Jim McMullen, Executive Director at Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin, shared a lot of information about the shelter today. Unfortunately, the Zoom recording audio isn't audible, so you'll have to rely on some of my notes.

Did you know? The shelter capacity is 175 animals, averaging around 100, with another 100-150 animals in Foster Care homes. There are several ways that animals arrive at the shelter, and an interesting fact is that strays go on a 4 day hold, and on the 5th day that animal is owned by HSSW and can be adopted out. Jim talked about cats and the differences between community and feral cats- community cats have an established outside routine and can resist becoming a domesticated indoor pet. They follow a trap and release program and ear tipping is a sign that the cat has been treated and left wild. There are barn and working cat programs as well. Only 20% of all felines are domesticated housecats, a surprisingly low number.

He talked about low cost spay and neuter options, what they do with wild animals left on their doorstep (deliver to Madison), and how they currently offer surgeries in an outfitted van due to space constraints. You may have read about the recent ground breaking ceremony, 5 years in the making, which is currently having a capital campaign to raise the 4.3 million needed to complete the facility in 2022. The website has a wealth of information and you can reach out to Jim with any questions. https://www.petsgohome.org/about-us/