Ahnapee Brewery takes on A Cause for Paws

ALGOMA – On Saturday, Sept. 27, Ahnapee Brewery will host A Cause for Paws (ACFP), a volunteer group which aims to help reduce animal homelessness in Kewaunee County, for an event filled with games, drinks, food and homemade goods.

ACFP is a group of volunteers who have campaigned to secure contracts with the Humane Society in area municipalities. The group has had success in Luxemburg, Algoma, Kewaunee and Casco, creating holding areas for strays to be dropped off by police or community members who are not able to transport the animals themselves. A volunteer from the group then picks up the animal and takes it to a nearby Humane Society, either Door County or Green Bay. Thanks to the contracts, citizens can bring strays in themselves without fear of being turned away by the shelter.

Gina Hartl is one of the five starting members of the group and has been involved in transporting pets, setting up at the city garages and cleaning cages. She also has a background in the hotel industry, which she said has helped her to coordinate and plan the fundraiser.

Hartl said Lindsey Brehmer with Ahnapee Brewery reached out to ACFP volunteers in August to propose a fundraiser and pet food drive that would also encourage community involvement and provide some lighthearted fun.

“We’ve done one other [fundraiser], the basket raffle, that type of thing, but we’ve not done anything like this. So this is going to be interesting to see how it goes. And I hope it’ll be super fun for everyone. The outpouring we have received from this community has been amazing,” Hartl said.

The event, which will run from noon to 4 p.m., aims to raise funds for Humane Society contracts with municipalities to support animal transport and care and collect pet food for shelters and struggling pet owners. While ACFP has secured contracts with several municipalities, each contract brings new costs as they need to be renewed annually.

The Taco Tones food truck will be present, selling food starting when the brewery opens at noon. There will also be games, like silly putting and corn hole tournaments. Hartl said the group wanted to make the games fun and lighthearted, creating rules like dancing and singing while playing. Silly putting will have two rounds — one regular on the golf putting mat, then one with kid-sized equipment where players can earn an extra half point each round if they sing or dance while putting. The tournament winner will receive a G.O.A.T. trophy and bragging rights for a year.

The corn hole tournament will have five rounds — excluding a possible tie-breaker — which each have different requirements. In round one, teammates must throw their bags over each others’ heads. In round two, they must toss the bags through each others’ arms and in round three, the bags must be tossed backwards between their legs with both hands. In rounds four and five, participants must dance and sing, respectively, while shooting. For each bag that falls off the board, players will donate $1 to ACFP.

Hartl said one member of the organization, Suzie Leist, works at Four Legged Friends Veterinary Clinic and has animal-loving coworkers who will sell their handmade goods at the event, like hats (for people) and snuffle mats (for pets).
Cats Anonymous Inc., a nonprofit which provides trap, neuter and release services for feral, semi-feral and barn cats in order to reduce the future population, will also be present at the brewery to share more information about the organizations and their mission.

ACFP is looking for any pet food donations to help the shelter. However, Hartl said they also hope to use food donations to help animals stay with their families despite economic hardships.

“Pets are being turned into shelters because [families] can’t keep them. So we would like to try to keep Fido home as much as possible. They’re happier there, they’re healthier there, it’s a better situation,” Hartl said.

In an agricultural area like Kewaunee County, stray animals are common and often go unnoticed.

“Those little animals need care, especially medical care. Some of them come in in pretty bad shape, and they really need help. Some of them are kittens and winter’s coming, so they really need this,” Hartl said.

Community support has driven the success of ACFP, saving animals across Kewaunee County, providing veterinary care and trap-and-neuter resources, assisting families which may be struggling to care for their pets and providing people with a reliable place to bring strays. With winter approaching, the group reminds community members that even if they do not have the time or resources to trap a stray animal, they can call it in to local police who will work with ACFP to rescue the animal from the freezing cold nights ahead.