ALLEGAN, Mich. — A West Michigan animal shelter is making the push to foster out all of its dogs and cats as the building undergoes renovations.
"They all need to be out of here in mid-January," said Kate Rouster, an animal assessor at Allegan County Animal Shelter. "Thinking how many animals, hoping people can take two or three cats at a time – it's overwhelming."
The shelter, managed by Wishbone Pet Rescue Alliance, must complete state-mandated repairs to the flooring and ventilation system. The renovations will take at least four weeks.
ACAS staff has to clear around 100 cats and 40 dogs from the building by Jan. 18. It's been a struggle finding enough foster homes or organizations to take the animals, Director Susan Smith said.
"There's a lot of animals we have to move, some have restrictions," Smith said. "Not all of them are good with dogs and cats, so we're going to have to spend some time to make sure we're placing them in safe locations."
While the county is covering the building's renovation costs, the shelter staff has to find a way to foster or board the animals. Despite several foster applications, some animals will likely be boarded, Smith said.
"It's staggering how high [the costs] can go," she said. "We're anticipating at least $5,000 because of the fact that we still have animals that will need to come into the system."
ACAS is an open shelter and technically cannot deny any animals. However, public intake will be limited based on necessity during the renovations.
Community support from local organizations and families has been great, but the shelter still needs all the help it can get, Smith said.
"Any support we can get financially to take care of these animals or to help us with foster homes is really needed," she said.
The shelter is located at 2293 33rd St. in Allegan County. For more information, check out the Allegan County Animal Shelter website.
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