We get to share something we’ve been dreaming about: our new and improved play yard is officially complete! What was meant to be a space for our dogs to run and play was often unusable for months because of the mud. Thanks to a grant, the generosity of our amazing donors, and a very special final donation from the Kopetsky family, we were able to turn our play yard upgrade dreams into a reality. This new space is being created in honor of the Kopetsky family’s beloved dog, Winnie, who recently passed away.

​We can’t think of a more meaningful way to honor her than by creating a space where shelter dogs can run, play, relax, and simply enjoy being dogs while they wait for their forever homes.

​A huge thank you to DeVigne Landscaping for the phenomenal job they did.

 They worked with us every step of the way, helping us figure out what would work best for our dogs, our space, and our budget. We truly appreciate their time, expertise, and care in bringing this project to life. We also want to give a huge shoutout to our Building & Grounds volunteers, who put in countless hours helping bring the finishing touches to life. From building the dog ramp and pavilion to creating the grassy area and sandbox, their hard work helped make this space everything we hoped it could be. And, of course, thank you to every donor, grantor, and supporter who helped make this possible. Every contribution played a part in getting us here, and without your support, this dream would not have become a reality. We are so excited to see our dogs enjoying their new space, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.

Thank you for helping us make the shelter a little better for the animals who need us most.

The condition of our current play yard was less than ideal. Using it depended heavily on what the weather was like. For the first time last week staff was finally able to bring dogs into the play yard without having to bathe them after. The continued use had been too much on the grass and left us with a mud pit. There were some small areas where there was still grass but unfortunately, we didn't expect them to last through the rough and tumbling of our dogs when they’re outside with their zoomies.

We received a $4,500 grant from The Green Bay Packer Foundation to help improve our play yard and make it more useable. While we are grateful for the grant it did not cover all the costs incorporated with making the yard last.

We planned to replace the muddy grass with pea gravel. That is the primary base of the yard because it is cost effective, easy to sanitize, and does not require a lot of maintenance. Other items in the play yard include a covered sandbox, a swimming pool with a drain, and a raised patch of grass that can be gated off when it’s too muddy to help preserve the area. We will include plants for sniffing and a couple of sturdy play structures for the dogs such as a tunnel, ramp, and shaded area to get out of the hot sun when needed.

We had DeVigne Landscaping come in mid-May to start the renovations. We were looking to raise an additional $7,600 to help this vision come true and graciously received these funds from one of our amazing donors.  Funds raised will go towards the current renovation and additional enrichment items. ​