Published Amery Free Press, Osceola Sun 8-4-2025

This week’s Pet of the Week is Trixie, a one-year-old Husky mix who is as beautiful as she is full of personality. With a stunning all-white coat and mesmerizing heterochromia—one icy blue and one warm brown—Trixie turns heads wherever she goes. But somehow, this gorgeous girl has been with us for nearly two months, and we’re scratching our heads as to why.

Weighing just under 40 pounds, Trixie is the perfect “not-too-big, not-too-small” size. She adores people, is a hit with children, and plays wonderfully with other dogs. With a proper introduction, we believe she could even share her home with a cat or two.

Trixie is more than just a pretty face—she’s our reigning speed champion in the play yard and, arguably, our sassiest talker. When she’s not in the mood to do something, she’ll let out the cutest little under-the-breath mutters. She’s got spunk, charm, and all the makings of a fantastic companion.

While we love celebrating the wonderful animals here at the shelter, we also have a responsibility to help keep our community informed about important animal health issues. One such issue is rabies—a disease that’s still very real and dangerous, even today.

At the end of June 2025, a domestic cat on a farm in Mower County, Minnesota tested positive for rabies after displaying strange behavior, attacking the family’s dog, and biting two children. Thankfully, the family sought immediate medical care. While rare, cases like this are a sobering reminder that rabies isn’t just something wild animals carry—it can affect pets, too.

In Wisconsin, rabies is most commonly found in wild animals like bats, skunks, and raccoons. To protect both people and pets, the state has strict laws in place. Wisconsin State Statute 95.21(2) requires all dogs five months and older to be vaccinated against rabies.

Additionally, Statute 173.23(1)(c) says that if rabies vaccination is required by law (as it is here), animals being reclaimed from a shelter must either be current on their rabies vaccine or their owner must prepay for one before taking them home.

Our next Meat Raffle is happening this Saturday, August 9th at the DN Campground in Balsam Lake. The fun starts at 2pm—join us for meat prizes, a 50/50 raffle, and great company!

And don’t miss our 25th Anniversary Open House on Thursday, August 22nd, from 5–7pm at the shelter. Come celebrate 25 years of saving lives, supporting our community, and creating forever families.

Published Amery Free Press, Osceola Sun 7-14-2025

We’re bursting at the seams—literally. Arnell is currently at or over capacity for both dogs and cats. We are also currently short staffed and have not had an opportunity to post all of our adoptable pets on Petfinder so we are recommending people call or stop in. Six foster homes are caring for litters of kittens who are almost ready for surgery and adoption, our kennels are full, and we’ve had to temporarily close our surrender waitlist due to its length. We continue to get multiple calls daily from people needing to rehome dogs, cats, and entire litters of kittens that we are unable to help.

While our ultimate goal is to find every animal a loving, permanent home, there are still plenty of ways you can help—even if you're not ready to adopt.

Fostering is one of the most impactful ways to support our shelter. We’re urgently seeking foster homes for Tripp, a resilient little Cairn Terrier mix recovering from a rear leg amputation, and Remi, a sweet 7-year-old Silver Lab. If you’ve ever thought about fostering, now’s the time. We also offer a foster-to-adopt option if you're unsure whether a pet is the right fit for your home.

Not able to foster? Volunteer! Getting our dogs out of their kennels several times a day helps tremendously. It reduces stress, improves behavior, and makes them more appealing to adopters. Volunteers also provide invaluable insight into each animal’s personality. We also need volunteers to socialize cats and kittens. Whether it's walking a dog or cuddling a shy kitten, your time makes a big difference.

We’re incredibly grateful to our community for the outpouring of support that helped cover the cost of Tripp’s surgery—and then some. Donations beyond what was needed for Tripp have been added to our Veterinary Medical Needs Fund, which helps cover the costs of urgent medical care for other animals in need.

We’ve also seen a noticeable increase in unclaimed strays. If you’ve lost a pet, don’t panic—but act quickly. Start by leaving scent items outside (like unwashed clothing or bedding). For dogs, consider adding a small amount of liquid smoke to the area to help them scent home. Create a flyer with your pet’s photo and post it on PetFBI.org. Call your local animal control contact—this is usually your town chair or Dedicated Animal Control Services (DACS)—and notify the non-emergency number for local law enforcement. Post in area Facebook groups and always contact us directly.

Important tip: Please do not go out yelling or chasing your pet. This often drives them farther away. Also, we strongly advise against placing your cat’s litter box outside—unless it has been thoroughly cleaned and filled with fresh litter. A dirty box may attract predators and endanger your pet.

You can find us at 185 Griffin Street East in Amery. We’re open Monday through Friday from 12p to 5p; Saturday 12p to 4p; and closed on Sundays. Give us a call at (715) 268-7387 or visit our Facebook page (@arnellhumane).