MUSKEGON, Mich. — For so many people in West Michigan, seeing the sun dip below Lake Michigan on a summer evening is as good as it gets. And the next sunset you see could help shelter pets find good homes.
The Big Lake Humane Society will be holding its second annual "Cruise For Rescues" on Tuesday, August 6. Guests will board the Aquastar at 7 p.m. at the Mart Dock in Muskegon. They will set sail at 7:30 p.m. and return after the sunset. The cruise will include food, live music and a cash bar. The proceeds from the event will help the Humane Society build upon what they call a "fulfilling but financially difficult year."
"We're always at capacity, but we're focusing mostly on our outreach programs. So far this year, we've done 3,600 community vaccines. We've done 1,600 spay and neuter surgeries. We've taken in over 400 shelter pets, and we've given out over 16,000 pounds of pet food to families in need, trying to alleviate the need of needing to surrender pets into shelters," said executive director Alexis Robertson.
"At our community clinic itself, we've still been searching for a veterinarian, so that's probably our most difficult hurdle right now. We really need a veterinarian that has a passion for animal welfare. So we're continuing that search. We've been looking for well over a year now, and it's getting a little discouraging that we're just not finding the veterinarian that has that passion for our community like we do, but we're holding out hope."
Boarding passes for the cruise cost $100 and can be purchased online. If you can't make it but still want to help, they've also moved their silent auction online this year. If you can't give financially, the Humane Society also needs volunteers and fosters for their pets.
"Even if you're interested in helping us plan events like this, our fundraising committee desperately needs help with some creative individuals that bring some new ideas, and we want to try some some cool, new things. So if you have a passion for animal welfare and you want to help fundraise and make our mission possible, we could definitely use you," Robertson said.