By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published January 23, 2026
MADISON HEIGHTS — The kennels are empty at the Madison Heights Animal Shelter, thanks to holiday efforts to find homes for the animals.
Now, it’s the calm before the storm — the lull before kitten season. The shelter is preparing by stocking up on supplies. A restaurant fundraiser will also raise money for the cause.
The benefit will take place at the Coach Grille, 26685 Dequindre Road in Madison Heights, on Tuesday, Feb. 3. During the day, Coach Grille will donate 10% of all food sales to the shelter. There will also be an opportunity to win a raffle basket.
The shelter itself is outside the Department of Public Services, located at 801 Ajax Drive. At press time, Justin Holland, an animal control officer, was filling in for the shelter’s main officer, Paige Wallace, while she was away on personal business.
“I know Paige worked very hard to get most of the animals out by the holidays. That was a big goal of hers,” Holland said. “She wanted to see everyone home for the holidays.
But it won’t stay quiet there for long.
“Come springtime, we’ll most likely be inundated with kittens,” Holland said. “There have been quite a few stray cats (in recent years) — the bulk of the cats have been strays. Unfortunately, there’s this idea in the public that cats are fine to let out and let back in, and too often this extends to cats that aren’t neutered or spayed. So, what you see are those cats get around, and now you have multiple litters coming into our shelter. It can be overwhelming.”
The shelter runs on a tight budget, and throughout the year its funding is strained by the need to provide veterinary care and emergency medical services to animals in need.
Anyone can make a direct donation by sending or delivering a check to the Madison Heights Police Department, 280 W. 13 Mile Road, directing it to the Madison Heights Animal Shelter.
Anyone can also visit the Police Department to drop off supplies for the shelter. Holland said the dogs can use Purina One wet dog food, Purina One dry dog food (lamb and rice formula), Purina One healthy puppy/small breed dog food, Pup-peroni dog treats, and small Milkbones.
For the cats, the shelter is looking for Tidy Cats instant action litter — non-clumping only, since clumping can harm kittens — as well as Purina kitten chow, Purina cat chow (naturals or indoor), Fancy Feast wet cat food, Friskies Shreds wet cat food, and Temptations cat treats.
The shelter can also use cleaning supplies such as Clorox bleach, unscented high-efficiency laundry detergent, dryer balls, Dawn dish soap, and Kleenex.
While Holland is expecting an influx of kittens come springtime, he said they tend to get adopted quickly. Other animals aren’t so lucky.
“Oftentimes, what ends up at our shelter are the animals that don’t get adopted as quickly, like older cats and dogs, or those with health issues, or those who simply look plain — they tend to stay with us longer, unfortunately,” Holland said.
“There are benefits to adopting an older pet,” he said. “Oftentimes, older pets have personalities that are a bit more set than a puppy or kitten. Kittens are notorious where they may seem calm or shy, but then you take them home, and they may be a bit more rambunctious than you bargained for.
“It also depends on your lifestyle,” Holland continued. “I’ve met adopters who wanted a couch potato, and it was easier to set up them with a 6-year-old dog that just wants to relax. On the flip side, we’ve had people who are more active in their lifestyle, and there are older pets who are suitable for them as well. When they’re older, you tend to know more what you’re getting. They may have also had some prior training.”
He said some pets that arrive at the shelter are owner surrenders.
“In that situation, we would always prefer that someone talks to us instead of simply abandoning their pet outside. Abandoning a pet is dangerous, both for the animal and the public. And I would remind people that even if a shelter can’t help you directly, we can always point you in the right direction to get help. So, if you can’t afford a pet any longer or it’s become a burden, reach out to us first,” Holland said.
For those who have cats as pets, he recommends keeping them indoors.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen cats in almost every state of deceased you can think of — hit by cars, frozen to concrete. It’s heartbreaking, especially since it’s completely preventable,” Holland said. “Ferals can die this way too, of course, but they tend to know how to deal with seasonal changes. The deaths we see are usually pets that were let out and ran into bad luck. So, we advise keeping them indoors.”
Madison Heights City Councilman Sean Fleming said the shelter does fantastic work.
“I have been advocating for increasing the shelter’s budget. We can still do more to make sure they have enough food and resources for emergency medical,” Fleming said. “I’ve also thought about introducing more resources for TNR — trap, neuter, release. We don’t want to have unneutered cats all over the place, creating more cats that are uncared for.”
Corey Haines, the new mayor of Madison Heights, said he’s proud to support the shelter. Haines was once the Madison Heights police chief, and when he started at the Police Department, he was the city’s first K-9 handler.
“Our shelter is top-notch when it comes to reconnecting lost animals with their owners, keeping animals safe, providing needed care, and helping connect animals to their forever homes,” Haines said.