Featured Pet: Chief
Say hello to Chief, Commander of Cuteness! This handsome, 6-year old boy loves going for walks and exploring the yards at HSWM. Chief has previously lived with other dogs and may do well in a home with another dog friend. He would do best in a home with older, respectful kids if kids are present in the adopter's home. Chief LOVES to play, is great on a leash, on car rides, and loves soft, stuffy toys--and has a smile that just won’t quit!
If you're interested in adopting Chief, visit hswestmi.org, or contact the adoptions department at adoptions@hswestmi.org.
Kitten Season Support
Kitten season is officially here, and HSWM needs help caring for all of the little ones! With so many kittens entering their care, they are constantly struggling to keep stocked up on necessary supplies to keep litters of kittens happy and healthy.
HSWM needs kitten formula and kitten-specific wet food to keep our kittens growing big and strong, as well as small kitchen scales to monitor their health and weight. The kittens are also always in need of small beds and blankets to snuggle up in, and toys to play with!
If you’re able to, please consider purchasing any of these items through HSWM wish lists on Amazon or Chewy, or feel free to drop off donations in the donation bin in our entryway, any time during our open hours!
Interested in becoming a foster instead to help support kittens in our care? Learn more about fostering at hswestmi.org/foster.
Have Your Cat become a Blood Donor to Kittens in Need!
There are lots of ways to support shelters during this time, including donating, fostering, and adopting--but did you know that even your personal pets can get involved to help kittens in need?
When kittens are first born, they receive essential antibodies from their mother's milk within the first 24 hours of nursing. This window of time is crucial, as it's the only time they can absorb these antibodies from their mother's milk. When we receive orphaned neonatal kittens, sometimes they have missed this window of nursing, meaning we need to get them these necessary antibodies another way.
This is where your personal pets come in! If HSWM receives blood donations from adult cats, they can create a serum to administer to the kittens subcutaneously (under the skin) to help build their immune system. This miracle serum requires a lot of blood to be made--for only 75 ml of serum, they need over 175 ml of blood. The antibodies are then separated from the blood, creating a serum for our kittens that sets them on the path to health and success!
Are you and your cats interested in becoming Humane Heroes for kittens in need? Sign your pets up to become blood donors on our website at hswestmi.org/bloodonors and we'll reach out the next time we need to create kitten serum.
Best of Grand Rapids: HSWM Kid’s Summer Camps
HSWM Kid's Summer Camps were voted into the Top 10 most popular Day Camps in the annual Grandtastic Best of Grand Rapids Awards for 2021!
The HSWM Education team pours so much love, effort, and time into these summer camps, and they couldn't be more proud of this recognition for all of their hard work! Camps will be held in-person, following COVID safety guidelines, so spots will be limited and we expect to sell out soon. Learn more about all of the award-winning Summer Camps offered and sign kids up at hswestmi.org/youth-camps.
