News photo by Steve Schulwitz Huron Humane Society employee Emily Kortman gives some love to Amaya, who is recovering from a leg injury. The kitten was found in a live trap and taken to the shelter, where she is recovering and will be ready for adoption soon.

ALPENA — Last year, the Huron Humane Society took in 467 animals and, of those, 403 found new homes.

Most of the animals were cats and kittens that came from residents in Alpena.

Recently, the city received the annual report from HHS. The report was crafted by Humane Society board member Mary Eagan.

She said the shelter was successful in its goals in 2022 and asked that the city consider budgeting $22,500, a small increase from last budget year, to continue services.

Eagan said the city is covering $59.84 of the $649 it costs the Humane Society to care for each of the 476 animals the society took from city residents in 2022.

That $59.84 pays for the first round of testing and preventative treatment each animal receives. It doesn’t cover spay/neuter services, veterinary care, vaccinations, the cost to employ professional animal care technicians to humanely care for the animals, or the society’s insurance, maintenance, or utility costs.

“It is a good bargain for the City of Alpena and will be put to responsible use by the Huron Humane Society,” Eagan said in her report.

Of the animals who utilized the shelter last year, 376 were from the city, of which 333 were felines and 43 canines. Only 91 animals were from jurisdictions outside the city.

The average length of stay for dogs at the Humane Society is 17.5 days and the average length of stay for a cat at is 33.3 days before being adopted, the report says. Seven dogs and 10 cats were returned to their owners.

The report also updated on other happenings at the shelter.

Last year, Alpena Community College’s Manufacturing Technology Club finished their project to improve the doors on the Humane Society’s dog kennels, remodeled the canine storeroom, and installed new glass-front doors in the cat playrooms that allow natural light into the rooms and help stimulate cats in the winter, when they can’t access the catio spaces.

A new light was also installed in the dog play area and a television was added into the kitten room.

“Thank you for valuing humane best practices for managing the homeless, unwanted, neglected, and abused animal problem in the City of Alpena,” Eagan wrote in her report.

“We at HHS are grateful for our strong relationship with the City of Alpena Police Department, which periodically brings us animals needing our service,” she added. “We are truly appreciative of our relationship with the city and thank you for your commitment to the health and well-being of the domestic animal population of the city.” Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.