We the people of Shiawassee County demand that our County Commissioners provide adequate funding to shelter homeless and stray cats and dogs within Shiawassee County, that are found by county residents and animal control in the county. Without a county-funded shelter, such as is the current situation, when animal control picks up a stray dog, the officer takes the dog to Saginaw County Animal Shelter. If the dog is owned but became lost, the owner must drive all the way to Saginaw County to look for their dog. There is no communication with the public on the dogs picked up by Shiawassee animal control as in a photo of the dog, brief description, and where picked up, unlike most other counties. Further, when county residents find stray dogs and friendly pet cats, there is nowhere to take them for housing and care while it is determined if they are owned but lost. This is because the Shiawassee Humane Society states that they cannot take any found by county residents dogs or cats into their shelter without an agreement with the county, SHS states that they cannot take the strays as strays must go through animal control. If the dog or pet cat was dumped or abandoned there is nowhere to take the dog or cat for housing and care. This is an unacceptable situation and puts the burden on county residents with no assistance from the county government to provide care for homeless and stray cats and dogs. As most know, the pet overpopulation crisis has gotten worse and not having a county-funded shelter puts undue and unfair strain on nearby county shelters, local non-profit rescues, and caring county residents. Further, it endangers all pets whether owned or homeless and they are voiceless and defenseless victims of this situation. Often pet cats and dogs are left to fend for themselves and can end up ill, injured, or killed. There needs to be a county-funded shelter in Shiawassee County, whether the Shiawassee Humane Society is adequately expanded and funded in agreement with the county or whether the county re-opens a county run shelter, which they closed in 2012.