Almost Home Animal Rescue, located at 25503 Clara Lane, has served as the City of Southfield’s official animal shelter since 2006. Throughout this time, the organization has repeatedly failed to adhere to the terms of the contract with the city of Southfield.

Some of the many violations and issues with Almost Home Animal Shelter, historically and currently include:
• Failure to accept animals brought in by Southfield Police Department and Animal Control Officer as required;
• Failure to accept animals surrendered by Southfield residents;
• Failure to adhere to safety protocols and procedures resulting in several serious injuries to Almost Home employees, volunteers and others from vicious dog attacks;
• Spaying and/or neutering animals without the permission of owners; and
• Disproportionate number of animal adoptions not awarded to Southfield residents.
Moreover, the City categorically denies any claims of bias or mistreatment throughout the bid process as well as any claims that the City or its agent acted improperly with regard to any specific animal or its owner.

Despite ongoing and documented issues, the city of Southfield has continued to work with Almost Home in good faith – recently completing extensive renovations to retrofit the facility to better suit the needs of the rescue and the community. In an ongoing effort to provide residents with a modern and efficient animal shelter, the City of Southfield invested more than $300,000 last summer to upgrade and improve the facility. Renovations included a complete overhaul of the kennel area as well as upgrades to the main office. Each kennel now includes privacy walls on each side along with doors leading to a covered and fenced outdoor area. With this new improvement, dogs can now go in and out of their kennels independently without leashes. The kennel area also received a brand-new epoxy floor, sanitary drains and freshly painted walls. Upgrades to the main office included a new floor, paint and drywall. In addition to the interior improvements, Almost Home received new sidewalks, outdoor dog runs and fencing. The outdoor area is also now equipped with concrete and sanitary drains for easy cleanup.

The City of Southfield continually reviews all city vendors and contractual agreements in an ongoing effort to maximize every tax dollar spent. The City of Southfield issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in March for management of the City’s animal shelter to ensure the best possible service for our community. The City received only two proposals including Almost Home’s; however, after thorough review neither will provide the level of service that the city requires. As such, the City is currently in the process of exploring other viable options for management and operation of the city’s animal shelter.