tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318548722024-03-13T08:28:25.705-07:00No Kill MadisonTracking Madison's march to No Kill...mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-33245099010860968362008-01-22T17:44:00.000-08:002008-01-29T18:46:51.505-08:00Happy Cats at MadCat - new hope in '08<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18pkR9IKxRrf5pbCO-qIE9WMkKEfvAAbhc97oIhSILUKovAulDDIKmeydYjafVAKGriCtid7o-jJieRdyCX32itM9CuI07Bdfj-od8Fr-IIxiINS_huXsBDbdYG1_JmBxqokLIg/s1600-h/gabbymouth.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158495996390063634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18pkR9IKxRrf5pbCO-qIE9WMkKEfvAAbhc97oIhSILUKovAulDDIKmeydYjafVAKGriCtid7o-jJieRdyCX32itM9CuI07Bdfj-od8Fr-IIxiINS_huXsBDbdYG1_JmBxqokLIg/s200/gabbymouth.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>frankly i've been a little depressed since <a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2008/01/dcfof-sees-big-changes-board.html">my last post</a> for reasons stated therein. i won't rehash that now, but there is no question the road to a No Kill Madison will not always be smooth and easy.<br /><br />luckily, there is exciting news on the cat front. our main focus right now are the cats being brought to <a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=DCHS">DCHS</a> and their <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnTL9kywqyiL5ywz2TSV97i0h4wOICpyBGJ2FmOYfaSKqb-WwcVIulE0DC5AdQz6sFQJFKsl69IFBNS2-6jBB5A1BVTLjg43Ov5VN4DmTlSAf5-lRPGnFEppmTyYv-WNcL0xk_A/s1600-h/catsaverate-oct07.jpg">likely outcomes</a>. that being said, we are looking for programs that directly support these endangered felines with focused lifesaving programs. we are talking about direct-diversion from our local kill-shelter.<br /><br />there are a number of "alt" cat-rescues that operate in the Dane County area, but none with this direct focus. they are not receiving the majority (if any) of their cats from the primary (and only) kill-facility in Dane County. the outcomes are <a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=16192">now understood by everyone</a>. (more below) <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />there is a new member of the Dane County rescue community and it's called HappyCat. they are addressing the problem i describe. this will be a facility-free foster-and-placement network designed to divert cats from DCHS and place them in foster-care until loving (and suitable) homes can be found. nobody dies - hence the happy part. facility-free is a key-ingredient for stretching lifesaving dollars.<br /><br />the plan sounds great - now how about the people? no plan succeeds without capable leadership and this will be no exception. the ladies behind this are Tonja and Sherry - hardcore veterans of the Dane County rescue circuit. they came to us for consultation and to negotiate for resources. we were deighted. we already have the first adoption-fair scheduled for this Sunday at <a href="http://www.felineunderground.com/">MadCat-West</a> (noon-to-3pm). join them there to learn more (no website yet).<br /><br />ok, so what about resources? the biggest hurdle for any cat rescue is veterinary care - coverage, if you will. Sherry and Tonja have wisely partnered with Dr. Laurie Peek of <a href="http://www.maddiesfund.org/">Maddie's Fund</a> and DCHS for full medical coverage of every cat in their program. think about that. just thank the powers that be. what about the rest (food, litter, etc.)? HappyCats at MadCat is a joint-venture and with the generous support of Madison's cat-lovers, we expect that the needs of our feline friends will be exceeded.<br /><br />so we have a new plan with resource-support, and leadership to back it up. i have one warning. this group is essentially an extension of DCHS and the cats in the program are technically still in their custody (hence the medical coverage). could this <a href="http://www.snoopy.com/comics/peanuts/greatpumpkin/images/scene_3_large.gif">backfire in some strange way</a> when priorities are at stake and well-meaning folks disagree? could this be some strange horrible Trojan Horse of cat death? <a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-you-kill-your-way-to-no-kill.html">why would we give DCHS one more chance</a>?<br /><br />i don't know. i honestly don't have all the answers when it comes to this No Kill journey we are on. but i know we have to keep trying new things and learning from our mistakes. i think that's what we are all trying to do here. maybe it will work...<br /><br />-ted</div><div></div><div><strong>update:</strong> things went well <a href="http://felineunderground.blogspot.com/2008/01/happycats-launches-with-authority.html">at the first event</a>. congrats to the <a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=HappyCat">HappyCat</a> team!</span></div>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-71221174801277306522008-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:002008-01-04T11:17:26.736-08:00DCFoF sees big changes - board resignations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SNtn1caeGm2WVzbW5AE_hS8h53E3MBC0f3rGFUO0vp4GyKMu9JRpKiZihw7pT9FfwruyAZtxEOOi8CrgJKF0loD02LgRmFEYoweg2wWa234pj0WzLPDj0OE_FuDwCnA42Hq6ew/s1600-h/sammitsit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151700975998880594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SNtn1caeGm2WVzbW5AE_hS8h53E3MBC0f3rGFUO0vp4GyKMu9JRpKiZihw7pT9FfwruyAZtxEOOi8CrgJKF0loD02LgRmFEYoweg2wWa234pj0WzLPDj0OE_FuDwCnA42Hq6ew/s200/sammitsit.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I suppose when you can't find the story somewhere else and everyone is asking about it, you might as well tell it yourself. In short, the cats living at the DCFoF enclosure at MadCat-West were not receiving adequate daily care. We define adequate daily care at a minimum to include food, fresh water, two poop-scoops (morning/evening), and some form of human interaction each and every day.</div><br /><div>This problem has been continuous, with many promises and excuses made over the years, none of which seemed to really close the care-gap we were seeing. DCFoF leadership refused to commit to our basic care standard, especially the morning/evening cleaning ritual (the most "gruelling" job). When we tried to bring the problem to the attention of the group again recently, our messages were censored from the group as a whole (thanks, Yahoogroups!). (more below) <span class="fullpost"></div><div></div><br /><div>The censoring of the "wake-up call" message to fellow group members was a big deal. This essentially meant that the problem would get stovepiped, delegated, and avoided yet again. The cats demanded better and so did we. I sent a follow-up to as big a group of names as I had lying around that I knew were members. I'll post this message soon (don't want this post to run too long).</div><div></div><br /><div>When members started asking the leadership what this was all about, the wagons began to circle. We were attacking the group, throwing out the cats, or threatening to call in animal-control. The care of the cats was the last thing on anyone's mind. Why were these issues being brought up? What is the history of this problem?</div><br /><div>In the resulting turmoil, two board-members resigned their positions, citing serious concerns that the board was essentially "rigged" or used as a rubber-stamp for the whims of an inside clique of leaders. Those resigning were frustrated that there was no intention of giving these conerns serious consideration, but rather a desire to attack the messenger and escape the situation.</div><div></div><br /><div>Since all of this took place, what is left of the board has decided to move the "unsocialized" cats out of the MadCat-West facility and focus remaining resorces on upgrading their friendly-room program (perhaps addressing the issues we were demanding action on).</div><br /><div>There are still lots of unresolved issues and raw feelings on both sides at the moment. Many want to know what the future holds for the relationship between DCFoF and MadCat - me as much as anyone. I truly hope this gets fixed and that the group is able to wrestle back control of itself and the care of the cats it serves. In a community that kills 40% of the cats it sees brought to the local shelter, we need to start demanding some real changes in the way our programs and services interact.</div><br /><div>more info will come out on this, but the main thing is the cats and whether we have well-led, well-resourced programs to serve their needs. Let's hope we can get there...</div><br /><div></div><div>Ted</span></div>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-85218886887455953162007-12-21T09:37:00.000-08:002007-12-21T09:56:58.248-08:00Winograd spends an hour with Rayburn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YR_zfKuyVPYard85MwxtdOI8k9uz7xDN9p7UX5GXxjvqpdyzHvJE2BRVJpL2PPoaDg2EbkEbP0UM06sFjdGCMCK3axyr7buMo8789sY9XNeEEUyKCzY4jMz9zQc5SXhnPWZLVQ/s1600-h/nkn-truck.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146486533514218306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YR_zfKuyVPYard85MwxtdOI8k9uz7xDN9p7UX5GXxjvqpdyzHvJE2BRVJpL2PPoaDg2EbkEbP0UM06sFjdGCMCK3axyr7buMo8789sY9XNeEEUyKCzY4jMz9zQc5SXhnPWZLVQ/s200/nkn-truck.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/">Nathan Winograd</a> spent an hour with <a href="http://www.themic921.com/pages/leeRayburn.html">Lee Rayburn</a> to discuss <a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-you-kill-your-way-to-no-kill.html">his recent article</a> about the situation at the Dane County Humane Society (<a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=DCHS">DCHS</a>) and the record of Dr. Sandra Newbury, specifically how we can reduce an <a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2007/12/dchs-cat-graphs-updated-holy-crap.html">out-of-control kill-rate</a>.<br /><br />the interview aired on December 19th on 92.1 the Mic. we are working on getting this audio better hosting for easier use.<br /><br />read the article: <a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-you-kill-your-way-to-no-kill.html">Can You Kill Your Way to No Kill?</a> - by Nathan Winograd<br /><br />listen to Lee's interview with Nathan: <a href="http://www.themic921.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=LeeRayburn.xml">Winograd/Rayburn - 12/19</a></div><div> </div><div>more beans later...</div><br /><div>-ted</div>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-83722677707664566302007-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:002007-12-14T08:24:40.313-08:00Winograd sounds off on DCHS, Dr. Newbury<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4KLQGkaiDjuwFuY7Xj0g2RjT4KwyQwQzCI2e4klU9hPkBv_WWPMQE2EVPPFNqWSie42XznfMCWIITuayYEpgZ7CER-o1quS90OJAcEYcOjJr6DSVGyITRDa2kqFQmeQx4NHfng/s1600-h/nateskitten-s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143863501173303666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4KLQGkaiDjuwFuY7Xj0g2RjT4KwyQwQzCI2e4klU9hPkBv_WWPMQE2EVPPFNqWSie42XznfMCWIITuayYEpgZ7CER-o1quS90OJAcEYcOjJr6DSVGyITRDa2kqFQmeQx4NHfng/s200/nateskitten-s.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>bringing a national perspective to our local shelter-killing problem, <a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/">Nathan Winograd</a> weighed in on the record of <a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=DCHS_statistics">Dane County Humane Society</a>, <a href="http://www.sheltermedicine.com/about/p_newbury.shtml">Dr. Sandra Newbury</a>, and the solution to our "cat problem" (the problem being that we feel we need to kill them). i am rereading <a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-you-kill-your-way-to-no-kill.html">the article</a> now, but i wanted to get it posted quickly so we appear sort of up-to-date. btw, the kitten pictured is one Nathan bottle-fed to save (rather than killing for convenience).</div><div></div><br /><div>humor aside, this is a scathing indictment of the failed policies of the Dane County Humane Society under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Sandra Newbury, Cathy Holmes, and Pam McCloud-Smith. this is the same team that is just declared they are "<a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/media/2007/12/12/DCHS%20letter%20to%20staff%20and%20volunteers%20121107.pdf">creating a better match between the number of animals coming in and the number of animals going out</a>" - no joke. <a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2007/12/dchs-cat-graphs-updated-holy-crap.html">by killing 40% of them</a>. (more below)</div><span class="fullpost"> <div></div><br /><div>we said it before and we'll say it again. when you find yourself stuck in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging. in <a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/media/2007/12/12/DCHS%20letter%20to%20staff%20and%20volunteers%20121107.pdf">Pam's memo to her staff</a>, she claims that their strategy "will one day become best practice for us and other shelters." why do we keep listening to this Orwellian insanity?</div><div><br /><a href="http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/2007/12/can-you-kill-your-way-to-no-kill.html">as Nathan Winograd points out</a>, "the archaic voices of tradition in sheltering are acting the same way as the doctors who put their own positions above their patients. They refuse to innovate and modernize precisely because they are threatened by the growing hegemony of the No Kill movement and what this means for their own stature in this movement."</div><div></div><br /><div>read his piece. we'll talk. we're planning another <a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=Events">No-Kill Madison meet-up</a> soon, so stay posted. our cats are well-served by this work. thanks again to Nathan for taking the time to examine our circumstance and offer helpful insight. i hope we are able to put it to good use...</div><div></div><br /><div>-ted</div> </span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-47866112799667201242007-12-13T11:30:00.000-08:002007-12-13T11:45:15.266-08:00DCHS unleashes a tepid response<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ9bbLntZJ0PBqMK6OLoVW2Lu3cPY_kbygt1wHrRDXwDvPi2AA9qfhsDAR1prs_9fycUqphXJ2U1zF5hUbDEOj_xxceO3H-gXEf3ioCU75NYbJ-B8Z3jjVSLuZbBlTB8Doz59Ug/s1600-h/dchs-cat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143545326324260882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ9bbLntZJ0PBqMK6OLoVW2Lu3cPY_kbygt1wHrRDXwDvPi2AA9qfhsDAR1prs_9fycUqphXJ2U1zF5hUbDEOj_xxceO3H-gXEf3ioCU75NYbJ-B8Z3jjVSLuZbBlTB8Doz59Ug/s200/dchs-cat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>well DCHS finally came around to responding to Vikki's article - <a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=16492">as she points out</a> - "sort of". for one thing, their response only went out to staff and volunteers, not the general public (who read the article they are responding to). for another thing, they do little to address the failure it describes - actually promising more of the same failed policies and practices.</div><div></div><br /><div>you can read <a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/media/2007/12/12/DCHS%20letter%20to%20staff%20and%20volunteers%20121107.pdf">their letter here</a>.</div><div></div><br /><div>we are grateful that Ms. Kratz found our <a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2007/12/dchs-cat-graphs-updated-holy-crap.html">save-rate graph</a> helpful. don't expect DCHS to be publishing anything this simple and useful anytime soon. apparently they are busy with holiday fundraising...</div><br /><div>-ted</div>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-7252450497861068532007-12-11T15:31:00.000-08:002007-12-12T08:36:53.396-08:00WisconsinCAT talks with Lee Rayburn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdO1_DPuIqo0zGijYSMxijPlXw2GdHBGerq5jnN3dcLUPRCOCR5ed49OC7anIBw-STr6Zf2DyhZ9npkzTL9cewPlOF_v1iXl6pmiUA7TnrneXt7k2KrjaA43RzS0LftkbNOkbdA/s1600-h/leetalk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142864621252485106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdO1_DPuIqo0zGijYSMxijPlXw2GdHBGerq5jnN3dcLUPRCOCR5ed49OC7anIBw-STr6Zf2DyhZ9npkzTL9cewPlOF_v1iXl6pmiUA7TnrneXt7k2KrjaA43RzS0LftkbNOkbdA/s200/leetalk.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>after <a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/AV/leevikkited.MP3">interviewing Vikki Kratz last week</a> regarding the "<a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=16192">Better off dead?</a>" article in (the) Isthmus, Lee invited me on to talk about the specific pressures cats face in Dane County and why that leads to <a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2007/12/dchs-cat-graphs-updated-holy-crap.html">record high kill-rates</a>.<br /><br />we are always pleased to accept an invitation to make sure our cats are seen <em>and</em> heard - especially in a community forum like the mic 92.1. i'll let the audio <a href="http://www.themic921.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=LeeRayburn.xml">speak for itself</a>. the show will play live in Madison at 7pm tonight on Lee's evening hour-long interview show.<br /><br />listen, argue - get involved!<br /><br />-ted</div>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-64867720959711405282007-12-10T21:16:00.000-08:002007-12-10T21:35:14.197-08:00DCHS cat-graphs updated - holy crap!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnTL9kywqyiL5ywz2TSV97i0h4wOICpyBGJ2FmOYfaSKqb-WwcVIulE0DC5AdQz6sFQJFKsl69IFBNS2-6jBB5A1BVTLjg43Ov5VN4DmTlSAf5-lRPGnFEppmTyYv-WNcL0xk_A/s1600-h/catsaverate-oct07.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142583425448648658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnTL9kywqyiL5ywz2TSV97i0h4wOICpyBGJ2FmOYfaSKqb-WwcVIulE0DC5AdQz6sFQJFKsl69IFBNS2-6jBB5A1BVTLjg43Ov5VN4DmTlSAf5-lRPGnFEppmTyYv-WNcL0xk_A/s200/catsaverate-oct07.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />there is no point in doing much more than just showing the damn slide. it looks considerably worse now that we factor in the kills that appear in the September/October data unavailable as of our November update (you read that right). either way, we're on-track to kill over 40% of the estimated 3,600 cats DCHS will have taken in by the end of 2007. woot.<br /><br />some wonder how we arrive at these save-rate numbers. it's easy. you take the total number of cats taken in over a period of say one year. you then look at how many you killed (or died in your care) over that same period of time (kill-rate). you inverse the kill-rate and you have a save-rate (i.e. 35% kill-rate = 65% save-rate). simple, no? it really is, especially over any longer period of time. since our analysis covers a seven-year span (so far) these numbers can be said to be fairly reliable. (more below) <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />it's dark math, we'll agree. but it's the math that matters if you are a free-roaming cat in Dane County, the most at-risk group. we are specifically advocating on behalf of those cats, for sake of clarity. we'll put up the intake, adption, and shelter-kill data that helps us arrive at save-rate (adoptions are actually not a direct factor in save-rate, but obviously tightly linked).<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH1qOXMq9NMv4u2LwRDBQ0xZQ7hjgq6kcUzXKBaoo5TIKQcnfYvyPBehhH9WkymqzXX72Y4ovX2L8-XRS99vuuRjkbG5MGjPeM6XbSm5seKZU5hri4dkpLDZdrhRIf-xMT8qcoQ/s1600-h/catdetail-oct07.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142583640197013474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH1qOXMq9NMv4u2LwRDBQ0xZQ7hjgq6kcUzXKBaoo5TIKQcnfYvyPBehhH9WkymqzXX72Y4ovX2L8-XRS99vuuRjkbG5MGjPeM6XbSm5seKZU5hri4dkpLDZdrhRIf-xMT8qcoQ/s200/catdetail-oct07.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />anyway, it was worth posting both graphs for the books and updating anyone paying attention to this - ahem - problem...<br /><br />-ted</span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-75488414184739220882007-12-09T20:48:00.000-08:002007-12-10T21:36:07.041-08:00Kratz covers the cats, MadNoKill meets up...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUOnSQD_O37GOLN6iSuzefvFpqWuVAn561STowekUlMjCQYZ3c6kcRDylOj2jZMI0EcFqFiKzSF7FHca4M7oZXYDy4_hEzcobX_5I5BgsOmgg95m4OwSCfbCibs1hjjOgL7MzKw/s1600-h/135px-Nokillmorty.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142218142775091138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUOnSQD_O37GOLN6iSuzefvFpqWuVAn561STowekUlMjCQYZ3c6kcRDylOj2jZMI0EcFqFiKzSF7FHca4M7oZXYDy4_hEzcobX_5I5BgsOmgg95m4OwSCfbCibs1hjjOgL7MzKw/s200/135px-Nokillmorty.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />there have been a few developments on the No Kill front and this blog is frankly underused. the most major thing to happen in the last few days in the release of "<a href="http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=16192">Better off dead</a>" - the December 7th cover-story in <em>the</em> Isthmus (that's how I say it, so deal). the story is penned by Vikki Kratz, Isthmus government reporter and volunteer cat-rescuer for <a href="http://www.daneferals.org/">DC Friends of Ferals</a>. there is no obvious connection (outside of this piece). the story sort of fills in all the blanks for you.<br /><br />the story was a doozie. i intend to pull it apart over a few blog-posts because there is a lot to unpack. the headline was that we are killing a surprisingly high number of cats for a community that prides itself on its compassionate concern of animals. the headline is backed up with some hard-hitting data (40% of cats taken in this year have been killed, most healthy or treatable) and some personal stories that help us get to know who some of these cats are. (more below) <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />did we publish something about this data <a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2007/11/madisons-cat-numbers.html">a month a earlier on our blog</a>? sure, but we aren't the damn Isthmus and we didn't include all the illuminating interviews with ex-volunteers and current shelter bigwigs. this is some hot stuff and if we had media awards to give out, Ms. Kratz would be on our short-list of 2007 nominees.<br /><br />so read the piece, learn the facts, and get ready to organize around an alternative. there are alternatives out there and Vikki alludes to them in her piece. i am glad she offered us a look at what some of these solutions may look like (read: Nathan Winograd's <a href="http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/">No-Kill solution</a>). getting involved in local cat-rescue at any level is going to help.<br /><br />as far as organizing alternatives, we had another No-Kill Madison meet-up tonight at <a href="http://www.escapejavajoint.com/">Escape Java Joint</a> here on Willy Street and a handful of folks were able to brave the elements and join us. noteworthy guests included <a href="http://www.themic921.com/pages/leeRayburn.html">Lee Rayburn</a> of 92.1 the mic, <a href="http://www.maddies.org/aboutus/peek.html">Dr. Laurie Peek</a> of <a href="http://www.maddies.org/index.html">Maddie's Fund</a>, and my favorite guest - <a href="http://www.sheltermedicine.com/about/p_newbury.shtml">Dr. Sandra Newbury</a>. we also had Paul O'Leary on-hand (cat-rescue generalist), a visitor from Athens, Georgia, and a UW vet-student that supports spay-neuter work at <a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=DCHS">DCHS</a>. i'm delighted when anyone shows up to talk about saving cats, but this was a fun group dynamic, to say the least.<br /><br />we ran well past the hour i had intended to go and our agenda was scrapped for more practical banter. we got down to how far we thought people were willing to go to change things. it was evident at the outset that nobody wanted to defend the past. perhaps it is best left at that for right now. we were all openly talking about the same goal, a very high save-rate for cats (i give it a name and a number: No Kill = 90%+). we were talking about the systemic reasons this we have been going in the wrong direction and at least identifying the areas we would need to focus on in order to affect a change - namely intake (<a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/wiki/index.php?title=Cat_admissions">admissions</a>) and adoption-rate.<br /><br />my central concern was that we organize around a clear goal, nothing fuzzy - and that we let the resource question come second. Sandra's concerns at times felt resource-centric and my resistance was probably obvious. i always imagine an army of compassionate check-writing individuals is waiting to descend on DCHS once they they start speaking their language - the language of No-Kill.<br /><br />my idea to ride around with the animal-control officer responsible for the highest cat-intake numbers was met with some chuckles, but we really were trying to turn over every rock we could given the value of the audience. Sandra is working with DCHS on something that i can only say sounded very optimistic and a real departure from the past.<br /><br />she has more confidence than i that we have the right leadership in place to achieve something approaching No-Kill here in Madison (or Dane County as a whole). i tend towards a changing of the guard and a fresh set of eyes, but i'm willing to talk it through. acknowledging that the policies of the past five years have failed the cats of Dane County and the residents who speak for them would be a terrific start. i could work with someone who could acknowledge that. Sandra Newbury is one of those people from what i heard tonight. i'm not saying she'll lead the next coup, but she's willing to say that the cat numbers stink and DCHS is the institution that produced them (in concert with an often oblivious community, thanks to an often oblivious media).<br /><br />all that and more. i tell you this was a meeting i'm glad i didn't miss. stay tuned...<br /><br />-ted</span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-18432326915637081632007-11-01T23:23:00.000-07:002007-12-10T21:36:28.815-08:00Madison's cat-numbers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZc1KQHNmN1_7KjCBU0MYIu9YgfHyapwds9srIw1BMdqqGMJE3UQnsC1j_LIW-WisNqNtlLZ0_WGSLEcxlVzf5YbKaMjZr7xa9XeLArDxvsca8wd6q3wprF1P-E7OJKp0sJn0sQ/s1600-h/catsave.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128126745927787314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZc1KQHNmN1_7KjCBU0MYIu9YgfHyapwds9srIw1BMdqqGMJE3UQnsC1j_LIW-WisNqNtlLZ0_WGSLEcxlVzf5YbKaMjZr7xa9XeLArDxvsca8wd6q3wprF1P-E7OJKp0sJn0sQ/s200/catsave.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />we initially sought out the basic "cat-numbers" so that we could get an updated quantification of the problem. as "no-killers" we generally define the problem as the unneccessary killing of cats by animal-shelters and animal-control agencies. we had some trouble getting an updated picture of the problem until some recent data was released on the DCHS website.<br /><br />once we had the basic data we were looking for - intake and shelter-kills - the graphs were easy to lay out. we included the adoption (placement) numbers as well, since they are a major factor in raising save-rates.<br /><br />the save-rate graphs themselves turned out to be the most interesting to look at. i say graphs, although initially we were only looking at the cat-numbers (back to where this began). but the dramatic decrease in save-rates over the last five years really demanded that we graph the dog numbers as well. we heard over and over from dog-lovers, rescuers, and shelter-volunteers that we were "practically No-Kill when it comes to dogs". we needed to find out. (more below) <span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJMGbP_rRjsZ0ze_pqPjHcsJg9WNSWHmmTebOedszBX5Tmr4H-cd14XgYDqlF7BM5hWllVAE37TdAOTL1epxjWqTnZtPLmokgr8cc27cPXUp48MTRl44XtilMphE-B9TGJTsCwg/s1600-h/dogsave.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128127149654713154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJMGbP_rRjsZ0ze_pqPjHcsJg9WNSWHmmTebOedszBX5Tmr4H-cd14XgYDqlF7BM5hWllVAE37TdAOTL1epxjWqTnZtPLmokgr8cc27cPXUp48MTRl44XtilMphE-B9TGJTsCwg/s200/dogsave.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />it turns out they were almost right. our community has saved over 80% of the dogs arriving at DCHS in the last three years (79% four years ago). given the context we find ourselves in - killing one out of every three cats that we take into our local shelter - perhaps we should assume they are right and focus our energies where we can make the greatest lifesaving impact.<br /><br />i am sure there will be much discussion regarding the fairness of such an oversimplified metric for measuring lifesaving success, but can you really suggest a more appropriate one? it just seems to me that many are eager to wave the "rescue" banner. i am fine with this and i wave it proudly myself. but it is this criteria that frustrates me as well. it implies that we are in service not to a group of humans, but to an individual animal. if this is true, then we must be ready to acknowledge failure when it is appropriate to do so. this would be that time.<br /><br />rescue isn't a title you earn by supporting a systemic failure to provide lifesaving services. i take personal offense at a van emblazoned with "animal rescue" that picks up a collarless cat and takes it to a building with a 1-in-3 chance of being killed. that is not customer-service. if rescue is our game and that cat is our customer, we need to rethink our approach. that's not service.<br /><br />i'm done ranting. i'll just post my thoughts on the stats and say hello again. thanks for taking a peak...<br /><br />-ted</span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-1154798790892359412006-08-05T09:38:00.000-07:002007-12-10T21:36:58.588-08:00DCHS Legal Response: Analysis<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5904/1617/1600/pitbud.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5904/1617/200/pitbud.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ok, now that the news has broken on the DCHS statement from Thursday, we can sift through some of the details and figure out where things are really at. The CapTimes brings us up to speed with <strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=93571&ntpid=4">this article from Friday</a></strong>. The WSJ <strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=93524&ntpid=3">covered this as well</a></strong>. NBC15 <strong><a href="http://nbc15.madison.com/news/headlines/3487442.html">adds video</a></strong>. We've posted some <strong><a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/pitpics.htm">pics online</a></strong> from DCHS.<br /><br />Well if you read these stories, there's a few things that don't pop up. I read the formal legal response that DCHS filed jointly with Dane County (the legal-entity) and many of it's juicier tidbits are not in any of the articles. (more below) <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Among them:<br /><br />-"Respondents" (DCHS/Dane County) fail to recognize Lowery's ownership of at least some of the animals.<br /><br />-Respondents state that there are reasonable grounds to believe the owners mistreated the dogs in violation of Wisconsin animal-cruelty statutes.<br /><br />-Respondents find at least some of the dogs (7) to pose a significant threat to public safety (and should be euthanized).<br /><br />-Item found at Lowery's ranch include "break-sticks" with bite marks (to pry jaws of fighting pits), lots of dog-fighting literature, a well-stocked pharmacy, a "jenny" (cat-mill), and two treadmills.<br /><br />-The dog fighting literature included several issues of "Scratch and Match" magazine (dog-fighting sub-cult terminology). One issue includes an article written by Robert Lowery of "Windy City Combine". Windy City Combine is the name of Lowery's kennel. Several issues of Scratch and Match contain adds for Windy City Combine dogs (<em><strong>ed. note:</strong> very tough to find anything on "Scratch and Match" online - this is not an easy-to-find title...</em>)<br /><br />-Dog fighting literature also included issues of "Pit Master" magazine (still looking for this one too), an issue of "Gameness" which contains an interview with "Rob Lowery" of "Windy City Combine" regarding dog fighting, a copy of "Highlander Rules of Combat and the Certified Contender and Championship System" (a 22-page manual containing very detailed rules governing dog fighting), and other veterinary articles regarding treating animals in-shock and recovery from traumatic injury.<br /><br />-The well-stocked pharmacy included IV drug sets, surgical tape, skin staplers, numerous catheters, scalpels, splints, syringes, vet-prescibed pharmaceuticals, and testosterone (commonly used to build muscle in fighting-dogs).<br /><br />-Upon arrival to DCHS the "vast majority of the dogs exhibited injuries and symptoms consistent with those resulting from intentionally istigated dog fighting." There injuries included old and fresh puncture-wounds and scars (particulary on limbs and faces), missing and deformed limbs - feet - and toes, irregular - torn - and scarred ears, missing and broken teeth, blindness and other eye damage, irritation, redness, and hair-loss.<br /><br />-Besides the 7 dogs showing human-aggression issues, there are 25 that are showing dog-aggression at an alarming level. Over three-quarters of the dogs show elevated arousal levels.<br /><br />-Reasonable grounds exist to believe that the dogs were either bred for, trained for, or used in intentionally instigated animal fighting.<br /><br />-Respondents also ask the court to require Lowery to reimburse Dane County and/or DCHS for all costs incurred to-date and in the future relating to the care, custody, and treatment of the dogs (cool!).<br /><br />So those are the salient aspects of the petition to maintain custody and ideally accept surrender of all 48 dogs. We will post an Adobe file of the court-filing as soon as I get a chance to scan it all in (12 pages).<br /><br />I'm sure Lowery will explain most of the medical stuff away as a necessary bybroduct of breeding aggressive dogs. The magazines and articles are a lot harder to explain away. We'll see how the press deals with these hard pieces of physical evidence. Taken as a whole, the evidence paints quite a picture.<br /><br />Lowery is clearly eager to get his hands back on his dogs. They represent a ton of cash in the dog-fighting world and I'm betting a few are not his, but dogs he was holding/raising for friends (clients?). DCHS has extra security on these dogs for this exact reason. We're not talking about a law-and-order crowd here.<br /><br />So that's where we stand.<br /><br />DCHS needs our general support in their request to accept surrender of these 48 dogs. That is the most important thing that needs to happen right now.<br /><br />More later...<br /><br />(BTW, this pic is not from DCHS nor does it depict one of Lowery's dogs. It was random.)</span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-1154682492450579842006-08-04T01:58:00.000-07:002006-08-04T02:08:12.456-07:00DCHS Releases Photos of Confiscated Dogs<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5904/1617/1600/lowerypit1-a-w.5.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5904/1617/200/lowerypit1-a-w.5.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ok, so publishing them on Blogger turned out to be a real nightmare, so I'll share one pic here. The rest are <strong><a href="http://www.dontshootthecat.com/pitpics.htm">stashed on our old DSTC site</a></strong>. Take a look. They tell a story. I'm going to post the DCHS legal-response to Lowery's petition soon.<br /><br />There's nothing else to see here. Just click that other link I told you about...mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-1154634520262347152006-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:002006-08-04T00:47:52.043-07:00DCHS Denies Lowery Custody Request<a href="http://www.workingpitbull.com/images/fight.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.workingpitbull.com/images/fight.jpg" border="0" /></a>We have been waiting quite a while for more info regarding the 48 confiscated pit-bulls housed at DCHS as a result of the <strong><a href="http://nokillmadison.blogspot.com/2006/08/madison-area-pit-bull-fighting.html">Lowery dog-fighting ring bust</a></strong>. Today DCHS held a press conference where they laid out their response to <strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2006/07/21/0607200488.php">Lowery's July 20th request</a></strong> to have his dogs returned to him (even as he sits in jail facing international drug-smuggling charges).<br /><br />They released a statement along with a formal legal response to Lowery's request. Suffice it to say, they are against returning the dogs to Lowery and they recommend that they be surrendered to DCHS as soon as possible.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />This has a LOT to do with money and unfunded mandates by state authorities. DCHS has really lawyered up on this and the press-conference was carefully orchestrated with only Cathy Holmes speaking (DCHS - Board President) , legal-eagles in-tow.<br /><br />They document lots of evidence of Lowery's dog-fighting background, including dog-fighting periodicals to which Mr. Lowery had contributed articles under his own name. They also detail the direct physical evidence of abuse and fighting on the dogs themselves.<br /><br />They also make a call for changes to our animal cruelty laws to prevent similar animals-held-as-evidence problems in the future. This was Cathy Holmes, the biggest cheese at DCHS, openly challenging the property status of animals. Joy fills my heart.<br /><br />In addition to the basic statement and legal-documentation of their position, they also distributed six photo-sheets showing five of the surrendered dogs and six of the crates that were destroyed during kennel clean-up. These photos capture the pitiful state-of-mind these dogs find themselves in. We will post or link to them as soon as possible.<br /><br />They also distributed a fun-fact sheet about the pits and another sheet describing their '06 finances (with a YTD comparison for 2005). Some of this is now <strong><a href="http://giveshelter.org/">on their website</a></strong>. The rest I will link ASAP.<br /><br />I have not been this proud of my humane society in a long time. Thanks goes out to DCHS, its volunteers, Cathy Holmes, Dr. Newbury, Shaun McBryde, and everyone behind the scenes that wouldn't let animal-cruelty stand in our community.<br /><br />You guys rock and we will support you on this!</span><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Lowery is expected to respond to the DCHS statement from his jail-cell tonight on WISC-3 Madison (CBS). He is apparently trying to legitamize his dog-"work" and hope we all forget about the international drug-dealer part. </span><br /><p><span class="fullpost"><strong>UPDATE2</strong>: Lowery does respond, and Joel DeSpain <strong><a href="http://www.c3ktogo.com/video-player.php?id=4927">is there</a></strong>. Great quotes and a bunch of great video-links captured <strong><a href="http://www.channel3000.com/news/9625971/detail.html#">here</a></strong>. Then they do this great <strong><a href="http://www.c3ktogo.com/video-player.php?id=3966">Steve Van Dinter piece</a></strong> which reminds us Lowery was the first person in state history to be convicted of dog-fighting (and the only one).</span></p><p><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />*updates to follow with document-links, photos, and analysis * </span><br /></p></span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-1154542339424973052006-08-02T10:48:00.000-07:002010-09-18T11:56:49.016-07:00Madison-area Pit-Bull Fighting<em>"The evidence is pretty overwhelming that there was dog fighting going on," - <strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=87704">Sean McBryde, DCHS Spokesman</a></strong></em><br />
<br />
Since this is a new blog, no information regarding the Robert Lowery pit-bull fighting ring has been published here. We're going to cover this story, as it has lots to do with the challenge of No Kill when it comes to dogs and there seems to be an unwillingness to confront the issue of dog-fighting right here in Dane County.<span class="fullpost"><br />
<br />
There is really no better opportunity to pull this issue apart, figure out who is involved, and take active steps to educate and activate ourselves so that we don't see it pop up in some other form in the near future.<br />
<br />
What happened?<br />
<br />
On June 14th, a DCI/Dane County Sherriff's Office raid of Lowery's home at 3554 Lake Farm Road "netted 15 pounds of marijuana, about 25 ounces of cocaine, five guns and $47,000 in cash," according to state Department of Justice spokesman Mike Bauer.<br />
<br />
They also seiezed 52 dogs, including 52 pit-bulls during the raid. These have been turned over to the Dane County Humane Society and are being held as "evidence" (read: cannot be visited or adopted). According to a DCHS statement made to the WSJ, "they plan to ask the Dane County district attorney's office to charge Lowery with animal cruelty."<br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://http//www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2006/06/16/0606160007.php">Read the article</a></strong> for the dirty details of drug-crime gone wacky.<br />
<br />
Another interesting tidbit of info from the article is that Lowery was "a former Dane County Sheriff's Office deputy, and was convicted in 1983 on dog fighting and drug charges."<br />
<br />
So this stuff isn't new to him. He was convicted of dog-fighting - not just accused.<br />
<br />
The WSJ published an article the day before the drug-bust article talking <strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=87704">about the break-up of a dog-fighting ring</a></strong>. This is where we get McBryde's quote regarding the overwhelming evidence of fighting.<br />
</span><br />
<span class="fullpost">Some may ask what the evidence was. The Humane Society staff found, "found dogs with torn ears, cuts and bruises, a dog with part of its leg bitten off, a dog with a broken leg that had healed improperly and a dog blinded by eye injuries." Doesn't sound like your average breeding operation, does it? DCHS officials go on to point out that the dogs are "traumatized and require special-attention" - stretching resources to the breaking point.<br />
DCHS's McBryde goes on to describe his assessment of Lowery's dogs: "It's really heart-wrenching to see. It's terrible that a human would do this to animals. They didn't ask for this situation. They're good dogs. They've just been taught all the wrong things."<br />
Sean, you are quickly becoming my hero. DCHS Veterinarian Sandra Newbury chimed in as well, saying that the "Humane Society is assessing all of the dogs for emergency medical needs and collecting evidence for possible animal-cruelty charges against the owner," (according to the article).<br />
I'm not sure if DCHS intends to follow-through on these claims, but wouldn't it be cool!<br />
A disussion broke out on Madison.com regarding this whole pit-bull fighting issue - learn how your neighbors feel about this <strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12159&highlight=pit+bull">here</a></strong>.<br />
Other headlines/articles/links:<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2006/06/16/0606160364.php">Lowery must stay in jail</a></strong> (June 16th - TCT) - highlights a reiteration of the fact that dogs were "apparently being trained to fight, some of which had serious wounds." The article also points out that Lowery had, "the dogs and apparatus around the farm to train them for dog fighting." And regarding his drup-past, the article points out that, "Lowery also is mentioned in DCI reports in the 1980s as being involved in trying to obtain the names of confidential informants in drug cases and with threatening to kill witnesses, although he was never charged with any crimes."<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=441921">Details of Lowery's Madison/Mexico Drug-Ring</a></strong> (June 25th - MJS) - This article drops all the details about his drug case and how they were caught. It also points to Lowery's 1991 Federal coke conviction in Florida. This article is why Dr. Morris Link's quotes in the following article strike me as covering for a buddy. Lowery was implicated in trying to get informants killed (wow!).<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2006/07/01/0607010038.php">Spring Harbor Animal Hospital feels heat, defends Lowery</a></strong> (July 1st - WSJ) - this is a whole seprate topic of discussion, but Dr. Morris Link discusses the case by adamantly defending his drug-dealing client - "I would almost bet my bottom dollar that he wasn't doing any fighting" - and - "I've never seen anything to indicate in any way anything to do with fighting dogs" - Link also says that "a number of dogs that looked like they had fought at some time, but they were healed," and had probably been bought by Lowery after they had been in fights. "It certainly wasn't proof he was fighting dogs," Link said.<br />
Yet Dr. Newbury from DCHS is quoted in the search warrant as saying, "10 of the pit bulls taken from Lowery's farm had wounds or scars consistent with dog fighting."<br />
There's also lots of tidbits in here about the equipment used to train them, etc. It also points out Lowery's more recent cocaine distribution conviction from 1990.<br />
<a href="http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=89858&ntpid=2"><strong>DCHS requesting funds for pit-bull expenses</strong></a> (July 3rd - TCT) - This is worth looking more at in a separate thread. DCHS claims the dogs will cost over $300k per year to care for, but are all "wards of the state" (evidence) and therefore unadoptable. There's plenty of good questions to ask here...<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2006/07/05/0607050009.php">DCHS short on funds due to pit-bulls</a></strong> (July 5th - WSJ) - Cathy Holmes (President - Board of Directors - DCHS) says in the article that they will request reimburement from Dane County and that the county could then force Lowery to pay them back. I find this unlikely and more a diversion for the bad PR of having to use donated funds to do state-mandated work. Our new hero Sean McBryde ends with some more colorful and hopeful quotes:<br />
"Everyone at the shelter agrees that we are doing the right thing in getting these dogs out of danger. If this is the beginning of a movement that helps eliminate dog fighting in the United States, we are very happy to be part of it. We just need to be able to pay for it."<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2006/07/21/0607200488.php">Lowery petitions for return of dogs</a></strong> (July 21st - WSJ) - Unbelievably, Lowery actually wants to get his dogs back (concerns of his drug-case having been resolved???). Dr. Newbury's concerns are repeated, but Lowery disputes that his dogs have suffered "abuse".<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/index.php?ntid=92087&ntpid=2">Midwest Area Pit Stop pumps pit-rescue</a></strong> (July 25th - WSJ) - Article focuses on the good work being done, rather than the negative pitbull fighting issue. It mentions Lowery, but only to say that Noel Anderson (<a href="http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/maps.html"><strong>MAPS founder</strong></a>/director) worries that "every time an incident like that occurs, there is a spike in interest in pit bulls by unsavory people who want them for all the wrong reasons, such as fighting." I see another side to this - mainly an opportunity to get active and educate. The MAPS website needs help, too.<br />
<strong><a href="http://dennisyork.blogspot.com/2006/07/be-poocher-smoocher.html">Be a Poocher Smoocher</a></strong> (July 25th - Dennis York - local blogger) - Covers basics of case and provides some helpful links.<br />
* we may update here with new posts *</span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31854872.post-1154371865405425002006-07-31T11:40:00.000-07:002007-11-01T23:40:11.614-07:00DCFoF Grabs Local HeadlinesThe pic (was) Alison Colby (Program Director) holding onto Donald. Cat rescue doesn't make the headlines every day around here, so we have to celebrate our little victories.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />There are lots of good reasons to support the work of DCFoF. Doug Erickson points out a few in his article:<br /><br />"The all-volunteer organization, founded in 2001...vaccinates and neuters or spays feral cats, then finds outdoor homes for them with responsible caregivers..."<br /><br />When it comes to local rescue efforts, these guys play an important role. If nothing else, they refuse to let us forget about the plight of free-roaming cats in our community.<br /><br />Thanks guys!<br /><br /></span><span class="fullpost"></span>mortymadcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282875062992169351noreply@blogger.com0