Good Leadership Required!

Lakeshore Humane Society is a small limited admissions shelter in Manitowoc, Wisconsin that takes in about 1000 animals a year. In April, one of our Lost Dogs of Wisconsin volunteers, agreed to attend a public meeting on behalf of our organization to see what the outcome of the city's stray contract would be. Our group is very concerned that many Wisconsin shelters are giving up their stray contracts. 


Animal control contracts are often being split up and given to private individuals, some that hold the dogs and cats in their garage, a warehouse, or a barn.  They often don't have microchip scanners, websites, Facebook or even internet access. One we know of doesn't have a camera.  This is making it virtually impossible for lost pet owners to try to find and reclaim their pets, especially since we know that it is possible that the animals could have wandered a long distance and/or crossed jurisdiction lines.

Cindi Ashbeck, our Lost Dogs volunteer,  a soft-spoken but very intelligent woman attended the meeting. She called me the next day to say that not only was the status of the contract a mess, but the whole humane society was a mess. Not one to let a "mess" deter her, she has dived in head first to make change for the animals in Manitowoc County.

One of the interesting things about this humane society is that it has an open door membership policy. Anybody can pay their $35 and vote for the board (after a 60 day waiting period) even if you don't live in the county. Board members of shelters are supposed to "steer the ship". When you don't have the correct people at the helm, the whole operation is doomed, no matter how well-meaning the director, staff or the volunteers are.

The old time board members of Lakeshore Humane Society do the same song and dance that is heard over and over again in shelters around the state and the country. "It's the irresponsible public, it's pet overpopulation,  killing is kindness, blah, blah, blah..."  Change is scary, it is easier to defend the old ways than to try something new. 


There is a handful of great new people that are on board or want to get on board, Cindi Ashbeck included. They have been reading and absorbing all the information and facts that are out there. They are well-armed with the truth. Cindi attended the Great Shelters Conference in Ohio to learn as much as possible about good sheltering practices.  She has started a blog and a Facebook page to inform and educate the public.

The city council also wants change. They want a board of directors that will be honest with them and negotiate the contract. They don't want to go elsewhere. But they will if they have to. Here are details from one of the council member's website.

Pretty obvious to all involved, is that some of the old-school board directors need to go. Dave Evans and his wife, Renee Evans have sat on the board for many years. I'm sure they have supported the humane society in their own way, but times are changing, methods are changing and board members need to keep up.  

Dave Evans  made the following comment at a meeting this summer.  "When they stop making ugly animals, we'll stop killing them."   Really? Those words are coming out of the mouth of a board member of the humane society? Unfortunately, Dave Evan's term does not end this fall. He has another year. Dave Evans also made comments at the meeting this week that the humane society's bylaws were not needed and didn't have to be followed. 

Another board member's rudeness and arrogance broke down the talks with the city. 

One  board member, Brenda Meverden, who is running for re-election and a new candidate, Kim Repinski  who is running for a director position  did not even have the courtesy to show up at the Candidates' Forum to answer questions by the members. This tells me that they don't take their responsibility to the animals and the humane society seriously.

Elections are October 18. I'll be there. I've paid my membership fee and I have a right to vote. I believe in democracy and the will of the people. It is time for change in Manitowoc County.  The animals are depending on us.

"Success and growth are unlikely if you always do things the way you've always done them. When you stop changing, you stop growing." - John Mason

Rep. Pridemore Flip Flops on the Dog Sellers Law

This  first photo of a female cocker spaniel and her puppies was taken in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.

The second photo of the Dachshund was taken in Dunn County,Wisconsin. You can see that the wire cages are suspended from above so that the waste falls through. It is not uncommon for a dog's foot to slip through the wire and become severely injured. These dogs are not given even basic veterinary care.

The third photo shows a wire cage being heated by a kerosene lamp. This is in Vernon County, Wisconsin.

I want to make sure that my readers understand one thing very clearly. These cages are not temporary housing. These dogs are not in here for a few hours or a few days or a few weeks or a few months. These dogs can be in these wire cages for years. No exercise, no socialization, no veterinary care. Of course the puppies get out of the cages when they are shipped to pet stores around the country for sale - but the ones that remain behind, the breeding dogs,  are the victims.

Act 90 was passed in Wisconsin in 2009 to alleviate the horrendous conditions that these dogs are enduring. It requires licensing and regulations for every person or organization that sells or attempts to sell 25 dogs a year or more. This includes breeders, pet stores, rescues and shelters. The bill passed unanimously through every committee and the house and the Senate. It was signed into law in December 2009.

The rules of the new law took eighteen months to hash out and the rule-making committee was made up of all facets of the industry. The rules are fair. They require that dogs must have exercise and socialization and basic health requirements.

Don Pridemore, Republican, Representative of Hartford Wisconsin has introduced a bill that would raise the threshold level to 100 dogs. In plain language that means that anybody that sells less than 100 dogs per year is considered a hobby breeder and can raise their dogs in the horrific conditions shown above. Rep. Pridemore was a co-sponsor of the original bill, and like I said it was unanimously passed.

He has now flip-flopped and changed his mind.

So far, the rules aren't being disputed - just the number of dogs.

There is much more reading about Wisconsin's puppy mills in this excellent article from January 2009 called Puppy Hell. This is happening here - in Wisconsin. It is not some obscure place that we can shut a blind eye to.

If you are fine with this - do nothing. But if you are appalled that a) the will of Wisconsin voters is being ignored and b) that Wisconsin dog breeders are allowed to mass-produce puppies in these sorts of conditions:  then please write or email your legislator to ask them to not support Rep. Pridemore's bill. Click on this link to find out who represents you.

Thank you to Frank Schemberger, a man who has spent many years tirelessly working to expose the cruel conditions of Wisconsin puppy mills,  for the photos.

Happy Times for Wisconsin Dogs

It's been a busy time for animal welfare volunteers and staff in Wisconsin. Act 90/ATCP 16 went into effect on June 1st . This new law, called the Commercial Dog Sellers law requires everyone who sells or offers to sell 25 or more dogs per year to be licensed and regulated. It includes breeders, pet stores, flea markets, shelters and rescues. It is budget neutral.  The licensing fees collected will pay for the enforcement of the regulations. For detailed information on the new law click here.

Is it perfect? Of course not. Not many laws are.

Is it better than what we had (which was not much)? Yes. Will it shut down puppy mills? Of course not.

Will it improve conditions for the dogs living in commercial breeding facilities? Yes. And, it is also the first step in ensuring that shelters and rescues are also maintaining reasonable standards of care. It will ensure that dogs are humanely cared for with exercise and socialization requirements.We have had some very sad cases of badly run shelters and rescues in this state - most notably the Thyme and Sage Ranch case which just recently resulted in the conviction of Jennifer Petkus on six counts of animal cruelty. Jennifer Petkus held the animal control contract for Richland County at the time.

With our new law, the situation at Thyme and Sage would never have regressed to the point it did.

To those of you who think that the bill should have attempted to shut down ALL breeding operations, here's my question.   There is a demand for puppies and dogs. Do the math. There are an estimated four million cats and dogs that will be killed in shelters this year. Let's say half of those are dogs (probably a high estimate, because we know the fate of cats is worse).

So, two million dogs are killed.  But, about 17 million people will add a new pet to their family. Again, let's say half of those people want to get a  dog, 8.5 million. Even if you convinced everybody to adopt their new dog from a shelter; where would the remaining 6.5 million dogs come from?

Of course, the whining and complaining about the new law has begun. Not by everybody, most reputable shelters are happy that the law passed. They realize that the inconvenience and cost will be more than made up for by the benefits to dogs in this state.

Any of you that know me personally know that I am not a huge fan of over-regulation by the government.
But, that being said, I also worked in an unregulated industry; horse training, breeding and riding instruction;  for twenty years.  I would have gladly paid a licensing fee and welcomed inspectors with open arms to my farm if I thought it would mean that the bad actors would have been regulated. A few bad actors can ruin the reputation of an industry as a whole, and then responsible players suffer.

There aren't many businesses that don't require licensing. You have to have a license to cut hair, sell Christmas trees or run a dating service in Wisconsin. But up until now - you could be responsible for the health and lives of dogs while running a rescue, shelter or commercial dog breeding operation without a license or any oversight, whatsoever.

Some people will argue - Why should the "good guys" have to pay for the sins of a few? Well, that's how our society works. We all have to register our vehicles. The pool of money collected is used to enforce and regulate the rules of the road, even though most of us are responsible drivers. Hunters and fisherman have to buy licenses to hunt and fish. Even though the vast majority are responsible and follow the rules; the licensing fees helps enforce the rules for those that aren't.

Some rescuers are panicking that a huge influx of dogs being "dumped" by breeders will overwhelm the system. Will it be a busy couple of years for shelters as some breeders downsize? Probably. But that still isn't a good reason to oppose a law that will make conditions better for dogs for decades to come. The good shelters are prepared and have trained staff and volunteers in puppy mill dog rehabilitation.

So, to all the whiners (most of whom did not attend the hearings or offer any input) quit complaining; do your paperwork, pay your licensing fee and get on with life.  You've had eighteen months since the bill passed to prepare. Good breeders should be happy.  Good shelters and rescues should be happy. Humane standards are being implemented. The dogs are better off now than they were before.

It's a happy time for Wisconsin dogs and I'm celebrating.  Thank you to Representative Jeff Smith, Senator Pat Kreitlow, the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project and everybody that worked hard to make it happen.

The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are,

 first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. ~Thomas Edison

The Dots

I've been meaning to blog on dots for a long time. I'm just getting around to it now. A couple of weeks ago somebody made a comment on my blog that I explained last week in my post.  As soon as I saw the comment my mind quickly said "red dot" and I didn't waste much energy on it. And so herein lies my dot theory.

A couple of years ago when the Commercial Dog Breeders Bill was introduced in Wisconsin a small, but determined group of supporters decided that they would form a  citizens' lobby group to support passage of the bill. We started a yahoo group and the first couple of weeks were spent tossing out all kinds of ideas about public awareness campaigns to generate interest. It was overwhelming to say the least. My simple little mind doesn't like to be overwhelmed. It likes logical thinking.

Some of the ideas exhausted me at the mere thought of them. Walking across Wisconsin for the cause was one. My legs got tired just thinking about it. Another idea was to tie wire crates to the top of our cars and put stuffed dogs inside - to show the plight of puppy mill dogs to the public. Not my style. Plus, I might have ended up divorced.

So I put on my thinking cap (as my mother used to say).  We only had to convince 133 people - 99 assembly representatives, 33 senators and the governor. Now that was something I could wrap my mind around. And we really didn't have to convince 133, only a majority.

Next we needed a map. I'm a map type of person, probably from my old forestry days.  I printed off the assembly and senate district maps as large as possible - large enough to cover our dining room table. Then I trotted off to the stationery store to buy transparent sticky dots - red, yellow and green, used for pricing rummage sale items.

Thus, the dot theory was born, and I have found endless uses for it since. The co-sponsors of the bill immediately got a green dot stuck on their district number. We already had their vote. (thanks to the tireless work of the bill authors, Jeff Smith and Pat Kreitlow; and  Eilene Ribbens of the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project).

There were some legislators that we knew were against the bill - those were the red dots. No use wasting a lot of time there. We only needed a majority of votes. Our time was better spent rallying people in the districts where we thought we could make a difference.

Where we needed to focus was the yellow dots. The ones that we knew we could convince. The members in our small group were amazing. They knew people in every town, county and area of the state. As the bill passed through committees and we could see whose votes were needed; they were able to rally friends, families and neighbors to call and email their legislators. As we grew confident that we had their vote I replaced the yellow dot with a green one on the map.

The bill passed unanimously - through every committee, the House and the Senate. In the end, even the red dots changed to green. It would have been political suicide to vote no. The momentum was too strong.

So, the dot theory has stuck with me like glue.  As we move towards a No Kill Nation, or a time when there are No More Homeless Pets (whichever phrase you prefer) the green dots are the progressive thinkers: the No Kill advocates, my friends and allies in our mission. We talk almost daily, exchanging ideas and stories on yahoo groups and by email and phone. But it's not the best use of my time. They're already on the bus.

The red dots are the naysayers and dinosaurs - a big waste of time. They make my blood pressure rise and the dinosaurs are going to be extinct soon enough anyways. Besides, we don't need them. We only need a majority. Plus, one thing I have learned, the buck doesn't stop at the red dots. There is usually an elected official or a yellow dot above them. Also, funding for naysayer shelter directors comes from tax dollars or donations, a whole sea of yellow dots.

The yellow dots are who we need on the bus. They're the majority of the pet lovers in our nation. They're easy. And there are millions of them. Once they understand the problems, the solutions and the mission, they're more than happy to get onboard the bus.

This is where I want to spend my time. Each day dawns with the possibility of yellow dots just waiting to hear about the No Kill Equation and the possibilities of a No Kill Nation.

So, back to the red dot naysayers. In the end they'll be like the red dot legislators of our Commercial Dog Breeders Bill. They'll come along. Either kicking or screaming; or pretending like they were onboard the whole time.

It will be suicide for them not to. Or like the dinosaurs, they'll become extinct.

"Almost all people are in favor of progress, it's the change they don't like. Most people become willing to change, not because they see the light but because they feel the heat." - John Mason

Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare - Revisited

I usually don't blog about my blog but since there was so much feedback posted in various places on my last entry I thought I'd try to clear up a few misunderstandings.

A few people thought I was anti-vegan, and anti-vegetarian. Not true at all! Some of my best friends are vegetarians and vegans. They are also smart enough to know that in the world of politics there are times to flaunt it and times to not flaunt it.

Some people commented that my definitions were too general or too simplistic. Agreed. That was my goal. It's a blog. I don't have a lot of time to capture people's attention and make a point. I ended the paragraph with one sentence that I thought covered the bases pretty well. "There are also varying levels of extremism within the groups. "


To any moderate animal rights advocates that would like a different definition - please come up with one, plus a new name and then educate the media, the politicians and the lobbyists on the difference between you and the extremists. That would help immensely. Because - let me make one thing perfectly clear - when even the hint of the phrase "animal rights" appears on the radar screen of the lobby groups that oppose us - they spring into action to squash our well-intentioned bills.

If you don't believe me, read the KC Dog Blog last week. Whether you were for or against Proposition B in Missouri, the effect that the lobbyists and special interest groups had on the bill was humbling. One glance at the map shows that they were able to convince the rural population of Missouri to vote no on Proposition B. It passed with 51.6 percent of the vote, but only because the urban population pulled it through. I saw a copy of an "action alert" that was circulated by opposition to the bill a few weeks ago. The phrase "animal rights" was mentioned no less than five times. The people that voted "no" are not dog-hating people that are "for" puppy mills. These are people that have been convinced that their farming lifestyle and individual rights will be taken away from them.

When it is not a ballot initiative - it's the legislators that vote on the bill. And they want to please the majority of their constituents. In states where the economy relies heavily on agriculture, like here in Wisconsin, we'd better not be aligned with a vegetarian or vegan agenda. Just ain't gonna happen in the land of milk and cheese.

That doesn't mean we can't get good positive animal welfare laws passed. We just have to be smart about it.

Another point I was trying to make - as the holiday season approaches - our mailboxes are full of requests for donations - many with pictures of cute kittens and puppies on the front. I was hoping to educate readers on making sure they are giving to organizations whose beliefs align with their own- whatever they may be. It can be hard to navigate through the hype. But credible organizations will clearly state their intent - whether it be animal welfare, animal protection or animal rights. If you can't find their intent in an "about us" or "mission statement" it should raise a red flag.

Thanks for all the comments - good and bad. Creative thinking and lively discussion produces new ideas which can save lives.  And that's what I'm trying to do. I do appreciate names, and usually won't reply to anonymous comments.

I Live, I Breathe, I Vote

Tuesday night was primary election night in Wisconsin. Now it is only 48 more days until November 2 - Election Day, the day we have the privilege and obligation to select new people to represent us in government.  I am a new American  (six years) and I am proud to be a citizen of this great country. I am amazed by how many people take voting for granted, don't bother to do it, and then complain for the next four years about the way things have turned out.

I am the director of Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals - a grass-roots organization which supports fair and reasonable laws that will protect our pets and advance humane legislation in our state. We track legislation, provide voting records for state legislators, and question the candidates for upcoming elections. We do not endorse candidates. We simply provide the information on our website for voters to make informed voting decisions.

This fall we know that the economy and the budget are the big issues at the polls.  Will our companion animal issues even get the time of day? I should hope so. It's all a part of the big picture. This is not the time for shortsightedness.

According to the American Pet Products Association, 62 percent of U.S. households have pets. Pets and pet supplies were a 45.5 billion dollar industry in 2009. (And this does not include the recreational horse industry which we also consider as companion animals). There was no decrease in spending during the recession on pets - and it is predicted that 2010 will bring another  $2 billion increase in sales. So anyone who argues that "pet issues are insignificant" had better look at the facts.

Companion animals directly affect the quality of our lives. Just a few of many significant points:

• Seniors with pets have lower health care costs.
• We know there is a direct link between cruelty to animals and domestic violence.
• We know that most serial killers abused animals first.
• We know that most puppy millers do not pay sales taxes.
• We know that poor animal control policies and laws cost the taxpayer money.

I love when I have tools available that I can use to show the lawmakers how good animal welfare policies and laws actually SAVE the government and taxpayers' money.  Two examples are fiscal estimators developed by Best Friends Animal Society. With the punch of a few buttons, these tools calculate the costs to communities on two different issues.

The first is the Breed Discriminatory Fiscal Impact calculator.  It shows how much a breed specific law (such as a pit bull ban) will cost a community to implement. The second is a TNR fiscal estimator. This shows that a well-run Trap Neuter Return program for feral cats will actually save a municipality money over the "catch and kill" method that is often used and does not work.

Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals does not represent a bunch of animal rights fanatics that think animals have more rights than people. We do not have a hidden vegetarian, vegan or anti-hunting/fishing agenda. We are a bi-partisan group of fair-minded people with legitimate concerns about the humane treatment of  companion animals in our state.  I spoke with one assembly candidate who said he didn't want to be the puppet of a special interest group. We are not asking for a puppet. We're asking for our lawmakers to listen, consider our position and represent us fairly.

"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” - George Jean Nathan

The Business of Saving Lives

Animal shelters are in the business of saving lives. To me that's a no-brainer. It should be on their business cards, painted on the wall, in their mission statement - "We Save Lives." Maybe if the staff looked at those words every day they'd be more inspired to think of new and creative ways to save lives - instead of getting stuck in the same old, same old rut.  Maybe we wouldn't hear the lame excuses that are churned out about why they are failing.

Lame excuse for shelter deaths  #558 - "you don't know what it's like - there's so many animals, they keep coming in, we have to deal with them all. The staff get tired and burnt out."

Hmmm. Another profession that is in the business of saving lives - air traffic controllers. I'm glad they don't use this same excuse. "The planes - they keep coming and coming - we get tired and burnt out." Somehow, the aviation industry manages to land more than 25,000 commercial flights safely in this country every day of every year. They do an exceptional job of saving lives. Why have we accepted so much less from our animal shelters?

There are hundreds of professions and businesses that shelter directors could study for innovative ideas on management, business principles, leadership skills, staff motivation and rewards. Combine these with the No Kill Equation shelter model and we'd be a long ways towards a No Kill Nation.

I had the pleasure of meeting Billy LeFeuvre and Jeff Daniels of Justice for Bella at the No Kill Conference a few weeks ago. Although their story started off sad with the shooting of Jeff's dog, Bella (read the whole story on their website or Facebook page) - their determination and dedication to now DO something about the problem in Cabarrus County, North Carolina is inspiring. They have already made a huge difference and I have no doubt in my mind that they will succeed in everything they set out to do. They have that kind of attitude about them.

This is an excerpt from a Facebook post that Billy wrote:

I am in law school now, but when I took my MBA, I remember studying the most successful companies in the world. They were leaders in their industries.

Many of them had competitors selling the same products, offering the same services. What do you think made them successful and their competitors unsuccessful, or much less successful?

It was the attitude and commitment of the leadership. They did not make excuses. They did not blame the public for not buying. They were innovative. They were passionate. They looked at the best practices of every industry, whether it was related to them or not, and through research and development, they went with what worked and scrapped what didn't work.
They did not stick with the same outdated ways of doing business, when those ways didn't produce results, or at least didn't produce acceptable results.

They demanded better, and when they saw something that worked, they implemented it, refined it, improved it, and experienced growth far greater than their competitors.

Everyone should be asking themselves why a shelter would ever continue killing, and continue making the same old excuses, when ten years ago the entire country was shown the way to No Kill in San Fransisco; then a couple of years later in Tompkins, NY; then Charlottesville, VA and Reno, NV, and so on...with dozens and dozens of No Kill Communities across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. And even more saving over 80%, just shy of declaring themselves a No Kill Community, but well on their way!

Billy hit the nail on the head at what is wrong in so many shelters in this country. I think we have too many shelters being run by unmotivated, unskilled shelter directors who have not been trained in leadership, management or successful business strategies. There is a "model" out there that works  - The No Kill Equation. Why a shelter director would not use it as a blueprint for success in their community is beyond my comprehension.  And shouldn't the boards of these shelters be ensuring that the directors are following a clearly defined path of success? If these were publicly traded companies the stockholders would be appalled that the results were so poor; when competitors were doing so much better.

It's time to challenge the thinking of the past and get on with the business of Saving Lives.

"The minute you stop striving for excellence, you quickly slip into mediocrity." - Unknown

Pesky .... And Proud of It!

If they keep track of those sorts of things I'm sure this summer may go down in the record books as the summer of the mosquito. They are rivaling Canadian mosquitoes - which are a force to be reckoned with.  Yesterday morning I had to check a humane trap that we'd set for a lost dog. It was only a short trek into the woods - but by the time I got to the trap, the buzzing was deafening.

No dog in the trap, just an ungrateful raccoon who took off without even a backward glance or a "thank you, ma'am" for the cozy bed, tennis ball and Solid Gold Green Cow tripe that we'd baited the trap with. As I hightailed it back to the road with a thousand hungry mosquitoes following me, I remembered one of my favorite quotes:

  "If you think you're too small to be effective - you've never been in bed with a mosquito". - Betty Reese

I like being a mosquito advocate for animals.We have a dedicated group of them in Wisconsin. We're like pesky flies - writing letters to politicians, pet store owners, irreputable breeders. We never go away - just when they think we have - bzzzz - there we are again - annoying as hell. 

We were a whole army of mosquitoes (flock? herd? gaggle? what's the word?) last year during the state legislative session while we were trying to get the Commercial Dog Breeder's Licensure Bill passed. In the end - the legislators gave up trying to swat us away, we were deafening and annoying - and the bill passed unanimously through both the House and Senate.

Our numbers continue to grow - there are countless animal lovers willing to take up the cause when they realize how effective they can be.

So whether you are a mosquito army of one, or of thousands, never doubt that you can make a difference in the lives of the animals you love.