Rock County officials meet to talk animal control contingencies
Photo
Billy Maze, a staff member at the Rock County Humane Society, scrubs down individual dog kennels as part of their daily cleaning at the Rock County Humane Society.
JANESVILLE — Harmony Township strays go to the Rock County Humane Society.
Turtle Township strays don’t.
Soon, it’s possible that none of Rock County’s towns, villages or cities would have the humane society as an option, and that concerns Janesville veterinarian Dr. Dean Peterson.
On Thursday, representatives from some of the county’s law enforcement agencies and a variety of elected officials met to consider the complicated—and expensive—problem of animal control.
After almost two hours of discussion, they agreed that a countywide system for animal control was needed. What form that system would take and who would pay for it remain open questions.
Peterson and Janesville Police Lt. Dan Davis organized the event.
“I was concerned about the lack of animal control,” Peterson said.
The police department is concerned about the rising costs of animal control—and who will provide it if the Rock County Humane Society declines to do so.
Angela Rhodes, Rock County Humane Society executive director, told Janesville and Beloit officials last year that the society would no longer pick up strays.
The two cities asked the society for an additional year of services so they could investigate other options.
It’s already happened in other counties.
The human societies in Racine and Jefferson counties no longer do animal control, Peterson said. About 10 years ago, the Milwaukee County Humane Society stopped doing animal control, Peterson said.
Janesville and Beloit recently wrote a proposal asking vendors to bid on providing animal control and care.
“We’ve had some interest and inquires but no completed bids,” Davis said.
How much of a problem are strays?
About 400 dog, cat and ferret bites are reported each year, said Adam Elmer, registered sanitarian with the Rock County Health Department.
About 60 percent of those dogs and 30 percent of those cats have had rabies vaccinations, Elmer said.
Dr. Yvonne Bellay, state humane officer for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, said state law requires local jurisdictions to pick up stray dogs.
Dogs must be kept for seven days. After that, animals may be put up or adoption or killed.
Animal control does not have to be provided by a humane society, but animal welfare and animal control sometimes come together.
Lakeland Animal Shelter in Walworth County is a humane society that also does animal control for the entire county, said Kristen Perry, head of Lakeland.
The organization’s annual budget is about $767,000. About 20 percent of that—about $120,000—comes from its contract with the county.
That amount does not come close to covering the amount the shelter spends to care for the animals it picks up for the county, Perry said. The rest is made up through fundraising.
“We want to make it clear that this works for us; it might not work for everybody,” Perry told officials.
When the humane society in Milwaukee County stopped providing animal control, the county’s municipalities formed an intergovernmental agency, the Milwaukee County Domestic Animal Control Commission. The group is in charge of animal control, and works with local humane societies and rescue groups to place animals.
Could it work in Rock County?
Allan Arndt, La Prairie Town Board member and farmer, expressed concern about humane officers who wouldn’t understand standard agricultural practices.
Roger Anclam, Turtle town chairman, said he’s gotten calls from people who were concerned about farm animals being dirty.
All of the town officials were worried about cost and local control. Would they be able to stipulate what kinds animals would be picked up in their townships?
Peterson and Davis asked officials to participate in a focus group that would consider a countywide solution to the problem.
The next meeting has not been scheduled.
Sep 24, 2011 at 2:34 p.m.
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BCP for kitties haha.
Okay it would help if people fix their own house kitties and not let them out if not fixed. So many kitties in the neighborhood are not fixed and out on the town loose all the time.
Sep 24, 2011 at 12:21 p.m.
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It does make me wonder whether more emphasis on controlling the birth of animals might make economic sense.
Sep 24, 2011 at 9:33 a.m.
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avidreader- you get 30 days free vet insurance when you adopt a pet. Tha tshould have been covered.
They do out down ferrel cats. They sometimes put down ill cats who cannot cope with the stress of being here. It is stressful to them and affect their health greatly.
True dogs are not put down. They have the room so far to keep them all.
The fees for these animals is very cheap compared to getting a free cat and doing everything they do to the animal. If it was ill and they were able to treat it that doesn't cost you anything either!! They are nice cats too. They get a lot of volunteer attention and make great pets.
Sep 24, 2011 at 8:38 a.m.
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Unless you are a licensed breeder, all dogs and cats must be neutered or a heavy fine paid. No animal could be sold without being neutered. Over time that would reduce the number of animals. My neighbor whose back yard is a woods, feeds the feral cats that live there. There are so many now that all the chipmunks have disappeared, not many squirrels left either. Not one gopher in the area. They are taking song birds by the hundreds. I used to have many robins around also, this year none. No coyotes around either, they have been hunted out, now more cats! Any ideas for a solution?
Sep 24, 2011 at 8:20 a.m.
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I'm so sick of people thinking ALL pitbulls are mean and are bad pets. I have always had small dogs, then when I met my husband we had a lab mix. After he passed, we decided to adopt from the humane society. I had it in my head that we would probably get another lab mix...we ened up with a pitbull. He is the sweetest, smartest dog I have ever owned. People like "twinkie" need to open their eyes and not be biased. And the adoption fee is not bad at all - I was looking at adopting another pitbull from a rescue site and they wanted $500 for one. Just sayin'
Sep 24, 2011 at 7:28 a.m.
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Twinkiepied- where did you get your facts about the Humane Society putting down "more adoptable" dogs and keeping pit bulls? Simply is not true. Dogs are never put down for space issues, only temperament or significant health issues. Pit bulls can make exceptioanlly nice pets, just like any breed, given the right owner.
A county wide contract is absolutely what is needed; I applaud Dean Peterson and Danny Davis for trying to get this going; something our county has needed for years. In the long run it will ensure more animals are spayed and neutered; the price will be heavy at first. But the problem will never go away and only continue to grow exponentially if we don't do this. We just can't keep looking the other way.
Sep 24, 2011 at 7:21 a.m.
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Yes I live on a farm and have outdoor cats to keep unwanted critters from entering the house. Yes cats do breed but a farm cat does not have a long life span due to other wild animals controling the population. It is impossible to catch them as they scattered as soon as they see a human. I supplement there food souce by feeding cat food to keep them healthy.
Sep 24, 2011 at 2:39 a.m.
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Okay, where's PETA when you need them? I mean really, they have solutions for everything when it comes to the ethical treatment of animals.
Seriously though, there's a difference between animal control such as rounding up stray cats and dogs. Farms rely on "stray" or outdoor cats for pest control. They may/may not provide food believe it or not cats are hunters and will find their own food, water, and shelter; they also breed. The key to "stray control" is spaying and neutering. However, the farm community is not going to have dozens of cats spayed or neutered. Besides "outdoor farm cats" have a relatively lower life span disease, predators (yes there are predators for cats), getting hit on roads or in fields sometimes even driveways (years ago I unintentionally managed to kill a litter of kittens that were in the garage, I didn't know it and when I backed out that was it). Farm cats get stuck in places they shouldn't be such as warm engine blocks of vehicles, tractors, or other "warm" equipment; stepped on by livestock, carried off by owls, eagles or hawks. Dogs are a different story. Strays and abandoned dogs may become a "pack" a pack is dangerous to humans, livestock, wildlife, etc. They can and do mix in with wolves or coyotes which can in turn produce potentially dangerous hybrids.
Clearly, there is a need for animal control to a certain degree; however... animal cruelty, neglect, and abuse are totally different problem.
Just to clear up any misguided folks who, rather than getting the FACTS; ASSUME a "dirty" farm animal is "wrong" farm animals do not bathe, shower, sleep in cute little beds, they sleep in their urine and feces, they sleep in dirt, dirty straw, etc. They are working animals. They may sleep inside or outside they may have a choice and exercise that choice at their free will. Most farmers (though there's always a one or two exceptions) treat their livestock pretty well since their livelihood depends on product production and a mistreated and abused animal will not be a high quality or bountiful producer of eggs, meat, leather, milk, etc.
That being said, would this new "department" be performing both animal control and investigations of animal mistreatment/cruelty?
Sep 24, 2011 at midnight
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stormchaser, your "if you don't believe me, just ask them" sounds like something from grade school. They are not completely honest there and I know for a fact. My daughter just adopted a dog, took it the next day to her vet to get the rabies shot, and found out the hatchet job the pound called a spaying was so infected, they wound up buying antibiotics and pain meds for their new family member. They called the pound back and they refuse to help pay for the drugs even though they were the ones who spayed the dog just a few days prior. I realize they are hurting for money and to that I say, quit spaying and neutering every animal you get. Wait to see if they will be adopted and do it then. How much money do they waste on this procedure for animals that get put down anyways? I don't know who does this for the pound, but the job they did on my daughters dog was awful and as far as I am conscerned, inhumane.
Sep 23, 2011 at 8:13 p.m.
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twinkiepied, NO animals are put down due to space at the shelter. If you don't believe me, ask them! Not to mention they fees are very low compared to the care the dogs have before you adopt. I don't think that $120 was bad for my dog already spayed, chip, shots, and the other stuff already done. You can't get the same service at any vet for that price.
Sep 23, 2011 at 5:51 p.m.
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DNR just needs to open more seasons is all.
Sep 23, 2011 at 5:38 p.m.
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I was very disappointed that the humane society kept so many pit bulls while other domestic,more adoptable dogs we're put down to lack of space. didnt make sence to me at all.other humane shelters dont cost as much as r.c. for adoption fees. thats my 2 cents.
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