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New Home For Adoptable Dogs, Cats Mirrors Detroit's Comeback Status

DETROIT (WWJ) - Some new digs for some stray dogs and cats in the city.

The old Michigan Humane Society building is the new home of Detroit's Animal Care and Control unit.

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Ribbon cutting for the city's Animal Care and Control unit on Tuesday. It is now housed in the old Michigan Humane Society's building on Chrysler Service drive.

The staff and budget have doubled since last year and the adoption rate jumped from 28-63 percent in the same time.

That's music to the ears of Christina Rinaldi with Detroit Dog Rescue, "just astronomical changes," she says. "We come in here and we transfer dogs out for adoption - the camaraderie within the building and between Animal Control and its partners and the city and its residents is just extraordinary what has happened here in over a year."

Melissa Miller is director of the city's animal control and care unit.

"We are able to humanely house approximately the same population as the old facility - however this allows them to be housed much more humanely and species appropriate," says Miller. "We'll keep them here as long as they are healthy and happy - as long as it takes them to find a home and they are doing well here."

Mayor Mike Duggan says the 'number of animals that were being euthanized was unacceptable -- he says the current rate is more in line with national standards. "We have had too many injuries and even deaths in this city due to stray dogs," he says.

"In January, I'm really pleased that we are going to start extending Saturday hours for the animal control unit to respond to stray animals -- it's an important initiative ... we need, whenever possible, to give animals good homes - to get them adopted instead of euthanized."

Animals are only euthanized if they are deemed unsafe to release back into the community.

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