and still need other costly procedures — leaving the shelter "desperate" for cash, Monroe said.
"Even if it's just $5 or $10, we'll take it," she said.
Visit www.harborhumane.org for more information on making a donation or visit the shelter at 14345 Bagley St. in West Olive.
