Construction has started on the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan’s new Mary C. Grish Animal Community Center.
Humane Society Director Robin Lydic tells us the new 6,000 square foot facility, to be located on the organization’s Royalton Township property off Niles Road, will be used for a variety of support services and is being paid for entirely with funds donated by one supporter. She says Mary Grish came to the Humane Society a few years ago looking to find a new home for her cat, Charlie.
“We said, of course, we’ll take it, and two weeks later, we got the cat adopted out,” Lydic said. “Then we kept in contact with Miss Grish and sent her pictures of how Charlie, the cat, was doing. And so we kept up with that.”
The Humane Society apparently made a big impression on Grish because when she died some months later, she left her estate of about $750,000 to the organization. Lydic says Grich didn’t have any family and wanted the Humane Society to use the money for a new building.
The organization conducted a survey to find out what the public would want.
“The first one was responsible pet ownership education, and then medical and spay and neuter, food and medical assistance, with cost and things like that.”
The new Mary C. Grish Animal Community Center will be used for all of those things. Lydic says it will also include space for sound-proof kennels for older dogs that can’t stand noise, shot clinics, and exercise when it’s too cold to take the dogs outside.
Construction just started on the facility, and it’s expected to be finished in January. Lydic says they’ll hold a ribbon cutting and open house at that time.
And in case you’re wondering — Charlie the cat is still with his adoptive family.
