I am honored to work with the Sauk County Humane Society, where NO animal is turned away. Taking in ALL animals is expensive. That is why I'm walking on May 3 and asking for your support.

Let me explain. The popular “no-kill” movement is simply not enough unless a shelter also operates under an open admissions policy. When a shelter fails to intake every animal, the shelter leaves behind animals. A longtime animal welfare advocate, Esther Mechler aptly uses the term “ghost animals” for animals left behind. How can a shelter be proud of its high save rate when that shelter turns away some of the animals who need them, or worse yet, when the reputation of managed admissions policies prevents people from even asking whether they can surrender an animal? “Ghost animals” are not counted, and shelters fail to fully serve the people, animals, and donors in their communities in a critical way that is just not counted.

I fully support Sauk County Humane Society because it is the only 100% open admissions shelter out of Wisconsin's 72 shelters. As such, we regularly take in animals outside the borders of Sauk County. We do not charge a surrender fee, insist on surrender appointments, or impose waiting periods to surrender animals. As an open admissions shelter, Sauk County Humane Society does not add to the agonizing plight of "ghost animals".

Many animals we intake are frightened or aggressive upon arrival, or come to us with severe injuries, diseases, or in horrible pain. Perhaps this is the reason other shelters turn them away. With our staff and veterinary care, over time most of these animals thrive. However, not every animal mends under our care and it breaks our hearts. Yet we still remain steadfast in our efforts to try to help every animal, and each time we save one, our hearts leap with joy. WE COUNT ALL ANIMALS!