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Trap-Neuter-Return is best feral cat policy

6/19/2014

This is a response to a Wauwatosa resident's concern about feral cats posted in the May 29 edition of Wauwautosa Now. Thank you to Lisa Frymark for allowing us to republish this as a guest blog.

Maryann Ostrenga's concerns regarding the Wauwatosa feral cat population (May 29 Public Forum letter) can be eased with three letters: TNR.

Community/feral cats produce the majority of kittens turned in to animal control facilities like the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission. For decades, trap-and-kill has been the method of choice by animal control to reduce community/feral cat populations. This method is costly to taxpayers and has repeatedly been shown to be ineffective.

Municipalities around the country have embraced a non-lethal approach — Trap-Neuter-Return. In a TNR program, community cats are humanely trapped, evaluated by a veterinarian, spayed/neutered, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped (so someone finding the cat knows it has been spayed/neutered/evaluated), and returned to the habitat where they were originally trapped.

Milwaukee County currently has no program in place to humanely reduce the community/feral cat population. TNR — using volunteers and available grant funding — improves public health, decreases nuisance complaints and stabilizes/reduces the number of feral cats and kittens.

As a Wauwatosa resident, I want the same things Ms. Ostrenga does. However, mass killing of community cats leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

A sensible TNR policy is good fiscal and ethical policy. Contact your local representative and ask them to enact TNR legislation.

Alley Cat Allies (www.alleycat.org) and The Humane Society of the United States (www.humanesociety.org) have a lot of information on the benefits of TNR. On a local level, the Wisconsin Cat Project (www.facebook.com/wisconsincatproject) is seeking volunteers in all 19 Milwaukee County municipalities to help implement TNR. Contact them at [email protected] to get started.

Lisa Frymark
Wauwatosa

Please visit the original online article to add your comments in support of TNR. Here is the link: http://www.wauwatosanow.com/news/trap-neuter-return-is-best-feral-cat-policy-b99288974z1-262651011.html

Green Lake Campground Discriminates Against "Pit Bulls", Mastiffs and Dobermans

6/16/2014

A Wisconsin family was planning their camping vacation in Green Lake County but noticed that their family would not be welcome at the Green Lake Campground.

From the campgound's pet policy: "No aggressive breeds are permitted, including but not limited to pit bulls, mastiffs, and dobermans.

Instead of protecting their clientele from unruly dogs by implementing and enforcing good dog policies; this campground has chosen to discriminate against the millions of responsible people in America who choose to own one of the listed breeds (and who camp).

The Green Lake Campground gets a big THUMBS DOWN from us. There are plenty of other dog-friendly campgrounds that do NOT discriminate.

If you know of other Wisconsin businesses that discriminate against breeds of dogs, please email them to us at [email protected]. We will be happy to share them.

Jeff Wagner, WTMJ Radio Host: What Happened to Fair, Factual, Balanced Reporting?

6/12/2014

Jeff Wagner, host of a daily radio show on Milwaukee's 620 WTMJ is no friend of pit bull terriers or their owners. He frequently addresses the topic of "pit bulls" on his call in show and admits that when he does he receives a great deal of feedback (one has to wonder about the motive behind his choice of topic). Below is a letter written by a listener in response to his latest segment on pit bulls. Thank you Brian Christ, for allowing us to publish your letter.

Jeff Wagner, radio host on MIlwaukee's 620 WTMJ

Mr. Wagner:

I’ve noticed you take great pride in telling your listeners about the dangers of pit bulls. So much so that you highlight stories around the country, it would seem. According to the state Health Department, about 32 people each year are hospitalized in Milwaukee county due to dog bite. About 65 are in Southeastern Wisconsin. Did you have to look to find a story involving a pit bull outside of our state?

About a year ago, I had the shocking experience of listening to you, a lawyer, state how you think an owner of a “dangerous breed” should face different consequences than the owner of, say, a lab. I just want to ask, again, why is the one’s suffering worth more to your view of society than the other?

I realize this letter is accusatory, and believe me, it’s meant to be. I can only assume that fear is driving your viewpoint. I would love the opportunity to help you conquer that fear. Should you ever find yourself interested, in a public or private setting and at a pace of your choosing, I would be honored to introduce you to a few of the 99.995% of the dogs you label “dangerous” that are great members of canine society, just like the 99.995% of every other breed. It is my fervent hope you would take me up on this offer. If you do not, then at least do your listeners the service of treating victims equally. The parents of the child killed or mauled by a lab, collie, retriever, et al suffer no less than that of whatever breeds are thrown into the label of “pit bull.”

In closing, here are a few facts to consider. These were collected by state health departments, not media reports.

1) In Denver, where pit bull type dogs are banned, a citizen is 50% more likely to be hospitalized due to dog bite than the state average.
2) In Omaha, after the passage of breed specific legislation, level 4 and 5 (the most serious) bites have increased. Labs are the number one offenders.
3) In Prince George County, MD, a report was commissioned on the effectiveness of their pit bull type dog ban. The conclusion: Public safety has not increased.
4) Dog bite fatalities, while still thankfully rare have increased within 2% of the increase in total canine population over the last 30 years.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards:

Brian Christ

Milwaukee Court Case Dogs Held Three Years in Captivity

6/11/2014

Sally, seized on 6-10-2011 by the Milwaukee Police Department. She has been housed at Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Commission (MADACC) ever since.

June 11, 2014 marks the third year "anniversary" of the impoundment of many of Milwaukee's Court Case dogs. These six dogs were seized from an alleged dog fighter in June 2011. This particular case will go before the courts in October 2014.

This Youtube video posted by WISN 12 News from March 2013, is a sad reminder of how little progress has been made in the last year. Court Case dogs are double victims of cruelty. Once at the hands of their owners, and then once at the hands of the system, a system who has locked them up and thrown away the key.

David Mangold, a Milwaukee citizen and creator of the Save Milwaukee's Court Case Dogs Facebook page, has advocated tirelessly for these dogs for the past three years. When I asked him his thoughts on the situation, these were his comments:

What role do you think that media and politics has played in the plight of the Court Case Dogs?
Milwaukee itself has a unique problem with the Court Case Dogs. The media in this city is absolutely ignoring this situation. To me they are a big part of the problem. If the media won't report on this situation, then the politicians have no political will to do anything about it. In fact, they are complicit together. I've been to several meetings over the years where the City Attorney is extremely reluctant to change the status quo (that is, to hold a seizure hearing). Combine this with a do-nothing Mayor, and the situation is grave. Until something changes (ie. a new Mayor or leadership upheaval at the Journal-Sentinel), the situation will continue to be as we see it now.

What role does MADACC play and how can they prevent this from happening again?
I've been inquiring with MADACC about their contract with the city. I've asked them to either eliminate the part of their contract with Milwaukee requiring them to take in fight case dogs, or to go big and get a separate facility to house and care for these victims of cruelty properly. Now they're holding over 40 fight case dogs and we're going into the busy season of summer. Forty dogs fills 30% of MADACC's capacity right off the bat. So they will surely be having problems with space, leading to potentially more shelter deaths in their 140 dog facility.

How do you feel on this third anniversary?
After three years of captivity, the question of whether any of these dogs can be saved is growing. As so much time in captivity goes by, they can become very stressed and rightly so. The time it has taken to carry these dogs through to trial is a big part of the problem. Pennsylvania has solved this problem with their Act 50, the Cost of Care of Seized Animals Act. Wisconsin should do the same.

So as the third year comes and goes, you have to wonder. Where will be next year at this time? And more importantly, where will the Court Case dogs be?

You can help. Please call or write to your City of Milwaukee alderman, or your elected officials in any of the other municipalities of Milwaukee County. Please contact any connections that you have in the local media and ask them to cover the story. Your tax dollars fund MADACC. And your tax dollars also fund the drugs that will be used to kill dogs at MADACC who need the space occupied by the Court Case dogs.

Like and share the Facebook page: Save Milwaukee's Court Case Dogs

Additional reading:

American Bar Association Supports Justice for Victims of Animal Cruelty by Ledy VanKavage

National Animal Control Association guidelines for seized dogs

HSUS Changes Policy on Dogs Seized From Fight Busts by the KC Dog Blog

The Sad Plight of Milwaukee's Court Case Dogs by Cindi Ashbeck

Milwaukee's Forgotten Dogs by Kathy Pobloskie

One Year "Anniversary" and No End in Sight for Milwaukee's Forgotten Dogs by Kathy Pobloskie

Link to the TMJ4 coverage of the story: Man wants new program for Milwaukee dogs seized during police raids

Link to KISS-FM Radio Interview:
http://www.vetsforpits.org/images/05-27-12_PSA_MADACC.mp3

Trap-Neuter-Return is best feral cat policy

Green Lake Campground Discriminates Against "Pit Bulls", Mastiffs and Dobermans

Jeff Wagner, WTMJ Radio Host: What Happened to Fair, Factual, Balanced Reporting?

Milwaukee Court Case Dogs Held Three Years in Captivity

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