Sarah Luna HEA Volunteer and Events Manager (920) 634-9701 [email protected] April 12, 2020
Organization Challenging the Concept of a No Kill Shelter (Green Bay, WI)- Who would have thought that a company started by a 21 year-old out of her garage would turn into a groundbreaking organization trying to make a difference in animal care? Amanda Reitz, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay, made this dream into a reality. Happily Ever After (HEA) was founded in 2006 by Reitz who was 21 years-old at the time. Her passion for changing the way animals are cared for in shelters was sparked after hearing that one in every two animals put in an animal shelter are put to sleep. HEA may be classified as a no kill shelter, but Reitz believes they are more than that. To be a no kill shelter, less than 10% of animals brought into care are put to sleep. Reitz is on a mission to make it a 100% guarantee of finding an animal’s forever home when put into their care, to lower the 10% to 0%. Happily Ever After may have started out in her parent’s garage, but in their 14 years of being an organization, they have grown to have two locations. Their Marion location is designated to be a sanctuary for animals who either need time to adjust before finding their forever home or cannot be placed with a forever home. The second location is their Green Bay shelter which houses many of their companion animals who are ready to go home with their forever home today. No matter which location you go to, Reitz is likely to be seen somewhere. The organization's sharp focus has given more than 4,000 companion animals their forever homes, while also educating their community during the process. Without the dedication of Reitz and her family, the term “no kill” shelter would not be challenged to become a 0% kill rate. Without the help of its volunteers and generous donors, this organization would not be able to make the change it has. More than 4,000 animals have found their forever home and even more have found a sanctuary within the organization. All companion lives matter, whether their pasts are rocky or not. Every. Single. One.