Michigan animal rescue desperate for donations after social media fiasco

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – An animal rescue in Madison Heights is desperate for donations after a popular social media platform suddenly pulled the plug on the shelter's online account.

On any given day, the Animal Welfare Society of Southeastern Michigan has roughly 40 or more cats and dogs daily in its care.

"It's been a staple in the community for many, many years," said employee Jennifer Burney.

Burney says the shelter would typically use its Facebook page of nearly 30,000 followers to advocate for its animals.

"It reaches many, many people, and they come in with donations... checks, food, linens, any toys. It's very helpful to keep this shelter up and running," Burney said.

However, several weeks ago, the social media platform abruptly closed the page down because of spam.

This severely disrupted a critical lifeline of volunteers and donations used to cover vet bills and supplies. The online account was also crucial for finding animals' new homes.

"We didn't know until we knew, and a lot of folks tried to reach out and get it back, and that was really difficult. And then suddenly over the past weekend, it was alive," said Burney.

During that lapse, staff scrambled to raise awareness of the situation and created a new Facebook page to get by. The team is currently working to merge followers but has an even bigger issue on hand. The shelter is now lagging in monetary donations and is eager for the public's help.

"The monetary is very huge, so if folks can find it in their hearts to reach out, we're happy to take your donations and put them to good use for all the animals. It would be an amazing feat. Any dollar added up helps us keep the doors open," Burney said.

The shelter is in need of at least $15,000 in monetary donations that would go toward vet bills and supplies.

If you would like to give back, contact the shelter at 248-548-1150. The rescue can also be reached through email at animalwelfaresociety@yahoo.com .

The Animal Welfare Society of Southeastern Michigan is located at 27796 John R Road, Madison Heights, 48071.