The Animal Care Network is out on the streets every day, rescuing dogs and cats, checking on outdoor animals, delivering straw, food, water and supplies. Many hours are spent educating and talking to owners about spay and neuter and proper and humane care of pets, especially during extreme weather.

In one day we can visit up to 100 dogs and cats that need help or the owners need assistance.

Sadly many of the dogs are living outside 24/7 and no matter how much we talk, educate and ask the owners to bring them in this is how they live. Recently in one day the team visited over 50 dogs that were living outside. The sad but true reality is this is how many dogs live, on a chain, in a backyard, with a dog house, some straw and some bowls. This is a problem everywhere.

Michigan State Law requires that dogs have adequate shelter, food and water. Sadly it does not state that they have to bring them inside during extreme weather.

We don’t have the answer to the age old question, why do they have them?

We stopped trying to answer that question many years ago, THEY JUST DO.

People always ask, why don’t you just take them?

First of all as we all know in rescue, many of the owners will not give them up and we cannot just take them.

We call upon animal control regularly and if the dogs have the provisions stated in the law, they cannot just take them either. In these situations our hope is that when owners are visited by animal control or rescue groups they will be a little more aware and attentive to the dogs living conditions and needs.

We all rescue as many as we are able and try to make the other’s that we visit more comfortable.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(xcxlyzjv4qs53a45fbhlxvea))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-750-50&query=on&highlight=animal