The A publication from the Washburn County Area Humane Society, Inc. Phone: (715) 635-4720 Fax: (715) 635-3912 Website: www.wcahs.com Email: wcahs@centurytel.net Located just past the County Fairgrounds 1400 Cottonwood, Spooner, Wisconsin Creating a Community Responsible for Animals IMPORTANT DATES APRIL April 14 Pins for Pets at Kegler s Pub & Pin April 26 Annual Food & Wine Tasting April 30-May 12 Coins for Critters Contest TBD Par for Pets Golf Tournament SEPTEMBER September 15 Pet Walk, Membership Day and Raffle Drawing Please check our website often for updates on events. www.wcahs.com Scoop URGENT NEED! If anyone knows one thing about a humane society, it s that there is rarely a dull moment. We started the new year off pretty quiet, but it didn t last for long! We had some great adoptions take place such as Chopper, an American Staffordshire Terrier that originally came in with a face full of quills. Mack, our big, beautiful brindle Pit Bull was here over eight months before going home, and Abby, the sweet kitty who had also been here over eight months and waited ever so patiently, was adopted as well! Just a few weeks into January, we received a cat by the name of Silky--a very sweetnatured gray and white cat that had an obvious issue with his rear right leg. The people who brought him in said he was a stray they had been feeding for some time. They noticed his limp and assumed he had been hit by a car. After a visit to Spooner Vet Clinic, x-rays showed exactly what had happened to Silky. He had not been hit by a car, but had been shot, not once but twice--once with buckshot and again with a.22. The.22 hit the bone in his back leg and broke it, but because it hit the bone, it saved his life. Just three weeks after his surgery, Silky was adopted into a wonderful, loving new home. WCAHS is accepting Cat food and kitten food (Purina brand preferred to maintain a consistent diet) and cat litter (clay type not scoopable). Please help by dropping off your donations during our normal business hours. THANK YOU! SHELTER UPDATE SHELTER HOURS M, T, Th, F, Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday 12-5 p.m. Closed Wednesday and Sunday. Mack Silky Chopper Chopper Abby Silky donations to help cover the costs of Silky s surgery. Even after some discounts from the Spooner Vet Clinic, his surgery came to over $800. Donations can be sent directly to the shelter and specify either Silky or Chester Fund. I recently did a talk for The Kiwanis Club. During my conversation with the group, it got me thinking about many issues regarding animals. We discussed the number of animals that come through the shelter every year. Are they mostly strays or surrenders? Why are they brought here? Why doesn t anyone look for them? Whose responsibility is it for where they end up? I will try to answer some of these questions to help people better understand the real problems, not only in our county but all over the country. In 2011, we had 620 animals come to WCAHS. The numbers of strays versus surrenders were very close. The sad thing about the strays is that so many are never reclaimed by their Continued on Page 3
Page 2 WCAHS Receives Grant from Pedigree Foundation WCAHS was one of the many fortunate shelters receiving grants from the PEDIGREE Foundation that is used for, but not limited to, basic medical needs, operating costs and food. On December 7, 2011 we were awarded $891 from Pedigree to help dogs in need find loving homes. To learn more about the Pedigree Foundation and how it supports shelters and rescues, check out their website at www.pedigreefoundation.org. At this site you can get free food, print out coupons, donate, research your breed, shop for apparel and accessories and more. THE SCOOP on line. If you would like to receive future issues of The Scoop on line (to save us printing and postage) you can send an email to wcahs@live.com. WISH LIST We continue to use the Purina weight circles from both cat and dog food and we truly appreciate getting both. These weight circles bring us discounts on dog and cat food and veterinary services. Thank you to everyone who collects these for us and either delivers or sends them to the shelter. We have decided to discontinue recycling printer/ink cartridges. Thank you to those who collected these on our behalf in the past. Unfortunately, the process has become too cumbersome for us to continue with it. WISH WE HAD... More kitty litter (gravel type), dog/puppy and cat/kitten dry and canned food, 39 gal.garbage bags, plastic (washable) dog and cat toys, blankets and rugs. We always need laundry supplies bleach, detergent, dryer sheets and paper towels. Dog collars, especially small and medium sizes and cat collars are always welcome. Office supplies: envelopes, copy paper, printer cartridges for our computer (HP23 colored and HP45 black), the copy machine (Brother TN360 High yield toner for BCP740) and Fax machine (#95 and #98 HP office jet 6310 all in one). Remember WCAHS with a bequest in your will Thank You s, Memorials, Honors For their generous contributions over these past few months, THANK YOU TO: Peter Adams, Bo & Diane Ahlstrom, Carolann Ayala, Priscilla Bauer, Diana Barbour, Jerome & Bonita Belair, Jo Anne Bentley, Lynne Bishop, Nancy & Theo Black, Celilia Brierton, Elmer Butterfield, Jaimee Campbell, Juliana Cass, Tia Christiansen, Jessica Colbert, John Cook & Carolyn Burnett, Maya Cummings, Charles & Sandra Edwards, Breeanna Emery, Larry & Connie Fix, Michael Foss, La Nora Fox, Bob Georgick, Judy Gillette, Beth Gillman, John Gorton, Lourdes Gray, Jon & Kathleen Griffith, Tony Gulan, John Hallman, Hanson Family Foundation, Don & Judy Haseleu, Phyllis Haseleu, Shawn Haseleu, Carol Henderson, Jennifer Johnson, Ray & Debby Johnson, Wanda Johnson, Judy Joyce, Roger & Claudia Koerner, Bonnie Kubarek, Bette Kunselman, Donna LaPorte, C.M. Larson, Gregory & Nina Leitza, Sallie Lindstrom, Danika McCumber, John Meacham, Miriam Michealson, Mary Okonek, Jennifer Osvold, Chris Ottosen, David & Sally Peterson, Timothy & Angie Peterson, Diane Poach, Ken & Cindy Powaga, Susan Regenauer, Delores Riegel, Martha Riedell, Paulie Rizzo, Robert & Sandra Saari, Evelyn Safeblade, Betty Sather, Laura Schmidt-Tyler, Jo Ann Schmitz, Tom Schneider, William Schroeder, Gary Schwalm, Doug & Kristen Seaman, Karl & Donna Seidel, Dave & Jolene Selleck, Michael & Noel Singer, Robert & Janet Single, Tamara Smith, John & Rebecca Sorenson, Susan Spannaus, Shirley Stokes, Stan & Ad Stone, June Thiesse, Dina VandeBerg, Sue Wallace, Doris Washburn, Aleta Wegner, William Wessel, John & JoAnn Westcott, Michelle Whitaker, Sherrie Wiegand, Jan Wood, and David Yndestad. TREE OF LIGHTS DONORS: Our annual Tree of Lights was held on December 1st. Shelter staff and a group of WCAHS supporters gathered to enjoy homemade goodies, enter to win door prizes and watch the tree lighting. Each year, people can purchase an ornament for a small donation that is placed on the tree either in honor of or in memory of their beloved pets. Thanks to the following who helped raise over $700: Diana Barbour, Kathy & Larry Beyries, Susan Brooks, Patty Frankiewicz, Susan Fulton, Don & Judy Haseleu, Emily Iverson, Scott Lindenberger, Gary & Wanda Lindenberger, Jan Masterjohn, Ken & Cindy Powaga, Connie & Del Salquist, Kevin Scharhag, Sandy Schiller, Fred & Bev Schluter, Jim & Susie Schmitz, Alice Simundson, Bernard & Charlotte Snarski, Martha Stiller, Bill & Lori Sumner, Helen Thannum, Tim & Sue Wallace, Continued on Page 4
SHELTER UPDATE CONT... owners and most are not spayed or neutered (altered). Out of 110 stray dogs, there were 42 that were reclaimed and only 17 were altered. Of 154 cats, 6 were reclaimed by their owners and only 6 were altered. This is why it is SO important to have identification on your pet or have them micro-chipped and why it is SO important to have your pet altered. We continue to remind people that owning a pet is a big responsibility and you should not take on more than you can afford. The main reasons we get for why an animal is surrendered are: we re moving, someone has developed an allergy, the animal keeps running away or misbehaving, we ve had a baby or we just can t take care of it anymore. People sometimes criticize the length of our pre-adopt applications and/or our reason for denying them a pet from our shelter. We (WCAHS) put a lot of thought into our questions and our decisions so we can make the best placement for both animal and adopter. (Sometimes we have multiple adopters interested in the same animal, and although they all may be able to provide a wonderful home, sadly only one gets to take the animal home.) Our goal is to minimize the chance of any of our adopted animals being returned back to us for the reasons mentioned above. We want to be sure that potential adopters understand and consider the many different situations that may arise and what they will do with their pet should something come up. Certainly there are situations out of our control where there is no other option than to surrender, but we want people to also understand that you make a commitment when adopting a pet and you need to be willing to work with your pets to correct problems, not simply get rid of them. Shelter staff members are always willing to help anyone who may have a problem with their pet. We have many handouts and lots of experience we are happy to share. We may not have all the answers but we are willing to try. A well-behaved animals starts with its owner! On November 25, 2011, WCAHS lost one of our best friends and long time volunteers. Betty Kent was known for her helpful nature, sense of humor and love of animals, especially her cats Shadow and Charlie. If Betty had something to say she said it--something I personally admired. Shelter staff would enjoy hearing stories about her animals and the many adventures she went on. Betty will be forever missed and forever remembered! Our thoughts go out to Victoria Graves and Steve Shaw for the loss of their dog Porsche, who they adopted from WCAHS. Sadly, Porsche was hit by a car and killed. Thankfully she was wearing her collar and tags so she could be identified and returned to her family. We hope that with time, their pain eases and they will look for another companion that will bring them the joy that Porsche brought into their lives. Please consider helping the shelter by becoming involved Continued on Page 4 SAVE YOUR ALUMINUM CANS An easy way to help out the shelter is by saving your aluminum cans. They can be dropped off at any time in the bin outside the shelter. For the period from June 8 through September 21, we received a check for $838.35! In addition to helping the shelter, you ll also be helping the environment as these cans are picked up for recycling. Whether it s one bag or a truckload, your donated cans will help with the cost of providing care for the hundreds of animals that come through our doors each year. Page 3 PET WALK DATE TO CHANGE FOR 2012 The annual WCAHS Pet Walk has traditionally been held in May each year. For 2012, we re going to hold the event on September 15, and combine it with our Membership Day. More details will be provided on our website and in a future newsletter, but for those of you who have been faithfully attending our pet walks in past years, please note the change in date.
PAGE 4 SHELTER UPDATE CONT... as a board member. Our board meets once per month to discuss and address issues of the shelter. It participates with the staff in the overall planning process, helps create policies, helps provide adequate resources through fundraising activities, assists in developing the annual budget, and determines which programs and activities are the most consistent with our mission. Individual members get involved on various committees such as newsletter, website, membership, and education, among others. Please contact us if you have an interest in learning more about becoming a board member. Penny Dunn, Manager Thank You s, Memorials, Honors cont... Jan Wood, and David Ynestad. Thanks to all who donated or stopped by for the lighting, and to Alice Simundson and family and Sandy Bjurman for the wonderful homemade treats they baked for the event! THANK YOU! Thank you to our business supporters. We hope that you will visit and support them. Platinum Member Link Snacks Gold Members Shell Lake State Bank, Banana Abstract, Bank of the West, Northern Lakes Vet Clinic Silver Members Wild River Sport and Marine, Indianhead Credit Union, T & T Tool, Schmitz s Economart, Spooner Ace Hardware, Northwind Book & Fiber Banana Abstract, Inc. ABSTRACT & TITLE MEMORIALS GIVEN BY : Kevin Scharhag in memory of Abby; Marjorie Costello in memory of Diana Salmonson, Betty Kent and Ray Hummel; Thomas & Deena Derr in memory of their Beloved Rudy ; Mike & Grace Plaster in memory of Dorothy Allard; Elaine Siganos in memory of George Siganos; John & Jane Lokken, Joy Norenberg and Michael Larson in memory of Mary Larson; Mavis Schlapper in memory of her husband, Ray; Mary Chido in memory of Steve Frances, Joyce Schancer in memory of Maggie Mae; Phyllis Haseleu in memory of Ollie Hartwig; Tom & Linda Ferris in memory of Murphy; and the following all in memory of Betty Kent: Betty & Robert Dreis, Citizens Bank, Connie Salquist, SFWC Spooner Women s Club, Jan Wood, Janet Anderson, Jim & Susie Schmitz, John & Edna Hovey, Lily Stensvold, Martha Stiller, Mary Chido, Melvin Ferguson, Michael Kovalow, Naomi Beardsley, Phyllis Mains, Shirley Gillette, Steve & Marlene Clay, Wednesday Afternoon Spooner Bowling League, William & Carol Reed. GIFTS IN HONOR OF : Shelby Hall by Ruth Sloan IN ADDITION, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING: Abby McCarthy, Adrianna Chido for asking for donations for the animals at the shelter rather than gifts on her birthday, Bockley Brothers Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation ($2000 in November 2011and $2000 in March 2012), Curves, Economart for donating broken bags of dog food, Gary Wavrin, Grades K-2 from Shell Lake School, Kiwanis Club of Spooner, MN Sheltie Rescue, Northwood Art Club for raising funds by holding a Hat Day at school, Peter Adams of Computer Works in Spooner for donating his service to fix our computer, Roger Ladendorf, Roni Tennant s Rice Lake Zumba Class, Safety Plus, Sandy Bjurman for all the wonderful home baked goodies she brings to the staff, Teresa Drost of Silpada Designs Jewelry, The Home Depot Foundation, The Windover Foundation, Town of Bashaw, Town of Brooklyn, Town of Casey, Town of Evergreen, the Village of Minong, What the Heck. Amie Thomas for her donation from the Beauti Control Party, Birchwood Middle School students for money raised through a "Penny War" and Humane Society of Douglas County for their donation of dog and cat food. We also thank all of you who have recently become members of WCAHS or who have renewed your membership. We apologize for anyone we may have missed or whose name we may have misspelled!
PINS FOR PETS ANNUAL BOWLING FUNDRAISER Bowlers and spectators are invited to "spare" some time on Saturday, April 14, to enjoy this annual Washburn County Area Humane Society's "Pins for Pets" bowling fundraiser at Kegler's Pub & Pin in Spooner, beginning with the first shift of bowling at 11:30 AM, and continuing into the afternoon with the second shift beginning at 2:30 PM. This event helps to raise the donations so important to operate our shelter. This will be the 7th year this 9-Pin Tap/three-game "un-furgettable" bowling event has been held at Kegler's. The entry fee is $15 and bowlers of any age and bowling skill level are invited to sign up for one or both shifts by using the sign-up sheet at Kegler's, by calling Connie at 715-635-7677, or by signing up the day of the event. The entry fee will cover the 3 games of bowling, shoe and ball rental, and lunch, and the remaining portion is donated directly to WCAHS. Because this is a fundraiser, many bowlers also compete for the top donation prizes when bringing in their donation form and money the day of the event. These donation forms are available at the shelter, attached to posters throughout the area, on the shelter website, or on the bulletin board at Kegler's. WCAHS event coordinators are appreciative of continued support from Andrew and JoAnn at Kegler's, area news media, and WGMO Radio Station owners and their DJ, Rock & Roll Dr. Dan, who continues to help spread the word and "get the ball rolling" on this annual fundraiser. Also, the Humane Society is always looking for a variety of help through volunteers. Every one who feels a soft spot for an animal could be a wonderful person to be involved with this shelter. There are so many ways to be involved--walking dogs, petting cats, fostering an animal even just for a day or two, writing grants, helping with the website or newsletter, being on the Board that oversees the shelter operation, being a part of the education committee or the fundraising committee, dropping off needed shelter supplies, aluminum cans, Purina Pet Food circles, or a monetary donation, and being a participant in our fundraising events throughout the year. COINS FOR CRITTERS Food & Wine Tasting Page 5 The 4th annual "Coins for Critters" competition will be held the two weeks of April 30 - May 12 in coordination with Be Kind To Animals Week May 6-12. This is a competition in grades K-6 in Shell Lake, Spooner, and Northwood schools to see which classroom can raise the most donations for the needy animals at the Washburn County Area Humane Society. The donations are calculated so all classroom sizes have an equal opportunity to win the grand prize. Greg & Mardell Vreeland have generously donated the grand prize which is a gift certificate for a train ride on the pizza train for each student in that classroom plus one certificate for a parent of each child. The students have raised a total of over $5000 in the past three years! The 5th Annual Food and Wine Tasting, sponsored by the Spooner Chamber of Commerce will be held Thursday, April 26, from 5-8 pm at the Northwest Sports Complex Ballroom in Spooner. Each year the Chamber selects one or two non-profit groups to receive the proceeds from this event. This year, WCAHS, along with Partners of Spooner Health System, will be receiving the proceeds. Taste a variety of foods and wines, and enjoy the huge selection of donated items that will be available to win through Chinese raffles, silent auctions, and door prizes. More details will be available soon at www.spoonerchamber.org or on our website www.wcahs.com
PAGE 6 Snap Shots The heavy snow in early March was perfect for making a snow cat and snow dog outside the shelter. Jeff, Penny and Matt had a fun time enjoying the snow. Walter, with Abby McCarthy who stops in to volunteer once a week after school. Phyllis Page and her granddaughters Brianna and Rachael are one of the animals favorite weekly volunteers. They love spending time with the cats and they bring treats for both the cats and dogs! Patti Bass and her daughters Elise and Taye love visiting the animals. Besides spending time at WCAHS, they also foster for us. Chopper was their last foster dog. Like most people, they hate to say goodbye to their foster animals, but have done a wonderful service by allowing animals to share their home until they find their own special family and forever home! We ve had visits from several Girl Scout and Daisy Troops. The girls learned about how the shelter operates, and they learned about animal care and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. They also had an opportunity to ask questions before playing with cats and walking dogs. The girls got bags filled with animal care information, volunteer info and a few other fun items and many earned credit towards a scouting badge. Thanks to the Shell Lake FFA for all of the donations they brought in. Girl Scout Troop 4475 of Shell Lake - pictured is Anna Klassa, Zayla Sturtze, Ella Sturtze, Brianna Williams and Madeline Naglosky. Their group leader is Jaymie Misunas. Minong Girl Scouts (Abby, Brittney, Jayden and Abigail) The second part of Troop 4475 came a couple of weeks later. Daisy Troop 4382 & 4447 of Spooner
2012 RAFFLE From now until our Pet Walk on September 15, we will be selling tickets for our annual raffle. The ticket price is $2 each or 3 tickets for $5 and tickets may be purchased at the shelter, from Board members Teresa Anderson, Connie Salquist, Debbie Sandstrom, Patty Damon, Mary Anna Johnson, Jan Wood or Susie Schmitz. We will also have them available at various fundraisers and community events, plus we ll be occasionally selling them at the entrance to Economart. Thanks to the following businesses and organizations for donating prizes: Purina, Metropolis Resort in Eau Claire, St. Croix Casino in Danbury, Bank of the West in Spooner, the Green Bay Packer Foundation, Spooner Sports Complex, and Pamida. Here is a list of the prizes we ll have this year. 1. GPS Dog Tracking System ($600 value) 2. $350 Best Buy Gift Card 3. $250 cash 4. One night stay and 4 water park passes at Metropolis Resort in Eau Claire, Wisconsin ($159 value) 5. $150 JCPenney Gift Card 6. One night stay and 2 buffet meals at St. Croix Casino in Danbury, plus $50 cash ($150 value) 7. $100 VISA gift card 8. Green Bay Packer basket featuring a 2011 Autographed Collector Football 9. $50 Holiday Gas Card 10. Fitness package featuring a one month membership to Spooner Sports Complex Page 7 Pets are just what the doctor ordered for seniors when it comes to keeping them healthy and happy. They provide comfort in a time of need, company in a time of loss, and friendship free of conditions. This is especially true for senior citizens who can develop health-related issues as they age. However, research suggests the unconditional love and companionship provided by a pet can help seniors lead a healthy life. In fact, independently living seniors who own pets tend to have better physical health and mental well-being than those who do not, according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In order to communicate the lifeenriching benefits of pet ownership among senior citizens and to help homeless pets find loving homes, the Washburn County Area Humane Society is partnering with Purina. Local senior citizens aged 60 and older are invited to spend time visiting with the shelter s adoptable dogs and cats and consider bringing a furry friend into their home. The Purina Pets for Seniors Program promotes the life-enriching benefits of pet ownership among senior citizens across the country. Purina has offered us $1000, to be used to cover the total cost for a senior adopting a pet from us. These funds will go quickly, so we encourage any senior who has been thinking of adopting a pet to contact us at the shelter.
Washburn County Area Humane Society, Inc. 1400 Cottonwood Avenue Spooner, WI 54801 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID PERMIT NO. 38 SPOONER, WI Page 10 Annual Membership Categories Humanitarian..........$100+ Supporting..............$50 Family.................$35 Individual...............$20 Senior (62+)............$10 Student (Ages 1-18)........$5 Additional Donation.....$ Total Amount of check..$ REMEMBER THE ANIMALS - WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY By becoming a member of the Washburn County Area Humane Society you will help support really wonderful animals,as well as community programs on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. If you wish your membership fee to be applied to a specific donation category, please indicate your preference under "donation categories" in addition to indicating the membership category. If no donation category is specified, your fee will go to the WCAHS general fund. If you are using this form for a donation only, and wish to specify a category, please indicate on the form. Thank you! SHELTER STAFF Penny Dunn, Shelter Mgr. Shelter Workers: Matt Richter, Vicki Beitz, Tiffani Tripp, Kim Adams, Jeff Powers NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Jan Wood, Penny Dunn, Leann Schmock, Susie Schmitz, Simundson-Peterson Families Printed by White Birch Printing, Spooner WI Please Apply my donation memership to: General Fund.....$ Building Addtn Fund.$ SNAP Program...$ (Spay/Neuter Assistance Program available to those meeting income requirements) Thomas Fund....$ (Spay/Neuter cats) Chester Fund.....$ (For shelter animals with special medical needs) Thank You!! WCAHS is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible Name Address City/State/Zip Date/Phone Email Please make your check payable to: Washburn County Area Humane Society, Inc. 1400 Cottonwood Avenue Spooner, WI 54801