Coulee Region Humane Society, Inc.

Imagine for a moment that you were called to a 2-story home to assist with the removal of several cats. You walk up towards the front porch and spot bags of garbage and boxes of litter, you know this is only a glimpse of the conditions inside. You walk through the door, over thirty cats scatter in all directions, leaving behind a floor full of food and trails of used litter. You work for several hours, moving through the clutter and the chaos, chest heavy from the ammonia even though you’re wearing a mask, to find the few cats and kittens who were able to be kenneled and transferred to the shelter for care. This was the experience of our Kennel Manager and Lead Cat Caregiver while they assisted in the removal of several cats in need in Mid-October. 

Now we need your help to save the lives of the 30+ remaining cats.
 

The largest hoarding case we’ve seen all year began the week of October 12th, 2020 when we received a call from a woman who was desperately in need of help to remove over 50 cats from her property. Though she is outside of our county of operations, we decided to work hand in hand with her local organization and successfully transferred 9 cats and kittens in to our care on October 15th. Unfortunately, the work was still not complete and the situation only became more dire from there. Her local organization reported her to the Health Department who mandated she must remove all but three cats before October 30th.

Having done what we could, and trusting that her local organization would continue helping her remove the remaining cats from her property, we were shocked to receive a phone call on the 30th stating she had not heard anything from them and again needed our help because her deadline was up. Seeking an explanation, we reached out to her local animal shelter and were told they were no longer allowed to accept any animals due to orders handed down by their board of directors. This meant this woman’s only options were to: let them outside to fend for themselves and continue breeding or have a veterinarian come in and euthanize each and every cat.

We could not sit by and watch that happen. We immediately contacted her local Health Department and asked if they would be willing to extend her deadline so we could help. We began moving forward and put a plan in place to raise the funds necessary to not only bring each and every cat in to our shelter, but provide them with the care they need to have a happy, healthy life.

We need your help to raise at least $3,000 to be able to commit to caring for these cats and prepare them for their new lives and forever families. On top of routine vaccinations and needing to be spayed and neutered, we anticipate at least half of the cats will need treatment for upper respiratory illness due to the conditions of their home. Many of the kittens are likely to require ringworm treatment as the kittens we previously removed from the property are currently receiving ringworm treatment.

Our mission states that we strive to actively promote the humane treatment of animals and promote positive human-animal relationships. For this reason, we cannot ignore these 30+ cats who deserve a chance at a better life, with a loving family who is able to promise them a better future.

Will you help us give them a second chance?

The Coulee Region Humane Society is asking for your assistance to help cover some recent urgent medical costs that have accrued in September. We take pride in making sure that the health of our animals is a top priority, so when an animal arrives at our facility, we always assess his or her medical needs as soon as possible. The costs can sometimes range anywhere from a hundred to over a thousand dollars, depending on the severity and procedure required.


One of the medical cases is Regan. This 1-year-old female cat came into the shelter as a stray. Thin, dirty and stressed, it didn’t take long for us to notice that something wasn’t quite right with her right hind leg, and upon closer inspection, we noticed that she had a leg deformity that made her entire hind leg face backward. After consulting with a veterinarian, it was recommended that Regan undergoes a leg amputation.


We also have Lulu, a 19-week-old kitten, who came into the shelter thin, dehydrated, and her right eye was completed covered by a 3rd eyelid. Due to the condition of her eye, it was recommended that she have an eye enucleation, which is the complete removal of her right eye. This story is like Uno’s, a 1-year-old cat, who came to us as a stray with a ruptured left eye. He will also be undergoing an eye enucleation. Each enucleation costs roughly $350.


Since we receive animals of all ages and conditions at the shelter, it is not uncommon for us to have our animals undergo a dental procedure while they are here. This month we have seven animals that must receive dental work in the next few weeks. Each dental costs anywhere from $300 on up which can be quite a strain on our medical funds when we have a large quantity to cover.

Our goal is to reach $4,000 since the month is only halfway over and we are in dire need of funding to help the current animals in our care and any of our future candidates in the days or weeks ahead. Thank you to everyone and anyone who can donate at this time, we could never do what we do without your generosity and support.

More information about Coulee Region Humane Society, Inc.: Our mission is to actively promote the humane treatment of animals and positive human-animal relationships. We strive to be a resource to our community and a go-to place to learn about animal care, welfare, ethics, and treatment.

The lives of Kramer and Linguine changed dramatically when their owners left them, afraid and alone on area roadsides.

Kramer, a sweet and spunky Yorkie/Maltese mix was left to wander the road directly outside of CRHS until a staff member noticed him and brought him to safety. After giving him some time to settle in, we found that at 15-years-old, Kramer needs extensive dental work including extractions. We want to help this energetic old pup keep the pep in his step by providing him the dental care he needs to be pain free.  

Linguine, a timid but loving Pit Bull was found abandoned at a rest stop in Minnesota. After being told by the local authorities to leave her sitting on the roadside, CRHS decided it would be best if the kind-hearted community members who found her left her in our care. Upon arrival it was clear that she had medical concerns. Further examination revealed Linguine will need surgery to remove a sizeable mass on her mammary glands as well as chest x-rays. We are hopeful her x-rays show her mass is not cancerous and did not spread any further. On top of needing this life changing surgery, Linguine will need to be spayed which is costly at her age. We want to give her the best chance at a new life, free of masses and medical uncertainties.  


Linguine's care alone will cost over $1,500. Kramer’s dental will be hundreds more.

We cannot do this without your help.

 

Every donation, big or small, will take us one step closer to providing Kramer and Linguine the care they need to move on to the next chapter of their lives. As always, we thank you for your support!