News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena County Animal Control Deputy Michelle Reid shows an unnamed kitten that was found abandoned in a ditch. She said the feline has a non-functioning leg, which needs to be amputated, but it is in no pain. The kitten has already been adopted.

ALPENA — The Alpena County Animal Control Department has maintained its status as a no-kill shelter after reporting 98.6% of animals adopted or returned to their owners in 2019.

No more than 10% of intakes can be euthanized for a shelter to be considered no-kill by the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance.

For more than a year, Alpena County Animal Control has been busy caring for seized and stray pets, as well as educating the community on the importance of licensing, microchipping, and vaccinating animals.

The shelter took in 198 dogs, 21 cats, a rabbit, and two rats in 2019, Animal Control Deputy Michelle Reid told the county Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

Reid said the rodents were abandoned on the side of the road.

So far this year, the facility has taken in 81 dogs, 40 cats, three rabbits, and one ferret, along with other animals such as raccoons.

Reid told the board she’s proud of a pair of well-attended rabies and dog license seminars in February at which 398 dogs were vaccinated and many people ended up licensing their pet.

Reid said that, so far this year, residents have purchased 2,110 licenses, 1,138 more than the same time frame in 2019. Because of the success, she said more clinics will be held in the future.

Reid said many of the animals that come into the shelter are owner-surrenders or strays. She said others are evidence in criminal cases related to animal abuse or hoarding. A few weeks ago, the shelter housed 35 cats seized in a hoarding case, of which all but 14 have been adopted.

In the coming months, Reid said, she will need a storage unit constructed outside the facility because things are sometimes stored in the same area animals are held, which is not legal. Reid said she believes there is sufficient funding in her budget to have one built.

“It is something we have known we were going to need for a while, so it isn’t a surprise,” she said. “Basically, all of our rooms where we have animals, we are storing things, and that needs to be corrected.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.