Humane Society asking for help to pay bills, help injured puppy

MIDLAND, Mich. (WNEM) – The Humane Society of Midland County continues to encourage residents to adopt a furry friend, but the nonprofit is also dealing with mounting bills. Now they are asking for your help.

Five-month-old Dakota came to the Humane Society of Midland County from South Texas, and she went to a foster to adopt home, but soon developed a cough.

“Sweet, happy, playful, friendly puppy, just like all of the rest of them,” said Beth Wellman, the shelter director. “The coughing continued, we went back in, and we went back in, and we went back in until eventually we had to go into MSU because we could not figure out what was going on.”

The shepherd mix had a congenital pulmonary defect, a genetic issue with her lungs, straining her heart, there was nothing anyone could do.

Dakota passed away a couple weeks ago.

“We do take some solace that she was loved and very well cared for, but it’s still a pretty tragic loss that left us with a pretty hefty veterinary bill,” Wellman said.

That bill is about $7000. So far, they’ve raised more than $2500, less than half what they need.

“We don’t have a set source of funding. Every other shelter around is, has at least some form of tax funding,” Wellman said.

This is the first time the shelter had to go to the community for help with an animal they couldn’t save.

But Dakota isn’t the only puppy the humane society is fundraising for. Another dog, Jupiter, needs help from the community too.

The six-month-old lab and mountain cur mix came to the shelter with broken back legs.

The vet shortage meant going back to East Lansing.

“We ended up back at MSU because that’s a very specialized surgery, the breaks were not fresh where you could just put them in a cast, so she’s having surgery and it’s about five thousand dollars for her,” Wellman said.

Thankfully, Jupiter will be fine.

The shelter has raised nearly $1000 for her, and they plan on having a t-shirt fundraiser soon for both pups.

If you’d like to help either of the two bills for the puppies, you can find a link to donate here. Be sure to list the puppy you want to help.

Checks can be made out to the “Humane Society of Midland County” and mailed to their location.

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