Every Missing Pet Found After Tornado Leveled 75 Homes in Tiny Wisconsin Town—But They Need Help
In a town of fewer than 2,000 people, a tornado carved through a heavily residential subdivision, flattening homes and scattering families. But amid the wreckage in Ringle, Wisconsin, an unlikely outcome emerged: every pet reported missing so far has now been found.
The tornado struck Marathon County on Friday afternoon, damaging or destroying at least 75 homes in Ringle alone, with some structures leveled completely. Emergency crews reported residents temporarily trapped in basements as the storm passed, though all individuals were eventually located and rescued. Authorities confirmed there were no fatalities or serious injuries among the human population.
The animal population, however, faced a different ordeal.
Cats, Dogs and Chaos for Homeowners
Cats, dogs and other animals were left behind, stranded or separated from owners whose homes were completely destroyed. Fetch Foster Rescue, a Wisconsin-based organization, stepped in to take in animals from displaced families. Volunteers have been working since the storm to reunite pets with their people — and to keep the animals as calm as possible while the storm cleanup continues.
“Right now, we are just looking for huge placements. Families are like you’ve seen. The homes are destroyed,” said Season Schmitz, a volunteer with Fetch Foster Rescue, per WSAW-TV. “We’re only into day two so it’s a lot for them to even process and then to try to figure out where your fur family needs to go and be.”
The emotional toll extends beyond the human side. Schmitz revealed some animals had to be put down because of injuries they suffered from the storms. Still, the broader picture carried a remarkable finding: to their knowledge, every pet that had been reported missing has now been found.
For anyone still searching, Schmitz noted that search and rescue teams have traps and cameras available to assist those who haven’t yet contacted an animal organization.
To grasp the scale of what happened in Ringle, consider this: the entire town has a population of less than 2,000 people. The tornado damaged around 75 homes in the Town of Ringle and surrounding areas, meaning a significant portion of the community was directly affected.
Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman described the scope of devastation as it became clearer in the days after the storm.
“This is probably the worst area, it was a pretty lengthy area that the tornado traveled through, so we have been assessing a lot more than what we thought we had last night,” Kielman said.
Local officials described the storm as one of the most destructive events they have seen in decades, noting the widespread devastation across parts of Marathon County. Beyond the homes, the tornado caused downed trees, damaged power lines and gas shutoffs in affected neighborhoods. A nearby elementary school sustained minor damage, and displaced residents were directed to a temporary shelter at a local middle school.
“Somebody is looking over us,” Kielman said. “Thank God that nobody got hurt. Homes are damaged, but we can help them repair them as a community, and I’m sure that will be happening from here on out.”
The Housing Problem No One Expected
With homes gone, the challenge now isn’t just rebuilding — it’s finding temporary places that will accept pets. Schmitz raised a complication many displaced pet owners face: rental restrictions on animals.
“There’s a lot of individuals that own properties that rent that do not allow certain animals or certain breeds. Absolutely understandable. However, under this circumstance, accommodations, if they could be made, would be fantastic,” Schmitz said.
Fetch Foster Rescue is also accepting donations of pet supplies and food to support families fostering animals. According to the organization’s website, “Our mission is to bring hope, healing, and second chances to dogs rescued from shelters, owner surrenders, puppy mills, and large-scale breeding operations within Wisconsin.”
Recovery and cleanup efforts began shortly after the storm, with damage assessments continuing as officials evaluated which homes could be safely reentered.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
