Lost, abandoned, seized, and surrendered companion animals find warm beds, medical care, staff attention, and ultimately their new forever home once they reach the Door County Humane Society. Located south of the City of Sturgeon Bay on five acres in Nasewaupee township, the present shelter building opened in 1999. Constructed more than a decade ago to house 28 dogs and 28 cats, the facility is inadequate for the demands of 2011 and beyond.
Each kitten, cat, puppy, and dog immediately receives food, water, a preliminary medical exam, and anti-parasite treatments upon arrival. All shelter residents begin their day with a cage or kennel cleaning, fresh bedding, and the correct type of nutritious food for their age, breed, and condition. Dogs learn leash etiquette through walking with staff and volunteers along the trails on our property. Before being adopted, our cats and dogs will have been spayed or neutered, had veterinarian attention, and received a rabies vaccination.
Leadership stability has given the shelter increased credibility throughout the Door County community. Under the guidance of Executive Director Carrie Counihan, the kennel and cattery coordinators participate in regional & national seminars to enhance their knowledge of the latest shelter practices. The staff is cross-trained enabling us to react quickly if a large number of animals come in to the shelter unexpectedly.
Animals arrive at the Humane Society 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our facility must be staffed every single day, and there is no way to predict when an animal will arrive in critical or tragic condition. As the pound for Sturgeon Bay, the City police regularly drop off lost cats and dogs. Town constables or other designated individuals throughout the county have that responsability in their areas as well. We receive animals from every municipality including Washington Island. And unfortunately, Door County is not immune from animal cruelty cases. It is the Door County Humane Society that is the refuge for those animals seized by the Sheriff’s Department.
For the past five years, the yearly population totals have escalated rapidly. Now, rather than the 28 cats the shelter was designed to hold, we routinely have 125 cats and have topped 200 in the kitten season from April through November. In December 2010 alone, 60 cats came in to the Door County Humane Society.
The Door County Humane Society is a 501 (c )(3) non-profit organization, receiving less than 5% of the total budget from governmental sources. It is our generous benefactors, members, businesses and Humane Heroes that contribute 95% of the funds needed to keep our doors open and supply shelves filled.
We are here to help every cat or dog that needs our attention. No animal found in Door County is turned away from the services provided by DCHS. This is possible only because of financial and volunteer help from so many open-hearted supporters. Please come for a visit or contact Executive Director Carrie Counihan to learn more about the shelter and the Capital Campaign.
