ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Step inside The Royal Oak Animal Shelter and you will see it's clean and well run and the animals appear healthy.
"This is a transitional home. While they're here, they're family, and we treat them as such," manager Jodie Ellison said.
About 60 percent of the animals that arrive at the shelter escaped from their yards and are returned to their homes. The remaining 40 percent are prepped to be rehomed.
Like most animal shelters, funding is an issue. The shelter needs to be self-sustaining. Already this year the city has put in $20,000. The budget shortfall next year is hovering around $60,000. It costs around $130,000 a year to keep the shelter running.
Ellison said the board overseeing the shelter is trying to come up with a fundraising mechanism to fix the problem.
"I have a lot of faith in the residents of Royal Oak. I think they are absolutely going to keep this place afloat," Ellison said.
For now, donations of money and time are appreciated by the shelter. There are several kittens and older serene cats seeking homes. Seven dogs also need to be placed into homes.