News and Events

Be Kind To Animals Week Kicks Off to Great Start!!

Be Kind to Animals Week is May 4 through May 10! OHS hosted an event on Saturday at the Grafton Public Library to honor local kids for their creative posters, photography and poetry, all of which highlighted animals and the important role they play in our lives.

Meg Mackenzie from AM920 WOKY was in attendance as the emcee for the event. Thanks, Meg, for your dedicated support and fantastic job!

In addition to honoring the contest winners, we honored three volunteers, Maggie Szpot, Laurie Szpot and Mary Kate Duffy. Also honored were two Kind Kids, Alyson Rausch and James Zipter. The winning posters, photographs and poems are on display through May 10 at the Grafton Public Library’s Children’s Department.

Help save the cats rescued from Cedarburg home

Cedarburg Police responded to calls about odors coming from a home in Cedarburg after receiving complaints from neighbors last Friday. The conditions in the home were deplorable. Dozens of live cats have been brought to OHS for medical care. Additional cats have been found dead. All of the cats require medical care and OHS is seeking financial help from the community. Read more about these neglect victims and help them today!

We Raised the Woof!
The weather couldn't have been better for the 2007 Paws & Claws Gala at Pier Wisconsin. Perhaps the mosquitos were awestruck by the fabulous dresses and flew away; even they cooperated! The gala was a fantastic evening of silent and live auctions, dinner by Bartolotta's, music, dancing and even fireworks. George D. Dalton was also recognized with a special award for his generous contributions to WHS. All the proceeds raised will go directly to benefit the animals of the Wisconsin and Ozaukee Humane Societies.

Congratulations to Ann Zizzo for winning the grand prize of $10,000 cash in the raffle contest. The first prize winner was Mike Lauer, who won a 37’ 1080p HDTV LCD Monitor and a 8GB iPod Nano. Just in time for Packer season, too! Be sure to check out the glamorous gowns and even a very special guest in a tuxedo, below! (He's the one looking dog-tired).

We know that animal lovers come in all ages, yet we're often surprised by the generosity of children in our community. Children from Woodview Elementary School in Grafton recently donated nearly $1,400 to the Ozaukee Humane Society! This impressive fundraiser demonstrates the respect and kindness that children feel for animals. OHS thanks all the students, teachers, staff and parents involved with this event! A round of a-paws to all of you!

OHS Delivers Pet Oxygen Masks

to Ozaukee Fire Chiefs!

Board member, Laurie Yingling, pictured above and OHS Shelter Manager Kim Schultz, delivered 18 animal oxygen masks to the Ozaukee County fire chiefs during their monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 10. Port Washington State Bank representative, James Schowalter, posing with Esther the pooch, also stopped by the firehouse in Port Washignton. The bank donated a generous $825 to the fundraiser, which has now successfully equipped every firehouse and emergency response unit with an animal oxygen mask!

Help Save Dogs' Lives!

Concerned about Medical Schools using live dogs in laboratory settings?
Check out our official stance below. If you are interested in helping to save the dogs slated to be killed at the Medical College of Wisconsin, please use the contact information below, and be sure to visit the website: www.saveMCWanimals.org.

OHS Statement regarding the Medical College of Wisconsin’s use of live dogs in classrooms:

The Highway 45 billboard sponsored by the Physicans Commit-tee for Responsible Medicine reflects the frustration of people in our community who believe that alternatives exist to the dog lab being conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The Ozaukee Humane Society opposes the use of live animals for student training at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Man's best friend deserves better. The practice is inhumane and unnecessary, and degrades the ideals of compassion and respect for animals. Alternative methods which are successfully administered at the majority of medical colleges in the U.S. can be easily employed with existing resources available at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Visit: www.saveMCWanimals.org
Contact: Ryan Merkley, research program coordinator for the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, at 202-686-2210, ext. 336, or rmerkley@pcrm.org.
Write your local paper: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently carried an article on the SaveMCWanimals.org billboard and the dogs need your help to make sure this issue stays in the news. Please take a few minutes today to write a brief Letter to the Editor of the JS. Read the article here.

Showing off at OHS!

Nearly two hundred people came to the Ozaukee Humane Society on a stormy April 30, 2006 to celebrate the outstanding improvements made to the shelter facility. Guests were able to mingle with other dedicated supporters and they had the opportunity to meet adorable animals and ask questions of OHS staff and Board members about the addition and future goals for the shelter. Board Members Laurie Yingling & Tony Enea provided an overview of the expansion and future OHS goals. Visitors were very grateful that animals have such great surroundings to heal, relax and find new homes.

Thanks so much to Tony Enea of Ruvin Brothers Artisans & Trades of Glendale. They managed the project and were successful in getting 90% of the project donated by local contractors and trades people. An additional thank you goes out to hundreds of hard working OHS volunteers, the wonderful staff, Starbucks Coffee in Brookfield and Grafton for their generous donations and to caring OHS donors for their continued dedication to animals.

If you haven’t had a chance to see OHS’s new addition, please stop by and visit us!

OHS' New Look

A new addition at the Ozaukee Humane Society will give animals a lot more room to relax and take it easy.  OHS has added an additional third more space to help better serve animals and adopters.

This new space will provide prime real estate for some happy cats while they are waiting for new homes.  Rabbits and small animals will also get new apartments.  The revamped building now houses a new cat adoption room, a small animal room and more space for staff and storage.  These features will make it easier for potential adopters to meet their perfect match.  Ruvin Bros. Artisans & Trades of Glendale, Wisconsin managed the project and were successful in getting 90% of the project donated by local contractors and trades people.

Come out to OHS and check out its new look!

Compassionate People Help Combat Animal Suffering

On February 28, the Ozaukee and Wisconsin Humane Societies worked with local veterinarians and veterinary technicians to spay and neuter 148 animals for Spay Day USA, a national day of action to reduce animal overpopulation and thus, to prevent animal suffering.

While the goal was to spay 130 animals, a whopping 148 animals - 147 cats and one dog - were altered!  Not only did each animal get sterilized as part of the OHS and WHS Spay Neuter Assistance Program, they also received a thorough examination and vaccinations to help reduce the spread of disease.

The amazing number of sterilizations was achieved with the help of volunteer veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants, in addition to the dedicated WHS veterinary department staff.  Thank you so much to the following participants who donated their time and talents to help reduce animal overpopulation and made Spay Day 2006 the most successful yet!  Please be sure to patronize their organizations.

Virgil Baeza - Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center

Katie Bartberg - Animal Emergency Center

Dr. Nan Boss - Best Friends Veterinary Center

Heather Darbo, CVT - Animal Emergency Center

Dr. Cindy Farris - Forest Home Animal Clinic

Dr. Sue Fluhr - Tender to Tender Touch

Charmaine Herda - Forest Home Animal Clinic

Dr. Elisa Horsch - Best Friends Veterinary Center

Dr. Nancy Keefe - Small Animal Center

Dr. Lisa Kluslow - Best Friends Veterinary Center
Dr. Marla Lichtenberger - Animal Emergency Center

Dr. Nancy Lindner - Brentwood Animal Health Center

Dr. Linda Olson - Care Animal Clinic

Pamela Radabough, CVT - Best Friends Veterinary Center

Dr. Barb Rossi - Mobile Vet Care

Dr. Teresa Sahe - The Whole Pet

Erin Voelz, CVT - Animal Emergency Center

Andrea Ward, CVT - Animal Emergency Center

Cindy Wartner, CVT - Best Friends Veterinary Center

Sue Wegmann - Forest Home Animal Clinic

Everyone can help to reduce animal overpopulation! 

Here's how:

• Call OHS or WHS to see if you qualify for their Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), which is designed for those who understand the benefit of spaying or neutering their animal but cannot afford to do so.  To see if you qualify for SNAP, call (414) 431-6205.
• Spread the word about the importance of spaying and neutering companion animals to your family and friends.  Sterilization is the only humane means of ending overpopulation.
• Keep your cat indoors.  Cats are actually more likely to die prematurely from disease, speeding vehicles and human abuse while roaming outside. 
• If you see a free-roaming cat, call your local animal control facility.
• Support OHS and WHS so that homeless animals who need help can receive the care they need, while our education and veterinary staff work to curb the problems at their roots.  To make a donation to help OHS and WHS' lifesaving efforts, click here.

Veterinarians with Passion and Hearts of Gold

There are many compassionate people with big hearts and a strong desire to help cats - Wisconsin's most at-risk companion animals - and these people are coming together at the Wisconsin Humane Society on February 28.  These individuals will combat the suffering caused by cat overpopulation on Spay Day USA, a national day of action to reduce animal overpopulation and thus, to prevent animal suffering. 

Who are these dedicated people?  Not surprising, they are people who have dedicated their lives to helping animals.  Approximately 10 compassionate area veterinarians and 10 veterinarian technicians are driven to donate their time and talents to spay or neuter a goal of 130 cats on Spay Day through the Ozaukee and Wisconsin Humane Societies' Spay Neuter Assistance Program.  SNAP is designed for individuals who understand the benefits of spaying or neutering their animal, but cannot afford to do so.  This year, SNAP will focus on cats because they are far less likely to be altered than dogs.  By altering cats that would otherwise be contributing to the already staggering population of cats, these veterinarian staff will be reducing animal overpopulation and helping to prevent animal suffering. 

Watch this web site after February 28 for a list of the veterinarians and veterinarian technicians who selflessly donated their time and talents to help prevent animal suffering and be sure to patronize their organizations!