Animal rescue in crisis after its Facebook account is closed

MADISON HEIGHTS — Since opening its doors in 2007, the Animal Welfare Society of Southeastern Michigan has found homes for more than 10,000 dogs and cats.

Located at 27796 John R Road, north of 11 Mile in Madison Heights, the rescue stands out with its “Clifford” red accents and airy windows offering a view of the pets inside. Its work in the community predates the building, stretching back to 1982 when AWS was founded.

But now, the nonprofit’s ability to stay open is in jeopardy after Facebook suddenly closed its group page with nearly 30,000 followers, disrupting a critical lifeline of volunteers and donations that cover everything from veterinary bills and supplies to rent on the building. The page was also crucial for finding homes for animals, as people would typically flock in with each new posting.

With its network in shambles, AWS is now scrambling to raise awareness for its situation.

“We are being forced to seriously consider closing our doors for good,” said Sue Edwards, president of AWS. “We’ve been a staple in the community for decades. Closing our doors would be devastating to so many homeless dogs and cats that need us.”

Facebook delivered the bad news Aug. 24, informing AWS the account was closed due to “spam,” but offering no specifics.

“It’s devastating, and I can’t believe no one at Facebook will talk to me. I’ve sent hundreds of emails, and I still send them every day, in hopes of a response,” said Edwards. “I think it’s some kind of glitch in the system. They deleted my personal page, too, since it was attached to the rescue page.”

Facebook could not immediately be reached for comment at press time.

In the meantime, Edwards has created a new account that can be found by searching for “Animal Welfare Society of SE MI” on Facebook.  At press time, there were around 730 followers.

Information is listed there about how to donate via Venmo or PayPal. AWS is a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so all donations are tax deductible. There is also a link to an Amazon wish list for needed supplies.

“I’m posting everything on the new page that I did on the old, but it’s not getting the traffic it once did. So adoptions have slowed down, donations have slowed down. We have a shelter full of puppies and they’re not getting adopted. Normally, they’d be adopted very quickly, but we’ve had them now for three or four weeks. You can definitely tell a huge difference.”

There are currently about 40 animals awaiting their forever families at AWS. The homeless pets include a mix of dogs, puppies, cats and kittens. Those six months and older are already spayed or neutered, while those that are younger are adopted out with a deposit that’s returned after the new owner gets the procedure done when the animal is of age. All pets at AWS are fully vaccinated.

“All of this veterinary work costs money. Believe me, there’s not many deals with vets anymore — we actually lose money on each adoption because we only charge $100 and it costs about $145 to fully vet a cat with all the shots, spaying and neutering,” Edwards said. “Many rescues are struggling, but losing the Facebook page and our network has put us over the edge. We were already struggling and when we lost that page, I thought, ‘Oh my god, what are we going to do?’”

She noted that the situation has also imperiled the rescue’s “pet pantry,” which provides pet food and other items to anyone in the community who can’t afford it.

“People come here daily to help feed their pets, and that would also be ending if the rescue goes under,” Edwards said. “Because of this situation, I haven’t been able to pay September rent on the (AWS) building.”

She said the nearly 30,000 followers she had on her previous account were a reliable source of donations and volunteer help when needed.

“One lady even donated $10,000 a few months ago — a huge amount of money that makes all the difference when you have a litter of puppies in need of care. We would be struggling with something, and someone would step up to help. So we’re losing like $10,000 a month without our Facebook page,” Edwards said. “I’ve gotten emails and calls from people thinking that we’ve gone out of business. I’m hoping someone knows how to get our original Facebook page back.”

In addition to money for rent and veterinary bills, donations of supplies are also appreciated. Edwards said AWS can always use paper towels, bleach, blue Dawn dish soap, “67XL” ink cartridges for printers (color and black and white), clear plastic sleeves, newspapers, gently used towels, pill pockets, Hill’s Science Diet “Small Bites” adult dog food, IAMS canned kitten food, and Tidy Cat non-clumping litter.

Volunteers are also needed to help take care of the animals by cleaning cages and kennels, giving baths when needed, walking dogs, socializing cats, mopping, and doing dishes and laundry. Edwards also implores everyone to spread the word about AWS and how to find the new Facebook page, so that the rescue can start rebuilding its network.

Kim Lindau lives near the rescue and has been volunteering there now for more than 11 years. She adopted a dog from AWS before they opened their Madison Heights location and joined as a way to give back once she was retired.

She said many people become enduring fans of AWS after seeing how much love and care the rescue puts into each animal.

“And whenever we adopt out the animals, we specifically ask the new owners to please send us updates, and they do. We get wonderful updates, like videos showing how the animal’s behavior has improved now that they’re in a loving home,” Lindau said.

“Our followers on the old Facebook page were everyone who ever adopted here, on top of other rescues from around the country that we’ve been in contact with over the years,” she said. “Often, it’s a past adopter who donates a large amount of money when they hear about a dog who needs surgery and so on. We got good donations from them. Now, all of the sudden, we’re not getting much at all. The people who followed our old page don’t know why the page closed, and they aren’t receiving updates on what’s going on.”

She said the support of good-hearted people keeps morale high at the rescue.

“It lifts our spirits,” Lindau said. “It really does.”

For more information, including how to help, call the rescue at (248) 548-1150, or email AWS at animalwelfaresociety@yahoo.com. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. AWS can also be found online at animalwelfaresociety.net.