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• Humane Society asks Pierce County to either pay up or take over
• Minnesota couple injured in ATV accident near Maiden Rock

By Judy Wiff, Regional Editor

ELLSWORTH - If Pierce County wants the Humane Society to stay open, it will have to either pay about $190,000 a year or buy the facility, its equipment and vehicles and operate the shelter itself, said Theresa Jonas, volunteer executive director.

"When we started this, we never thought we were going to be doing all the animal control for everybody, especially if they don't want to pay for it," said Jonas on Monday.

The Humane Society of Pierce St. Croix, located on Hwy. 65 just outside River Falls, opened in 1991 and has been Pierce County's official dog pound ever since.

Annual operating expenses are running around $300,000, and the Humane Society had a loss of over $44,000 last year, said Jonas.

"It isn't our problem. We shouldn't be the ones totally responsible for this," said Jonas. She said ultimately the responsibility for animal control rests with the counties and municipalities.

The shelter has stayed open for the last 14 years only through contributions of time and money from its board members, volunteers and benefactors, said Jonas.

But, she said, because of the large increase in human and animal populations, it's no longer possible for the small non-profit organization to keep up with the work and cost.

For the past several years, the only money the Humane Society has gotten from the county has been between $9,000 and $11,000 in excess dog license money.

"You can't operate this organization on $10,000 to $12,000 a year," said Jonas as she addressed the County Board's Finance and Personnel Committee Friday.

She told committee members the Humane Society is bringing the problem to the county to "give you fair warning that the organization cannot continue the funding that is needed to continue operating."

"Are there fees you can adjust?" asked Ellsworth Supervisor Dale Hines.

Jonas said that under state law, the Humane Society is required to hold stray dogs for seven days before putting them up for adoption. The organization's boarding rates are $7 per day for dogs and $4 a day for cats, but that is paid only if the owner claims the animal.

"You say increase our prices -- they won't pay them now," replied Operations Director Dawn Fleming.

The organization charges municipalities that call to have an animal picked up. But if the Sheriff's Department asks to have an animal picked up, the towns refuse to pay, said Jonas.

The county needs the Humane Society to pick up stray animals, said veterinarian Frank During.

"Pushing (strays) off to private kennels is going to cause problems," he warned. During said strays often have fleas and diseases that could spread to other kennel animals.

Fleming said the Humane Society spent nearly $6,000 last year to euthanize animals that weren't claimed or adopted.

"We are working our butts off trying to help the community," said Fleming. "We need help."

The Finance and Personnel Committee, already faced with a long meeting to work on budgets, voted Friday to postpone further discussion on the Humane Society issue.

Committee members also asked the group to talk to towns and St. Croix County about increasing their financial support.

Judy Wiff can be contacted at regional@rivertowns.net

A couple from Cottage Grove, Minn., was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident near Maiden Rock.

The accident occurred at approximately 12:40 a.m. Sunday when the ATV the couple was riding on rolled when they were attempting to turn the vehicle on a hillside.

The passenger of the ATV, Jeane Anderson, 43, was airlifted by Lifelink helicopter to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and is listed in fair condition.

Ben Anderson, 38, who was driving the ATV, was taken by the Maiden Rock area ambulance to Fairview Red Wing Medical Center in Red Wing, Minn., where he was treated and released.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. In addition to the Maiden Rock area ambulance, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department and the Lund Fire Department assisted at the scene.