Animal House
of South East Michigan
Our story
Founders
Julie (left) and Lisa (right) met as volunteers at a no-kill municipal animal shelter in Metro Detroit. They quickly bonded over their love for animals and dreams of opening their own rescue. In 2012, they decided to strike out independently and create Animal House of South East Michigan (AHSEM).
AHSEM received its 501(c)3 designation in the fall of 2012. In 2015, they became a PetSmart Charity, partnering with the store in Royal Oak to provide full rescue services. AHSEM started with only a few foster cats and one additional volunteer, but the store’s exposure rapidly increased adoptions.​
Rescue
Today, AHSEM is a growing organization focused on comprehensive animal education, support, and adoption, with over a dozen volunteers. Primarily foster-based, AHSEM focuses on cat rescue due to space limitations, taking in other rescues as manageable.​
Over the years, AHSEM adoption and volunteer numbers have expanded quickly. Despite this quick growth, the AHSEM mission remains the same:
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Provide a haven for homeless animals
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Place them into loving homes
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Help keep pets and people together
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Educate the public on responsible and humane animal care
To date, Julie, Lisa, and their numerous volunteers have helped thousands of cats and dogs—and the occasional guinea pig—find safe and loving fur-ever homes.