Mad About Pets!

Photo of Kayla Little from Twitter.

Kayla E. Little, 21, of Madison was charged today in Dane County Circuit Court with one count of mistreating animals causing death. According to the charging document, Little strangled her pet cat to death because it attacked her daughter. She told officers she felt as though she was "out of options", despite an earlier call to a veterinary clinic where she was given information on multiple organizations who would accept the cat. Little allegedly did not call the humane society because she didn't ask the veterinary office for the number, didn't have data on her phone to look it up, and didn't have a car to take the cat there for surrender. Instead, she admits to strangling the cat with her bare hands, stating "it felt like it took forever but think it was only a couple of minutes." The defendant also told officers she buried the cat in a box in the woods.

Little's next hearing will be held on February 1, 2016 at 1:30 PM at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison, WI.

From DCHS:

A New Program to “Help Keep Pets in Their Homes”

Click to donate!

Hard economic times may result in tough choices regarding family pets for households struggling to stretch their limited resources. Families faced with the choice of purchasing pet food or providing for their family’s needs may have to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their pet. At a time when unconditional love from a pet is needed the most, some families need to make this tragic decision. Pets may be given to relatives or friends, surrendered to Dane County Humane Society or, sadly in some cases, abandoned.

To help families keep their pets at home, Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) is partnering with Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc. (CAC) to supply pet food and cat litter to participating Dane County food pantries. CAC will facilitate the delivery and pickup of donation barrels with businesses participating in pet food drives. DCHS, acting as the county pet food bank administrator, will coordinate pet food drives, solicit business and private contributions, warehouse the donations and deliver them to food pantries with the aid of DCHS volunteers.

How Can You Help?

1. Donate pet food (dry or canned) or cat litter (clumping or clay) - bags 10 pounds or less to participating businesses between December 12 and 18. Click here to see a list of participating businesses. Click here to download a list of participating businesses.

2. Host a drive to collect pet food and cat litter in your business, school or organization. Contact DCHS for details.

3. Make a monetary donation to DCHS for food pantry food and litter. Checks should be made out to Dane County Humane Society, and include instructions to apply your donation to the “Help Keep Pets in Their Home” program. You can also donate online (include "Help Keep Pets in Their Homes" in the comment box).

What is our Goal?

With your help Dane County Humane Society and Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc. want to support struggling families and prevent them from making the terrible decision to give up a loving pet when the family is faced with severely limited resources. Your donations will decrease the number of pets separated from their families - where their love, loyalty and enthusiasm for life are needed the most.

For More Information:

Contact: Patty Zehl, Volunteer Coordinator with Dane County Humane Society

Mail monetary donations to:

Attention: Patty Zehl
Dane County Humane Society
5132 Voges Road
Madison, WI 53718

USA (PR Web) Oct 30, 2011 - Researching health care options for pets is a phenomenon that is expanding in North America. More people are starting to realize the benefits of having a single veterinarian for their pet. This puts the vet in a more knowledgeable position and strengthens his/her relationship with the pet.

The site, which launched in October 2011, is known as The Veterinarian Directory (http://www.topveterinarians.org). It features a simple search box which allows you to locate nearby veterinary clinics by city, address or postal code. The directory currently has over 30,000 listings which users can view through the familiar maps provided by Google.

There are two reasons why it's becoming more popular to research veterinary clinics for your pets. For the conscious pet owner there is a better chance of finding a talented and knowledgeable vet who can keep your pet healthy. Secondly, people are discovering there are benefits of seeing veterinarians who specialize with specific types of animals.

The launch of the Veterinarian Directory is proof that a great idea can translate to an incredible community connecting veterinary practices directly with enthusiastic pet owners.

From Dane County Humane Society:

MADISON, WI – For the next four days, Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) is removing the price tag on all available cats, 6 months of age and older, allowing adopters to pay what they are able to pay. The spring and summer months are always busy for DCHS, but a late surge of cats entering the shelter has caused DCHS to quickly near its max capacity. The economy is also putting a new slant on why people are giving up their pets. "It used to be because you are moving and can't keep the pet, or you don't have time for it, but now we really are seeing it trend toward people surrendering their animals because they lost a job, lost their home," said Gayle Viney, DCHS Public Relations Coordinator. "What's hard is these are animals we normally wouldn't see, because their owners really wanted to keep them.”

DCHS traditionally charges $40 to adopt an adult cat and $20 for a senior cat, but starting Thursday, October 27, and running through Sunday, October 30, DCHS is asking adopters to name their own adoption fee. People will be asked to fill in the blank when it comes to paying the adoption fees which include: spay/neuter surgery, distemper and rabies vaccinations, screening and/or treatment for fleas, ticks, mites, worms, ringworm, FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), a microchip, a 30-day health insurance policy, and a free bag of cat food from Mounds Pet Food Warehouse; a total value of over $200!

“We’ve heard and read about similar promotions working in other communities,” said Gayle Viney, DCHS Public Relations Coordinator. “By asking people to pay what they think is fair, it encourages people to be invested in our mission to save pets beyond the mere price tag.” Recently published studies have shown that eliminating the adoption fees does not devalue the pet in the eyes of the adopter. Only the adoption fee is changing, all other DCHS adoption policies remain in effect.

-DCHS Main Shelter – 5132 Voges Road, Madison WI·
-Adoption Center West – 7475 Mineral Point Road #42, Madison WI ·
-Sun Prairie Mounds Satellite Adoption Center - 2422 Montana Avenue, Sun Prairie WI·
-Fitchburg Mounds Satellite Adoption Center - 5352 King James Way, Fitchburg WI·
-Middleton Mounds Satellite Adoption Center - 8311 University Avenue, Middleton WI·
-East Mounds Satellite Adoption Center – 2110 South Stoughton Road, Madison WI

Michael Aasen, age 25, of Sun Prairie, WI who was charged on November 2, 2010 with Mistreatment of Animals (Cause Death), Disorderly Conduct, Battery, and Intentionally Mistreating Animals entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect today. The Court will appoint a doctor to evaluate him.

Currently, the case is scheduled for final pre-trial on February 24, 2011 before Honorable Sarah O'Brien, and a jury trial is scheduled to begin March 15, 2011.
 
Keep checking back for further updates on this story!
 
For information about the charges: click here

Michael Aasen, age 25, of Sun Prairie, WI was charged today with Mistreatment of Animals (Cause Death), Disorderly Conduct, Battery, and Intentionally Mistreating Animals.

Aasen is accused of domestic violence toward his wife. He is also accused of killing the couple's dog by stabbing it in an artery and allowing the animal to bleed to death.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 10, 2010 in this matter before the Honorable Sarah O'Brien in Dane County Circuit Court Branch 16.

To read the full complaint, click here. Be warned: it is very graphic and contains offensive language.

You can also check out the story from Wisconsin State Journal.

Click here for more information about the original charges, and here for a great story from the Wisconsin State Journal.

From Tabby & Jack's:

It brings us great excitement to announce that we will be opening a location on the Capitol Square this August! After much research in many of Madison's neighborhoods and the surrounding communities, we found the Capitol Square to be the greatest opportunity for us. The Central Downtown District currently is lacking a pet store and grooming facility and we are thrilled to fill this need!

We will be located at 14 W. Mifflin on the Square located next to Coopers Tavern and conveniently located 1/2 block from State Street. Meter Parking is available on Mifflin or in the W. Dayton/N. Carroll parking ramp only one block away.

We will provide the same human grade dog and cat food free of byproducts and fillers. Our focus still remains on fresh foods containing raw meats balanced for your dog or cat. Of course the unique accessories will also be plentiful including new lines of gifts for the pet lover.

We will also provide full service grooming. Our holistic grooming salons provide the most calming environment for your pet. We do not use cage dryers and only use the highest quality products free of any chemicals. The 1-2 hour appointment is ideal for a trip to the square with just enough time to grab a bite to eat, some java or shopping on State Street.

To make a Capitol Square location possible, we are moving our inventory and equipment from Struck Street and closing the west side store. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause our west side patrons, and hope you understand that this was an opportunity of a lifetime that was too hard to pass up.

Because of the anticipated closing, new store hours for Struck Street will be as follows:

-Monday: Closed
-Thursday: 11-6
-Friday: 11-6
-Saturday: 9-1
-Sunday: Closed

Starting immediately, everything store-wide at the Struck Street location is 20% Off. We anticipate Struck Street closing permanently in approximately 3 weeks.

Please stay tuned for our downtown opening sometime in August!

Bone Appetit!

The Pack at Tabby & Jack's

Dwayne Johnson, the 35-year-old Madison man who plead no contest to charges of beating a puppy to death with a flashlight in December of 2009, was sentenced today.

Click here to read about the incredibly cruel charges against the defendant.

This is a press release from Procter & Gamble:

CINCINNATI, May 5, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) has signed an agreement to acquire Natura Pet Products, Inc., a privately-held pet food business based in Davis, California.


This move enables P&G to expand into the attractive "holistic and naturals" segment of the pet food category, complementing P&G's current Iams and Eukanuba brands and helping the Company advance its overall growth strategy of "reaching more consumers in more parts of the world more completely."


Natura's brands include Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise, Mother Nature and Karma. These brands are sold in a limited number of pet specialty stores and through veterinarians, mainly in the United States and Canada.


"These outstanding brands and the great employees of Natura Pet Products will complement our Eukanuba and Iams brands very well," said Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of P&G's global pet care and snacks businesses. "This acquisition gives us a strong position in the holistic and natural pet food segment. It will enable us to enhance the health and well-being of even more dogs and cats and represents an exciting new source of growth for our business."


"It's time for the right company to take our brands to the next level of growth. P&G is that company," said John Rademakers, founder and owner of Natura Pet Products. "We know that P&G will honor our history as they capitalize on their strengths to build these brands."


Natura Pet Products employs about 140 people, mainly at its production sites in San Leandro, California and Fremont, Nebraska. P&G is targeting to close this deal in about a month, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Specific terms of the deal are not being disclosed.


About Procter & Gamble


Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), Braun(R) and Fusion(R). The P&G community includes about 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.


SOURCE Procter & Gamble






Before you make a decision one way or the other regarding whether to continue feeding foods previously produced by Natura, make sure you do your research into Procter & Gamble to decide whether their values and pet food quality meet your expectations.
 
Here are a few links to get you started:
 
-Iams Cruelty- site created by PETA to expose cruel animal testing at IAMS
-Uncaged- more information about Iams animal testing, plus many links
-Chazhound- Forum with pasted letter from P&G to retailers stating quality of Natura will remain the same
-Pet Food Ratings- Site that reviews pet foods from many companies

For details on the accusations in this case, click here.

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.

A motion hearing was held in Dane County Circuit Court on January 20, 2010 in the matter of Jorge Iglesias. Iglesias is charged with multiple counts of felony instigation of animal fights for allegedly running a cockfighting operation out of his Madison, WI home.

The motion hearing on January 20 was held in order to discuss the defendant's motion to dismiss for selective and discriminatory prosecution. The judge has ordered the matter continued, and will be heard February 16, 2010 at 1:00 pm.

For a full report of the accusations against Jorge Iglesias, please see:
*Motion to dismiss filed in alleged Madison cockfighting case
*Jury Trial scheduled in Madison cockfighting case
*Hearing Scheduled for tomorrow in alleged case of Madison cockfighting

The jury trial of Jorge Iglesias (charged with illegal cockfighting in Madison) originally scheduled for November 2, 2009 was cancelled. The defense motioned the court to dismiss the case due to “selective and discriminatory prosecution.”

A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for January 20, 2010. It appears that Jorge Iglesias will also be obtaining new counsel before that time.

For a full report of the accusations against Jorge Iglesias, please see:
*Jury Trial scheduled in Madison cockfighting case
*Hearing Scheduled for tomorrow in alleged case of Madison cockfighting

A final pre-trial is scheduled for tomorrow, October 15, 2009, in the matter of a Madison man accused of holding cockfights. Jorge L. Iglesias was charged on June 26, 2009 with 13 felony counts of instigating animal fights.

Jorge Iglesias entered a plea of not guilty on all charges during his June initial appearance hearing. A jury trial is scheduled for November 3, 2009 in the Dane County Circuit Court.

Related story: Hearing scheduled for tomorrow in alleged case of Madison cockfighting (detailed story)

The humane officer stated that she located in a separate area on the property a portable wood and carpet fighting pit that was disassembled near a fence. Near the alleged ring there were several lawn chairs, empty beer bottles, and additional cages containing fighting cocks, game hens and some chicks.

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded on the evening of June 21, 2009 to a 911 call in reference to the stabbing of a dog. Upon arrival at the scene on Trailsway in the City of Madison, a Madison Police Officer reported a large amount of blood in the kitchen and the living room, as well as scattered items such as cloth and paper towels apparently used to wipe up the blood. He also observed a young puppy bleeding from the neck area and in need of immediate medical attention.

The subject who initiated the 911 call was identified as 47-year-old Susanne Burgaz of Madison. The officer observed what looked like blood on her hands and clothing. Burgaz stated that the man she lived with, later identified as Richard J. Maier, had stabbed the 3-month-old German Shepherd puppy named Shep approximately 3 or 4 hours ago. She said Maier stabbed the puppy because it wouldn’t be quiet.

“(The dog) kept yelping and barking. Rick (Richard Maier) yelled at the dog to shut up, but the dog kept barking,” Burgaz stated. “He opened the door and took a knife.”

When asked to further describe the stabbing, Burgaz could not explain to the officer any more beyond stating that Maier had done it. She claimed that she had tried to help the dog by pouring iodine on the wound and gluing it with super glue. She also noted that she had tried to stop the bleeding by applying as much pressure as she could “short of strangling the dog.”

The officer contacted Richard Maier, 60, who stated that the puppy kept barking which angered Susanne Burgaz. He further stated that Burgaz yelled out “I’ve had enough!” and removed a red-handled kitchen knife from her purse. According to Maier, Burgaz ran over to the cage where the dog was located, pulled the dog out with one hand, and “stuck it once with the knife.” The dog was stabbed in the neck area.

Maier stated that Burgaz dragged the dog into the living room by a leash attached to the dog’s collar. Though the dog was bleeding heavily from the neck, Maier said that he believed Burgaz felt she could fix the wound.

“She thought she could fix it. She put iodine on it and super glue too,” he said. “I think the efforts to save the dog lasted until you got here. But before you got here, before you were called, she ran upstairs, called you guys, and said I did it.”

Maier further stated that 45 minutes to an hour went by before Burgaz called the police, and he believed the dog was going to die. He said that he felt the police should have been called earlier, because “the dog didn’t deserve that at all.”

The officer again questioned Susanne Burgaz regarding the incident. Burgaz stated that Maier had told her to “get the (expletive) dog to stop barking!” She further stated that Maier demanded that she kill the puppy and that she “had no choice” as “he’s bigger than me.” She claimed that Maier held a knife to her neck and made her stab the dog. When pressed for further details, Burgaz would only state to the officer “I can’t explain it. It was horrible.” She also could not explain how the knife got into her hand. The officer reported no noticeable marks on Burgaz’s neck.

A second officer transported the puppy to an emergency animal clinic where the knife wound was treated. The veterinarian described the laceration as being approximately two and a half centimeters wide.

A jury trial is scheduled for Susanne Burgaz on November 17, 2009. She is being charged with Intentional Mistreatment of Animals and Obstructing an Officer. Richard Maier is also charged with Intentional Mistreatment of Animals and scheduled for a settlement conference on August 21, 2009 in the Dane County Circuit Court.

For further info: Madison Police Dept Incident Report