Tag Archives: Spay Neuter

Volunteers Needed for Howl and Meow!

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

Would you consider helping the Ocooch Mountain Humane Society with the May 5, Howl and Meow?

2013 marks the 11th anniversary of this feature-filled event celebration pets and their companions. An added bonus is that volunteers always have a good time working together for a great cause.

Work to be done at Howl and Meow:

Set up...begins at 8 a.m.  We need help setting up tables and chairs for many of the event areas.  We have a floor plan prepared to volunteers know where to place the furniture and other items.

Registration for the Pet Walk... two people are needed to check in the pets and people who are entering the Walk.

Kitchen and Grand and Glorious Food Stand…lots of fun in the kitchen with conversation and laughs. Help is needed at the counter greeting customers, taking orders, assembling sandwiches, cutting pies, cashiering.
Would you create a homemade pie? Please call 608-647-3461.

Plant Sale... help needed setting up table arrangement, checking in the donated plants (we keep a list of who donates to OMHS), pricing plants, cashiering the sales, boxing up the plants sold.  Proceeds go to help support the Spay Neuter Program.

Quarter Raffle…Help set up the table arrangement and place donated items on tables. Do you have an item or two to donate for bids?  Please call 608-647-3461. 

Photographer needed… Do you have a digital camera and would you be willing to take candid photos at Howl?  We need photos to document this 11th annual event.  Call 647-3461.

Videographer needed...OMHS would like to have video taken of various features of the Howl event. Video of the educational presentation would be especially needed.  A tripod-setup would be ideal to record the programs.  Please call 647-6453 or email info@ocoochmountainhumanesociety.org.


Thank you for your support of OMHS by volunteering your talent and time for Howl and Meow!  See you there!

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The OMHS membership list will be published in February

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

Just a reminder to OMHS members who have not yet renewed for 2013… the membership list will be published in the February issue of Pet Connection.  If you are a member of OMHS you will certainly want your name listed in this issue.  (And you know that everyone looks for the membership list right away to see who is and who is not a member!)

Pet Connection is probably the most important communication tool of OMHS.  (Of course, this website and Facebook are important, as well!) Pet Connection is published 6 times per year and is generally a 10 to 12 page document.  It is very newsy and there we do publish the name of folks who donate for Pet Care, make memorial gifts, donate for Spay Neuter clinics, and all other donation categories.  We do not publish those names here on the website.  The newsletter is the only way to read many, many things about OMHS. And we can send the newsletter to you via email as a pdf file.  You can save us the cost of bulk mail by your online reception of the publication.

If you are NOT a member of OMHS, please consider becoming a member.  You can go to the Membership page on this site for complete information and you can complete your membership online on the donation page.

Individual memberships are $10 per year

Family memberships are $25 per year

Senior and Student memberships are $5 per year

Lifetime memberships are $500

Business memberships are $75 per year.

 

Please join OMHS!  The more memberships we have the better opportunities we have for receiving grants.  Our Richland County area is small in population and rural in demographics so our membership numbers are important to granting institutions and organizations.  OMHS offers the programs and outreach that have great appeal for grant awards.  But we must keep up our membership numbers.  Help us, please. 

Thank you!

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Paws for the Holidays volunteers and generous donors create successful event!

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

The 3 November 2012, Paws for the Holidays event was very successful thanks to the hard work and talent of the volunteers who presented features of the day that appealed to a wide audience.  From the educational programs to the Amazing Bake Sale and the Pet Portraits there was activity in the Community Center all day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The event raised approximately $6,000 that will give a real boost to the treasury to pay for costs of Pet Care, Adoption Center rent, Spay Neuter expenses, and other program and project needs.  OMHS thanks everyone who attended the event, thanks to the volunteers who gave time and effort, and a big thank you to the businesses and individuals who generously donated items for the Silent Auction!

Featured at Paws for the Holidays were:

The Grand and Glorious Food stand… serving the wonderful Chicago style hot dogs and much more!

The Amazing Bake Sale

Pet Portraits

The Silent  Auction

Shoppe 'til You Drop

OMHS Cookbook photo contest

Egger's Wreaths

Ruki'sRags

Madison Area Herpetological Society information table

Sandhill Marketing… bird seed sales

OMHS shirt sales

OMHS memberships   new and renewal

Spay Neuter information table

Adoption information and photos of pets ready for adoption

All of these featured booths and tables were staffed by smiling, happy volunteers.  It was a great day for everyone.

And the educational programs were icing on top of the cake, so to speak.  We learned about feeding wild birds and their migration patterns and response to drought, plus learning about reptiles and amphibians as pets.

OMHS looks forward to Paws for the Holidays, 2013!  

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Another Biggest Year Yet for Spay Neuter Clinics

Posted on March 3, 2012 by

In 2011, the Ocooch Mountain Humane Society Spay Neuter clinics spayed and neutered 826 animals.  The exact numbers are: 597 cats and 229 dogs. 



Number % of Total
Cats spays 341 41%

neuters 256 31%
Dogs spays 121 15%

neuters 108 13%
Total
826 100%

This is a 2% increase for cats and a 6% increase for dog altering over 2010 numbers, which was also a very busy year for SOS clinics.  If all of these animals had produced just ONE litter in 2011 there would be many, many more cats and dogs in need of homes in our community. 

The OMHS spay/neuter program is intended to help families who cannot afford the full, usual sterilization fees for their pets.  This program is available to residents of surrounding counties as well as for the Richland county area resident animal population.  Call 608-604-9554 for information about the program and to find out about the appointment schedule.

Reduced cost spy/neuter is also available at local veterinary clinics in the area through the SNAP voucher program. Participating clinics include the Richland Veterinary Service and the Shireman Veterinary Clinic in Richland Center, the Spring Green Animal Hospital and the Dodgeville Veterinary Service.  Call OMHS at 608-604-9554 for more info about the voucher program.  OMHS is grateful for the ongoing generosity of these clinics helping with this important animal and community need.

February and March are very crucial months, indeed, for heading off the unwanted spring litters.  Tell your friends, neighbors, family members, and your co-workers about spay neuter procedures that are the only way to prevent unwanted pet pregnancy.  Raising kittens and pups is expensive and it is difficult to find homes for young pets.  Preventing the birth of kittens and pups that families cannot manage is the only solution to a very tragic situation… the abandoned pets found hungry, starving, injured, and desperately clinging to life.

Please spread the word that OMHS has special programs right now for large dogs, 40 pounds and upwards, and for Richland County farm cat populations.  Give us at call at 608-604-9554 and OMHS can help. 

Funds are always needed to help keep the spay neuter program functioning smoothly and efficiently and reaching out to pet owners who need assistance. Volunteers are, of course, very welcome.  Please to to the Spay Neuter page on this website for more information.  Your inquiries are very welcome.


Posted in Archives - All Archives, OMHS News - Archive, Pet Health & Safety - Archive | Tagged ,

8 Pin Tap to Support the Work of the OMHS Spay Neuter Clinics

Posted on March 2, 2012 by

Bowlers, get ready for some fun on the alleys at The Phoenix Center on Sunday, March 25!  This second annual 8 Pin Tap is a fund raising event in support of the OMHS Spay Neuter clinics.  If you are a great bowler, a good bowler, or a beginning bowler this will be a fun time for family fun or for a group of friends just out to enjoy a great time together.  The Phoenix Center is located on US Highway 14 right in Richland Center. 

There are three shifts for bowling: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.  The cost is $10 for adults and $6 for children.  There are cash prizes and the scores will be high and lots of fun to watch as they reach astronomical heights. $3.50 goes for cash prizes, $3.00 goes to the OMHS Spay Neuter  clinics,  and $3.50 goes to The Phoenix Center expenses.

There will be a Chinese raffle with very nice prizes such as a Harley-Davidson poker set, never used, in a sleek carrying case. Other prizes include a fully outfitted picnic basket, very nice framed art prints, and more.  Bring your ready to go mailing labels to stick on the tickets you purchase for the raffle.  The labels save you the time of writing, by hand, your name over and over and over on the tickets.  The more tickets you place into the designated container for the prize you really want to win, the better chance you have to win that special item.

What is an 8 Pin Tap? An 8 Pin Tap is a bowling tournament with the following rules: If you knock down 8 pins on the first ball you throw in each frame (your turn to bowl) it is counted as a strike. ( A strike is a good thing!) Of course, if you get 9 or 10 pins on that ball it is still a strike…8 pins is the minimum to have a strike in this tournament. With any ball that knocks down less than 8 of the bowling pins you have to roll the ball again to try to get the “spare”… i.e. knock down the rest of the pins left standing.

 

Sign up sheets are at The Phoenix Center.  You may call the Center at 608-649-7469 for information about the 8 Pin Tap or call the OMHS Spay Neuter clinic number at 608-604-9554.

 

Why does the Spay Neuter clinic need to raise funds?  The OMHS Spay Neuter program is an outreach effort to help individuals and families who need financial assistance "fixing" their dogs and cats.  Unwanted and unaffordable litters of pups and kittens present a real struggle for folks who are under economic stress right now. Please read more about the mission and work of this program on the Spay Neuter page on this website.  Your donations are important and your presence at the 8 Pin Tap to have some fun shows support and interest in this effort to reduce the over-population of unwanted pets.

 

Lace up those bowling shoes and have some fun!  Sunday, March 25, see you there.

 


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Fifth Anniversary of the OMHS Spay Neuter Clinics

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

November 2011 was the fifth anniversary of the OMHS Spay/neuter outreach clinics… the SOS clinics.  These lower cost clinics are offered in partnership with the Dane County Humane Society's Shelter Outreach Services.  OMHS was the first rural humane society to sign up for this service when it began in the autumn of 2006, and together we learned how to offer this important program in an efficient and effective way.

At least 2800 cats and dogs have been spayed of neutered through these outreach clinics.  We have had big farm dogs and teacup-sized pups, friendly house-cats and many farm cats and ferals who had never had veterinary care of any kind. Every clinic seems to bring a different mix of critters, making the work interesting as well as rewarding.

For a limited time only we have special grant funds for large dog sterilization procedures.  These are dogs 40 pounds and over.  Call right away… 608-604-9554

The veterinarians and vet techs from Dane County have been exemplary in their professionalism and their ability to adjust to the challenges of each clinic.  Our volunteers who help with a myriad of jobs at each clinic are indispensable.  And we, of course, need more volunteers.

OMHS also has a SNAP voucher program that provides reduced-cost spay/neuter services at area veterinary clinics for financially-needy pet owners.  Discounted rates from the Richland Veterinary Service, Shireman Veterinary Clinic, and the Spring Green Animal Hospital are greatly appreciated.

The OMHS SOS program is intended to help families who cannot afford the full usual sterilization fees for their animals.  this program is available to residents of surrounding counties as well as Richland area residents.  Please call 604-9554 to make an appointment or to find out about SNAP vouchers.  Don't delay making the call.  Clinics fill up very fast.  Avoid the spring explosion of kittens and pups… have your animals "fixed."

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Wish List for OMHS

Posted on December 5, 2011 by

Every organization has needs and wishes and the Ocooch Mountain Humane Society is no exception !!  Below is the list it items needed as 2011 draws to a close and we look forward to the adventures of 2012.

Items for the Pet Food Pantry:

  • Dog biscuits/ treats
  • Cat treats
  • Puppy food in bags
  • Bags of good quality dog and cat food.  The really low priced, low quality foods are a problem for pets.  They have to eat much more to get any nutritional value from it.  A medium to high quality food means the pet eats less, gets better nutritional balance, and is more healthy and active.

Items for the Adoption Center:

  • Arm & Hammer litterbox deodorizer
  • Air Purifier … about $700… donations of any size toward the purchase of this item will be very helpful
  • Laundry detergent
  • Lysol cleaner
  • Swiffer replacement pads, wet kind
  • paper towels
  • Bleach
  • Scrub brushes… small to medium, hand held
  • Dish detergent
  • Cat trees for climbing, fun, and snoozing.  About $140 each.  Donations towards the purchase of cat trees are very welcome.

Items for the Spay Neuter clinics:

  • Medium-sized cat carriers
  • Live traps suitable for capturing feral cats
  • Two (2) plastic shelving units with five shelves
  • Treats or lunches for volunteers
  • Volunteers for the late-afternoon clinic shifts ( allows the folks who have been there since 6:30 a.m. to leave by mid to late afternoon)
  • Forever postage stamps
  • #10 envelopes
  • Copy paper
  • HP #98 black ink cartridges
  • HP #95 color ink cartridges
  • HP #21 black ink cartridges


Donations from the Wish List can be dropped off at the Adoption Center, the Richland Vet Service, or the Shireman Vet Clinic.  Donors can also email OMHS and arrange another drop off location.

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Spay Neuter Clinics Awarded Grants!

Posted on October 29, 2011 by

PetSmart Charities® has awarded a grant to the OMHS lower cost Spay Neuter clinics. We are very grateful for this assistance!

The grant will help us continue extra discounts for spay/neuter costs for pets from financially-strapped families. The funds can be used for any Richland County cats if there is financial need.

  • S/N clinic managers are making a special push to get Richland County FARM CATS in for spay/neuter. We can REALLY reduce surgery prices for these farm cats.
  • The grant funding will help OMHS continue work to reduce the SEVERE cat overpopulation problem in our County.
  • OMHS Spay Neuter clinics will continue to spay/neuter cats from surrounding areas outside our County lines… yes! But the special PetSmart Charities® grant funds are to be used only for Richland County pet owner cats.
  • OMHS members… do you have neighbors, friends, or family members who have been putting off spaying or neutering their cats? Please, please, please give them our number… 604-9554. Or better yet, give them a hand, actually help them make the call for an appointment for their cats.

The OMHS Spay Neuter clinics can loan live traps for farm or feral cats. We have lots of experience to share in the techniques of trapping skittish, suspicious, wary cats!

Cold weather is on the way and NOW is the perfect time to get as many animals as possible “fixed.” Spay and neuter is the only permanent, 100 % effective method of birth control for dogs and cats!

For clinic dates and scheduling appointments please call 608-604-9554. Clinics fill up very fast.

Volunteers needed, of course! With extra spay/neuter clinics continuing to be added, we could use more volunteers! It is fun to work at the clinic, and hands-on opportunities are endless for tending animals prior to surgery and watching over them after the procedure. Thanks are due to all our volunteers for their dedication and gift of time and effort!

Information provided by Spay Neuter committee chair.

This summer season we have had help from several area students including Lindsey, Amber, Christina, Abid, and Chelsea. Lindsey is training to be a veterinary technician… maybe volunteering would inspire others to choose a career in animal care and health, as well!

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Just one of the Spay Neuter stories

Posted on December 11, 2010 by

Jeannie’s story…..

In 2007, one feral momma cat came to our farmette. She promptly gave birth to 5 kittens so that made 6. We tried to find homes for them with no luck because of the over-supply of cats and kittens in Wisconsin. Those kittens grew up and then became moms and dads. The story continues down this path until 2010. Spring 2010, we had 13 momma cats that all had kittens within a 3 week period. We had a huge problem! Over 50 kittens and counting! We didn’t know how or where to start dealing with so many. With help from some great friends, we started bringing cats to Ocooch Mountain Humane Society for their spay/neuter clinics that are held twice a month. We brought a total of 38 cats and kittens to the clinics. The last one …a shy, wily mom who was very hard to catch…was fixed in October. A rescue group in Madison offered to place some of the kittens, so we are now down to a manageable number of cats at our rural home…ALL neutered or spayed. We could not have done this without the help of our friends or the great people at the OMHS! And if another stray should come along…we’ll be headed right to the spay/neuter clinic.

We learned the hard way- Please get your pets spayed or neutered!!

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