We ve saved and improved the lives of animals since 1897 HELP US TAKE THE NEXT STEP

We ve saved and improved the lives of animals since 1897 HELP US TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Executive Director Aaron Winters Co-Chairs Robert Cinabro Colleen Killen-Roberts Cabinet Members David Artley Bill & Linda Becker Jeff Chrystal Ben Damerow Rachel Foster Todd Foster Bill Hughes Deb Chope Hughes A.D. Issa Dawn Matico-Deleeuw Matthew McDade Darlene Mohr Sondra Nowak Stacy Nowicki Laurel Palmer Andy Pepper Jaclyn Schmidt Michaline Sinkula Gretchen Smith Barbara Walters Aaron Winters Bette Zawacki Dear Friends, For nearly 120 years, the Kalamazoo Humane Society has been at the forefront of animal protection and welfare efforts throughout our region and our state. Each year we serve thousands of pet owners, many of whom are in difficult circumstances, by providing: Low-cost spay/neuter services to reduce unwanted litters A pet food bank to help people feed and keep their pets Emergency housing of pets to assist families in crisis Our work doesn t stop there. Working with our volunteers and supporters, we provide humane education services to promote responsible treatment of animals, and we advocate for laws that help keep animals and our community safe for generations to come. A top priority is ensuring that the Kalamazoo Humane Society has the professional, familyfriendly space it needs to meet current and anticipated demands for its crucial services. Over the next year, a group of dedicated community leaders will be asking for your help in raising $4.75 million to construct a new facility. When complete, our new home will allow us to expand programs that reduce the number of shelter animals through education and access to veterinary services and assistance. Please join us in supporting the Compassion Prevention Results campaign as we seek to safeguard animals by serving the families that care for them. Sincerely, Sincerely, Robert Cinabro Campaign Co-Chair Colleen Killen-Roberts Campaign Co-Chair

OUR HISTORY IS ROOTED IN COMPASSION In 1897, concern over the mistreatment of cows prompted Cora Meiser and Nora Gause to gather 100 people and pass a hat. Each person tossed in a silver dollar, and an organization to prevent cruelty to children and animals was born. As the years passed, other groups took on the needs of children, allowing the renamed Kalamazoo County Humane Society to focus on animals. In 1937, it built its first shelter later destroyed by fire and a second on Stadium Drive in 1949, where it operated for three decades. By 1979, the Humane Society shifted its focus from sheltering to prevention, launching its first spay/neuter assistance program. Named Operation Fix-It in 2002, this program has greatly reduced the number of unwanted animals in our community. Now known as the Kalamazoo Humane Society (KHS), we ve operated from a former bridal shop since 1997. Despite cramped conditions, KHS has continued to grow its services to include a thriving emergency pet food bank and other supportive services for people and pets in crisis. And still the needs are growing in our region for expanded partnerships and greater access to our many services. We re eager to meet those needs. This is not your grandmother s Humane Society. Today it offers a wide, new range of services. Crucial health measures for pets and education for owners will expand significantly with the building of the Animal Care & Resource Center. Please join me in supporting this capital campaign, the next progressive step toward the caring community we aspire to be. Betty Upjohn Mason

COMPASSION IS AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK Results Guide Us A Call to Protect The passion to protect children and animals is as alive today as it was in 1897 when citizens created the organization that became known as the Kalamazoo Humane Society (KHS). Although we now focus on animals thanks to laws protecting children, we ve never wavered from our commitment to protect the vulnerable. Shelters are populated with unwanted dogs and cats, and strays roam our streets for a variety of reasons including financial hardship at home. Unwanted, neglected and abused animals are in personal danger and can pose a public health and safety threat by biting, spreading disease and damaging property. To make the greatest long-term impact for the benefit of animals and our community, KHS tackles the root causes of pet overpopulation, neglect and abuse and tracks results. Prevention is Powerful By providing education and access to low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, emergency lodging, and pet food assistance, we reduce unwanted litters and help keep pets safe and in their own homes. Officially launched in 2002, our Operation Fix-It spay/neuter program reached a milestone of 50,000 surgeries in 2014 and continues to grow through our successful prevention education and outreach. KHS has a long history of providing temporary lodging for pets in homes with domestic unrest or violence. The safe haven we provide gives pet owners peace of mind and the courage to leave unsafe circumstances. KHS s Pet Food Bank helps families in financial straits feed and keep their pets an average of 500 pets each day. A Vital Resource We serve as a vital central community resource in ever-changing ways. Pet owners turn to us when they don t know where else to turn. We respond in the spirit of compassion, which drives everything we do.

THE CHALLENGE We re Called to Do More Our community is looking to the Kalamazoo Humane Society (KHS) to take the next step needed to save and improve the lives of animals and create a more compassionate community. Here is why the time to do so is NOW: Increased Demand KHS s track record in reducing the number of animals in shelters and other successes in improving the welfare of animals in our community have driven increased demand for its low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, hardship assistance, and other services. Limited Capacity KHS s ability to meet increased demands is severely limited by its capacity to receive and serve clients in its cramped, landlocked building, which is a renovated bridal shop on South Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo. New Opportunities An enlarged, accessible, high-quality medical/educational facility will provide expanded opportunities for KHS staff and volunteers to help people and pets and address the underlying reasons animals are in shelters, which are: Animals are unwanted or cannot be maintained Animals aren t properly trained and socialized Animal owners aren t properly trained in animal care and handling KHS had performed more than 58,000 spay/neuter surgeries by early 2016. The need is great.

THE SOLUTION The Animal Care & Resource Center The Kalamazoo Humane Society s proposed Animal Care & Resource Center will serve as its new home and be the go-to destination for animal welfare needs throughout our region. Centrally located on a 14-acre parcel of land on the southwest corner of River Street and the I-94 business loop in Comstock Township, the new building will be of high-quality design and construction, incorporating the expert guidance of engineers specializing in animal care facilities to help protect the health and well-being of visiting animals. The inviting, family-friendly Animal Care & Resource Center will reflect the expansion in size and access needed to meet current and anticipated demand in the following areas: Pet medical/surgical treatment (including high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries) Emergency pet food bank Humane education and training resources (with special emphasis on pet owners and youths) Volunteer opportunities Veterinary school intern opportunities and other partnerships Meeting, teaching, and training space Pet memorial areas and walking paths Parking/access Imagine fewer unwanted pets roaming our streets or populating our shelters. Imagine more citizens demonstrating compassion and respect for animals and one another. Imagine our community being recognized as one that shows concern for all living creatures. The proposed Animal Care & Resource Center makes these things possible and more. And it sends a powerful message: We re committed to a safer, more humane community.

How You Can Help The Compassion Prevention Results campaign is seeking $4.75 million in community philanthropy to provide funding for a new home for the Kalamazoo Humane Society. You can help us achieve this important goal by supporting this campaign in one or more of the following ways: A one-time cash gift A multiple-year pledge commitment (may be paid over a three-year period) A gift of appreciated assets (e.g., stock) The donation of an asset that can be converted to cash (e.g., property, an automobile, collectibles, etc.) An estate gift The Kalamazoo Humane Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Accordingly, your charitable gift is tax-deductible to the full extent of state and federal law. Check with your tax advisor to determine how your gift may affect your personal tax situation. Your investment in the Compassion Prevention Results campaign will make an immediate as well as a long-term impact on our community. Please join us in making a difference for generations of animals and people. Nipper, our mascot, was donated to KHS in 1960 by Bud Green Our cramped, landlocked facility on S. Westnedge Avenue A proposed concept of the Animal Care & Resource Center

COMPASSION IS OUR LEGACY AND OUR STARTING POINT KHS continues to surpass their goal of assisting our county shelter with lowering the euthanasia of adoptable animals. 2015 was the first year ever that no dogs were euthanized because of lack of space. Their new facility will save the lives of tens of thousands of animals by keeping them out of the shelter!!! Stephen Steve Lawrence Director, Kalamazoo County Department of Animal Services & Enforcement The Kalamazoo Humane Society helped me after my ex-husband tried to assault me after breaking into my apartment in the middle of the night. My dog protected me from him but was seriously injured when stabbed by a screwdriver he was carrying. Medical care and safe housing were provided to my dog by the KHS. Domestic Violence Survivor* I owe my life to my cat, who woke me up on Christmas morning 2015 when my house was on fire. I owe my thanks to the good people at the Kalamazoo Humane Society, who found a safe place for my four cats to stay until I could get a new apartment. KHS really stepped in and helped me. I don t know where I would be without that assistance. They are really, really valuable to our community. Anyone who has seen the large numbers of animals taken to shelters for a fate that is often terrible and unnecessary now has a chance to help change that, by supporting the enhanced spay/neuter clinic that will be a part of this exciting new facility. Robert Cinabro Capital Campaign Cabinet Co-Chair I was picking up the pieces of my life after a difficult divorce when I turned to the Kalamazoo Humane Society for help. It was becoming difficult to continue to provide food for myself and my two dogs whom I consider to be my kids. The KHS food bank fed my dogs until I was able to get on my feet again financially. If it wasn t for KHS, what was left of my family would have been gone. Emergency Food Bank Client* It wasn t until my cat had her fourth litter of kittens that I learned about the Kalamazoo Humane Society s low-cost spay/neuter program. Living on a fixed income made it impossible get my cat fixed. The KHS made the surgery cost affordable to me. Now I don t have to worry about kittens being born that may not find a new home. Spay/Neuter Assistance Client* Disaster Assistance Client* *Names withheld to protect client privacy 4239 S. Westnedge Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269.345.1181 kazoohumane.org For more information about the Compassion Prevention Results campaign, contact Aaron Winters at 269.345.1181 or awinters@kazoohumane.org.