Humane Society employee Sara Hubbell gets a helping hand from a pit bull named Missy. Hubbell said Missy is the nicest dog in the world and just loves to be around people, so it's fun having Missy roam around the office. Deb Kern, marketing director at the Humane Society, said dogs were adopting well in 2010, with an average stay of 15 days at the shelter.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

The day the first class of MI-Paws dogs returned to the Humane Society of Huron Valley after graduating, three dogs were adopted: Jonas, a 1-year-old shepherd; Juliet, a 1-year-old pit bull mix and Marie, a 1-year-old pit bull mix.

Soon after, two more of the dogs found permanent homes.

HSHV Marketing Director Deb Kern said the Humane Society was glad to see some members of the first MI-Paws class get adopted so quickly.

“It’s hard for them to come back (to the shelter) after being out that long,” she said.

MI-Paws — short for Michigan Inmates Providing Assistance Work & Service — is a collaborative effort between the Humane Society and the Huron Valley Women's Correctional Facility in which 25 inmates — who were selected from among more than 100 applicants and trained in dog handling — train shelter dogs to make them more adoptable.

Eastern Michigan University graduate student Annette Richard plays with a cat named Ma Minky last week. Deb Kern, marketing director for the Humane Society, said the shelter has an abundance of adotpable cats, which are in the shelter on average of 37 days or more.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

The next graduating class will be available for adoption in February.

Kern said both dog and cat adoptions were up in 2010 compared to 2009, but growth in cat adoptions was minimal. She said the shelter is always full of adult cats waiting to be adopted, and there's a list of people waiting to bring more cats in.

Kern said the Humane Society had hoped to see a 20 percent increase in both cat and dog adoptions in 2010. It surpassed the goal for dog adoptions with a 36.5 percent increase in the number of dogs adopted from January through November, compared to 2009 numbers, Kern said. The Humane Society saw about 1,353 dogs find permanent homes last year, up from 991 in 2009.

But the Humane Society saw only a 3.6 percent increase in cat adoptions — 2,275 adopted in 2010, up from 2,196 cats adopted in 2009.

Kern said the shelter is calling 2011 "The Year of the Cat" in the hopes that more people will choose to adopt one. She said a lot of people think they want a dog only to learn later their busy lifestyle isn’t conducive to giving a dog the amount of care and attention it needs, such as twice daily walks.

When asked whether the holiday season led to an increase in pet adoptions as gifts, Kern said the Humane Society doesn't allow anyone to adopt a pet for someone else because it is a “family decision.” But gift cards, which can be applied toward the cost of adoption, are available.

And for those interested in making a donation, Kern said the Humane Society is in need of blankets and towels (which may be second-hand as long as they can be washed), pet safe salt, wet cat food and toys for cats and dogs.

• Click here to see some of the animals available for adoption now at the Humane Society
• Click here to download the Humane Society's complete Wish List of most needed items