Okay, cameras rise and shine and don't forget your booties cut this cold out there. It's cold out there every day
What is this Miami-Bee come to hardly? That's right. What chuck chuckers. It's
How I propose to have somebody from the Wisconsin Humane Society on Groundhog Day Angela speed who is the vice president of the
marketing communications from the Wisconsin Humane Society joining me this morning. Happy Groundhog Day.
Happy Groundhog Day. Good morning to you. I feel so bad for that punks of 20-filled groundhog. They
lift them up. He just put me back. That's I don't want to go. Will you go these people staring at me,
yelling at me, screaming at me, music playing everywhere. I'm scared to death. Put me back.
And so he did not. He did see a shadow this morning.
Is that what it did see it six more weeks of winter. That's the bottom line. And people are saying,
Oh, really? Now we got six more weeks of winter. Like that groundhog really is going to predict
some winter. Anyway, so that's Groundhog Day today. Groundhog is what a wood chuck is that what they are?
So your death is as good as mine this morning. I don't know, but they are awfully cute. They are
very cute. Yeah, and apparently they see the shadows a lot. So okay, we're going to talk about
animals this morning, animal safety that we're going to kick off with. And it's cold weather. And
I have neighbors somewhere on the neighborhood. I hear the dogs barking all night long. They
leave their dogs out in this ice cold weather. And I don't get it. Now I know some dogs live outside,
oh, you know, most of the year, but when it's that cold outside below zero, take them in.
Yeah, when it was, when we had that cold winter advisory with the Arctic temperatures,
it's just really not safe to let your dogs outside for any duration of time,
except for short patty breaks. We actually closed one of those days because it was so dangerous.
And they are so susceptible to frostbite on their paws, their tail, and their ears. So you really
need to keep those patty breaks short. And even northern breed dogs, unless they're acclimated
to the cold, they really can't be outside that long either. And most of us don't have flood dogs. And
even though dogs have access to safe warm shelter, I notice in summertime, I let my dog out.
They have a whole bunch of beagles. They'll let them out. They meandered the backyard in the
middle of the night, Roman or wherever, but when it was cold outside, bang in and out. That's
what they want. I'm not going to waste any time. Now, here's one of the problems I found out with
my dog and my neighbor's dog. He just told me recently, when they're walking outside on this ice
cold pavement, they have to start lifting up their paws because they can't stand the cold.
And so they start walking on three legs and they alternate their legs because it's cold.
Yeah. And when you start seeing that podience, that's a good sign to get them back inside. But
some people have a lot of success with boots for dogs. They do make, I know. I have it personally,
but they make a lot of different kinds now. Some of them are just like socks. And so more dogs
will tolerate them. And that can provide like that additional layer between the concrete and
their pop pad. We have also found, especially during these cold stretches, that some dogs just don't
want to go outside. And so we've got a lot of tips on how to encourage them to use potty outside.
Some people will snowblower shovel a patch of grass. And putting straw down, if you have access
to straw, that can actually really help you to help inflate so their pop pad don't start to freeze.
We had a, whenever I used to snowblower, when we had a snowstorm, I used to snowblow a path
to under the pine trees in the backyard because there was no snow under there. And then I did a
pattern around the yard so they had a walking path to go through. And when the snow went away,
so all the poop and everything in that exact path. But it was good because for little beagles,
if they couldn't get through the snow, it wasn't. So this walking path was nice. So snowblower
a path through the backyard, they'll like it. The booty thing, tried it. It was a fight to get them on.
And there was kicking. There was howling. And they found he didn't get them on. He'd pull them off.
And so we decided the booty thing is not going to work. He just didn't like them.
Some dogs like him. Some dogs like coats and sweaters and stuff. My dogs just never like that
stuff. They fought. I was able to get this Velcro vest on the Velcro thing around their body
when it was really cold. That I was able to get on because it was really easy to put it on.
Anything you had to put the paws through. Forget it. It was fighting, kicking, screaming, howling,
nipping. There was everything going on. So, all right. No Halloween costumes. I am at that.
But during when one of the dogs we used to bring in the parades in Racine, whether it was the
Fourth of July parade or the St. Patrick's Day parade, able to put stuff on her head on his head,
like the Shamrock's on his head hats. I'm sure we didn't like it, but he tolerated it. And he
would look out the window of the van and he had all that stuff on his. It was kind of nice.
All right. So cold weather. Be careful with your pets. We had a cat the other day in the tree.
Not in the area, but in the neighborhood that hung over and the crows were just screaming at this cat.
And it was in a space and the cat was up there for a while because I see the tail.
And my wife said, well, let's get a ladder. The ladder, you need to hook a ladder to get up that tree.
What are you talking about? I'm going to climb that tree. I'll be killed and the cat will probably
jump out anyway. So it took about a half hour, but the cat I didn't see the tail anymore. So I
guess he climbed down. But is that the story? Cats can climb up but can't get down. Is that the
story with them? They almost always can come back down. There have been a couple stories worth
after like literally almost a week. A cat still been in a tree and has been rescued after that.
But they they're so smart. Almost almost I've been 99% of the time they can come down all by themselves.
Well, we we made noise to get the crows away from the cat and then they just show the tail up.
They're going back and forth by like a metronome and eventually I didn't see it anymore. So I assume
the cat got down. All right. Let's get a sneak peek of the pet walking at the petrifying spring.
So just there yesterday. It's coming up August 2nd August 1st. Whoa August 1st.
Let's just there yesterday getting water out of that aquifer thing they have there. We stop by
the every month or so. All right. So I see a lot of dogs around yesterday. It was in relatively
nice day. It was in the 20s near 30. So it was day to get out to the place just loaded with dogs
walking there. Let's talk about the pet walk. Yeah. It's it's hard to remember what summer
is like. But our team is super busy planning. Pat walkin is super excited about all of the events
and festivities that we're going to have planned. But in registration isn't even open yet. It's
a couple weeks away. But wanted to make sure to share a little sneak peek. So pet walk is Saturday
August 1st at Petrifying Springs Park. Pat's Park in Kenosha. It was one of our most successful
events last year. There were well over 300 people and dogs and some other animals there. And of
course, it's a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Humane Society's work. And it's just a blast. There's
food and live music activities, a doggy costume contest. So it's lots of fun. And you can keep an
eye out for that on our website. Let's talk about the fundraising because I have like
I think it's about 12 animal charities I give to each year. And Wisconsin Humane Society's
one of them. But that was our civic media charity in Southeast Wisconsin this year. We chose
two charities. Yours was one of them. And it takes a lot of money to take care of these animals.
When there's a holiday, the animals still eat. They still need care. Somebody's got to be there.
Well, over the weekend, I guess we're going to lock up. No, you can't lock up. Somebody's got
to be there. Holidays, weekends, because you can't leave them alone. So and this is how many
how many places do you have in Wisconsin? Um, so we've got a six sheltering locations in this
Bay Newder clinic. So, um, we're seeing Kenosha Milwaukee, Soxville, Door County, and Green Bay.
And just recently we kind of go for years, we've been saying that we serve 40,000 animals
in their families every year. And like, wait a minute, I've been using that number for
almost 10 years. And we are well over, you know, 65, 70,000 animals in their families who
received some sort of support or services or rehoming vaccine clinics, um, to the shelters
every year. And of course, we're an infinite nonprofit. We don't receive any general government
funding. And so we truly rely on the community's generosity. And our every single year, our biggest
expense is always that daily animal care and veterinary expenses, um, about 70% of the
animals coming through our doors need some sort of medical intervention or behavior support that
goes way beyond just a newter. Well, I, and I don't like paying credit cards. I know a lot of
people do I send cash, you know, I know that's bad. They say don't do it, but so far you guys are
getting it. So I just spend I cash in the mail. I'll send a check if it's a lot of money, but
the most part, but people can play pay by gift card, whatever. And you do that. What's your website?
It's w i humane.org. Um, and certainly we take donations by check. Um, there's also wish list
on our website of the items that we are in highest need of. And at the top of the list are
always dog treats, hot dogs and dog toys, um, to keep those, keep those dogs happy while they're
with us. Angela Speed, who is the vice president of marketing and communications for the Wisconsin
New Mains Society joining me today. I had two animal stories in the news recently. One was really
amazing how this dog, this man fell through the ice. And what they did was they hooked a rope on
to the dog's collar and he went out there on the ice and gave the man the rope and then came back
and they were able to pull the man out. Amazing. Doug didn't know what he was doing, but he knew he
did that. The other one was in Milwaukee. This woman lost her sheets of dog and she was all upset.
She got a local, she got a call from the local bar. It seems the dog that left her house ran down
to the bar right inside, trying to get warm. And the bar called her said your dog is here.
He just walked out of the house, went to the bar for a little drinky poo and she got him back,
but funny. We walked down to the bar right down the bar. Okay, let's talk about things coming up
with the Wisconsin New Mains Society. We talked about cold weather safety. We're going to repeat that
before the bottom of the hour. There'll be a pet walk at Petrifying Springs Pet Park. How
how I propose on Saturday, August 1st, let's talk about the summer camp spots and scholarships now
open. Cab critter camp on leashed junior vet camp. Oh, I love that. Let's talk about that.
My daughter loved that one too. So we have registration open for our summer camps right now at
the Racine campus. So if you've got a kid or no kid completing first grade all the way up to
ninth grade, we have fantastic week long camps in the summer. And they're definitely geared towards
the kids age. So camp critters for the little ones and then camp unleashed and junior veterinary
camp. And seriously, my daughter did all three of those camps and absolutely love them. There's
been fantastic kids in those groups. Our teachers are amazing. And there's all sorts of activities.
Of course, that they do and spend every day hanging out with animals. And so those camps are in
July and August this year at Racine. And I know it's early, but parents are on top of camps in the
summer. So I would definitely look at those camps and register early. There's also camp full camp
scholarships available too. We don't want cost to be a barrier for attending. And so teachers,
parents and guardians can nominate their kids for our camp scholarship and that covers all of the
costs. See, that would be for me when I, if I was a kid, I went to camp when I was a kid.
I just did the kids in the neighborhood did. I just didn't. This would have been perfect for
me because I love animals. So yesterday it was this woman who my daughter, my daughter, my wife
grew up with little kids together. Her granddaughter was having her three-year-old birthday yesterday.
So we went to the birthday party. And she was running around in a little vet outfit.
Her grandmother bought her this, you know, the long coat. She looked like a surgeon, but it was a
vet because that paws on it. And she was going around. She's got two dogs, a Chihuahua and a gold
in the receiver. And neither one of these dogs wanted to be pulped and prided by this three-year-old.
So she was just running around with the outfit. It was so cute. Now, she was chasing the dogs around.
The little Chihuahua last time I was here wanted nothing to do with me, growling,
snarling, wanting nothing to do with me. Yesterday I wasn't so bad compared to what was in that room.
So the Chihuahua went up to my leg and I was able to pet her, scratch her neck, you know,
and rubber belly and stuff. But because I was better than what was Elsa in that room with this
kids chasing her with the vet stuff. So she had a little vet outfit. She had the hat. They
looked like a surgeon's outfit, but it was for a veterinarian. I didn't really have those.
But it was really cute. She had the whole whole everything down, but she's chasing the dogs around
because she wants to examine them. And I don't want to be down. So, but it was...
Some of the animals might be better patients than a little Chihuahua, but that's adorable.
And it's funny, but there's a veterinarian shortage right now in the country. And so start
them young. Because there are so many opportunities right now in veterinary medicine.
From that text to veterinarians, we're hiring both positions. It's a very high-end
Indian field right now. So she's only three, but hopefully that she'll continue tracking towards
the sciences. I wish they'd taken a picture of her running around that little vet's outfit.
Maybe the hat and special glasses and that long frock coach she was wearing.
And I said, he sure she's not a surgeon. She goes, no, look, it says the little paw prints on
the, on the lapel. I said, all right, she's a, she's a vet, little scarlet running around three
years old. Yeah, maybe she found her calling already. Okay. And you guys are hiring, right? What
are you hiring for? Oh, we have so many fantastic positions open right now. And speaking of camps,
we have paid summer counselor positions that are seasonal that are posted right now. And like I
said, veterinarians, that text, certified vet texts are incredibly high in demand. And then,
of course, adoption counselors and animal care, there's some admin positions posted. So new year,
new you, if you're looking for a new opportunity, I've been with it with Guns and Humane Society for
20 years. You know, the sad part is over 20 years, you've seen so many dogs come and go.
And see, that's why I couldn't work. I could never let a dog go. I know they're getting adopted,
they're going to be happy. But you know, I remember somebody said, why don't you foster an animal?
I couldn't because I couldn't give them up. And that's why at one time we had four dogs,
because I couldn't give them up. Every, every old dog we adopted from a shelter, I said,
well, I got to keep it. I'm not going to let this dog go. I fell in love with it. I still
look at the videos of them running around the backyard. Now they were older dogs, so they didn't
they didn't we weren't didn't have them that many years. But still just loving, you know, walking
around and running around the backyard. And I couldn't give them up. But yeah, if you work with it,
I would, I would just love every animal there. Yeah, you know, and whether it's adoption or
the most magical moment, they're actually when animals are reunited with their family,
that they've been lost. And to see those reunions happen, there's some pretty special magic in that.
And dogs don't forget. I saw the video of a, a dog who was lost for a couple of years. They
finally got him back. And when the owner came back from his tour of duty, wherever he was in the
world, the dog recognized him immediately after all those years. It didn't matter. He, which
he went crazy when he walked into the room. They remember they remember they do. All right,
let's talk about the cold weather thing. We're a quickly again. We don't want to forget ice cold
weather, not good for dogs or any animals for that matter. It's so what can we do? What's the
good advice when it's 14 below zero outside? When it's 14 below zero, do not take them for long walks
or just take them outside for a short potty break, bring them back inside. Yeah, they're going to
get bored and a little bit restless inside. But it's not worth risking frostbite or hypothermia.
You know, when it's like 30 degrees or so like today, it's okay to take them for a walk. But
if you're cold, they're probably cold too. And they're pot, you want to pay special attention to
those potpads, tails and ears. And once they start lifting their paws on the concrete,
that's a great sign that you need to get back inside some or warm.
I had a pomeranian dog. And when it snowed, she just jumped into the snow and borrowed
her and you couldn't see her. But you see her head pop up occasionally. Then she'd go on to
anything. She didn't want to come in. She just loved the snow and some dogs love it. Some dogs
just run around and kick around the snow and they just love doing it. And she was one of those
dogs that did it. So okay, so take care of booties or good idea. If you can get them on your
animal, booties a little coat, I was able to get the Velcro coat on. That was that was pretty easy.
And they they lived with it. You know, it was cold outside. Probably made them feel better. So
they did that. The booties didn't work for me. But I'm sure if I see animals with them all the
time. So obviously it worked for some animals. Okay, we've got the August first is the petrifying
spring's animal walk, a pet walk. Now how far in advance do you have to register for that?
Registration will be opening in a couple weeks. Really? Okay. But we take registration for pet
walk all the way into July. Okay, when do you start signing up for the camp summer camp spots?
Now. Now if your kid is interested in camp, I would jump on that right away because we tend to sell
out every year. And there's of course, camp critter camp unleashed and junior veterinary camp.
So camp for people at kids of all ages. And this is all done on the website,
I assume, right? Yes, at w i humane.org. And you can of course find camp and job opportunities,
tips to keep your pet safe and cold weather. And didn't mention that we are open today for
adoption at 130. And there are some fantastic dogs and cats and other critters looking for new homes.
That's what we did most of all. Except for one dog, which we actually bought it got as a puppy.
All our dogs were shelter dogs. And we, you know, we whoever looked at us and ran up to us first got
adopted. We had one dog. Beautiful dog right now. We're seeing two. I'm obsessed with this one
dog named Striker. And he kind of looks like a like a golden retriever. Husky is sort of fluffy guy
who would love the winner. But he's he's looking for a new home today. He's five years old. He's an
often dog. We had a little hottest looking beagle I've ever seen. He went to a shelter and he set
on my foot and wouldn't get off. And I my wife and I said, well, yeah, that's that's a sign.
So we took her. We took her and he was a great dog. We was he was like 12 years old or 11 when
we adopted him. But he just sat on my foot and wouldn't get off. And I said, that's a sign.
Thank you. He's got to be an Angela speed thank you. We got to talk to you more often. And we
will before all the events take place. Angela speeds vice president marketing and communications
for the Wisconsin. You made society. Thank you. I appreciate you talking to be this morning.
Thanks. Done for having me.
