New surgery table

In 2024, the Green Lake Area Animal Shelter (GLAAS) was awarded an $8,926 grant to purchase an anesthesia machine and surgery table to enhance its surgery room from the Howard and Avis Kolpin Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. Founded in 1993, GLAAS is an open admission, full-service shelter, assisting any pet or pet owner in need. With customer service as a primary focus, GLAAS seeks to enhance the lives of animals and people through education, adoption, and compassion.  

Plaque in appreciation for the Howard and Avis Kolpin Fund

“What a luxury, what a time saver, and what a money saver! We are, quite literally, able to provide almost all of the veterinary care our shelter animals could possibly need,” said Janine Rubeck, GLAAS Manager. “We have a digital x-ray, diagnostic equipment to check blood, urine and stool samples, and the tools and equipment to provide most routine or common surgeries over and above spays and neuters. It has been phenomenal to have the ability to do virtually everything we need to do right here in the shelter.” 

With the addition of this equipment in their surgery room, it is now expected that the only time GLAAS will need to seek veterinary care outside of their facility is either when their veterinarian is on vacation or when there is a rare case that requires a specialist and the pet would be referred to UW Madison. 

Seeing about 800 to 1,000 animals a year, GLAAS routinely partners with other organizations and law enforcement to assist in emergency situations. With a yearly operating budget of roughly $250,000, every penny is spent toward their mission of caring for homeless cats and dogs. All income is from donations, whether adoption fees, fundraisers, memorials, or donation of supplies. 

As for the impact on the Green Lake area community, there are two major factors. The shelter will be able to adopt out pets with an even more comprehensive health care foundation in place and offer more care for less money, which is good for the pets and their new families. The community also benefits from not having to use local veterinary clinics. Since COVID, veterinary clinics everywhere are extremely understaffed and overworked. Pulling the hundreds of shelter animals a year out of the mix of local veterinary clinics frees up opportunities for privately owned animals. Having their own facility for shelter animals, GLAAS helps lessen the burden on other surrounding community clinics offering local pet owners more choices.