LOOK AT THAT FACE. While the Dunn County Humane Society cares for animals waiting to find their forever homes, the local nonprofit also offers an array of resources and programs for those inside and outside the shelter.

Over the past decade, Dunn County Humane Society (DCHS) has awarded thousands in vouchers in order to spay and neuter cats and dogs whose owners are in need of support through its low-cost spay and neuter programs. 

Since 2015, $24,000 in vouchers have been awarded and 171 animals spayed or neutered (thanks to DCHS's partnership with local veterinarians). The Feline and Bully Breed Low-Cost Spay and Neuter programs began with support through grant monies, which have since dwindled.

Shelter Manager Harvey Weidman noted that, after 10 years, those DCHS programs are potentially less attractive to grant-giving organizations than brand-new initiatives. Still, the need for those programs persists.

Hurdles for pet owners include both the costs associated with spays and neuters, and the growing amount of rental companies which require animals to be spayed or neutered – if they are pet-friendly at all.

“It has definitely been a difficult couple of years over here, for sure,” Weidman said. “With changes in our economy (and) local and federal government, we’re seeing a larger need for our services.

“We’re seeing a larger number of evictions and a larger number of folks that just truly are not able to financially care for their pets,” Weidman said.

We're at the point where we are running out of funds (for the Safe Harbor fund and the Feline and Bully Breed Low-Cost Spay and Neuter program). We really need to start accepting more individual and business donations to keep these programs alive. –Harvey Weidman, shelter manager at DCHS

Rye (left) and Beef Cake (right) are currently up for adoption through the Dunn County Humane Society. (Submitted photos)

While the feline program and bully breed program have differing requirements for use – the feline program is specifically for those who are in significant need, with proof of Social Security, Disability, or fixed income required; the bully breed program is specifically for American Staffordshire terriers and/or pit bull terrier mixes – DCHS also houses a number of additional resources and programs.

Two such programs include the Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program and the Safe Harbor program. The former further emphasizes the importance of choosing to spay and neuter animals in your care.

“(There are) so many reasons to spay and neuter,” Weidman stated, “The first being, cats populate kind of like bunnies. What starts out (as two cats) can escalate quickly... One pair of cats, if they are un-spayed or un-neutered, can potentially produce thousands of kittens in just five years.”

Beyond population control, there are numerous health benefits to spaying and neutering, Weidman added. Behavioral changes, like marking, spraying, or wandering away from the home frequently, are decreased upon being spayed or neutered, and animals’ chance of contracting illnesses and diseases – like UTIs, reproductive cancers, or pyometra in dogs – are decreased as well.

Chaos (left)  and Matilda (right) are also currently looking for their forever homes. (Submitted photos)

The Safe Harbor program is a collaboration with The Bridge to Hope, a domestic violence shelter in Dunn County. The Bridge is one of few shelters in the state which allow animals, and through the Safe Harbor program, is also able to ease the financial burden of owning a pet during a domestic violence situation.

“With Bridge to Hope and the Safe Harbor fund, we at the Dunn County Humane Society can cover the cost of vaccinations and, when possible, spay and neuter for clients’ animals living at Bridge to Hope,” Weidman explained.

DCHS can also provide basic pet supplies like litter and litter boxes, scratching posts for cats, crates for dogs, food, and more.

The program, which started in 2017 with grant funding, has since supported 65 animals and covered a total $9,500 in costs.

As a nonprofit, DCHS seeks and accepts donations year-round; Perhaps now more than ever, community support has been vital to DCHS’s continued operations and services.

“We’re at the point where we are running out of funds (for the Safe Harbor fund and the Feline and Bully Breed Low-Cost Spay and Neuter program),” Weidman said. “We really need to start accepting more individual and business donations to keep these programs alive.”

For those interested in learning more about the aforementioned programs, visit dunncountyhumanesociety.org/resources or call the shelter to learn more. For those interested in donating to DCHS, donations are accepted online while checks or cash can be mailed to the shelter.

Learn more about Dunn County Humane Society (302 Brickyard Rd., Menomonie) at dunncountyhumanesociety.org and on social medias. The shelter can be reached via email (info@dunncountyhumanesociety.org) or by calling (715) 232-9790.