92.9 radio personality Mars, right, and Correction Major Sam Davis , left, auctions off a basketball on March 17, 2016 at the Kellogg Center. The auction proceeds benefit the Ingham County Animal Control.
With about 1,300 pet adoptions in 2015, the Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter, ICAC, held the Safe a Life Soiree to honor its volunteers and raise money for a new animal shelter. The event was Thursday night at the Kellogg Center.
“It is about celebrating the great work we do and the great support we get from our volunteers,” director of the Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter John Dinon said. “Animal cruelty is an issue all over the world, unfortunately, and Ingham County is not immune to it.”
Brenda Sayles said she witnessed animal cruelty first hand while volunteering at the shelter.
“I saw a dog that had been in an abusive situation, and in its kennel it was frightened and shaking,” Sayles said. “It makes your heart break to see them come in like that.”
Sayles was honored at the event for volunteering more than 1,000 hours of her time to support the shelter in 2015.
ICAC volunteer Cinnamon Simpson has been taking in and fostering animals for more than five years and has taken care of close to 100 animals in her home.
Her specialty is older dogs and dogs with special needs, Simpson said. Her favorite part of providing foster care is not only helping animals but making sure they are a perfect fit with their new owners.
One of her tougher doggy tandems to adopt included two inseparable dogs, one age 8 and the other 14. These dogs had to be adopted together and after a long 15 months, Simpson was able to find the perfect fit.
“You develop a relationship with those animals,” ICAC volunteer Patricia Whitener said. “They become part of their family.”
Whitener has worked and volunteered for 11 years at the shelter. With past trouble with having to put dogs down, Whitener said, the support from the community has helped turn the reputation around. Last year the shelter had zero euthanizations, Dinon said.
“We are hoping to show the community that the building is very old and that (the shelter has) done the best they can with the limited resources,” Whitener said. “We are hoping the community will see that they deserve to have a new building that is up to date and more public friendly.”
With the help from donors, ICAC has been able to help roughly 1,000 animals get vaccinations and have returned more than 400 lost animals to their homes last year.
“Seeing people come here for the love of animals and wanting to help the situation and the shelter and hopefully raise money for the shelter, really does my heart good seeing the best side of people,” Sayles said.
