Laura Manrique prepares to take home Mr. Fuzzy Britches.
DEARBORN — During a busy 25th anniversary year when Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit opened the MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption & Education Center, the organization also saw a record number of dog and cat adoptions: 1,984. That was 69 more than the previous year’s record high of 1,915.
The last adoption of 2018,on New Year’s Eve, was a cat named Bubly. He was extremely shy so the family who adopted him spent all day making him comfortable with the idea of going home with them. Once settled, he made the move to his new home in Dearborn with owner Kyle Polidori.
To start 2019, the first adoption of the new year was Mr. Fuzzy Britches, a cat. He went home with Mary Ann Lawler and her daughter, Laura Manrique, a FAMD youth volunteer.
“2018 was an amazing year,” FAMD Executive Director Elaine Greene said. “The new MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption & Education Center is the culmination of more than 10 years of fundraising and is so beautiful. I give a lot of credit to all the staff and volunteers for their hard work and devotion to animals every day.”
The new shelter is at 16121 Reckinger Road, the site of the former Amtrak station. The land was donated to FAMD by the city of Dearborn.
FAMD is using its older shelter at 2661 Greenfield Road as an intake center for dogs and cats. Animals are housed there while they are prepared for adoption; often that means spaying and neutering, microchipping and other medical services.
Plans are underway for Phase Two of the new shelter which will house animal services and bring everyone together at one location on the Reckinger campus. Cost for the expansion is anticipated to be $3.5 million. To donate to the capital campaign for the animal services building, go to www.metrodetroitanimals.org.