TCHS dog Bella takes off out of the dog run canopy after a tennis ball. Pictured are TCHS staff members Kayla Kerkove (left) and Abbie Johnson (right). -- Photo by Darvin Graham

Headed into its 14th year of operation, the Tama County Humane Society (TCHS) has persisted as a critical resource for animals and people in Tama County despite the challenges of running a 24/7 operation on a minimal budget.

“I think the Humane Society has been an important asset to our community,” local veterinarian and TCHS Board Vice President Dr. Cristi Downs said. “Prior to 2009 when the shelter opened, there was no place to house unwanted pets or strays found in our area. Sadly, many animals didn’t get the care they needed. The Tama County Humane Society strives to help as many animals as possible. From reuniting owners with lost pets to providing medical treatment for sick or injured strays, their service to the community remains invaluable.”

The no-kill shelter employs four staff and can house up to 14 dogs and 25 cats at any given time.

“We are a very kid-friendly shelter and do our best to be welcoming to all families that want to come and interact with us and the animals,” Kayla Kerkove, Shelter Operations Manager said. I think that’s something that sets us apart a little. Anybody can volunteer as long as they are 12 years old and up. We treat all of our animals in the shelter like they are our own instead of being treated like just an animal. We always love them unconditionally and get to know each and every animal’s personality.”

Though 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic presented an array of challenges for the general public, TCHS staff said from the shelter’s perspective it was a year where they saw more adoptions and more donations coming in.

Tama County Humane Society staff and volunteers paused during a busy day at the shelter for a photo with some of the cutest puppies in the tri-county area. Pictured are, from left, Krystal Meggers, Kayla Kerkove, Abbie Johnson and David Kasal. – Photo by Darvin Graham

Staff said during the winter months the shelter will see more strays turned in as people get more concerned about seeing animals out in the cold. However they still see an uptick in Husky dog strays coming through in the warmer months as they often like to bust out of their enclosures and go exploring.

A recent change in the adoption application process for shelter cats is a requirement stating cats are no longer allowed to be declawed on any of their paws.

Kerkove said they’ve had instances where educating their patrons or the public about declawing has been a challenge as people haven’t always understood the practice to be as harmful as it really is.

“Think of it as taking your hands and cutting off your fingers at your first knuckle,” Kerkove said. “That’s essentially what cats go through when they get declawed. It throws off the balance of the cat and disrupts their normal everyday abilities, sometimes causing behavioral issues.”

She said the staff at TCHS often work with new cat owners to help them learn how to safely trim cat’s nails to help indoor cats reside comfortably without destroying furniture.

Puppies. Adorable puppies at the Tama County Humane Society. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

TCHS Kennel Operations Manager Abbie Johnson said there’s also caps that can be put on cats’ nails to help with claw control while keeping them safe.

TCHS staff said dogs might stay at the shelter six to seven months at most before getting adopted with rarely any staying longer than a year.

Cats are slower to be adopted and can stay over a year at times.

The shelter’s most veteran feline is a three-year-old female tabby named Sassy who has been with TCHS over a year and a half..

“She came in completely feral,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long road for her, but we can finally touch her. She’s no longer hissing and looks way more relaxed with the other cats. So she needs that special home that understands that.”

One of Tama County Humane Society's longest-tenured animals is a three-year old grey tabby cat named Sassy (pictured bottom). TCHS staff said she's made significant progress in warming up to humans and other animals since arriving a year and a half ago. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The shelter operates heavily off the kindness of others and uses donations that come in to supply the most basic essentials including various types of food and cleaning supplies.

Although there’s a running wish list of essentials roughly 20 items long, staff members said wet cat food and wet dog food are two things they’ll use frequently but don’t get donated that often.

Kerkove said the regular volunteer roster is around 10 members who donate shifts two to three days a week to come in and help with the routine food and cleaning duties.

The longest serving volunteer on the roster is David Kasal of Chelsea.

Kasal has been regularly serving the animals and staff at TCHS since 2009.

The black metal dog enclosures pictured far left were purchased last year through a grant from the Tama County Community Foundation. The humane society applied for funding to replace their old all-weather dog runs that were becoming rusted and difficult to repair. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

He said his desire to keep coming back every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is simple, that he enjoys helping to care for animals.

Another TCHS regular is a man that travels from Dunkerton on most Saturdays to give hot dog treats to the shelter dogs and let them socialize with each other in the outdoor area.

The occasion has been affectionately dubbed “Hot Dog Saturdays” by the TCHS staff.

Improvement projects at TCHS have come along slow and steady as fundraising and grants can be acquired.

Not long ago the cat room was renovated and reorganized to accommodate more cats in a more comfortable environment.

Frankie the Cat comes up for a sniff at the Tama County Humane Society during a visit in January. Don't you want to boop that snoot? -- Photo by Darvin Graham

Over the past year the shelter, through a grant from the Tama County Community Foundation, installed new outdoor dog enclosures and in the future hope to put in a “catio” extension going out the west wall so cats that hang out in the office can get closer to the windows.

From a larger facility standpoint Kerkove said a big wishlist item for the shelter would be an industrial washer and dryer to replace their standard residential units.

The smaller units they use currently don’t get through laundry very quickly which means dirty laundry piles up and can create odor issues throughout the building if it sits too long.

Beginning in 2022 the fee structure for the humane society was increased to help the organization keep up with their own rising veterinary and overhead costs.

A point of contention TCHS staff have had to deal with in recent months is a fee they’ve put in place charging individuals who bring in animals to the shelter off the street.

Krystal Meggers and long-time TCHS volunteer David Kasal during a regular weekday at the shelter. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The shelter charges $30 for a dog and $20 for a cat that’s been brought in off the street.

Kerkove said the measure was taken in part because of the costs associated with caring for the animal that’s been brought in but primarily in order to curb increasing behaviors of people that bring animals in to surrender and falsely claim they are strays so they don’t have to pay a surrender fee.

“It’s not necessarily about the cash,” Kerkove said. “It’s just something to help us care for that animal that is being brought in. It’s easy to save an animal out there. But I mean, taking care of it. That’s another thing. And we’ll work with people if they can donate supplies we can use or if they can donate their time to help with the work we do.”

Adoption costs for dogs range between $150-$200 and cats are between $20-$30.

According to comparisons done at shelters in larger areas around the state, fees at TCHS have remained extremely affordable, roughly half the cost of the typical adoption expense for dogs and a small fraction of the cost for cats.

TCHS Shelter Operations Manager Kayla Kerkove gets a little play time in with Bella. On average dogs' stay at the humane society don't last longer than seven or eight months. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The Tama County Humane Society is located at 1406 E 5th St. in Tama and is open Monday through Saturday from 7-11 a.m.

For more information call 641-481-7001 during business hours or visit Tama County Humane Society on Facebook. A secondary Facebook page is also available listing animals that are available for adoption. That page can be found at Adoptable at Tama County Humane Society.

Below are shelter statistics from the Tama County Humane Society for the year 2021:

Dog Intakes

Stray dogs brought into the shelter: 91

The lobby of the Tama County Humane Society is often a bustling hub of activity in the warmer months as visitors, volunteers and potential adoptive owners come in and out to get acquainted with the animals. Pictured are Abbie Johnson, Krystal Meggers and Kayla Kerkove. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

Dogs relinquished by owner: 45

Seized dogs:1

Dogs transferred in from other shelters: 28

Dogs born at the shelter: 23

Dog Outcomes

Bella comes in for a closer look.

Dogs adopted: 117

Stray dogs returned to owner: 39

Dogs transferred to other shelters: 12

Cat Intakes

Stray cats brought into the shelter: 64

Krystal Meggers gives Tina some of those good puppy scratches. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

Cats relinquished by owner: 74

Seized cats: 0

Cats transferred in from other shelters: 0

Cats born at the shelter: 14

Cat Outcomes

TCHS staff and volunteers round up the paw patrol for a photo during a News Chronicle visit to the shelter in mid-January. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

Cats adopted: 112

Cats returned to owner: 3

Cats transferred to other shelters: 9

The Tama County Humane Society has been located at the same facility on 5th Street near the eastern edge of Tama since 2009. -- Photo by Darvin Graham