Iowa County Humane Society

Serving the animals and citizens of Iowa County and its surrounding communities

We're Keeping Our Promises
An update on adoptions, sanctuary, treating animals with behavior issues and more. 

The bylaws and rules voted into place by ICHS members at the 2013 annual meeting started many things in motion. Here's an update about what's been going on as ICHS works to tend to the animals in our care and serve our community. We are a no-kill shelter and will not euthanize adoptable animals.

• Behavior Evaluations: We've always evaluated incoming animals for medical problems, but now new animals are also evaluated for temperament and behavior before they are put up for adoption. Our "Mod Squad" (or, Behavior Modification Squad) evaluates the animals to see if they are ready to be adopted, or could use some help on their behavior. The squad comes up with training scripts for each animal so that staff can work with the dogs to help them become the best dog they can be and find their forever home!
• Lost Now Found: Our new website link lets pet owners quickly see if their lost pet is at ICHS.
• Adoptions: animals are flying out the doors to new homes! In the 3 months since the annual meeting, 31 cats and 34 dogs have been adopted. Compared to 35 cats and 25 dogs in the same time in 2012. Many thanks to the adopters and to the ICHS staff for making this possible!
• Cooperation with Other Shelters: We've found that different types of animals are more or less adoptable in different areas of the state. We've partnered with other shelters around the state to send them some Iowa County animals that they say they should be able to place, and we take some of their animals for adoption in Iowa County. So far, ICHS has sent out 9 dogs and 8 cats out of the county, and 15 have been adopted!!! We've taken in 9 dogs and 0 cats from other shelters and 4 have been adopted. This has been a great way to get more animals adopted quickly, and keep them from staying at the shelter for too long a time. ICHS retains control over the animals we send to other shelters, and we would take them back if they were not adopted.
• Kitten Kadre: 17 kittens too young for adoption have come in to ICHS this year. Thanks to the efforts of the 6 loving families involved in the Kitten Kadre, those kittens were fed, weaned, and socialized and given a chance at life! Many thanks to the Kitten Kadre foster homes that made this possible!
• Puppy & Dog Fosters: Litters of puppies are being raised in foster homes, socialized with children, crate trained and started on house training. Adult dogs with special needs have been benefitting from a quiet home to recuperate from surgery, or care and training to improve their behavior. Sometimes, to become a wonderful pet, some dogs require more care than we can offer at the shelter. Our special foster homes provide that care.
• The Animal Status Review process was designed to let people of the community, ICHS members or not, request medical or behavioral evaluations of animals at the shelter. This was meant to make sure that ICHS was tending to the animals' needs, that potential adopters and staff were kept safe from aggressive dogs, and to avoid warehousing animals that were unadoptable. Trying to do right by the animals and the community. ICHS received 10 requests for reviews of animal status for 10 dogs. Each animal's file was reviewed to make sure they were properly taken care of and given the chances they should have been for care of their health, behavior, being promoted for adoption, etc. An advocate for each animal evaluated whether there was more ICHS could and should have done for the animal. Ultimately, the information was then passed on to a committee that decided what action should be taken, and the ICHS Board voted on whether to accept the recommendations. For animals that had medical or behavioral issues that could not be helped with the resources ICHS had, if they were unadoptable because of their conditions, and if they presented a significant hazard to people or other animals, they could be recommended for euthanasia. This is not an easy decision. The board, staff and volunteers looked high and low for special homes or sanctuaries where animals could be cared for instead of being euthanized.
• Sanctuaries: Sanctuaries take care of animals for the rest of their lives in an environment where they will be taken care of well, they can't hurt people or other animals, and, hopefully, they can heal. All sanctuaries have limits on how many animals they can take in, just think of the commitment for taking care of the special needs animals. No place has unlimited resources to do so. And, just because a place says it's a sanctuary does not mean it's a good place to send an animal. There were some places ICHS would not send an animal; the care, environment, and reliability were not acceptable. Bottom line: there are not many places we could send animals with aggression issues. 

 

About the Iowa County Humane Society

Prior to 1998 the odds of survival were not good for a stray or abandoned animal in Iowa County. The best scenario, but least likely to occur, was that the stray would be taken in by some kind soul and allowed to become a part of their family. The next best thing would be if a stray animal was captured and taken to the local vet clinic and hopefully claimed by its owner within the seven day holding period. If the animal went unclaimed, it was euthanized. Or, finally, the things which are never good but are what usually happened to abandoned animals: being hit by a car, killed by other animals, starving to death or dying from disease or illness or being shot by humans. Because of this, the Iowa County Humane Society was formed by a group of concerned, caring citizens who decided to find a humane solution to help save the stray, the abandoned, the unwanted and the neglected Iowa County animals from a tragic life or early death.

The Iowa County Humane Society (ICHS) began in 1998 with a simple goal in mind: "Find loving homes for stray and abandoned animals: save the animals!" With this in mind came many hours of meetings and many months of organizing. The group surveyed municipalities, formed by-laws, elected officers and made decisions. The most important decision by far was the unanimous vote by the newly formed humane society to embrace the philosophy and ethics of a no-kill shelter.

ICHS members began fostering animals who were not claimed by their owners from the local vet clinic. Phone calls were made, ads were placed and soon unwanted animals were finding forever homes. The word was spreading and ICHS members were receiving more and more calls about stray and neglected animals. Calls also came from people who were experiencing a lifestyle change and needed to find a new home for their devoted family pet.

ICHS became an incorporated business and 501c (3) non-profit organization in 1999. Since 1998, ICHS has found homes for over 2900 animals. In 2007 alone, over 600 animals found their way through our doors with almost 300 pets finding their new forever homes. Because of our no-kill philosophy, ICHS has been able to help and find homes for many animals who would have been euthanized in other areas. Euthanization of animals occurs only in the case of terminal health reasons for which there is no hope of a cure or in the case of behavioral issues which make an animal a danger to the community. ICHS incurs all of the costs for medical treatments as well as the costs for food, bedding and daily care for our average animal population of 130 cats and 45 dogs. In 2007, our income was approximately $165,000 with expenses of around $190,000.

ICHS offers adoptions of animals, assistance with re-homing pets, shelter services for stray/homeless Iowa County animals, educational programs for schools & community organizations, a Junior Humane Society as well as a Humane Officer for the investigation of cruelty/abuse cases. Please consider helping make a difference for the animals of Iowa County by becoming a member, adopter, volunteer or making a donation.

 

 

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Local Communities

Mineral Point
Dodgeville

Iowa County Humane Society
305 Co. Rd. YZ
P.O. Box 195
Dodgeville, WI 53533

Phone: 608-935-1381
Fax: 608-935-2884
e-mail: office@ichs.net

For additional contacts go to:
 Board of Directors and Staff

WI Dog Seller & Dog Facility Operator license #267019-DS

ICHS NEW Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday: 1:30pm - 6pm Wednesday: 1:30pm - 6pm Thursday: 1:30pm - 5pm Friday: Closed Sat/Sun: 1pm - 4pm

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Employment Opportunities: Kennel Attendant apply here

Interested in joining the Board of Directors? Learn more by clicking here.

© 2023 Iowa County Humane Society.     All rights reserved.
305 Co. Rd. YZ - Dodgeville, WI. 53533 | Phone: 608-935-1381 | Fax: 608-935-2884 | e-mail: office@ichs.net

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