Lost pup no home

Kain may need a little attention, but those who know him say he’s worth it.

“He is a honey,” said Sheila Keup, shelter manager for the Humane Society of Douglas County. “He is one of my favorite dogs here.” The 1-year-old pit bull mix, she said, is “sweet as can be,” and gets along well with other dogs, cats and kids.

Wednesday morning at the shelter, the tan dog stayed close to staff member Kathleen “Kitty” Otto as she walked through the building. And he was quick to cuddle up to visitors and staff alike for a petting.

“He’s adorable,” said Marcy Barby, humane society treasurer.

The stray was found in the Lake Minnesuing area in mid-October. When he was brought in, staff noticed right away that he wasn’t using his left hind leg. It turned out Kain had a broken hip, so he was brought to the Superior Animal Hospital and Boarding Suites in Superior for surgery.

“It isn’t uncommon for us to do leg surgeries like this,” Keup said. “If we can help an animal, we do. We do everything we can to make sure they live long, healthy lives.”

Kain’s was the second hip surgery within the past six weeks that the humane society paid for. Another stray, an older miniature pinscher, had an old break that needed to be repaired. Although the older dog has an adoptive home, Kain is still available. The pup needs some aftercare, but it is minimal — about 10 minutes of leg stretches and massage twice a day, which Keup said he enjoys.

Barby said each of the surgeries cost the humane society about $2,000.

The organization has an annual budget of about $100,000, she said, and about half of that comes from fundraising.

Currently, the shelter has about 13 cats, 11 kittens and four dogs available for adoption. Keup said those numbers can change quickly. The humane society recently received 20 cats from a single home, according to Barby.

The shelter is also using social media to try to reunite the strays that are brought to them with their owners. Pictures of new strays are posted as soon as they come in on the Humane Society of Douglas County, Wisconsin Facebook page, Keup said.

Kain may be happy to follow his friends at the shelter around, but what he and his fellow canine borders could really use for Christmas is simple.

“Kain does need a home,” Barby said.

For more information on the Humane Society of Douglas County, look up the website at www.hsdcpets.com or on Facebook.

The shelter at 3302 S. Humane Society Road is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and 5-8 p.m. Wednesday.

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