At the most recent meeting of the City’s Finance, Wage & Salary Committee, we considered the issue of funding for the Rhinelander Animal Shelter. Rhinelander is one of the last cities in Wisconsin to operate a municipal animal shelter. Other shelters around the state are operated by county government or, much more commonly, non-profit organizations like local humane societies.

We’re currently transitioning our animal shelter to a non-profit operation. This process began in late 2010 when a group of citizens presented their concerns about what budget cuts might mean for the quality of care for the animals housed at our shelter. Many of those citizens became members of the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee, which was formed to allow for strong advocacy for animal welfare. That same group is currently in the process of becoming the Oneida County Humane Society, which will take over full operation of the shelter on July 1st of this year.

A lot of dedicated people are putting in a lot of hard work to get this new arrangement off to a great start. Since the beginning, the group’s biggest concern has been animal welfare. After all, every animal in the shelter is a former or future family pet. That mindset is what makes the Humane Society the perfect choice for our shelter.

The new arrangement also creates a great opportunity for the City to realize a cost savings. Future arrangements will allow the City to fund only the services the City uses, with the Humane Society pursuing additional funding from the other organizations they serve. The City is committed to doing its part to make sure the shelter remains a stable, long-term operation, but moving forward the new group will need support from the whole community. I hope everyone will join in and help make the Oneida County Humane Society the great success it deserves to be.