Outreach Program Introduced by Inkster Animal Control

Pet owners in the city of Inkster will be getting assistance with some of the expenses involved with pet ownership, thanks to a new initiative being launched the Inkster Police Department's Ordinance Enforcement and Animal Control Division in conjunction with Tail Waggers 1990, a non-profit animal welfare organization based in Livonia.

The initiative is called Inkster Animal Outreach Program and its goal is to support residents who may find it difficult to meet their pet's needs.In partnering with Tail Waggers 1990, the program aims to build a relationship with those needing straw for doghouses, temporary assistance with obtaining pet food, and finding affordable vaccinations. Inkster Animal Control Officer Emerson Boutin has been distributing flyers announcing the new program while he is out making rounds through the city.

Senior Code Enforcement Officer Dawn Wall says many times pet owners neglect vaccinating their pets due to the expense of visiting a veterinarian. She says the Inkster Animal Outreach Program aims to address that concern by providing access to affordable rabies vaccines through Tail Waggers 1990, and encouraging residents to apply for pet licenses. "We're trying to not only enforce the enforcement piece, but the educational piece goes hand in hand," she says. "A rabies vaccine doesn't have to cost more than twenty dollars and rabies is the important one as far as safety goes for the community."

The program plans on making weekly wellness checks throughout the city and offering assistance with pet food on a temporary basis. "Our goal is to empower the residents of Inkster," says Tail Waggers 1990 founder Laura Zain. "They need a resource and we can provide that resource; we can provide the food, we can provide the vaccinations...it's a perfect partnership." Both Wall and Zain admit the goal is not to foster dependency, but to give a helping hand on a short-term basis.

Tail Waggers operates a low-cost wellness center and pet food pantry in Livonia and Zain says anyone is welcome to use their affordable services

Plans are in the works for a pop-up vaccination clinic to be held in Inkster in the spring. A date has yet to be determined. "We want to help them be a better pet owner," says Sabrina Davis, vet tech with Tail Waggers 1990. "We're there for the animals, but we also have to be there for the owners."

Inkster Animal Control has already established a hotline for anyone needing assistance with pet issues; the hotline is 313-720-8354. For emergencies, call the police department at 313-563-9850.

"From the city's perspective, we have to be concerned about the safety of our residents," says Wall. "The rabies vaccinating, licensing so we know where the animals belong when they get out, we have to have that enforcement piece but we don't want that to be the totality of our animal control."

For more information about the Inkster Animal Outreach Program, please visit the departments' Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/cityofinksterordinanceenforcement/. Animal Control is located at 26279 Michigan Avenue. Tail Waggers 1990 is located at28418 Five Mile Road in Livonia. They can be reached at 734-855-4077 or at [email protected]. Donations are always welcome and the organization is a 501©(3) non-profit. Also visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Tailwaggers1990Li