CHARLOTTE — A new group that advocates for animals said Eaton County is having a crisis of animal care and is striving to raise $2.5 million for a new animal shelter.
Led by Eaton County Commissioner Nicole Christensen, members have raised about $10,000 so far, but are prepared for what they believe will be a years-long effort to fill the gap created by wide-ranging budget cuts by the county that has left county animal control operations a shadow of what they were.
If all goes well, Christensen said the new shelter could happen in a few years. The group should be able to send out grant applications, for example, in the fall.
“If we literally want to buy land, build a building, stock the building – kennels, runs, play areas, vet equipment, have a surgery suite so that we can do our own spay and neuter, vaccinations….That’s the dream,” Christensen said. “To have it completely functional, like Ingham County, it would be about $2.5 million.”
She’s been answering her phone daily from people reporting dogs, cats and other animals requiring some form of care or attention, so she knows the need is there. That need has been exacerbated by county voters twice rejecting tax proposals that could have helped sustain previous levels of Eaton County Animal Control services.
Without voter support, county commissioners dealt with a budget crisis in September, deciding on $8.4 million worth of staff reductions and cuts to services. Animal Control’s budget was reduced by just over 55%. The department retains one position, and that employee runs the county’s shelter, although at minimum capacity.
“Eaton County Animal Control prioritizes dog bites and emergency calls,” county Communications Director Logan Bailey said. “Our officer goes where she can when she is able, but has a severely limited capacity. She runs the kennel, office, phones, and calls. The kennel, due to infrastructure issues with the building as well as staff capacity, cannot operate at full capacity as is.”
Christensen said she felt driven to do something after the two failed millage proposals.
“I couldn’t stand the fact that I knew dogs were being abused, dumped, let go, abandoned,” said Christensen, who was elected in November 2024 and is admittedly passionate about dogs and also a foster volunteer. “I also run the Eaton County Lost and Found Pets page, so I would see on a daily basis how many dogs were out there that needed help.”
She started asking friends and fellow advocates to pursue a new shelter, and, in the past year, they’ve gone about helping animals in any way they can, plus organized WoofStock, an event with services like microchipping and activities like a pet parade. The second annual WoofStock is scheduled for Sept. 26 on the old Courthouse lawn in downtown Charlotte.
They’ve received donations both big and small, and members have been painting three happy, colorful canines on a downtown storefront to help get their name out.
“Our community needs something like this,” said Bailey, the county’s spokesperson, said. “We’re totally supportive.”
The county is now pursuing $2.5 million in state money and about $1.4 million in federal money for a new Eaton County Animal Control shelter that would replace a building constructed in 1984.
“There are several issues with it, including structural failures, the air handling unit, the freezer, and drainage failure, which is causing a slew of issues,” Bailey said. “It needs to be replaced and designed to be a modern, functional shelter for all communities.
“The odds of us getting anything are slim,” Bailey said. “We’re hopeful.”
The money would pay for the building. The Board of Commissioners would have to allocate money to increase animal control services.
Christensen, who has five dogs of her own, said Friends of Eaton County Animals will continue pursuing its own shelter no matter what happens at the county level.
“We’re going to keep moving forward, because there’s a big difference between animal control and animal shelter,” Christensen said. “Animal control is just that. They’re public safety. They don’t have to adopt out. They don’t have to do anything. They can take the dogs in. They can reunite them if an owner finds them there but … they can euthanize them if they want to.
“We would not want to be that. In my eyes, the only reason I’m going to euthanize a dog is if it’s medically necessary – like if they’re severely injured, there’s no saving them – or if they’re so extremely vicious that they can’t go into a new home.”
Sherry Anderson is a Friends board member committed to the shelter project, so committed you may see her passing out paw-printed bags filled with dog treats and information cards about Friends of Eaton County Animals.
Regarding the hopes of having a new shelter in a couple of years, “it depends,” Anderson said. “Can we get someone to donate a piece of land – a farmer who could give us a couple of acres? It depends on how lucky we get and how much we get out there? We’re going to keep trudging on.”
“We have to be an actual 501(c)(3) for one full year before we can start grant writing,” Christensen said. “As of Oct. 10, we’re going to start grant writing. I mean, I’m thinking at midnight that night we will be starting grant writing. We will be doing everything we can.”
Anyone interested in learning more about Friends of Eaton County Animals can check out the group’s website, www.foeca.org, or call (517)-588-9920.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: New group striving to raise $2.5M for new Eaton County animal shelter
Reporting by Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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By Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
