Because of You …
The lives of hundreds of special-needs animals in MHS’ care have been dramatically transformed through your support.
On their behalf, THANK YOU!

By just 6 month old, Caboo had already experienced enough suffering for a lifetime. Born on the streets, the young shepherd/ rottweiler mix lived in a junkyard, where he barely survived on scraps of food and in whatever dilapidated shelter he could find. Life certainly wasn’t grand for this pup - but the situation became dire when Caboo lost most of his front leg, likely after being hit by a train traveling along the tracks adjacent to the junkyard.

He suffered alone, with no one to hear his cries. Few people wandered the junkyard, and even fewer noticed Caboo. One day, a kind passerby saw the excruciating wound and called the Michigan Humane Society for help. MHS responders arrived quickly and transported Caboo to the Detroit Center for Animal Care for medical treatment. The veterinary team determined that the remaining part of Caboo’s leg would need to be amputated. Following the life-saving surgery, Caboo recovered for several weeks in foster care with a member of MHS’ Cruelty Investigation and Rescue team. There, he learned the simple pleasures of walking on a leash and playing fetch.

By early April, Caboo had blossomed into a healthy puppy, and he soon found a forever home with Lisa Carleton of Livonia. His once sterile life was completely transformed. This former junkyard pup now enjoys playing with toys, making friends with the neighbor dogs, taking puppy-training classes and spending lots of time cuddling with his new mom.

“Caboo is a great dog who seems to be as happy here as I am to have him!” Carleton says.

... I received the medical care I needed to treat my painful burns - Sally

Last summer, a young stray cat was brought to the MHS Detroit Center for Animal Care with life-threatening injuries. Sally had experienced chemical burns from a hot liquid searing much of her small body, including a large area along her spine, and most of her ears. Unfortunately, there were no witnesses to tell of her ordeal and whether the injuries were inflicted intentionally while she was out on the streets.

Sally required a month of intensive medical care and then additional time in foster care with an MHS veterinarian. Despite the excruciating pain she was in, she charmed everyone with her affectionate personality and delicate “kitty kisses” as if to say, “Thank you,” to the staff treating her wounds and providing a safe haven.

In November, once she had fully healed, Sally found her forever home with Mike Gary of Taylor. Today, she’s living a healthy, happy life with someone who finds her truly beautiful despite her rough start and perhaps less than perfect appearance.

When she first went home, “she fit right in,” Gary says. “She’s got all kinds of energy - she loves to play, and she especially loves to have her head rubbed. She curls up in bed with me at night, we hang out in the morning - she’s just an all-around amazing companion. I love her so much.”

... My disability didn't prevent me from finding my forever home - Charley

At the Michigan Humane Society, a disability, such as blindness or hearing loss, doesn’t stop an animal from being adopted. Each year, MHS helps hundreds of special-needs animals find loving homes - animals such as Charley, a 5-year-old beagle/Dalmatian mix whose owners surrendered him to the MHS Rochester Hills Center for Animal Care. Charley is completely deaf which can, in some cases, make dogs easy to startle or more difficult to train. Because of this, volunteers in MHS’ Pawsitive Start inshelter training program didn’t expect that he’d pick up new skills as easily as the other dogs. To their surprise, he proved to be a star student!

In lieu of the auditory “clicker” training used to train animals, Charley learned to respond to a flashlight and some hand signals (and, of course, a few treats!). Within days, he had learned to sit, “trim” his own nails on a specially designed nail file, press an Easy button, and other skills that his “peers” were still trying to master. Charley proved to everyone that his disability wouldn’t stop him from anything - and it sure didn’t stop him from getting adopted.

When Paul and Pam Cruden of Oxford Township visited the adoption center in October, Charley’s sweet, gentle nature immediately caught their eye. After bringing their current dog, Clyde, in to meet Charley, they found he was a great match for the whole family. The Crudens soon adjusted to Charley’s deafness by providing him with visual cues.

“If we’re going for a car ride, which he loves, I’ll just show him my keys,” Paul Cruden says. “He sees them and gets all excited! We just don’t look at his deafness as a disability - it’s just a part of life, and we’re so fortunate to have him.”