MONROE - Green County Humane Society members voted to return all four incumbents to its board Thursday at Ludlow Mansion, but not until after a number of questions were raised about shelter policies during the organization's annual meeting.
Eight candidates were running for four board seats.
With re-election secured for all four members up for election Board President Paul Barrett said "it's time for everyone to get back to work and move the organization ahead."
Barrett and fellow board members Heidi Treuthardt, Chris Soukup and Mary Jane Grenzow were re-elected over challengers Jarrett Kelly, Kathryn Kubik, Cara Miller and Robin Schneider for three-year terms. But the votes were close.
Barrett received 181 votes, Treuthardt 175, Soukup 171 and Grenzow 169.
Kelly was just six votes shy (164) of winning election, while Kubik and Miller each received 154 votes and Schneider 148.
The votes were counted by four volunteers from Reffue, Pas, Jacobson and Koster, an accounting firm in Monroe. None of the volunteers who counted the votes are humane society members.
All of the winners also were returned unanimously to their leadership positions on the board, Barrett as president, Grenzow as vice president, Treuthardt as secretary and Soukup as treasurer.
The annual meeting - held next year on the first Thursday of May - gave members a chance to ask questions about the shelter and the board.
Members who have heard several different versions of an aggressive dog policy under consideration by the board were told by Grenzow the board doesn't have a stance in regard to aggressive dogs.
"We've only starting to look at the issue," she said.
The board has established a committee to look at aggressive dog issues, members were told.
"The committee was only formed a couple of months ago," Grenzow said.
The board doesn't have a timetable to finish a policy, members were told.
Some members said they were told the shelter wants to euthanize aggressive dogs.
"That would be the very last resort," Grenzow said.
Preferable alternatives to euthanizing a dog, Grenzow said, would be rehabilitating it, sending it to a rescue shelter that specifically handles aggressive dogs, or finding a home for it.
"How we handle those dogs is part of the job of the committee. They will come up with guidelines for us," she added.
One member asked if the GCHS planned to change its policy of no-kill to create more space for the animals.
Grenzow, who answered questions from members during the comment session, said the shelter would not euthanize animals unless the animal was suffering.
"We are not changing the no-kill status of the shelter," she said.
One GCHS member said she didn't think board members visit the shelter often enough and suggested there be a requirement that they visit the shelter on a regular basis.
Eight candidates were running for four board seats.
With re-election secured for all four members up for election Board President Paul Barrett said "it's time for everyone to get back to work and move the organization ahead."
Barrett and fellow board members Heidi Treuthardt, Chris Soukup and Mary Jane Grenzow were re-elected over challengers Jarrett Kelly, Kathryn Kubik, Cara Miller and Robin Schneider for three-year terms. But the votes were close.
Barrett received 181 votes, Treuthardt 175, Soukup 171 and Grenzow 169.
Kelly was just six votes shy (164) of winning election, while Kubik and Miller each received 154 votes and Schneider 148.
The votes were counted by four volunteers from Reffue, Pas, Jacobson and Koster, an accounting firm in Monroe. None of the volunteers who counted the votes are humane society members.
All of the winners also were returned unanimously to their leadership positions on the board, Barrett as president, Grenzow as vice president, Treuthardt as secretary and Soukup as treasurer.
The annual meeting - held next year on the first Thursday of May - gave members a chance to ask questions about the shelter and the board.
Members who have heard several different versions of an aggressive dog policy under consideration by the board were told by Grenzow the board doesn't have a stance in regard to aggressive dogs.
"We've only starting to look at the issue," she said.
The board has established a committee to look at aggressive dog issues, members were told.
"The committee was only formed a couple of months ago," Grenzow said.
The board doesn't have a timetable to finish a policy, members were told.
Some members said they were told the shelter wants to euthanize aggressive dogs.
"That would be the very last resort," Grenzow said.
Preferable alternatives to euthanizing a dog, Grenzow said, would be rehabilitating it, sending it to a rescue shelter that specifically handles aggressive dogs, or finding a home for it.
"How we handle those dogs is part of the job of the committee. They will come up with guidelines for us," she added.
One member asked if the GCHS planned to change its policy of no-kill to create more space for the animals.
Grenzow, who answered questions from members during the comment session, said the shelter would not euthanize animals unless the animal was suffering.
"We are not changing the no-kill status of the shelter," she said.
One GCHS member said she didn't think board members visit the shelter often enough and suggested there be a requirement that they visit the shelter on a regular basis.