A Michigan shelter has seen its pet save rate jump significantly by working closely with national partners and rallying community support to create new programs that reduce stress for animals and increase adoption success.
- Partnership with Best Friends Animal Society helped refine shelter programs.
- Community volunteer outings reduce shelter stress and reveal pets’ true personalities.
- Creative staff ideas spotlight long-stay animals to increase adoption chances.
What happened
Saginaw Animal Care & Control in Michigan joined forces with the Best Friends Animal Society through a national shelter embed program to enhance their pet placement strategies. This hands-on collaboration allowed shelter staff and Best Friends project managers to work side by side, assessing each animal’s needs and tailoring efforts to promote them more effectively. One example is Deacon, a young dog whose nervous shelter behavior masked his affectionate nature once taken outside for walks and outings.
The shelter adopted new practices including improved photography, volunteer involvement, targeted social media campaigns, and innovative programs like doggy day trips to give animals much-needed breaks from the shelter environment. These collective efforts encouraged the community to engage more actively in fostering, volunteering, and adopting, ultimately leading to an increase in the shelter’s save rate from 75% to 85% within five months.
Why it feels good
The shelter’s proactive, team-driven approach has fostered a culture of creativity and urgency among staff, resulting in personalized care hubs for pets and greater community inclusion. Staff members devised ways to highlight long-stay animals with displays in high-traffic areas, ensuring these deserving pets gain attention from visitors. Volunteers quickly embraced programs that allowed them to spend quality time with dogs displaced by shelter stress.
This warm connection between pets, staff, and community members has yielded tangible lifesaving results. Knowing their efforts lead to happier, healthier animals finding permanent homes brings joy to everyone involved. It also sets a shining example for other shelters aiming to reach no-kill goals by blending compassion with strategic outreach.
What to enjoy or watch next
Keep an eye on how Saginaw’s ongoing partnership with Best Friends continues to refine shelter systems and create new volunteer opportunities. Their model of inviting public participation in fostering and promoting animals offers a hopeful blueprint for other communities. The shelter’s success with cat adoptions, including temporarily housing feline friends from neighboring shelters, shows promising expansion in their lifesaving impact.
For pet lovers, following the shelter’s social media accounts provides heartwarming stories of animals like Deacon and updates on available pets seeking homes. Those inspired by the programs can contribute by volunteering for doggy day outings, fostering pets needing extra care, or simply sharing posts to raise awareness. These small acts steadily open more doors for homeless animals across the region.