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Hope for animals in need is always seemingly in short supply. Shelters are over-full and underfunded, or certain rural areas don’t have easy access to animal shelters or well-funded rescues. A Cause for Paws of Kewaunee County seeks to patch that gap.
A Cause for Paws is a nonprofit focused on getting care to animals in need, said Suzie Leist, a founding member. The organization’s volunteers go from township to township in Kewaunee County, establishing and paying for contracts between communities and the Wisconsin Humane Society.
“The township doesn’t have to pay for anything,” Leist said.
The contracts are important because the humane society is not required to take in animals from municipalities it doesn’t have contracts with, said Rachel Charles, board member with A Cause for Paws.
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Since Kewaunee County doesn’t have a humane society of its own, the organization provides an important resource to residents, Leist said. A Cause for Paws has helped dogs, cats, rabbits and even guinea pigs find places to go.
Officials in the cities of Algoma and Kewaunee, the villages of Luxemburg and Casco and the towns of Ahnapee, Casco, Carlton, Franklin, Lincoln and Pierce have partnered with the Wisconsin Humane Society, according to the A Cause for Paws website and its Facebook page. This means residents in those communities can take unsheltered animals directly to the humane society.
Leist and Julie Jacobs were among the organization’s founders. Concerned citizens got together, and major fundraising through 2023 and 2024 helped establish the organization. It received official nonprofit status in 2025.
The community has been largely supportive. Fundraising, food drives, local business cookouts and other activities have been largely successful, Leist said.
Charles, who has volunteered in the animal welfare world since 2005, said the most rewarding part is seeing how responsive Kewaunee County communities have been.
“When we started, we knew we were passionate about the mission and the need for this, but we had no idea how the community would respond,” she said.
But one of the main struggles is getting municipalities to approve contracts. Leist says a vocal part of the populace doesn’t really see the benefit; they think the animals can fend for themselves.
Charles recalled a particular town board that said there was no need for A Cause for Paws.
“We’re now working to find residents in that town who support the need for a contract and will be hopefully back on the town’s agenda soon to again request they enter into a contract with (the Wisconsin Humane Society),” Charles said.
Leist says there was a small break in 2025, and now the organization is back and better than ever. A Cause for Paws is wholly volunteer-based, and only five people sit on the board. Charles is also on the board for the Wisconsin Humane Society, which offers a beneficial connection between the groups, Leist said.
So far, 2026 has been a slow year for A Cause for Paws, as many in the organization had things to deal with in their personal lives. Their goal, moving forward, is to get re-integrated and back to their mission, improve marketing and add more to their website.
Learn more
Visit acauseforpawskewauneecounty.com to learn more about the organization or to donate.
Email acauseforpawskewauneecounty@gmail.com to get involved.
This story is part of Community at Work, an ongoing feature series focused on community organizations that make a difference in northeast Wisconsin. Who should we feature next? Email jmalewitz@wisconsinwatch.org.
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Kewaunee County nonprofit offers hope to strays in need is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
