GAIN (Gratiot Animals in Need) has received a grant which will be used to promote pet retention and adoption for seniors and people with disabilities.
Marie Green, GAIN President, indicates "It is a small grant but we are happy to get it. It is from the Gratiot County Community Foundation. Especially important is that it is from the local community. We plan to help with the initial cost of the deposit required by many apartments. As you know, seniors move into these housing units after a spouse has died and they have lost half their income so reluctantly give up a beloved pet to others or the animal control agency. We hope that we can provide much needed vetting required to bring their pet with them, spay/neuter and deposit. Then the other end is to encourage adoptions by this population. So addressing decreasing animals entering the shelter with retention, and increasing adoptions by encouraging adoptions, particularly for cats, which are excellent apartment pets."
GAIN has also started a pet food bank which is receiving many donations from throughout the community, promoting pet retention by helping low-income owners keep their pets.
Pet owner assistance is working well. GAIN board member Julie Mouser shares "Pet owners have been very grateful for support when they've hit hard times. I communicate with anywhere from 5-20 pet owners each week on Facebook. Pet retention isn't always related to finances either. I recently helped a woman with some tips to acclimate her recently adopted dog with her other dog. Initially, she was going to take the new dog back to the shelter because the two dogs didn't get along but after sending her some tips and techniques for managing their interactions and giving them enough time to get familiar with one another, she stuck it out and kept the dog. She sends me photos and updates of the two dogs acting like best friends and she told me she was really happy she didn't take the new dog back. Not everyone has the same background or experience with pets as we do. Many times, I think people just need someone to talk to and point them toward resources to get them through a rough patch. Had she not had GAIN to reach out to, my bet is that the dog would be back at the shelter with an uncertain future."
Follow GAIN's progress on Facebook to see updates on this innovative program, or contact GAIN president Marie Green (989-875-2286) for more information on any of GAIN's programs.
