By Brian C. Louwers WARREN — For the second time in as many weeks, little Oliver the cat may have found himself a home. Now in the loving care of his foster “mother,” in a home that will likely turn into a permanent placement, Oliver, just 5 weeks old, previously sought refuge, likely at the direction of his mother, inside of a car parked in a neighborhood near 11 Mile and Van Dyke. The owner of the car called City Hall; Warren Animal Control officer Lisa Taylor responded; and the cat was delivered to the Warren-based All About Animals Rescue, a low-cost spay and neutering clinic. The group, not a shelter per se, is among those called to assist Warren’s Animal Control officers with homeless pets. Taylor said the nonprofit, set back off Mound, north of 10 Mile Road, has been a great help in dealing with a huge number of cats and dogs in need, including little Oliver. “Whenever possible, animal groups have been extremely helpful with homeless pets,” Taylor said. Speaking specifically about All About Animals, Taylor said, “They’ve helped the city of Warren so much. I’m actually seeing a reduction in the numbers of dogs and cats we’re seeing. It’s pretty amazing to me. It’s like a dream come true to have them working in our town.” Taylor said she was called to Oliver’s aid on the afternoon of June 17, after the homeowner phoned the office of Warren Mayor Jim Fouts. After his rescue, Oliver was taken to All About Animals, where his foster parent-to-be quickly fell in love with him. Not all puppies and kittens, dogs and cats are as lucky. The numbers of homeless animals, locally and across the country, are staggering. Pam Laird, director of clinic operations at All About Animals, said that sometimes even pet owners with the best of intentions are caught off guard by an “oops” litter with a young pet. While she said 80-90 percent of cats and dogs are eventually sterilized, the numbers tell a sad story. “Statistically, it shows for every animal in the United States to have a home, every person would have to own seven dogs and 21 cats,” Laird said. “It is a staggering statistic. We see spaying and neutering as the best way to help with that problem. It’s a great thing for your pets, as well. It helps with their health. You eliminate a lot of undesirable behavior in your house.” Laird said All About Animals consistently takes between 18 and 21 calls every day from individuals looking to surrender litters of kittens. While they obviously cannot honor all of those requests, they do offer low-cost spay and neutering services at $40 for cats and $80 for dogs. On occasion, they’ll offer even lower prices — male cat neutering was just $15 during the month of June — and the group is always able to help those of limited income with subsidized funding available through grants. Laird said All About Animals works toward a goal of spaying or neutering 40 felines and canines each week, for a total of 8,000 animals sterilized each year. She said they also try to work with Warren Animal Control officers, who are often called to handle homeless pets or those that have been surrendered by families that are no longer able or willing to take care of them. “We’ve taken litters of kittens and dogs from Warren Animal Control. We really try hard to help them out as much as possible. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is at this time, (Animal Control officers) are just getting an incredible amount of calls.” Taylor said Warren’s two Animal Control officers handle about 800 cats each year. She said 98 percent of them cannot be connected with a rightful owner. While by law stray pets that can be linked to an owner must be held at an accredited shelter for five days, outright homeless pets are sometimes put up for adoption through rescue groups, or cared for by foster parents. You can reach Staff Writer Brian C. Louwers at brianlouwers@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1089. |
