Popular Posts


Love Pugs? Details on Milwaukee Pugfest 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Comments

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Pug Fest is scheduled for May 6, 2010. Come see over 1000 pugs and take part in pug-related activities, events, speakers and so much more! Milwaukee Pug Fest is the largest pug festival in the US.

What: 6th Annual Milwaukee Pug Fest

Where: Milwaukee County Indoor Sports Complex, 6000 West Ryan Road (Hwy. 100) (I-94 Exit 322) Franklin, WI

When: Sunday, May 16, 2010, 10am – 4pm (Doors open at 9:45am)

For details on the full itinerary, volunteer opportunities, tickets, etc., please visit the official website for Milwaukee Pug Fest.

Letters/emails still desperately needed for Assembly Bill 793!

Friday, March 26, 2010 Comments

An Assembly public hearing was held on Thursday, March 11, 2010 for Assembly Bill 793, but the bill has not yet passed out of Committee. The Senate public hearing will be held on 6 April. Your letters are urgently needed!

This bill would help shelters, animal control facilities, and local governments cope with the thousands upon thousands of dollars incurred in a large seizure or cruelty case. It would also help lessen stress on the animals by reducing the time they must spend in shelter cages.

Write or email your local representative to make sure we get this bill passed! Find contact info for representatives here.

For more information about Assembly Bill 793, see this previous post.

Help DCHS By Supporting Assembly Bill 793 on March 11, 2010

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Comments

From the Dane County Humane Society:

The committee will hold a public hearing on the following items at the time specified below:

Thursday, March 11, 2010
10:15 AM - or upon adjournment of the Executive Session
415 Northwest
State Capitol, Madison WI


Assembly Bill 793

*Relating to: animals taken into custody.
*By Representatives Pocan, Berceau, Black, Brooks, Hebl, Pasch and Pope-Roberts; cosponsored by Senators Risser, Carpenter, Erpenbach and Miller

MODIFICATIONS TO CHAPTER 173

On June 14, 2006, the FBI executed a U.S. Department of Justice search warrant on the property of Robert Lowery, looking for evidence related to drug trafficking. Lowery was arrested on drug charges and held without bail. The authorities discovered and seized 48 pit bulls housed on the Lowery property – dogs that had allegedly been involved in dog fighting. While Lowery remained in custody, state law enforcement officials gathered the necessary evidence and charged Lowery and his wife Julie in December of 2006 with dog fighting under 951.08, Wis. Stats., a full six months after the dogs had been seized.

In accordance with a contract between Dane County and the Dane County Humane Society (“DCHS”), Lowery’s dogs were held at DCHS pending resolution of the criminal dog fighting charges. As the state and federal criminal cases proceeded, Lowery’s attorneys filed a petition under Chapter 173 of the Wisconsin Statutes (a civil statute) seeking the return of his dogs. In January 2007, the Dane County Circuit Court heard the case. Subsequently, in March 2007 the DCHS, Dane County and the Lowerys settled the civil matter, with the Lowerys agreeing to surrender the dogs in return for a dismissal of charges and a waiver of costs. From the day that the dogs were seized to the day of the settlement, DCHS incurred well over $200,000 in costs. This figure doesn’t include the cost of the original seizure or the attorney fees from the court action. As a result, Dane County included a special $100,000 appropriation in its 2007 budget specifically to help DCHS with the expenses related to the Lowery’s pit bulls.

As a result of this experience, DCHS and Dane County, in association with many other local governments, state prosecutors, humane societies, and non-profits located around the state that have experienced the financial and other adverse consequences associated with animal seizure cases, have sought to have Chapter 173 modified from its current form.

We are therefore introducing the following legislation in order to make these situations less onerous on county governments, private and public animal shelters. Among other things, the proposed legislation will:

1. Change current state law to provide clearer rules enabling a court to require that an owner of an animal who is the subject of a Chapter 173 seizure or a Chapter 951 criminal case, to pay for the reasonable costs of custody and care for the animal.

2. Change current state law to allow local animal shelters working under contract with a political subdivision and having custodial control of an animal impounded under Chapter 173 to directly petition a court for an early disposition of the civil matter.

3. Change current state law by setting reasonable time limits for the court to act on certain items related to any animal seizure and for the owner to respond to various steps in order to expedite the entire disposition process under Chapter 173.

4. Change current state law by removing the requirement that an animal alleged to have been involved in fighting be maintained in custody pending the outcome of any criminal charges, and instead allow that the animal be retained in custody for a period that is reasonable to allow the collection of evidence relating to the animal.

LINKS EXPLAINING CHANGES

*AB-793/SB-580, Revisions to Chapter 173 (Animal Seizure Law)
*Summary of AB-793/SB-580, Revisions to Chapter 173 (Animal Seizure Law)

Please click HERE to see how you can help support this bill!

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with City Hall Pet Gifts

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Comments

From City Hall Pet Gifts:

Saint Patrick’s Day is Wednesday March 17th, 2010. Stop in for everything you need to engage your dog in the celebration! Bring home a woof-a-licious shamrock shaped green frosted peanut butter cookie, or a nice soft peanut butter flavored bon-bon that looks like a pot of gold.

Want something more original for your pup to celebrate St. Patty’s day? Try a Bowser Beer, its beer for your dog! It comes in two pup-tastic flavors, Beefy Brown Ale (Beef), and Cock-A-Doodle Brew (Poultry); these drinks are 100% dog friendly and non-alcoholic. Bowser Beer can be poured over your dog’s food, or poured into a water bowl. Get or give a gift that you can feel great about feeding your pet, because Bowser Beer has glucosamine in it which promotes healthy joints.

City Hall Pet Gifts is located at 100 E Main St., Sun Prairie WI. The store is open until 7:00 on St. Patrick's Day.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Follow Me


Facebook Twitter G+

Got a tip?


If you know of an upcoming event, a cool product, a new pet supply shop, etc. in the Madison, WI area, please let me know!

Pet Jobs