Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuaryinc

I have been a volunteer with HEA since 2010. Many changes have taken place since then; especially in the past several years. With growth comes growing pains. There are always challenges, but HEA has been committed to making improvements, especially at the sanctuary in Marion. The facility has undergone and continues to undergo many upgrades. I know first-hand, as I've been volunteering at the sanctuary since 2011. It's completely different than 8 years ago! Our new, larger adoption center has also allowed us to move more animals from the sanctuary in hopes that they can find their forever homes. As a volunteer, this is why we do what we do. I also want to say that the Reitz family are some of the most hard working, dedicated people I've ever met. They are truly committed to making HEA succeed. Thank you HEA for saving lives!

We tried to adapt a dog for our 1 1/2 year old pup. We have 10 beautiful acres at home and a cabin on a lake that we go to in the summer. Every dog's dream, right?? Not for HEA!! We planned to keep our dog in a 10 x 10 outdoor kennel only during summer months while we're at work. It would have a lock, no dig bricks around the edges, and in the shade. They declined our application due to "dangers of an outdoor kennel" including the chance of "fireworks being thrown in the kennel". Really?? They knew we didn't even buy the outdoor kennel yet. How about giving us a list of dangers and asking us to consider an indoor kennel year round?? Would have been a done deal for us, but never got the chance. No happily ever after here. Completely ridiculous - bad business.

I volunteered here a few times and thought there was not enough staff or volunteers to care for the animals they house. Many of the cats had kennel cough and the cats seem to get much more attention than the dogs. They had rescued a large group of springer spaniels and were trying to adopt them out as quickly as possibly and the poor dogs were not socialized and were very frightened. They had been kept locked up in a barn and it is common sense that these dogs needed much more attention before they were to be adopted out to unknowing people who might do who knows what with the dogs. The volunteers are generally very cliquish, like they belong to a secret society. One of the volunteers who had been there about 3-4 years told me that he had no idea how this organization was ever going to pay for the new building. This facility houses as many animals as Brown County Humane Society without anywhere near as many staff or volunteers. If you want to rescue a pet from something similar to a hoarding location then this is the place to go. They may mean well but they are not doing very well.

Very concerned about this facility's ongoing struggle to pass state inspections. The number of animals in their care compared to national standards for staff-to-animal ratio is alarming. The three voting board members are all family (Mother, Father, daughter) and the core staff (only one non-family member is on the payroll, a very part-time person). Their debt continues to mount, assets decline - yet they have launched a capital campaign to renovate a new building an hour away from their main facility. The campaign promises many details about the decorative trim and furnishings of the new facility, but nothing about specific goals for how many more animals will be saved in the community. Something in the neighborhood of 1 in 4 new "hoarding" animal neglect cases are turning out to be organizations operating as rescues, and I fear this organization is on that path and the leadership is too personally impacted financially to admit to problems. I encourage anyone considering donating to visit the Marion location and insist on seeing the entire facility first, as well as review state inspection reports for the past few years.

There are so many dedicated and caring folks involved in HEA, and we have had four adopted furry family members from them. I highly recommend them.

I've contributed financially and helped out at various events for HEA. I'm impressed by their ability to take in, care for, rehabilitate, and adopt out animals. With the extent of need in our community and across the country, this is no easy task! Their joint work with a local vet clinic shows their desire to improve the life of every domestic animal in the city - a goal exemplified by the phrase "Every Single One". Taking care of these animals is not glamorous and the animals at the sanctuary live in more of a farm environment than a home environment - but the bigger picture is that they are living (no-kill) and being given the chance of a forever home from the dedication of the HEA organization and volunteers.

Abusive towards animals. Starvation. Cats kept in Rubbermaid containers. Only adopt out to very wealthy people, with finances to keep paying off the organization after adoption. Works in conjunction with big money vet clinics for "seal of approval". Very snobby and ran by "elitists." Animals are almost always emotionally scarred and underweight with health problems the manager shoos off. Animals tend to be "adopted" (i.e.- disappear) as soon as an adopter is interested.