Watch CBS News

Nearly 200 Animals Need Homes After Hillsdale Humane Society Forced To Close

HILLSDALE (WWJ) - Attention animal lovers: A no-kill animal shelter facing financial troubles needs your help.

About 45 dogs and 138 cats at the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society are in desperate need of a loving home.

The society's board of directors found a lien placed on the shelter by the IRS, for unpaid taxes -- meaning they may have to close within a month. The directors also found that the society's tax-exempt status had not been renewed.

Shelter Manager Renee Goshorn said the current desperate situation has been developing over several years.

"Unfortunately, these matters were left unattended to by our previous administration," Goshorn said in a statement. "We now have an entirely new board that's trying to deal with this situation just when we face huge expenses for required construction work on our facility. If we don't receive immediate help, the board is going to have to make some tough decisions about whether or not we can go on."

Right now, adoption fees have been cut in half to help place the animals. Adoption fees include spay/neutering of the animal, all required vaccinations, and testing/treatment for heartworm.

The society -- which is located on Tripp Road in Osseo, near the Lost Nations State Game Area -- is also looking for volunteers who live in the area to assist with those that don't find a home.

"The qualification process is crucial for both fostering and adopting," Goshorn said. "We won't give a dog or cat to just anybody merely to get them out the door. We care about each animal, and we want to make sure it gets a good home."

The shelter, which operates entirely on cash gifts and the fees charged for pet adoptions, needs about $10,000 a month to keep its doors open.

"It's make-or-break time for this organization," Goshorn said. "If we were to close, it would create a huge influx of dogs and cats for county Animal Control, which would mean an increased burden on Hillsdale County taxpayers.

Anyone interested in making cash donations, volunteering, pet adoptions, or fostering can contact the Human Society at 517-523-2308, or by email at ghhs@frontier.com.

You can also visit the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society Facebook Page to view photos of adoptable animals.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.