Money was tight, but The Shelter survived thanks to the efforts of people like Roy Empey, a District Engineer with the Wisconsin Highway Department, who guided the Board of Directors and helped the group focus on its long-term goal: a building of its own.
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Haydn Evans, the station manager at WBAY, made TV time available on Saturdays so The Shelter could continue to publicize the animals it was offering for adoption. He also organized on-air fundraising drives, the proceeds of which helped keep The Shelter afloat financially. Dr. Sam Vainisi contributed untold time and wisdom to the cause.
What little extra funds The Shelter had went toward reaching out to the community. An educational program was put in place to teach 4th graders throughout Brown County the responsibilities of caring for pets. The Green Bay Press-Gazette began its Dog of the Week feature.
The name later changed to Pick a Pet, and today is known as the Take Me Home program, featuring 15 animals each month.
While on Broadway, The Shelter operated at full capacity, serving some 1,300 animals per year. By 1969, however, the combined efforts of The Shelter and the city pound could not handle the needs of the rapidly growing metro Green Bay area. By then, demand for services had grown to an estimated 3,000 animals per year. Something had to change, and it did.
Bolstered by the donation of a long-term land lease agreement from the City of Green Bay, The Shelter moved forward with plans for a new building designed specifically for the care and shelter of animals. Generous benefactors donated plan designs, concrete for the building and the runs, concrete block for the building, funds for the fencing and runs, and supervised the construction. The Shelter moved ahead with plans for a modest new facility.
In 1970, The Shelter dedicated the Roy Empey building on Quincy Street. Chris Calawaerts came on board as the first full-time manager, a position she would hold until 1980. One of her first tasks was to coordinate the Animal Control program, as The Shelter was able to take over responsibility for caring for strays from the city. In its first years on Quincy Street, the Shelter cared for 3,328 animals.
By the end of the decade, that number had grown to 4,300 annually. In 1981, thanks to the efforts of a group led by Bette Anderson, The Shelter put its Lost and Found program in place - designed to get people to contact The Shelter about pets lost and found in rural areas.
History Page 3 >>
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