The Domino Effect

A nice news story came out over the weekend regarding the positive changes that are happening at the Sheboygan County Humane Society.  These changes have been a long time coming, and hats off to the citizens who refused to sit idly by as their local shelter killed over 40% of the animals in their care in 2012.

Here is a quote from the article and you can read the entire story at this link.

"With the hiring last December of a new executive director and the addition of seven new board members, the Humane Society is looking ahead. "The past is the past and all we can do is rebuild for the future," said Executive Director Leah Helms. "We're looking for community support and we're here to support the community." The Humane Society was embroiled in scandal last year, when former executive director Eilene Ribbens was arrested and charged with a felony and a misdemeanor for using the agency's veterinarian's license to order large amounts of prescription medications off the books." 

Interestingly enough, under previous leadership, the Sheboygan County Humane Society had listed themselves on a website, No Kill Network,  which claims to be a list of No Kill facilities in America. Obviously, there is no vetting of the statistics and the list cannot be relied upon to provide accurate information.   

If you would like to see a list of No Kill communities that have been documented please check OutTheFrontDoor.com .   This is the only reliable list currently available. 

The progress in Sheboygan should be heeded by the other regressive shelter directors and  their boards of directors who refuse to acknowledge that killing healthy and treatable animals is no longer acceptable in America. The public is also becoming wise to the "Smoke and Mirrors" games used by many Wisconsin shelters which use the following tactics to hide their high kill rates:  inflated Owner-Requested Euthanasia numbers; creating their own definition of "Adoptable"; and claiming to not kill for "Time and Space"

Whose next? Which will be the next domino to fall? There are active groups looking to reform  Sauk County Humane Society in Baraboo (over 50% kill rate), Fox Valley Humane Association in Appleton (over 50% kill rate), and Washburn County Humane Society in Spooner (over 60% kill rate). These shelters refuse to listen to the public's concerns. Never a good thing when you rely on donations, volunteers and public support to keep your doors open.

Thank you to everyone who is speaking up.  The animals are depending on you.

" A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody 
ought not to be trusted by anybody." 

-Thomas Paine