MHS Winter Straw Drop
MHS is preparing pet owners and pets for the cold winter months ahead

They are left outside, cold and alone, chained to trees or poles on rusted links of metal. They have no protection from the frigid winds, no shelter from the temperature, nothing to shield them from the falling snow. It is a terrible and lonely existence, and it is a sad reality for far too many pets here in the metro Detroit area.

But when the temperatures drop, that’s when the Michigan Humane Society’s Emergency Rescue team is at their busiest. When everyone else is safe and warm inside, they’re out on the streets regardless of the wind and snow, providing lifesaving assistance to pets in need.

You can be the difference for these animals who desperately need help now. Please donate today.

While MHS strongly believes that all pets should be brought inside to live with their families, it is unfortunately not illegal to keep pets outside. However, these pets must be provided with food, water and shelter, and MHS teams hit the road every day to make sure that’s the case.

Our rescue team will start their day when the sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon, sometimes driving hundreds of miles a day on snowy, frozen roads to provide doghouses for dogs who have no shelter from the weather, and to get rid of the dirty, frozen towels that they are forced to lie on.

In their place, these men and women will provide fresh, clean straw that the dogs can burrow into to provide safety, warmth and comfort. They’ll check to make sure that they are in good health and have enough food and water. If they don’t, a cruelty investigator will soon have a discussion with the pet’s owner.

This is called the “Straw Drop,” and every winter, it happens in hundreds of locations all over the area. It’s all part of MHS’ commitment to the community we serve, and just one of the many ways we’re working to help those pets who are victims of negligence, cruelty, and abuse. But we can’t do this without you.

Your tax-deductible donation will go immediately to work helping cold and hungry dogs left outside.