KAHR History
A northeastern Wisconsin animal welfare volunteer with decades of involvement with n.e. Wisconsin humane socities founded KAHR after a trip to Keshena (Menominee co) in 2003 looking for a lost dog.
Though the dog she was looking for was not in Keshena she found that Menominee county's program included shooting the stray dogs that were not claimed - which usually meant most of them.
On that first visit there were 14 dogs in a fenced enclosure. That chance encounter began the chain of events leading up to forming KAHR.
Lacking the means for a better program the tribe agreed to have the volunteer involved.
She agreed to pick up all the dogs not claimed and take them to a humane society for possible placement in new homes or to be humanely euthanized.
Within months the Green Bay humane society refused to take them because of the massive heartworm and parvo cases.
She appealed to the Fox Valley humane society to help and they agreed if we agreed to try to improve their health problems.
Several additional volunteers agreed to help with the transports to Appleton and some to the Oshkosh humane society and some rescue groups.
In the fall of 2005 it became apparent that the health problems would have to be addressed or we would eventually have no place to bring the animals.
An ASPCA regional rep referred us to Jean Atthowe in Montana working with the Blackfoot indian tribe, her help with the spay/neuter clinics was invaluable but they did not have the problem with heartworm and parvo that the Menominee's did.
After contacting HSUS, ASPCA, and AHA and discovering they knew of no one treating dogs on a large scale especially dogs that could not be transported because the owner did not have a car, the volunteer decided to try something new - the door to door caravan that would treat the dogs at their own homes.
An ad was put in the local paper for volunteers that were willing to help extensively. Two other volunteers came forward and the three formed the new KAHR in December of 2005.
A Green Bay vet agreed to organize with other vets for free spay/neuter clinics and guide the volunteers and volunteer vet tecs in the group.
In the process we would also discover other ways to help the dogs such as a warmer dog house, a better tie out so the dog was not always wound up with a short chain, etc.
The first year 35% of the 350 dogs we tested were positive for heartworm. Present testings are about 5%.