WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — When the Humane Society of Marathon County finds itself responding to a large emergency involving animals that haven’t been cared for, it can be overwhelming.
Executive Director Lisa Leitermann says they work to keep up normal operations while caring for the animals that have just come under their care. “We’ll [maybe] slow down our surrenders, but we are still taking strays, doing adoptions, answering the phones- we are still doing the same amount of work. We know that those situations are going to come up, but it’s definitely stressful.”
For those who want to help, she says they are always in need of food and supplies like trash bags, paper towels, latex gloves, or cleaning supplies. “When the shelter is full, we are feeding a lot of mouths. For cat food or dog food, we prefer the Purina or Iams brands.”
She adds that cash is also useful, but the staff doesn’t always have time to run to the store, so when they do put out specific supply requests, they try to be as specific as possible. “It is super helpful to get those [specific] supplies, either through [our Amazon Wish List] or by dropping them off.”
If you are considering adoption, the kennels are full. “Now’s the time to do it, or really any time, but when these situations present themselves, we definitely see people get motivated or say ‘we’ve been thinking about it, but now is the time.'”
Leitermann says you can also invite her staff to your company events or outings, and they’ll bring dogs for you to play with. You can also share photos of adoptable dogs through social media to help raise awareness.
Story by WSAU News Director Mike Leischner, video edited by WSAU News Reporter Michael Crow. The dog featured in the video is Prism, a two-month-old hound dog currently up for adoption at the Humane Society of Marathon County. For more information, click here.
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