SECOND CHANCES. The Eau Claire Community Humane Association has been offering care and support to area animals for decades. With its new expanded building, it also expanded its team to include its first-ever shelter veterinarian and veterinary technician.

The Eau Claire Community Humane Association’s mission is “to be a voice for all animals by providing education, resources, support for the community and compassionate care for homeless animals until they can be placed in forever homes.” Until recently, without a veterinarian on staff, providing shelter animals with medical care took hours of organization by ECCHA staff and donated time by local veterinarians.

That changed in July when Dr. Amber Gooden became the ECCHA’s first shelter vet. She was joined the following month by Liz Berg, the shelter’s first veterinary technician. Both have many years of experience in animal shelter caregiving and – with the resources available in the shelter’s dedicated veterinary suite – are already completing procedures and providing care that would have previously been outsourced.

Dr. Amber Gooden, left, with Nemo prior to surgery. Liz Berg, right, prepping Nemo on-site. Nemo arrived at ECCHA with a missing paw in poor condition, and after successful surgery, is living life as a healthy tri-pawed dog! (Photos via Facebook)

For the animal shelter, having a veterinary team on-site means the organization can now provide medical advice to adoptive families as well as supply medications for pets to take with them to their new homes. And for potential new pet parents, the ECCHA helps reduce the financial burden of adopting a shelter animal by providing spay and neuter services.

Spaying and neutering animals also helps decrease the number of animals from unplanned litters out in the community, and ECCHA’s continued strong partnerships with local veterinarians help provide care for animals with more complex health needs. In 2023 alone, over 1,300 animals were taken in by the no-kill shelter and 353 spays and neuters were performed.

More than half of the shelter’s yearly operating budget comes from the generosity of ECCHA membership, so now is the time to renew or join. Other ways to support the shelter’s work include shopping at the annual Santa Paws Sale that starts in November and playing Purse Bingo in January.

Learn more about the Eau Claire Community Humane Association online at eccha.org.