Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Cruelty in Montcalm County MI Must Come to an END

The letter below comes from a dear friend Nancy Jean Rose and rescuer who has been actively involved in helping to end the collection of dogs and cats in local pounds for use by R&R Research.

With the help of many rescuers and concerned citizens, we've made great strides -- but more help is needed. Nancy is asking for your assistance by APRIL 13th!

Please read the letter below for the details:

For those of you who have not been following this, there has been a tremendous fight going on in Montcalm Co. MI. Last November a terrible, unjust and cruel situation was brought to the attention of rescuers nationwide. My husband, Don, and I were some of the first rescuers in the country to respond to the situation by rescuing and sponsoring four dogs from the facility. We felt like guerrillas in a war zone trying to get the dogs out of Montcalm. At one point, one of our dogs was kidnapped! And we had to fight to get him back. This is a very real situation.

For years R&R Research (a family hierarchy) has been collecting animals from the local pound--cats and dogs who had been taken there by owners to find new homes, those who had been spoken for by rescue groups and were awaiting rescue transport, those who had been rescued from abusive situations and strays--and selling them (for HUGE profit) to research institutions where they perpetually were uselessly abused, tortured and finally killed.

Imagine turning your pet over to someone who wants to conduct an experiment on them to answer a question such as: What happens to the animal when I repeatedly spray acid in it's eyes? OR (better yet) What happens to the animal when I set it on fire? Or even cut open for some nonsensical reason. (Keep in mind, that these animals are ALIVE and AWAKE when these experiments are conducted.)

Sometimes these experiments have been conducted in the name of "medical research." New research shows that conducting "medical research" on animals is a useless endeavor since there is very little correlation between animal and human response to drugs, etc. The local Michigan veterinary college has stopped using live animals to train their future vets, preferring dummies instead.

Even though we are almost at the finish line of this dispute, apparently there still needs to be a great, huge push to see that justice and mercy is finally extended to the animals in Montcalm Co. MI. Join the fight. Please respond to the suggestions below to help stop this criminal activity. I am also forwarding an email listing Wood-TV public opinion sites where you can politely voice your feelings on the subject. The public conscience must be aroused and their breasts filled with indignation and anger because the politicos involved in the proceedings have gone to obvious unjust extremes to keep R&R Research involved with the county pound.

Please forward this information to all you know. This cruelty must be brought to an end.

We Need Your Help Once Again
Your voices have helped make this happen


The Blue Ribbon Committee voted to have the board of commissioners re-evaluate the contract with the Montcalm County Shelter & R&R research.

Thanks to Dr. Carpenter, Fran Schuleit, Rhonda Waldorf, and Steve Crouse they have come up with UNDISPUTABLE reasons to END IT NOW!

We are in need of your polite letters and faxes to the commissioners before their meeting on April 13th to vote on the contract

(Contact info below)

Some points to mention in your letters and faxes:

Animal shelter recommendations

Recommendations for the Montcalm County Animal Shelter that the County Board of Commissioners will consider on April 13:


Citizens advisory board
The board would help with fundraising, goal planning, updating the policy and procedure manual, establish a responsible pet ownership education program, work with rescue groups and community leaders, assist with adoption protocols and advertising animals up for adoption. Initial members would be Animal Control Director Patty Lentz, Fran Schuleit of Greenville, Dr. Randy Carpenter of Greenville, Rhonda Waldorf of Sheridan, District 1 County Commissioner Ron Blanding, a member of the veterinary advisory board and a county resident at large.


Veterinary advisory board
Local veterinarians would consult with shelter staff on health and safety issues for animals and pet sterilization. Initial members would be three veterinarians from the county, a citizens advisory board member and Lentz.


Action plan for policies and procedures
• Implement a new software program already purchased to track animals in the shelter by April 30.

• Begin using a new microchip scanner that was donated.

• Get new signs.

• Purchase a secured safe to hold euthanization drugs.

• Provide more office space.

• Build kennel partitions

• Install eye wash stations.

• Provide a new medical room to be set up by the veterinary advisory board.

• Complete staff training on officer safety, animal bites, cleaning, adoptions procedure, transportation, when to involve police, emergencies, dog fighting, when to involve the DNR, use of restraints, temperament testing and nutrition.

• Allow the citizens advisory board to review the county's recently amended animal control ordinance again.

• Install water bowls in each kennel and do away with the existing spigot system.

• Follow up to make sure people who adopt a pet get it spayed or neutered.

• Improve community outreach by working on education materials, launching a Web site and educating the community about pet ownership.

• Encourage philanthropy by launching endowment through a local community foundation.


Disposal of animals
Have animal carcasses cremated at Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery in Byron Center or in a crematorium that can be donated instead of giving them to R&R Research to sell.


Disposition of animals
Work better with other animal shelters and rescue groups to ensure more animals are adopted. People could take their animals back from the shelter and bring them to a research institution if they choose


Read More...
Panel Discusses Ending Animal Research Contract March 25, 2009

http://www.wxmi.com/pages/news_landing_page/?Panel-Discusses-Ending-Animal-Research-C=1&blockID=195786&feedID=2515


We need letters mailed or faxed to the Commissioners
(an e-mail is too easy to delete).



Please write, fax or call today.
KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL!


Fax # for the commissioners - 989-831-7375


District 1- Ron Blanding
403 W High Street
Greenville, MI 48838
(616) 225-7972

District 2- Tom Lindeman
8060 S. Backus Road
Greenville, MI 48838
(616) 754-4918
email: tblindeman@sbcglobal.net

District 3- Ron Retzloff
786 S. Senator Rd.
Crystal, MI 48818
(989) 235-6827
email: comish@casair.net

District 4- John Johansen
3503 S. Monroe Rd.
Greenville, MI 48838
(616) 754-5375
email: johm@pathwaynet.com

District 5- Carl Paepke
18419 Stanton Rd. NW
Pierson, MI 49339
(616) 636-5692

District 6- Ron Baker
PO Box 91
Howard City, MI 49329
(231) 937-5465
email: rbaker68amx@hotmail.com

District 7- Pat Carr
10397 Almy Rd.
Lakeview, MI 48850
(989) 352-8129

District 8- Roger Caris
8984 E. Deaner Rd.
Vestaburg, MI 48891
(989) 268-5875
email: rcaris@gccmha.org

District 9-Steven Crouse
8701 Session Rd
Carson City, MI 48811(989) 235-4696
email: crousetax@nomadinter.net



STOP
-Stop Taking Our Pets
www.stoptakingourpets.org
(coming soon)

No comments: