If you look, you will find them. All we had to do was take a drive down “cereal city’s” Main Street in the historical Post Addition neighborhood of Battle Creek, Michigan in 2001 to find dogs sitting hopelessly on the ends of chains attached to rickety wooden doghouses without even the basic comforts of straw insulation in the middle of winter. There they sat, as permanent lawn ornaments. These were dogs of underserved neighborhoods; animals were just an ill-fated extension to multiple struggles faced by their humans, and historically no attention was given to them by anyone. They were disregarded, overlooked and labeled as “fighting” dogs sitting on guard at “drug houses” “owned” by “unteachable” people. All Species Kinship (A.S.K.) set out to break stereotypes and change lives. A.S.K. was born, and promises were made to those dogs that we would make their lives better. And we have done just that. In 2003 the organization was recognized as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and services expanded to include both underserved dogs of Calhoun County, and also to other “under dogs” too: farm animals and wildlife throughout the state of Michigan.
A.S.K.’s dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and parasite-free prior to adoptions. Adoption rates are $200 which helps to offset the costs of vet care. A.S.K.’s adoption process involves the following steps: 1. Complete our online dog survey so we can help you find your match! You can also print the dog survey and email your completed document to [email protected] or snail-mail to A.S.K., PO Box 4055, Battle Creek, MI 49016. 2. S.K. will contact you upon receipt of your completed dog survey. We cannot guarantee an adoption match but will give you the courtesy of follow-up contact. 3. If there’s a dog available that matches your interest, we will arrange a meet n’ greet at a public location in Battle Creek, Michigan. We encourage all human members of the household to attend the meet n’ greet. This is very important. 4. Is it a potential adoption match? A.S.K. will collectively discuss your case with you and the dog’s foster parents. If we collectively choose to proceed, we will request a meet n’ greet in your home, with your animals present. If you have no companions, we will still request an in-home meet n’ greet. 5. If the match seems like a good fit for all parties involved, we’ll sign an adoption contract! This generally does not take place at the in-home meet n’ greet, but a few days, to one week after, allowing all parties to further discuss whether or not the dog is a good fit. Due to our in-home meet n’ greet requirement, adoptions are restricted to within 150 miles of Battle Creek, Michigan, unless special circumstances exist. If you are out of state we encourage you to adopt from your local animal shelter or rescue!