County voters to consider millage for animal shelter funding in August

SAULT STE. MARIE — On Aug. 6, Chippewa County voters will consider a proposed millage to help fund the county animal shelter.

The Chippewa County Animal Shelter has been a no-kill shelter for 15 years and takes in hundreds of animals a year. The shelter provides many different services to strays as well as for local pet owners.

Being a no-kill shelter means that animals will only be euthanized if they already have a terminal illness or are aggressive to the point of posing a danger to the public. Other shelters might be forced to euthanize for space, but the Chippewa County shelter has the funding that when space becomes an issue they can hold events and lower adoption prices to encourage more adoptions.

"We don't euthanize for space. We haven't in over 15 years, but the reason we can do that is because the millage gives us health care options," said shelter director Holly Henderson.

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The millage pays for all health care provided by the shelter, including an extensive spay and neuter program, vaccines and other medical work. Because of a general increase in the past few years in medical costs, in order to remain a no-kill shelter, they will require a funding increase. This is included in the millage proposal.

"The price of our spay and neuter surgeries have almost tripled in the past three years," said Henderson. "If we don't get the millage, it would really greatly change how our program is run. The animals wouldn't be spayed or neutered, we wouldn't be able to do special blood work. We wouldn't be able to do any of that extra care."

If the proposal fails and the shelter does not receive the increase, they will likely have to close down the spay and neuter program if they can't find the funds elsewhere. This could in turn lead to an increase of cats and dogs in the area, which would also put an even greater strain on the shelter.

The exact language of the ballot item reads: "Shall the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution on general ad valorem taxes within Chippewa County, Michigan be increased by .175 mill ($0.175 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of six years, being 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030, inclusive to provide operating funds to the Chippewa County Animal Shelter to be used exclusively to allow the facility to not euthanize for space, and to provide medical and supplemental care for the health, safety, and well-being of the animals housed and cared for at the Chippewa County Animal Shelter as well as provide financial assistance to Chippewa County community members, who income qualify, for spay and neuter, and shall the county levy such millage for said purpose, thereby raising in the first year (2025) an estimated $230,770?"

— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com