The Wisconsin Humane Society took over shelter operations in Racine Co one year ago. In comparing 2012 to 2013, the Wisconsin Humane Society reports a number of changes:
- Animals are no longer killed as a means of population control.
- The number of live released animals nearly doubled.
- Financial donations were 14 times greater.
- All animals are neutered prior to their placement on the adoption floor so that new owners can take their pet home as soon as they fall in love with him.
- Fee waived adoptions for adult cats.
- A flexible adoption policy allowing more people to adopt shelter pets.
- Increased promotion of animals and evening adoption hours.
- Establishment of a spay-neuter assistance program.
When asked about the turnaround at the shelter, WHS communications director Angela Speed told the local paper:
“I think there’s something to be said for community trust[.]”
[…]
“We’re really excited to see such improvement in just our first year of operation, which is totally due to the community’s support,” Speed said.
“We’re very pleased with the first full year of operations. … We have more volunteers, more donors, more adopters. We hope to continue on this trajectory.”
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This notice was sent out Sunday by the Breckinridge Co shelter in KY:
When the public trusts the local shelter to do its job, they will come out in droves to support it. When all the public hears from its shelter staff and volunteers is that they are irresponsible animal “dumpers” who “force” the staff to kill healthy/treatable pets, we see the opposite effect. Which description best fits your community?
WOW.. Can’t wait to post this on a few FB pages/shelter walls, etc on Facebook.. This actually made me smile for the first time this morning over something poster on the internet. Thank You!
I posted this on our rescue’s page as soon as I saw it the other day. Great to see good news, great to be able to share it as well!!!. As to the shelters around us(Ga), it is a mixed bag with many in cahoots with so called Re$cue$ interested in $$$$$ first and kinda concerned with the animals. We have announced on our page of one such shelter that we request not to be tagged on or associated with due to their policies, this is sad as we are supposed to be united in the same fight for the animals.
We have pockets of fabulous surrounded by blobs of hideous-ness. I’m hoping to take one of those areas of hideous and make it fabulous.
now there is a group who deserve some cupcakes!!!!!!
Double frosting for everyone.
Are they part of the Animal Rescue Site’s Shelter Challenge contest? I would gladly vote for them! http://www.shelterchallenge.com/
Would be great if this could happen in every shelter in the world where the irresponsible public was blamed, not the shelter staff. Reposting on FB
YES WOULD BE NICE IF ALL SHELTERS WERE THIS DEVOTED , GOD P,EASE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN FOR ALL THE ABUSED CAGED ANIMALS I HAVE THE UTMOST FAITH ON YOU AND BELIEVE YOUR GREAT POWER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AMEN
The staff and volunteers at Breckinridge Co are amazing, and purchase supplies for the dogs out of their own pockets. Please consider supporting their effort to remain no kill!
https://www.facebook.com/rainey.delotell/media_set?set=a.10152187552075929.1073741848.715085928&type=1
Thank you, Molly. So far, we’ve had a great response to our fundraiser. We have so many loyal supporters. Truly blessed!
Thank you for all the nice comments. That’s my poster which was posted above and we are, indeed, flattered by the attention it received. I just want to mention that individuals can volunteer/make a difference even if they live no where near the shelter that needs help. I am four hours away (just outside Cincinnati) from this rural KY shelter, Luckily, we have a great volunteer photographer who does all our pictures who we recruited by posting out the need on Facebook. The Shelter Director sends the pictures to me and I crop, adjust the photos and create posters of the dogs with all their information. We then post them out to the rescues on our distribution list. I work with the rescues, fundraise for donations and set up transport every weekend. I’ve never set foot in this shelter yet I feel as if we, together, make a difference very day. Wonderful committed, caring Shelter Director and Staff, loyal donors, reliable drivers and great rescues who trust the dogs we send them as they know they’ve been well cared for, loved and socialized during their time at the shelter. There are many opportunities to help even if your own locale isn’t in crisis as other areas are. With the Internet and Social Media, we can all play a part in changing the lives of these “nobody’s” dogs and cats.
I hope Dr. Federico at Wake County, NC and her staff see this. Wake County Animal Control continue to blame the problem on “the public”, and one county trainer (Stephanie Goddard) even proclaimed on Wake County Animal Services’ Facebook Page “Did you know No-Kill is a myth?” Two months ago these ignorant people raided a local rescue president’s home and killed 60 cats they found there. The vets caring for these cats were available with medical records to show they were being well cared for – Dr. Federico didn’t care. Rescues were standing by to take all the cats away – Dr. Federico didn’t care. Four of the cats were personal pets and not property of the rescue. Another four were being boarded after their home was burned – they died too. Bless you all who work so hard in Kentucky to make this happen, and I pray that Wake County, NC, Pickens County, SC, and all the other ignorant counties in the US and around the world learn from your example.