In this issue:

• 2026 Legislator of the Year Awards
• September Lunch & Learn: Beyond the Tag: Practical Reunification Tools That Work
• 2026 One Voice Conference & Expo: Sneak Peek
• Check Out the Expo Hall
• Member Spotlight: Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus
• Replay Lunch & Learn: The Dog's Nose
• Welcome New Members
• September Member Events

Note: the next local advocacy committee meeting is Wednesday, August 26 at 7 p.m. MPA members who'd like to join, please reply to request the meeting link.

Michigan Pet Alliance is proud to present 2026 Legislator of the Year Awards to Representative Joseph Aragona and Senator Kevin Hertel for their outstanding advocacy for animals.

Both legislators have championed numerous animal protection bills for Michigan, including Queenie's Law, Buddy's Law, Teddy's Law, access to veterinary telehealth and more.

Representative Aragona is a sponsor of Queenie's Law (HB 4254), a bill to ban painful dog testing at public universities. He also introduced Buddy's Law, bipartisan legislation to better protect animals from abuse. Rep. Aragona has partnered on a bipartisan bill package to expand telemedicine services and veterinary access for pets. He is also a primary sponsor for a multi-bill package to revise Michigan's sentencing guidelines for animal abuse.

Senator Hertel co-sponsored Teddy's Law, legislation that was intended to protect laboratory research animals. In a hearing earlier this year, Sen. Hertel strongly questioned and criticized Wayne State University regarding how it has failed to act in accordance with the intent of Teddy's Law. Throughout his time in both the Michigan House and Senate, Sen. Hertel routinely supported bipartisan animal welfare bills.

Congratulations to Representative Joe Aragona for earning the 2026 Legislator of the Year Award!

Congratulations to Senator Kevin Hertel for earning the 2026 Legislator of the Year Award!

Representative Aragona and Senator Hertel will receive their awards at the 2026 One Voice Michigan Pet Alliance Conference & Expo, October 2-3, at Macomb Community College in Clinton Township.

Join us for this free Lunch & Learn webinar in September.

"Beyond the Tag: Practical Reunification Tools That Work"

Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at noon ET

Presenter: Adrienne McBride, Shelter Partnerships at DocuPet

Join us for an insightful, practical session on how modern pet identification strategies can transform local reunification efforts. This webinar dives into DocuPet’s full suite of reunification tools to explore how proactive identification, accessible pet records and community-focused strategies work directly together to create more return-to-home outcomes for lost cats and dogs in your community.

You’ll learn:

• How accessible pet records and proactive identification ease staff workload and shorten shelter stays
• Practical ways modern tools can complement and enhance your organization’s existing processes
• Strategies to improve the overall pet owner experience, whether through a municipal licensing program or free registration

If this Lunch & Learn piques your interest, there are additional opportunities to learn much more from DocuPet at the 2026 One Voice Michigan Pet Alliance Conference & Expo at Macomb Community College in Clinton Township, October 2-3.

On Friday, October 2 during the welcome session at the conference, Jackie Rose, chief strategy officer, DocuPet, will present "The Future of Pet Registration and Reunification." You can also stop by DocuPet's exhibitor booth in the Expo Hall throughout the two-day event to chat and ask questions. Conference registration is now open. Fees increase after August 31.

If you can't attend the free September webinar live, register anyway to receive the replay link.

Continuing Education Credits Available

CAWA: Michigan Pet Alliance is an approved provider of content that enhances professional competence and aligns with the CAWA Exam Specifications.

NACA: Education and training provided by Michigan Pet Alliance has been approved for Continuing Education Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certification holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy.

There is still time to register for the August 19 free Lunch & Learn webinar, "Intro to Community Cat Caretaker Certification," presented by Angelica Roth, All About Animal Rescue.

No Lunch & Learn webinar in October. We'll see you at the conference instead!

The 2026 One Voice: Michigan Pet Alliance Conference & Expo is just over six weeks away. Registration is open now. Discounted pricing is available until August 31.

Here's a sneak peek at just a few opportunities ahead ...

Disaster Response for Pets:

• Thursday, October 1: Afternoon add-on workshop presented by MSU Extension, "LADDER = Local Approach to Discussion-based Disaster Exercises and Readiness" (separate registration)
• Friday, October 2: "Disaster Planning and Response for Governmental and Non-governmental Agencies" breakout session by Animal Search & Rescue (ASAR), sponsored by NACA
• Saturday, October 3: "Emergency Sheltering for Animals" breakout session, presented and sponsored by NACA

TNR and Community Cats:

• Thursday, October 1: Afternoon add-on workshop presented by All About Animals, "Community Cat Colony Certification" (separate registration)
• Friday, October 2: "Building a Strategic TNR Community Cat Program" breakout session by Humane World for Animals
• Saturday, October 3: "How to Build Outdoor Shelters for Community Cats" breakout session, presented and sponsored by All About Animals

Gone to the Dogs:

• Friday, October 2: "Low-stress, High-safety Dog Handling" breakout session by Humane Innovations
• Friday, October 2: "Big Dogs, Big Data: Driving Large Dog Interest and Adoptions" breakout session by Adopt a Pet
• Saturday, October 3: "Reframing Our Approach to Dog Adoptions" breakout session, presented by Best Friends Animal Society

Quality of Life:

• Friday, October 2: "FeLV & FIV: Rethinking Old Viruses in Modern Shelters" breakout session by Capital Area Humane Society
• Friday, October 2: "Keeping Playgroups Safe While Also Having Fun" breakout session by Shelter Behavior Integrations
• Saturday, October 3: "Decision-making in Complex Cases: Including End-of-life Considerations" breakout session by Kent County Animal Shelter

Local Shelter Tours

There will be shelter tours available in the late afternoon on both Friday and Saturday. Thank you to Humane Society of Macomb and Macomb County Animal Control for welcoming us in.

Register by August 31 to save on conference registration costs.

The Expo Hall will be open throughout the 2026 One Voice Michigan Pet Alliance Conference & Expo.

Stop in to say hello, learn all about what they have to offer, ask questions, get your Vendor Passport stamped and snag your freebies.

Thank you to our current exhibitors:

• Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus
• Adopt a Pet
• Animal Farm Foundation
• Animals First
• C Specialties
• CRIJO
• DocuPet
• Doobert
• Human Animal Support Services (HASS)
• Humane Innovations
• Humane Training Alliance
• Humane World for Animals
• IDEXX
• Jackson & Ryan Architects
• MetLife Pet Insurance
• Michigan Pet Alliance Education & Training Committee
• Michigan Pet Alliance Membership & Volunteer Committee
• Michigan Pet Alliance Policy & Advocacy Committee
• Midmark
• PetLink
• Petszel
• Quindecim Pet & Livestock Disaster Response Team
• Shelter Planners of America
• ShelterLuv

If you're interested in an exhibitor booth, please email conference@michiganpet.org today.

Animal shelters everywhere face an ever-growing list of challenges, from rising pet food costs, leading to a greater demand for community pet food pantries, to the need for veterinary resources and more support for the people who dedicate their lives to animals.

Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus brings together a range of resources and benefits to address the many needs shelters face while helping them better serve the animals and communities that depend on them.

Expanded Support for Shelters

Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus expanded its sponsorship benefits this year, giving participating shelters up to $10,000 per year to use toward a variety of support options. Shelters can choose from benefits such as pet food pantry support, conference attendance, Kitten College participation, and event and fundraising sponsorships.

The expanded sponsorship package builds on the program's previous support while giving shelters greater flexibility to direct resources where they are needed most.

Pet food pantry support is particularly important as shelters report growing demand from community members who are struggling to afford food for their pets. These community-based pantries provide free or discounted pet food to families experiencing financial hardship, helping them keep their pets at home rather than surrendering them to a shelter.

"Almost every single shelter that we partner with has some form of pet food pantry now," said Kirsten Shaffer, Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus program manager. "The need is just growing every year."

Significant Food Savings

Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus is currently available to eligible brick-and-mortar animal shelters in the United States, provided the program's distributor can deliver to the facility.

Participating shelters receive 75% off Pedigree products and 90% off Iams products for in-shelter feeding programs. Shelters also receive free adopters' bags, including three-pound bags of Pedigree or Iams food, to send home with adopters and their newest family members.

In return for these benefits, participating shelters agree to exclusively feed and recommend Pedigree and Iams products and to encourage adopters to take advantage of the program's Adopter Portal.

The portal provides additional resources for new pet parents, including a free bag of PrettyLitter, a free first office visit at Banfield or VCA and up to $250 in eligible sick-pet veterinary care following adoption.

Support That Goes Beyond Food

The program's benefits extend beyond feeding.

Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus connects participating shelters with discounts through Mars' veterinary network, including Banfield, VCA and BluePearl. The program also partners with Fear Free to provide expanded continuing education, one-on-one coaching and quarterly webinars designed to give shelter professionals practical guidance to implement Fear Free practices.

Recognizing the emotional demands of animal welfare work, Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus also provides mental health resources for shelter employees and volunteers through its partnership with Kindly Human.

Together, these benefits reflect the program's larger goal: supporting shelters as comprehensively as possible.

"The idea was, let's bring everybody together and try to put together a package that solves more than just food costs," Shaffer said. "We actually want to address as many of the shelter pain points as we possibly can."

Working With Public Shelters

Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus is also committed to working with government-operated shelters, including those that may face additional purchasing, bidding or legal requirements.

Rather than excluding these organizations because of those challenges, the program works with individual shelters to help establish partnerships that meet their specific requirements.

Ongoing Support for Participating Shelters

Another key component of Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus is the ongoing relationship with participating organizations.

Each shelter has an account manager who works directly with the organization to help ensure the program is running smoothly, connect the shelter with available benefits and provide support along the way.

The goal is to make participation as seamless as possible while giving shelters access to a broad range of resources through a single program.

Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus is continuing to evolve, with additional benefits expected to be announced in 2027.

For shelters looking for ways to stretch their resources, strengthen support for their staff and volunteers, and help more pets remain healthy and with their families, Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus offers an increasingly comprehensive collection of tools and resources.

Michigan Pet Alliance is proud to have Adopt a Pet Shelter Plus as a member. Visit with them at their exhibitor booth in October at the 2026 One Voice Michigan Pet Alliance Conference & Expo!

Check out the Lunch & Learn webinar replay of The Dog's Nose: Hidden Stressors in Your Shelter and Creating a Sensory Garden for Dogs, July 2026.

Certified trainer and author Laurie Horn presented a webinar in July that's all about a dog's nose.

Part One: Shelters and rescues consistently report an increase in reactive, hyperactive and fearful behaviors in dogs. This webinar will help you determine which factors could cause this increase by discussing hidden stressors in your shelter and foster homes.

Part Two: Sensory gardens give dogs choices, boosting their mental well-being and reducing stress. This session offers actionable ideas to transform your underused outdoor spaces into multi-sensory gardens that encourage natural canine behaviors and reduce anxiety.

Michigan Pet Alliance welcomes our newest members. Thank you for joining us. With One Voice, we accomplish more.

• Alexia Barnum
• Leanne Bloom, Second Chance Animal Shelter
• CRIJO
• Karen Duffie, American Red Cross
• Faith Henski, Second Chance Animal Shelter
• Mary Perry-Dey, American Red Cross
• Petszel
• Jennifer Price, Newaygo County Animal Shelter
• Grant Smith, CRIJO
• Renee Wolfgramm, Petszel

Encourage your partners and network to join MPA and become a member. Share the benefits of membership in Michigan Pet Alliance.

A benefit of MPA membership is free promotion for the upcoming events and fundraisers of member organizations. Here are a few opportunities to support animal welfare organizations next month:

• September 2: Cat Vaccine Clinic, Mason, Ingham County Animal Control
• September 3: Coffee & Conversations: Estate Planning, Harbor Springs, Little Traverse Bay Humane Society
• September 11: The Boxer Ink Project, Toledo, Great Lakes Boxer Rescue
• September 12: Donation Yoga Class, Grand Rapids, Brave Hearts Rescue
• September 13: In-person TNR Training, Warren, All About Animals
• September 13: Home in One Golf, Macomb Township, Humane Society of Macomb
• September 13: Vaccine and Microchip Clinic, Grand Rapids, Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry
• September 16: MPA Lunch & Learn Webinar, Beyond the Tag: Practical Reunification Tools That Work, online, Michigan Pet Alliance
• September 19: FMAR Community Day, Belleville, Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue
• September 20: TNR Training, virtual, All About Animals
• September 20: Par 4 Paws, South Haven, Al-Van Humane Society
• September 23: Taste of Italy Paws-ta Dinner, Iron River, Northwoods Animal Shelter
• September 26: Beer/Donut Mile, Pinconning, Humane Society of Bay County
• September 26: Open House, Lapeer, Paradise Animal Rescue
• September 27: Yoga With Cats, Ann Arbor, Humane Society of Huron Valley
• September 27: Farmer's Market Adoption Event, St. Clair Shores, I Heart Dogs Rescue & Animal Haven
• September 27: Painting With Cats, Mt. Pleasant, Karma Kat Cafe & Rescue

Lend your voice and enjoy the benefits of being a member of Michigan Pet Alliance. Become a member today!

It's only $35 a year for an individual. That's less than $3 a month to support pets and life-saving initiatives in Michigan.

Non-profits and shelters join for $250 a year and can enroll an unlimited number of staff, volunteers and leadership to receive free membership and all of the benefits that come with it.

MPA Vision:

To achieve the best quality of life for Michigan’s companion animals. 

MPA Mission:

To work in collaboration and speak with a single voice to eliminate abuse and neglect of Michigan’s companion animals and to save all healthy and treatable homeless companion animals through training, technical assistance, education, and advocacy.

313-731-2244

info@michiganpet.org

 michiganpet.org 

Michigan Pet Alliance is a 501(c)3 charitable organization as defined by the IRS

(EIN 20-0399162) and is a GuideStar Exchange Platinum Participant.

Contributions are tax deductible.

Connect with us