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Local animal shelters facing challenges during pandemic

Adoptions and spay and neutering can be done by appointment only but other work in the community has been suspended.

MUSKEGON, Mich. — They're trying to find homes for pets, but the ongoing pandemic is also having a major effect on local animal shelters.

Alexis Ogborn with the Muskegon Humane Society says their shelter has seen a 30% increase in people giving up their pets.

"Our shelter is filled to the brim right now and I know pretty much all local shelters are as well...a lot of people are going through hard times, losing their homes and aren't able to properly care for their pets so they are looking for placement for those," says Ogborn.

Adoptions and spay and neutering can be done by appointment only but other work in the community has been suspended.

"We used to do work with kids in the community like girl scouts but we've cancelled all our group activities and training classes," says Ogborn.

But Ogborn says the biggest challenge is funding as all of their events have been cancelled and they are now relying on donations.

"All of our fundraising events in person this year have been cancelled and so our revenue is down about 50% this year....and so we are just trying to coast through," says Ogborn.

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