WAUSAU — City leaders on Tuesday will vote on a proposal to add an outdoor play area and kennels to the Humane Society of Marathon County to improve the quality of life for dogs at the facility.
Members of the plan commission on Oct. 17 voted in favor of the proposal, which calls for 31 outdoor dog runs, including a bank of “high security” kennels for dangerous or aggressive dogs. A double fence will surround the new space.
The organization is proposing the changes to meet statutory requirements for dog enrichment, while improving operations. Dogs will not be housed outside overnight, and the area will be used from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., weather permitting, according to HSMC Director Lisa Held.
“Most importantly, we feel these changes will improve the quality of life for the dogs in our care,” Held wrote, in a letter to the city’s zoning department.
The area is not meant for public viewing and will be accessed by staff and volunteers only.
The Humane Society property is bordered on two sides by county park space and on a third side by a county detention facility. The land is on a long-term lease from Marathon County, which has not expressed any objections to the proposed outdoor kennels.
