Located just past the County Fairgrounds 1400 Cottonwood Avenue, Spooner, WI. Creating a Community Responsible for Animals

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1 The Scoop A publication from the Washburn County Area Humane Society, Inc. FEBRUARY 2016 SHELTER HOURS M, T, Th, F, Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday 12-5 p.m. Closed Wed. and Sun. Phone: (715) Fax: (715) SHELTER UPDATE We are starting 2016 off with many adoptions and wonderful updates from families who have found their "perfect" pet at WCAHS. Let's hope this is a sign of the best adoption year ever ahead of us! Before I move on to some of the other happenings since our last newsletter, I would like to take a minute to tell you about a very special young man, Darth Winkler, who sadly passed away as a result of an automobile accident and to whom this newsletter is dedicated. We get many hound mixes at WCAHS. Many people don't want hounds because they bark too much or will roam and so on. In June of 2015, Darth called and was interested in a young hound mix named Buddy. I recall part of our conversation when I was telling Darth about Buddy's personality. I told him for a hound he was well behaved and didn't bark very much. The day Darth came to meet Buddy we went into the play yard so he could spend a little time and get to know him. There was just one thing. Buddy was not the "quiet" dog I first thought him to be. In fact, when we threw a ball for him, he took off and the most deafening, obnoxious bark ever came out of his mouth! I told Darth I was sorry but Buddy had not done this up until the past couple of days. Darth didn't blink an eye. He simply smiled and said, That's okay." I thought to myself, "Oh boy, does he know what he's in for"? After spending some time in the yard with Buddy, Darth, without hesitation, knew he wanted him. Darth taught me, as I hope you will learn here as well...sometimes you just have to have a little faith. Website: wcahs@centurytel.net Located just past the County Fairgrounds 1400 Cottonwood Avenue, Spooner, WI Creating a Community Responsible for Animals I have to say I have been so impressed with how many young people with birthdays, such as Kendra Rogan, are requesting that donations be made to the shelter rather than receiving birthday gifts. These kids come to volunteer quite often and are so excited and happy that they can spend time and bring treats or toys for the animals. How fortunate we are for these caring young people who love the animals so much. I often tell them, Maybe when you're a little older you can work at the Humane Society and usually get a big smile. Thanks to all of you for caring and sharing with the animals at WCAHS! Fundraising can sometimes be one of the more difficult but necessary ways of raising money for a non-profit organization. Not everyone wants or has something to give, but it is great when individuals or businesses decide to do a fundraiser for the shelter. Snags Sports Bar raised over $3200 last year with a variety of events including many meat raffles. Please see additional fundraising stories on Page 2. We also have our aluminum can collection bin and scrap dumpster provided by Best Choice Recycling in Hayward that brought in over $1500. As I always say, when everyone gives a little, it adds up to a whole lot! Thanks to all of you who generously give to WCAHS. It is because of you the animals that come to us continue to get the best possible care! 1 (continued on page 3)

2 PINS FOR PETS ANNUAL BOWLING FUNDRAISER The Washburn County Area Humane Society s Pins for Pets 9-Pin Tap bowling fundraiser will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016, at Northwoods Lanes, located in Spooner. The last 2 years of running 3 shifts throughout the day have been a strikingly successful turkey so Northwoods Bowling Alley Owner, Mike Miller, and the Pins for Pets Tournament Committee are going to do it again! These 3 bowling shifts will begin at 12 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM, which will be cosmic bowling for those who enjoy this later shift with the disco ball-lighted effect. The registration fee will be $20, which will include 3 games of bowling, shoes and ball rental if needed, snacks, prizes and a donation to WCAHS, along with the fun of bowling for a great cause. Bowlers of all ages and skill levels are welcome and bowlers may come as a team or sign up individually. Pre-registration is suggested by calling Northwoods Lanes at or by stopping in at the alley. Bowlers may also register on the day of the event if there are still openings left. The donation form competition is also back again, but there is something new this year. If you bring in your donation sheet with $100 or more, you will bowl for free! A donation sheet may be printed from our website or picked up at the shelter or the bowling alley. This competition is another wonderful way of making this fundraiser a financial success. WCAHS is very thankful for those who will spare the time and strike up the enthusiasm to join in the fun of Pins for Pets on Saturday, March 19! BUSINESS FUNDRAISERS Many people take it upon themselves to either collect donations for the shelter or do their own fundraisers through a business or interest they have. Christmas is always a great time to collect donations just as employees at WITC did. WITC Helen Perotti, Assistant Branch Manager at Bank Mutual in Spooner, also organized a donation drive. BANK MUTUAL Jessica Kidd, an independent consultant with Thirty One Gifts, wanted to do a fundraising event for the first time and thought of the Humane Society. She got some tote bags with an animal theme and then chose to donate 20% of her commissions to buy items to fill up those bags. Jessica has donated a total of 10 bags that will be given to the next 10 families that adopt an animal from WCAHS. How cool and how fun for the families and the animals who get all the goodies inside! Important Dates March 19 Pins for Pets May 21 Trail Ride July Co. Fair Aug. 5-6 Thrift Sale RECYLCE OPPORTUNITY WCAHS has an ongoing project to recycle a variety of electronics to raise money for the shelter. Items that can be recycled include the following: inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges (Brother, Canon, Dell, LEX and HP), cell phones, smartphones or iphones, digital cameras and camcorders, GPS units and graphing calculators. Items can be dropped off at the shelter during business hours. 2

3 SHELTER REPORT (continued) Usually twice a year, Susie Olson-Rosenbush brings her Spooner Small Animal Science class for a tour and to learn a variety of things about the shelter. Although she could not work it out this past semester, she did come and borrow two of our photo albums. One is about some of the confiscations we have been involved in and the other is about animals that have come to the shelter neglected, injured or in poor condition. These photo albums tell many stories of some of the animals that have come to us through the years. Some have happy endings and others sadly do not. These albums help teach about the responsibilities of owning an animal and to know when the living conditions or condition of an animal are not appropriate and should be reported. This past year we have had a number of animals that have come to us in need of urgent care. We have also had animals brought to us that were simply tossed out without concern of what would happen to them. One young woman found a kitten in a bag thrown in the trash container at a car wash. She could hear crying so she dug into the garbage and found a kitten no more than 6-8 weeks old that had been born without a back leg. Rather than bringing this kitten to us or taking it to a vet, someone simply threw her away. The woman who found her adopted her, named her Ilean, and she is doing great as you can see by these before and after photos! Another young kitten was brought in as a stray with a wound around her neck. Someone, perhaps a child, had put a hair band or rubber band around the kitten s neck that cut through her skin. She is now here with us and healing up well. In early November a woman was walking and saw something moving under the leaves a few feet off the road. She was afraid to look so brought her husband to the same spot the next morning. They found two guinea pigs, one with severely matted long hair. These guinea pigs were very fortunate to have survived the cold temperatures and predators. The couple also found another guinea pig dead on the road. Always the question is why someone would turn small animals like that into the wild. The two surviving guinea pigs were cleaned up and adopted! In the past two months we have had two cats left at the door of the shelter. Some say "Well, at least they left them at the shelter". However when people leave an animal without any information, it does not help the animal or us. In addition, these two cats were both left in extreme cold. Per our surveillance cameras, the first cat was left by a woman who looked at our hours and the sign in the window giving instructions of what to do if the shelter is closed, but instead of calling the police department or coming back during open hours, she left the cat in a crate by the front door. She covered the crate, but when it is 10 degrees below zero, that isn't going to make much difference. The cat was put by the door that is not used in the morning by employees. Thankfully, on that morning someone came to the front door shortly after employees arrived and the crate was found. Had that not happened, it's possible the cat would have sat there for hours. The other person who left his cat at the door also stopped and read our hours. The difference this time is that we were open! We actually greeted him at the door as he was setting the box down. He immediately walked quickly away. I followed him out and said that we needed paperwork filled out, but he ran to his car. Unlike the other cat that was in a secure crate, this cat was in a box. He could have easily gotten out had we not been there to take it in. In both cases, all we want is information about the animal s age, behavior and medical history which would help us properly place this animal in the right type of home. We do not have a surrender charge, although a donation is appreciated that will help towards the care of the animal. We want people to understand this is why we are here--to help when they can no longer care for their pet. Please help spread the word! ~Penny SALE FOR TAILS THRIFT SALE We re planning our annual thrift sale for August 5-6 at the Washburn County Fairgrounds. We re looking for gently used donations of all kinds, except TV s, computers, or clothes. Two days prior to the sale, we will be accepting donations at the Fairgrounds. We have limited space to store items before then, but if special arrangements need to be made, please contact the shelter at Also, if you are willing to help out at the sale, we would appreciate you contacting us. We ve had a wonderful selection of items in the past, so plan to be a part of this worthwhile event, either by donating items, volunteering to help, or coming to shop. 3

4 HARLEY S STORY We will forever continue to try to change the image of Pit Bulls as scary, vicious, unadoptable dogs. Harley came to us as a stray. He was not neutered, had no collar or micro-chip and we didn't know a thing about him other than the person who found him said he got along fine with their dog but chased cats. Many people who walked through our dog kennels would turn the corner to be greeted by this one hundred pound tan and white Pit Bull. To some, Harley came across as very intimidating, but others would talk to him like a baby and pet him through the kennel. All of the staff fell in love with Harley. He was such a big baby and adorable! A young man ed about Harley. He had one dog and had recently lost an older one. He met Harley, loved him and adopted him! Harley gets along great with his other dog and everything is going really well! Harley is pictured here with shelter staff member, Jeff. Several weeks later, someone called the shelter, saying they had found a trap with an animal s foot in it. They brought the trap to us so we could turn it over to a DNR game warden. The warden spoke with the trapper, whose contact information was on the trap, and determined that he had not violated any of the laws associated with trapping. The only recommendation was to have a thicker cable attached to the trap so it could not be chewed through. Had there been a thicker cable, the trapper would have found the dog in the trap when he did his daily check and could have gotten him out. The man felt very badly for what the dog had gone through. Often we never really know what has happened to an animal or how long they have been in the condition they are in when they come to us. This time the story came full circle, other than not knowing who the dog s original owner was. Christmas was adopted and renamed Hobbs. For him, none of this matters anymore because he has found the home and the family he wants to be with forever! A huge thanks to Dr. Pederson, Spooner Vet Clinic, clinic staff, those of you who made donations to help pay for the cost of the surgery, and to all the people involved in getting Hobbs to us and putting the pieces together of what happened to him. Here are photos of Christmas/ Hobbs when first found, after amputation, and enjoying a treat in his new home. ~Penny THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS, THE DOG By now, many of you may have heard about "Christmas", the dog that was found missing his front left paw. This dog was brought to the shelter on December 23, 2015 as a stray. He was thin, hungry, dirty, full of burrs and scared, in addition to missing his paw, but still friendly. I took him to Spooner Vet Clinic where Dr. Pederson examined him and found he was walking on exposed bone and had been like that for maybe a week, probably from getting caught in a trap. Without hesitation, Dr. Pederson said "Let's get him ready for surgery. We need to amputate the leg". They asked what his name should be and with my love of Hallmark movies, I instantly said "His name should be Christmas!" The morning after Christmas's surgery, I stopped to see how he was doing. He was getting around great and was clearly much happier than the day before! 4

5 Memorials: In memory of Abby Kevin Scharhag; In memory of Darth Winkler Angela Potter, Darren & Esther Winkler, Larry Lawrence, Julia Gwaltney, Christine Tyler, William & Mary Collier, Richard & Susan Gwaltney, Luke Potter Memorial, Jay & Barbara Tyler, John & Susan Long, Marvin & Janet McAdams, Monty & Tamra Joliff, Marshall Canfield & Paula Nellas, Max & Christine Albritton, Larry France, Brian & Sarah Dalpiaz, Brad & Ellen Mangan, David & Jill Lawyer, M. Gallagher, Thomas Boone, Cardiac Nurse Anesthetists at St. Mary s Mayo Clinic, Danny & Marlene Settles, Stacie Gwaltney, Zac & Tabitha Royer, Edwin Coleman, Jonathan & Amanda Urish, Sandra Spears; In memory of Diana Salmonson Wanda Lindenberger; In memory of Joanne Merrifield Seth & Diane Montgomery, Larry & Paula Swan; In memory of Mabel Harmon Mary Chido; In memory of Marie Hovey Gary Hovey, Jean Kissack, Bill & Duffy Sauer; In memory of Ron Masterjohn Bill & Duffy Sauer, Marilyn Twining; In memory of Ruby, Sugar, Molly & Eloise Barbara Albrecht; In memory of Shawn s Trakehner mare, Alli Phyllis Haseleu; In memory of Susan s cat, Winslow Nancy Spannaus; In memory of their daughter, Dorothy Mike & Grace Plaster; In memory of Virginia Stencel Beverly Stencel In honor of: Albert Kunselman by Bette Kunselman; Breezy by Barbara Albrecht; Margie Costello s birthday by Stephanie Masterjohn, Gerald & Karole Marko & others; Marj Andrea s birthday by The Birthday Group ; Mary Wahlstrom & Kim Bassett by Lisa, Ryan and Tyler Thummel; Nancy Walters by anonymous; Sarah Kay Moen by Gary & Bonnie Christenson (and Buddy); Shelby & Shadow Hall by Ruth Sloan; Marie Thieman and her dog, Tuka, by Wendy Whittaker Thank you to others: Bockley Brothers Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation; Kathy Beyreis for collecting the Beggar Banks in Birchwood; City of Spooner; Deb Wertanen & Thimbles Quilt Shop for selling cookbooks; Kiwanis Club of Spooner; Lorrie Blockhus Yoga class; Teresa Drost for hosting a fundraiser through her business; Town of Bashaw; Town of Sarona; Trinity Lutheran Church WELCA; Trinity Lutheran Church s Pet Blessing Service MEMBERSHIP Our annual membership drive is in the fall, and we will mail out forms then to renew your membership. If you re not currently a member, but would like to become one, please use the form on the back of this newsletter, or visit and join on-line. WISH LIST Cat litter (gravel type, not scoopable), canned cat food and canned dog food, dog and cat treats, Purina Kitten Chow, 39 gallon garbage bags, plastic (washable) dog and cat toys, blankets, bleach, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, paper towels, dog collars (especially small and medium), cat collars, envelopes, copy paper. Thank you to Joel Weiner for plowing the shelter parking lot! VOLUNTEER SALUTE In this issue, I would like to publicly thank one of our amazing volunteers. Jan Wood has been involved with WCAHS for years, even before we opened our doors. She helped raise funds to build the shelter and continued to do so much more. She gave countless hours each year promoting our spay/ neuter program, selling merchandise at various county events, serving on the WCAHS board, editing our newsletters, keeping track of our beggar banks, chairing fundraisers, organizing the annual coupon book and many other activities. She has truly been the backbone of WCAHS. Her knowledge, kindness, compassion, strength and most of all, friendship, have helped not just me, but many others through some difficult times. Although she no longer lives in the area, she is never too far away to call on for advice. I honestly believe that some people make a difference that cannot be compared to any other. That s how I feel about Jan Wood. Washburn County Area Humane Society would not be the successful shelter, doing the good work it continues to do, if not for her contributions, year after year. From the bottom of my heart and from all the people who know and respect you, THANK YOU JAN, for your part in creating a safe and loving place for homeless animals to be cared for. ~Penny 5

6 THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR DONORS! For their generous contributions over these past few months, thank you to: Janet Anderson Carol Ayala Diana Barbour Cecilia Brierton Amy Carlson James & Judith Darby Gene Edberg Ellis Family Romaine & Joyce Endreson Ed & Akemi Fischer Michael Foss Tom & Leslie Frost Joann Frost Mr. & Mrs. Robert Furlott Shirley Hamilton Hanson Family Foundation Phyllis Haseleu Jaydon Heller Carol Henderson Judy Jensen Danette Johnson Josie Johnson Roger & Claudia Koerner Robin Kriedeman Kae Krueger Marilyn Laporte Arthur Lauer Anne Leimert Greg & Nina Leitza Wade Lindenberger Janice MacFarlane Gene Mason Danika McCumber Ellory Medor Miriam Michealson Rex & Donna Morelock Stephanie Mosay Nora Moss Mundt & Associates Helena Murphy David & Sharon Nielsen Nancy Pauling Lori Pechincki Allene Peterson Matt & Joy Peterson Norm & Alene Peterson SueEllen Peterson Michael & Karen Rafalski Jessica Schlapper Audrey Schneider Gwen Schoessow Norm Schreyer Katherine Schroeder William Schroeder Dan & Andrea Schullo Destiny Schultz Gary Schwalm Frances Smith Jenny Snarski Snarski Family Cathy Sommerholz Pat Splett Marsha Stoeberl Shirley Stokes Audrey Strache Daniel & Amanda Sunderland Norm & Nancy Thompson Noel & Beverly Vercnocke Jacob Wachtel Helen Watkins Aleta Wegner Judy Wiederhold Thank you to all new and renewing members: Robert Ademino Jim & Teresa Anderson Diana & Denny Barbour James Bauer Sandy Bjurman Richard & Lee Ann Borseth Robin Bridge Susan Brooks Larry & Kathy Byreis Eulala Carpenter Mary & Tom Chido Marjorie Costello Patty Damon Roni Decker Betty Dreis Louise DuBois Dennis & Susan Dunn Carol Dye Alan & Lollie Eidsness Romaine & Joyce Endreson Diane Ericksen Larry & Connie Fix Joann Frost Terry & Rite Goveronski Terry Grams Mary Haas Elizabeth Hahn Glen & Lisa Hall William Hamilton Don & Judy Haseleu Shawn Haseleu Phyllis Haseleu Carol Henderson Edie Hovey Julie Hustvet Judy Jensen Ray & Debbie Johnson Judy Kaiser Ronnell Kent & Diana Agar-Kent Mary Knoepke Roger Ladendorf Nancy Lindenberger Janyce Link Angela Madalon Jan Masterjohn Cindy & Craig Mellin Ralph Merrifield Miriam Michealson Helena Murphy Dede Myers Sharon Nelson Mary Okonek Chris Ottosen Phyllis Page Ether Peoples Mike Perzichilli Mike & Grace Plaster Vern Redlich Janine Rueter Lanore Rusch Connie Salquist Gary Sartorius Ramona Scharhag Charles & Sandra Schiller Dick & Deb Schlapper Jim & Susie Schmitz Jo Ann Schmitz Pat Schue Vicki & Dave Shaffer Bob & Jan Single Melissa Spieler James & Nancy Squires Beverly Stencel & Chuck Okonek Martha Stiller Shirley Stokes Melissa Sunderland Joan Swanson Gloria Thue Janice Titera Tim Wallace Bob Washkuhn Bob & Helen Watkins John Wendt John & JoAnn Westcott Judy Wiederhold We apologize for anyone we may have missed or whose name we mis-spelled. We also wish to thank those of you who chose to remain anonymous. THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS MEMBERS! Platinum Members Shell Lake State Bank, Northern Lakes Veterinary Clinic Silver Members: Spooner Outlet, Masterjohn Inc., Creatures Great & Small Veterinary Clinic, C & J Body Shop, Indianhead Credit Union 6

7 2015 TREE OF LIGHTS Our Tree of Lights event was held on December 1st at the shelter. We had a nice group of people stop by including some of the WCAHS board members and all of the WCAHS staff. There were drawings for prizes and refreshments for everyone to enjoy. $3,470 was raised from people sending in donations in honor or in memory of their pets. It is clear that we love our a nimals v e r y much and they are indeed, part of our fa milies! Shelter employee Ann Dorn's son, Conner, did the honors of "lighting up" the tree. Thanks to everyone who brought or baked something for the event and to all of you who so generously donated to make this year s tree lighting truly successful! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED TO OUR TREE OF LIGHTS! Bob & Joan Ademino Rena Antonik Susan Brooks Laurel Caruthers Bill & Jane Clark Carolyn Cleveland Patty Damon Dawn Daniszewski Pam Dembinski Lou DuBois Dennis & Susan Dunn Lollie Eidsness Tom & Linda Ferris Judy Gillette Terry & Ron Grams Lisa Hall Shawn Haseleu Phyllis Haseleu Hayward Family Carol Henderson Ray & Debby Johnson Chris Kading Robin Kriedeman Amy Kunz Jackie Ladd Wanda Lindenberger Cindy Lund Chris Marceil Natalie Martin Jan Masterjohn Stephanie Masterjohn Rosalie Mayer Dede Meyers Miriam Michealson Monte Miller Ashley Muench Robert Nelson Tim Niemi Linnea Olesen Chris & Bob Ottosen Phyllis Page Steve & Deborah Parsons Ethel Peoples Chester Peterson Gary & Jacki Peterson Mike & Grace Plaster Cindy & Ken Powaga Cindy Roberts Lanore Rusch John & Evelyn Safeblade Carolyn Saletri Del & Connie Salquist Kevin Scharhag Sandy Schiller Jim & Susie Schmitz Eva Shilling Alice Simundson Susan Spannaus James & Nancy Squires Beverly Stencel & Chuck Okonek Tom & Debbie Stewart Martha Stiller Jeff & Barb Sweet Timothy Wallace John, Jo Ann & Jake III Westcott Judy Wiederhold David Yndestad STATUS OF OUR S.N.A.P. PROGRAM In 2015, WCAHS received a large donation given anonymously for our S.N.A.P (spay and neuter all pets) program. We were instructed that we could also use some of the money to help people who might have a pet with a medical emergency but could not afford the entire cost and we also used a small portion for reduced adoption fees for senior citizens. We helped 16 people with reduced fees, 11 people with emergency medical needs for their pets and helped over 160 people get their pets altered! We are forever grateful for the generosity and kindness with which this donation was given and those who were given help say how grateful they were as well. People want to be responsible and do what they should for their pets but sometimes they simply cannot afford to do so. If they can provide a good home, food, and yearly vaccines, we are pleased to be part of this program that can help them out with something as important as having their pets altered. At this time our S.N.A.P. funds are running low so we may not be able to continue covering the entire cost of surgery but we will continue to help as we can by covering a portion of the cost. WCAHS has been very proud to be able to offer this service to those in our community and could not have done it without the donation that was given to us for this purpose. TRAIL RIDE FUNDRAISER REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR ALUMINUM CANS! Another new fundraiser is being planned for WCAHS a trail ride for all horse enthusiasts. We are proposing to have it on May 21, 2016 at the Dugan Run Horse Trails, 15 miles east of Spooner, starting at 10:00 am. For a minimum donation of $25, you can ride the beautiful trails, enjoy lunch and have a chance to win some great prizes. Riders are encouraged to bring in donations from family and friends, and the person who brings in the most donations will win one of the prizes. More information will soon be available at and on our Facebook page or you can call or text Kate at or Shawn at

8 Washburn County Area Humane Society 1400 Cottonwood Avenue Spooner, WI RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. Postage Paid PERMIT NO. 38 SPOONER, WI SHELTER STAFF Penny Dunn,Mgr Shelter Workers: Cassandra Carls Ann Dorn Carrie Noll Jeff Powers Matt Richter Teresa Temple NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Penny Dunn Susie Schmitz REMEMBER THE ANIMALS WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY! By becoming a member of the Washburn County Area Humane Society, you will support many wonderful animals, as well as community programs on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. WCAHS is a 501 ( c )(3) charitable organization. All donations and memberships are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Annual Membership Categories Humanitarian...$100 Supporting....$60 Please apply my membership to: General Fund Building Fund Family... $40 SNAP Program (Spay/Neuter Assistance ) Individual.....$25 Senior (62+).....$10 Additional Donation $. Total Amount of check $ Thomas Fund (New cat spay/neuter program) Chester Fund (special medical needs) Name Address City/State/Zip Date Phone Please make your check payable to: Washburn County Area Humane Society or WCAHS, 1400 Cottonwood Avenue, Spooner, WI THANK YOU! 8