15 Steps to 100% Growing a Healthy Pet Community The Michigan Humane Society has set an ambitious goal: that within the next several years, every healthy and treatable animal brought to MHS will be guaranteed placement with a loving family or a qualified rescue group. Download 15 Steps to 100% Finding homes for thousands of animals, many of whom come with significant behavioral or medical issues, presents a daunting challenge for any animal welfare organization or shelter. Reaching our goal of guaranteed placement will take a comprehensive solution that not only ensures that the animals brought to MHS have the best possible chance to find a loving home, but which also makes a significant impact on other animals in our community. Creating communities where animals are valued is the only way to make a real, long-term difference. The Michigan Humane Society takes in approximately 30,000 animals every year, but that is just a portion of the thousands of animals who are in the care of local animal control shelters, rescues and humane organizations, not to mention the thousands of stray animals still on the streets. Any programs to help the community’s animals will not only affect these pets, but also the organizations caring for them. Consequently, a robust strategy to save more lives must not only affect the animals in MHS’ care, but also those who may never even come through our doors. To accomplish this, MHS has created the 15 Steps to 100%, a comprehensive guide that MHS is following to achieve a better future for animals in our community.

Step 1 Feral Cat TNR Program Since the implementation of a Feral Cat TNR program here at MHS, more than 100 feral cat colony caretakers have joined the program, with dozens more volunteers joining this program every month.
	Step 2 Proactive Spay/Neuter Low-cost feline sterilization clinics are only one of the ways that MHS offers affordable spay/neuter surgeries to the community. In the past 20 years, MHS has spayed and neutered more than 270,000 animals.
Step 3 Collective Improvement (PETCONNECT) Blind Labrador Matthew went to a rescue where he will receive long-term care in a loving foster home.
	Step 4 Foster Program (MHS’ In-Home Heroes) In-Home Heroes can provide specialized and long-term care for treatable animals. The more than 300 families in the program cared for 1,790 animals in 2011 alone.
Step 5 Finding New Ways to Promote Adoptions This happy family adopted a sweet Husky/terrier mix at “Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo,” the largest off-site adoption event in the country.
	Step 6 Pet Retention Efforts (Keeping Families Together) For more than 20 years, MHS has been holding Protect-A-Pet clinics across the metro Detroit area. Offering low-cost vaccinations and microchipping, more than 3,100 pets received care during the six clinics held in 2011.
Step 7 Going the Extra Mile for Treatable Animals Animals like Diamond, who came in severely neglected, at half the weight she should have been, are given special care by MHS.
	Step 8 Community Engagement Animal Cops: Detroit has given MHS national coverage that helps promote critical animal care initiatives.
Step 9 A Robust Volunteer Program Every year, the nearly 1,000 MHS volunteers contribute more than 50,000 hours of service at each of MHS’ three facilities and seven off-site adoption locations, as well as at MHS’ administrative offices.
	Step 10 Helping Lost Pets Find Their Way Home Thanks to a microchip, MHS was able to reunite Jack Russel Terrier Petie with his owner... 600 miles away in Tennessee.
Step 11 A Dedicated Staff Doing the right thing for animals, despite how difficult it might be, has become a hallmark of MHS under Cal Morgan’s tenure as President and CEO.
	Step 12 Cruelty Investigation As the primary cruelty agency in the city, MHS’ Cruelty Investigators are the last line of defense for countless animals who are the victims of abuse, neglect or worse.
Step 13 Emergency Rescue MHS rescue trucks are on the streets every day, helping animals who are injured, may have been hit by a car, trapped in an abandoned building or are seriously ill.
	Step 14 Kennel Enrichment (Pawsitive Start) One of the ways MHS helps homeless animals get adopted is by giving them a “Pawsitive Start” to get them on the right foot to being a great companion.
Step 15 Humane Education Humane Educators reach thousands of students every year to teach them about proper safety around animals and responsible pet care.