Animal Benefit Society formed to help combat animal overpopulation in county

Jan 9, 2013  Herald Times Reporter  

MANITOWOC — The Animal Benefit Society is a new 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to helping companion animals including cats, dogs, parakeets, small mammals, and select other animals, according to a press release.

“Our mission is to create common sense solutions for better companion animal care in Manitowoc County,” said President Alan Szczesny.

He said animal overpopulation is a major problem. “We feel the biggest parts of the solution are education of the public on how to avoid unnecessary animal procreation and offer free spay or neuter to people who need assistance or that little extra push to get it done,” Szczesny said.

“If they can’t breed, they can’t overpopulate. Please spay or neuter your pet,” he said.

Free spay or neuter assistance information is available via its website, www.animalbenefitsociety.org.

“We want to offer the program, first-come, first-served while monies last, with very few questions and absolutely no personal or intrusive questions asked,” Szczesny said.

He indicated the public can help by donating money or attending events that help pay for its programs.

“The more money we raise, the more animals we can help,” he said. “We held ‘Hogs & Dogs’ last summer at Stock’s Harley-Davidson and will be hosting wine and cheese, snowmobile poker run and chili cook-off events this winter and spring.”

Szczesny said the Animal Benefit Society is intends to have 100 percent of all money raised going to helping animals directly and not paying for unnecessary overhead.

“But, of course, the reality is there will always be the need for a place unwanted or unadoptable animals can live their lives,” he said.

He said his group is raising money for a cage-free animal sanctuary. “That is a dream and our aim, hopefully, in the not too distant future,” Szczesny said.

For more information, call (920) 652-4609. The organization’s mailing address is P.O. Box 1372, Manitowoc WI 54221-1372.

Alan Szczesny, Manitowoc