BCHA president Brenda Gruber walked Roger back to his kennel after an exercise run outside. Members of the volunteer-based organization put in countless hours each year to help care for the county’s stray animals.A trio of adoptable kittens shared a large cage at Cindy Krett’s Mondovi home. The BCHA’s cat numbers were running quite high at over a dozen this month, putting a strain on available time and space.Brenda Gruber and Tasha took a chilly walk outside earlier this month. Caring for and socializing each one of the BCHA’s dogs up for adoption takes roughly half her time each week, Gruber said.BCHA members are hopeful that re-homing cats like Dale will become easier once the permanent shelter building is finished. Currently, only about one percent of the cats picked up by BCHA are claimed by their original owners, Cindy Krett said.All dressed up for the holidays, cats like Madison are still hoping to find a forever home soon.

Challenges a daily occurrence for volunteer-based BCHA, but animal well-being remains primary focus

Building construction process ongoing in face of rumors

 

by Beth Kraft

 

If there’s one thing Buffalo County Humane Association members Brenda Gruber and Cindy Krett know all too well, it’s that good things don’t come easy or cheap.

The pair are part of the five-member, non-profit BCHA, the organization responsible for caring for and finding new homes for the county’s stray animals. But as BCHA’s cat and dog numbers have ticked upward in recent months, so too have the daily challenges Gruber and Krett encounter.

Recently the duo was up to six dogs and 15 cats all up for adoption and hoping for new homes for Christmas. As the BCHA’s building project remains under construction, all of the dogs are currently housed at Gruber’s home-based boarding business, All Pets Great and Small, while Krett has a cozy space set up for all of the cats in her basement.

“This is the highest I’ve had,” remarked Krett, glancing around at the many available cats and kittens.

“It’s really hard to do both,” said Gruber of keeping up with her business and BCHA duties.

Gruber estimates she spends half her time each week exercising BCHA dogs, cleaning their kennel areas, purchasing supplies and shuttling them to veterinary appointments.

“When you get up, you live and breathe it,” she said. “There’s just not enough time in the day. We just need more resources.”

For Krett, cat care tasks take about 2-3 hours each day due to the current high number of feline tenants.

“I’m constantly doing laundry,” she said, nodding to a large stack of clean blankets and towels she puts in the cages. “It’s hard because people want to help but we don’t have a set schedule.”

Both agree that once the association’s new building is complete it will be much easier for the community to pitch in beyond donating supplies and funds.

Gruber emphasized that construction of the BCHA’s permanent facility is still in the works; the organization has not run out of money or abandoned the project, she clarified.

Admittedly, the 40x120-foot building just outside the city limits on Mondovi’s north side has seen few changes since this past summer, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.

A plumbing permit is the group’s current hang-up, as the original plumbing plans had to be redesigned to meet special codes.

The building’s roof is on and the foundation is insulated. The next steps are to install the plumbing, geothermal system, and concrete, then enclose the building.

Most building construction tasks have been completed by contractors who have volunteered their time and services when available, reminded Gruber, as coordinated by general contractor David Gruber.

A finished building will eventually become a reality for the BCHA, but perhaps not as quickly as some might think.

“You want it to happen tomorrow, but it’s not going to,” Gruber said. “If it weren’t for those coming forward, it wouldn’t even be happening. A building of that size contracted out would be triple what we’re paying.”

Yet the BCHA will still shell out over $100,000 for its new shelter, and the organization wants to be sure it’s done right.

Gruber said the group is being “as fiscally-responsible as possible” and wants the building entirely finished before any of the animals move in.

“Otherwise it might never get finished or function right,” she explained.

Ensuring that the new building supports the health and well-being of its four-legged tenants has been at the top of BCHA’s planning priority list since day one. The square footage was even increased along the way to help the organization continue its status as a no-kill shelter.

“We want to avoid euthanasia as much as possible,” Gruber said.

In fact, once finished, the new building’s dog and cat areas will be as big or bigger than shelters in many larger communities.

While building construction efforts have been on hiatus due to winter’s early onset and the need to redesign plumbing plans for state approval, the work is ongoing for BCHA members. 

The association will pick up stray animals when people call, but Gruber said their response can’t always be immediate. Most people are patient and understand the organization’s volunteer-based structure while other calls are a bit more demanding.

“You can only spread yourself so far,” she said. “The public has also helped out a lot picking up stray animals.”

“We work 24/7, 365,” says Krett, who dedicates two or three Saturdays a month to taking BCHA cats to adoption fairs at Petco. She’s found the events are the best way to find the cats new homes, helping her justify the time commitment.

Krett even got a call on Thanksgiving Day asking her to pick up a stray dog in Mondovi.

Fortunately, the dog’s owner was found relatively quickly thanks to shared posts on Facebook—a tool Krett encourages everyone who has lost a pet to use.

“In this little town, somebody will know [who the animal belongs to],” she said.

Making sure pets are outfitted with ID tags will also put lost animals on the fast track to a reunion with their owners, Gruber and Krett emphasized.

Volunteer pet foster parents are also much-needed by the association. Gruber says finding reliable individuals to foster dogs and cats, aside from the occasional assistance of fellow BCHA members David and June Eddy, has been tough.

All frustrations and struggles aside, Gruber and Krett agreed their work with the animals is also quite rewarding.

“It’s totally my calling,” Gruber said with a grin.

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