- Budget cuts have forced Eaton County Animal Control to reduce services and stop accepting stray animals.
- Grand Ledge business owner Patty Lance is using her dog daycare to help coordinate animal rescues.
- Local business owners and concerned citizens are filling the gap as Eaton County Animal Control faces reduced services.
WATCH: Grand Ledge residents create a safety net for stray animals.
After voters rejected the public safety millage at the polls in May, Eaton County leaders have been forced to make tough decisions, including reducing funding for animal control services.
With fewer staff members and a policy change that no longer allows them to accept stray animals, some Grand Ledge residents are stepping up to fill the gap.
Patty Lance, owner of Nana N Paws dog daycare and grooming business in Grand Ledge, has taken it upon herself to help animals in need.
"We need to help them, we need to help the ones who can't help themselves," owner of Nana N Paws Patty Lance said.
Lance works with neighbors who find stray animals and helps coordinate foster families for them. She's developed a system to safely capture animals in dangerous situations.
"I get called a lot for animals that are loose or in a dyer situation. I have live traps with cameras, I will setup feeding stations to get them safely," owner of Nana N Paws Lance said.
Katie Hunt, another Eaton County resident, is also working to create a safety net for animals during this period of reduced services.
"Whatever I can do to make it a safer place for animals in this interim period," Eaton County neighbor Katie Hunt said.
Hunt monitors local social media to connect animals with potential homes.
"Following on the Eaton County pets page, find a place for these dogs to go or help people," Eaton County neighbor Katie Hunt said.
Eaton County Communications Director Logan Bailey clarified the county's policy on animal ownership in a statement: "Eaton County does not have a restriction on how many animals per household, as long as they are following the laws for adequate care and licensing. However, some cities and townships do have household pet limits, but those are enforced by those cities and townships, not the County."
For Lance, this work is deeply personal.
"I can't even tell you how important it is to me. I love dogs and cats beyond, and people need to remember they didn't choose to be dumped, they didn't choose to be abandoned," Nana N Paws Patty Lance said.
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