New Mexico Bans Gas Chambers for Animals!

Gas chambers cause horrific, painful and slow deaths.  They are used for the convenience of animal control workers, with no compassion for the animals.  They are often terrified and crammed into the chamber with other terrified animals.  Those animals scratch, fight, and try to claw their way out of this "death box".  They vomit, defecate and urinate on themselves and the other animals in there with them. If we were a no kill nation, this wouldn't be happening, ever.  For more on the concept of no kill, please click here .  Click here to read a first hand account of killing animals in a gas chamber-the language may be considered graphic by some.


H.B. 265, a bill introduced by Rep. W. Ken Martinez, which previously passed the New Mexico House of Representatives by a vote of 62-3, has now been approved unanimously by the state Senate with a vote of 38-0.  The bill would ban use of gas chambers to euthanize dogs and cats. Currently, four localities, Portales, Tucumcari, Jal and Clovis use gas chambers. All other shelters use lethal injection.  The bill now goes to the House again for approval of Senate amendments which basically clarified that a supervising veterinarian is not required to be on the premises for a euthanasia and a euthanasia instructor need not be certified. 

There is similar bill to ban the usage of gas chambers in Georgia.

To read the text of the bill in Georgia, click here.



The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a ban on the use of gas chambers by public animal shelters. An amendment would limit the ban to apply only to new gas chambers, allowing use of existing chambers to continue.  I guess it's a start...
Click here to read the text of the bill.


Only thirteen states currently ban the use of carbon monoxide to euthanize animals, according to the Humane Society of the United States. 


Sources:
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/gas-chambers/article/710

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb501%20intr.htm&yr=2009&sesstype=RS&i=501

http://alleycatrescue.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-states-to-vote-on-bills-to-stop.html

A rabid cat was found! Hide your cats, the witch hunt is on!

A woman and her friend were jogging somewhere in Manhattan, NY, and a cat jumped on one of their backs. This cat attacked 4 people in all and 1 dog. Animal control was able to catch it and kill it. They are trying to notify one of the people attacked because she needs treatment within 10 days or she could die. Read more about the story here.

Maybe I am just paranoid because I feed outdoor cats (and have to hide it!) but I feel a witch hunt coming on! One rabid cat in a city of millions of stray cats and now all of these so-called "educated" officials will call for all the heads of the strays. I tried to find the incidence rate of rabies but I am finding all kinds of "rates" depending on how the person who wrote the findings wants to sway it. (Why can't we just have the facts!?) Someone who loves birds (and thinks that cats are responsible for the bird decline instead of human destruction *sigh*) will say that there is a high incidence of rabies so allferal/stray cats should be killed. Someone who feeds ferals might say that there is a low incidence. I don't think there are any accurate findings that we can really rely on.

I have personally known of hundreds of stray or feral cats that come into the shelter and none of them have had rabies. That's not much but it at least tells me that it is not common-in my area anyway. For comparison, the incidence of FIV is anywhere from 1-3%, depending on who is telling you the stats. We have had quite a few FIV+ cats come through the shelter. We have 5 at the shelter right now! So, I have to assume that the rabies risk is pretty low, since we have had NO cats with rabies. We do NOT kill cats with FIV because they can live a very normal life with no problems. Click here to read about FIV.

This is why Trap Neuter Release (TNR) is so important. If you trap or catch a free roaming or feral cat they are vaccinated against rabies when they are fixed! So, when they go back outside, they are not vulnerable to the disease if they happen to get into a squabble with a wild animal.

People living in house with 13 dead cats and 2 dogs

Police continue to investigate cases of animal cruelty at an Arvada home, a suburb of Denver. The carcasses of 13 cats and two dogs were removed from a house at 54th & Cody on Tuesday.

Two dogs were rescued and are now awaiting adoption at the Table Mountain Animal Center .

Police say they've been to the home repeatedly since last summer on complaints of loose animals and trash in the yard.

"There were some calls that we came out and addressed those issues with the homeowners regarding dogs in the yard and such but there was nothing ever to lead us to believe what was happening inside the house and the number of dead animals that were inside the house," said Susan Medina, Arvada Police spokesperson.

One woman who noticed an underfed dog in the front yard last August wonders why more wasn't done.

"Because if they would have done something six months ago, they probably wouldn't have found 15 dead animals," said Carol, who didn't want her last name used. "Maybe four or five, but for 15 dead animals in six months, that's a little hard to believe."

Sources:

www.tablemountainanimals.org

www.denverpost.com

www.kdvr.com 

Animal control officer shot mother cat and her two kittens-claiming self defense!

Lackawanna animal-control officer Frederick S. Grasso finally got his day in court Monday, testifying that he shot and killed three cats last June only after they had hissed and spat at him from the basement of a Lackawanna apartment complex.

"I opened the door, I took two steps downstairs, and three cats - the mother and two kittens - came at me," Grasso testified at his daylong trial on two misdemeanor charges. "They were all hissing and spitting at me."

Grasso then went back to his vehicle and grabbed his rifle.

"At that point, the safest means to dispose of those cats was to shoot them," Grasso told West Seneca Town Justice Richard B. Scott.

The case was transferred to West Seneca because it had generated so much comment and publicity in Lackawanna.

Asked later by defense attorney Arcangelo J. Petricca whether he had any alternative to shooting the cats, Grasso replied: "No, I don't believe there was any alternative. There was no safe way to remove those cats."

The nonjury trial also heard testimony from six prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses. After the daylong proceeding, Scott reserved decision until Feb. 20.

The conflicting testimony presented two widely varying accounts of the three cats that were shot June 10 on Eagan Drive.

Prosecution witnesses, including neighbors and officials of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, portrayed the slain cats and four surviving kittens from the same family as docile, friendly animals that purred and even jumped onto neighbors' laps.

Barbara S. Carr, executive director of the Erie County SPCA, examined the four surviving kittens about two weeks after the shootings.

"They were perfectly normal kittens," Carr told the court. "They were friendly, purring, liked to be touched and didn't struggle to get away."

Michael P. Felicetta, an Erie County assistant district attorney, asked Patricia Murtha, a neighbor from Eagan Drive in Lackawanna, whether the mother cat was aggressive.

"No way, no way," she replied. "Any time she came over, she craved attention."

Several other witnesses provided similar descriptions of the cats' behavior.

"[Grasso] would have you believe that the mother and her two kittens turned evil, turned nasty [that day]," Felicetta said in his closing statement.

During the trial, Scott viewed a DVD shot by SPCA Peace Officer Charles Braun about two weeks after the shootings and depicting the four surviving kittens as very playful.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with June 10," Petricca objected. "It doesn't help evaluate the situation on June 10. . . . It's irrelevant."

Much of the prosecution testimony earlier in the day focused on witnesses who had heard Grasso admit the shootings. But that testimony became moot later in the trial, when Grasso admitted to having fired the three fatal shots.

Earlier, defense witness Vera Bink, the rental manager for the Eagan Drive apartment complex, told the court about the phone call she made to Grasso after having been confronted by the mother cat in the basement.

"I told him on the phone, 'Be careful. Take caution. . . . The female cat hissed at me, and she was ready to charge the stairs,' " Bink said.

"She was afraid to enter her basement, and she feared for the safety of her tenants," Grasso testified about Bink.

Grasso faces two unclassified misdemeanor charges under the state Agriculture and Markets Law, one for cruelty to animals, the other for euthanizing a dog or cat by gunshot.

The law on which the second charge is based states that no one may euthanize a dog or cat by gunshot, except as an emergency procedure for a "dangerous dog" or a severely injured dog or cat.

As Felicetta pointed out, the statute doesn't talk about a "dangerous cat," and there's no evidence or testimony that any of the cats here were severely injured.

But Petricca, in his opening statement, argued that the euthanasia charge should be dismissed.

"This is not a euthanasia case, your honor," he said. "This is not a Kevorkian-type killing."



BuffaloNews.com Feb. 10, 2009 



I want to know why this ACO didn't just trap them?  If he was going to kill them anyway, wouldn't the more humane act be trapping them and "humanely" euthanizing them?  I very rarely agree that euthanasia is the best choice (and I don't agree in this case) but generally cats who hiss once are deemed "aggressive" and are killed by people like this.  


Also, isn't there a protocol for this sort of thing?  They were enclosed in a basement and were not an immediate threat to anyone or any animal outside the basement.  They need to have someone KNOWLEDGEABLE about cat behavior working with animals.  A cat hissing, especially a mother cat, is just trying to protect themselves and their kittens.  It is completely normal for a cat to hiss at a strange person coming into their area.  Just because she hissed doesn't mean she is aggressive.  Also, if she did end up being feral, he should have trapped her and gotten her and her kittens (if they were old enough) spayed or neutered.  


It's ridiculous that he just took it upon himself to discharge a shotgun in a residential area and shoot these kittens after a FIVE MINUTE interaction with them-not even 5 minutes, he said himself that he took two steps into the basement, then went to get his rifle.


There are a lot of people in the case claiming that the kittens and mother were/are friendly.  4 kittens survived and were not shot.  The temperament of the cats doesn't really matter to me that much.  The point is that they were living beings and the ACO took it upon himself to judge their temperament and decided they were dangerous and shot and killed them in a minute or two.


This guy needs to be fired and convicted of animal cruelty.  


If you write to the judge (which I hope you will), feel free to use anything I wrote above.


He is in court Feb. 20, 2009.

Judge Richard B. Scott
West Seneca Town Court
1250 Union Road
West Seneca, NY 14224

Phone: 716.558.3247
Fax: 716.674.0518

(Grasso's Attorney) City Attorney, Arc Petricca cityattorney@ci.lackawanna.ny.us
716.827.6479

Read more on pet-abuse.com.


Please sign the petition regarding this case.

Dog returned to dog fighting suspect, per his request!

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office, acting on intelligence provided to them by the Humane Society of the United States, arrested Johnson at his Hwy. 98 home on July 3, charging him with eight felony counts of dogfighting, one for each of the dogs seized during the raid and one for the seizure of alleged dog fighting paraphernalia. He was released on a $26,450 bond the following day.

Johnson was reportedly the owner of “Shakedown Kennels .”

At the time of his arrest, law enforcement officers, Humane Society officials and a forensic veterinarian from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reportedly found barrels scattered around Johnson’s backyard, logging chains attached to stakes in the ground near each barrel, along with other evidence. Each dog was attached to a chain by a heavy collar.

The sheriff’s office said in a press release at the time that information regarding Shake Down Kennels was first provided to the HSUS via their tip line earlier in the year. An investigation was launched at that time, but authorities waited to make an arrest until after the new law took effect July 1.

The animal fighting tip line was established as a pro-bono venture by the Atlanta-based security firm, Norred and Associates, in the wake of the Michael Vick case so that Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities, officials said. The HSUS offers up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in animal fighting.

The new law makes it a felony to own, possess, train, transport or sell a dog for the purpose of dogfighting.

If convicted, Johnson could serve up to five years in prison, a minimum fine of $5,000, or both, according to the sheriff’s office.

Madison County’s Animal Control Board voted 3-2 last month to return temporary custody of a male pit bull dog to his owner, a man who was the first person in the state arrested under Georgia’s new felony dogfighting law, which took effect July 1, 2008.

The animal control board released the dog to Johnny Stewart Johnson, 28, of Danielsville, per his request, until his court date, which is tentatively scheduled for next May. The custody of six other dogs seized at the time of his arrest were not under consideration.

In return, Johnson agreed to provide adequate care for the dog and to allow animal control officers to conduct regular visits to his home in order to ensure that adequate care is provided, according to the animal control board minutes.

The decision was made during an animal control hearing on Nov. 12, where members of the animal control board heard testimony from assistant district attorney Jimmy Webb, animal control officer Andy McLendon and Johnson.

“The purpose of the hearing was not to determine innocence or guilt related to dog fighting but whether it was in the dog’s best interest to be held by the state, or returned to the dog owner while the trial was pending,” hearing minutes stated.

The board heard information from Webb regarding the dogfighting arrest; from McLendon, who spoke of his experience with dogs and answered questions from the board; and from Johnson, who maintained that the dog in question, as well as the other dogs, were kept for personal enjoyment and not for fighting.

“A question of whether the animal should be neutered prior to release to the owner was discussed, however the motion/second was unaltered and a vote followed,” according to hearing minutes.

Board members Barbara Freeman, Decator Dunugan and Nina Grass voted to return the dog to Johnson under monitored foster care until his trial. Chairman Greg Bleakley and board secretary Phil Munro voted “no.”

Shakedown Kennels

Please help these very cold kitties and doggies!

The animals at the Windsor Animal Control are staying in a building with no heat!  They are very, very cold in a small building in a small town.  Can you donate a small space heater or money to buy one?  I hate to hear of sweet kitties and doggies waiting for homes being so cold.  It is getting really cold now (especially overnight) in Missouri.  Click here for a list of space heaters on amazon.com.  They have cheap ones at around $15.


The shelter is located on County Line Road in Windsor. They have no set hours, however, they do their best to accommodate your schedule to show you their animals. Please call 1-660-525-1035 for an appointment and detailed directions. If there is no answer please leave a message and they will get back to you as soon as possible.

---

Windsor Animal Control-(WACO)
Corner of County Line Road
Willa Lane
Windsor, MO 65360
Phone: 1-660-525-1035 
Click here for a map

Email: windsoranimalcontrol@yahoo.com
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter 

Dogs being shot in Northland neighborhood

Tina Oaks said three dogs in two different families in one neighborhood were shot. Her son called her one day at work, frantic because Shiloh, the family's miniature beagle, was bleeding and unable to walk.  They took her to the vet and found that she had been shot and her back leg was shattered.  Her dog had been shot in their back yard in the 1200 block of Northeast 80th Terrace.


Tina Oaks called the police but they said this was a matter for animal control and that someone would call her shortly.  Within minutes someone from AC called her.  There was no witness and nobody knows who shot these dogs.  


Because there were no witnesses, the animal control says there is really nothing they can do.


They advised the residents to keep a close eye on their pets.


Source:
www.kctv5.com

Today is National (Pet) Tag Day

The American Humane Organization calls attention to the dangers of not having appropriate identification on your animal by calling April 5 National Tag Day.

Without identification, your pet's chances of reuniting with you are very slim. There are 3 types of identification. Microchips, tattoos and id tags on collars.

Microchips are becoming more and more common and are responsible for many happy endings. A microchip is a rice sized capsule that has a identification number linked to your information. Animal control and most animal shelters have scanners to retrieve this information. There is an online database where your pet's number is entered, which leads to your contact information.

Tattoos are less common than microchipping and probably less effective as not many people realize to look for them. There have been cases where the tattoo had become illegible.

Collars and ID Tags are by far the most common and most effective. People immediately know that the animal is a pet and can feel more comfortable knowing they are most likely vaccinated. There are collars on the market that actually embroider or somehow print vital information onto the collar.

There are many types of ID tags available as well. There are the traditional tags, made of metal with your contact information engraved into it. There are small vials that hold a small piece of paper (similar to a "note in a bottle") and even flash drives that can be put into someone's computer to get your contact information.

The best way to ensure the safe return of your beloved pet is to get them a collar and id tag and microchip them. If they have a collar on, people will definitely know the animal belongs to someone. If the collar somehow gets loose from the animal, animal control can scan the animal and you can still be reunited.

Show your pet you love them--ID them!

Adelanto animal control official accused of drowning kittens

The head of Adelanto's animal control office has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty after investigators said he systematically drowned dozens of kittens over four months last year.

Kevin Murphy, 36, was charged Monday with six counts of killing, maiming and abusing animals and faces up to six years in prison if he is convicted.

"The charges allege that he killed in the neighborhood of 50 kittens while working as head of animal control in Adelanto," said James Hill, San Bernardino County supervising deputy district attorney.

More...

Kansas City Animal Lovers! Help KC's Animals!

I read a very interesting article today and thought I would share the important points and my response.

According to kcpetconnect.com:

• The Missouri Department of Agriculture has condemned the current building that houses Animal Control.
  
• The current animal shelter at 4400 Raytown Road was built in the 1970s as a prefab building. It was supposed to last about 20 years. It is now over 30 years old. We need a new shelter!
• The animal shelter houses about 175 animals. There is no area for prospective adopters to get to know the dogs or cats they are interested in. There is a small, cramped area where some medical treatment is provided and spay/neuters are done offsite.
• Last year, KC Animal Control took in approximately 9700 animals. Of these only 1300 were returned to their owners. But 1400 were adopted out to new homes. That is terrible! The kill rate is 83.3%!! According to the ASPCA, the national kill rates are 60% for dogs and 70% for cats. Our kill rate is much higher than the average.
  

If you care about these animals please send a quick email to the city council. Below, I have provided text that you may copy into your own email. Please sign your real name-this has more of an effect. You can copy this exactly, change it up a little--or write your own. Try to stay with facts rather than your emotions.

Ex. I am so sad that all of these animals have been killed for no reason!
Better: I am appalled that my taxpayer dollars are being used to kill animals rather than care for them.

Dear (Insert name of city council member):

It has come to my attention that the city needs a new shelter. The shelter at 4400 Raytown Road is nearly 30 years old. I suggest Corporate Sponsorship and/or a tax. If we have corporate sponsorship for stadiums and convention centers, why not an animal shelter? As a taxpayer and voter, I will be following how the city handles this. Our city should set the example for the country and have an animal shelter that others envy.

I appreciate your response.

Sincerely,

(Leave space to sign name) I always sign my name so that they know this isn't one of many "form" letters sent out by one person.

Your name
*************

Dear (Insert name of city council member):

I recently became aware of the poor condition of the animal shelter at 4400 Raytown Road. It is appalling that we are allowing our city's animals to live in a building that was condemned by The Missouri Department of Agriculture, according to kcpetconnect.com. I would support a tax that would increase the wellbeing of the animals in the city's care.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(Leave space to sign name) I always sign my name so that they know this isn't one of many "form" letters sent out by one person.

Your Name

*When I write letters, in addition to my return address on the envelope, I put my address below my signature AND my typed name. In case the envelope is lost or damaged, they still have your address and can respond to you if they'd like (or if you ask them to).

Click here to go to the City Council page

The address below is the same for all City Councilmen, they do have different phone numbers.
To address the envelope, just write their name between The City Council Office and City Hall, 24th Floor. Signing your *real* name adds legitimacy to your letter.

The City Council Office
City Hall, 24th floor
414 E. 12th St.
Kansas City MO 64106
Phone: (816) 513-1368
Fax: (816) 513-1612

The Mayor's Office
City Hall, 29th floor
Phone: (816) 513-3500
Fax: (816) 513-3518

I am fostering two cats who were abandoned

I belong to a Yahoo group for feral cats and a woman on there posted a message about cats needing to be fostered.

Two cats who were abandoned in a vacant house when the renters moved will arrive at my apartment tonight. I will be fostering them until they can be adopted. All I know is that one is black and one is an orange tabby. They are going to the vet today and will be brought to my apartment this evening.

The owner of the house would have had to bring them to Kansas City Animal Control and even kittens are euthanized there so I knew they wouldn't have a chance, being adults.

It seemed pretty bleak for them. I saw the post and throughout the day, my thoughts kept returning to those cats. They had already been abandoned and now they face death simply because their owners were irresponsible?

I have space here, I thought. So, I will have an extra litter box to clean and two more mouths to feed. If it means saving their lives...then I am willing to do it.

My boyfriend doesn't seem too thrilled with this whole "cat rescue" thing. We currently have 3 cats here. I have two cats of my own (adopted them in 1999), and a feral cat (Annie) that I am taming. So, now we will have 5!?! Wow, it will be really interesting around here!

Animal Control Kills Dog by Mistake

KANSAS CITY, MO. -- A Lee's Summit dog owner is furious after his pit bull was euthanized by mistake. Animal Control in Kansas City admits the mistake and says it's investigating.

Marlin Hatcher wants an apology, something he says he's yet to receive from Animal Control.

"My dog is dead, not coming home, I can't pet him, can't walk him, can't feed him, he can't wag when I hit the door no more," said Hatcher.

Hatcher kept a lot of pictures of his 6-year-old dog, Ox. He might have been a pit bull. But, Hatcher says Ox was gentle enough to snuggle with his kids.

"My youngest daughter doesn't know yet, afraid to tell her, I don't know what I'm going to tell her that's who she plays with, what do I say?" said Hatcher.

"We're doing an internal investigation to find out what went wrong that led to his unfortunate mishap. It's not something that we ever want to have to tell a pet owner," said Lesly Forsberg, Animal Control Director.

Forsberg says Ox was taken from a kennel at 55th and Norton because he hadn't been altered. That violates city ordinance. But, animal control is supposed to give the owner five days to retrieve his pet and make arrangements to get the dog fixed. Instead, Ox was put to sleep less than two days after he was brought in.

Animal Control says a new employee got his cages mixed up and grabbed the wrong dog.

"I'll use this opportunity to express my deepest apologies to the owner. We never want something to happen to an animal while it's under our care," said Forsberg.

Animal Control has offered to help Marlin Hatcher adopt a new dog. But, Hatcher says what he wants is accountability and the assurance this won't happen again.

Animal Control says their employee who made the mistake could face disciplinary action.
**********
We have a HUGE problem with Animal Control in Kansas City. They are wasting tons of taxpayer money due to the "Pit Bull Ban", going after dogs in yards and taking them out of grandmother's arms while REAL crimes are happening. What about the two dogs found on two separate days with legs cut off? What about people who chain their dogs and they freeze to death?

Wake up Animal Control! There are real crimes going on out there!

TRAGEDY IN KANSAS CITY

TRAGEDY IN KANSAS CITY

by April Rosenthal

January 16, 2008

Buddy was a blond, 13 year old cocker spaniel. As usual, his owner let him out of the house to use the bathroom on January 3^rd, 2008. Unfortunately, Buddy did not come back. His owner spent a frantic week calling everyone she could think of about her dog but could not find him. She is 87 years old and has no car so she could not go out to the Animal Shelter on Raytown Road to look for him. Finally, on January 9^th, she called the Lost Pet Registry and talked to me. I took down the information for the Registry and then I listed it on kcpetconnect.com. I sometimes do that for people who do not have a computer.

On Friday morning, I got an email from someone at KC Animal Control (I thought) describing a dog who had been picked up by Animal Control. I verified with the owner that this was her Buddy and immediately sent two emails to the petadoptions@kcmo.org email address I was given explaining that the owner was coming to pick up the dog by Saturday January 12, 2008. I also called and left a voice mail since no one answers the Animal Control phone.

I took the owner to the shelter on Saturday afternoon only to be told that Buddy had been euthanized on Friday despite my emails and phone call. The owner broke down and cried. She is 87 years old and this was her only companion. She did not even get a chance to say good bye. I took her home and I will never forget the sight of her walking to her door with her shoulders bowed in grief, clutching Buddy’s collar and leash.

I was very upset myself and I filed a complaint with the Action Center on Monday. I did receive a phone call from Lesly Forsberg, Director of Animal Control. She explained that Buddy had been hit by a car and was in very poor condition. The decision was made to put him out of his suffering. Animal Control never bothered to check my email s or voice message, so they never knew the owner was coming. Ms Forsberg was also upset about the incident and promised to compensate the owner by giving her another dog when she is ready to adopt. We are waiting to receive that promise in writing.

Ms Forsberg went on to explain that they are trying to make changes at Animal Control. She said that anyone trying to contact AC about coming in for their pet should call her at 816-513-9814, the animal technician or the Outreach Education Coordinator She talked about how the current shelter dates back to the 1970s and is inadequate for the current task of confining lost and stray animals. That may be. But Animal Control needs to be responsive and responsible to the citizens of Kansas City.

It is nearly impossible to reach Animal Control by phone. You have to call the Action Center and then they take the complaint or try to transfer you. If you do reach a human they only whine and tell you to come out to the shelter. If you go out there to claim your pet, the process is complicated. You have to go into one building to get a card with your pet information, take that card to the front office in another building to pay fines and then go back to the other building to pick up your pet.

The personnel are difficult to deal with. I think it would be easier dealing with al Qaeda than dealing with Animal Control personnel.

One of my dogs was taken there in September because she nipped someone. I was standing there and talked at length with the AC officers and gave them her vital information. When I went to visit her, they had her listed as the wrong breed and as a stray! I called or visited every day to ensure she was not euthanized by accident.

Mayor Funkhauser, you sent out emails on Election Day about your pro pet owner stand. That is precisely why I voted for you. I am not interested in dog parks or new animal shelters at this point. I want a change in procedure at Animal Control! I do not want to EVER hear or see an elderly person grieving because their pet has been euthanized by Animal Control by mistake again.

Let's get this information out there! We have to stop things like this!

Here are the ways to get in touch with the Animal Control Facility that was responsible for the death of the 87 year old's only companion.

Animal Health and Public Safety Division 4400 Raytown Road Kansas City, MO 64129 Phone: (816) 513-9800 Fax: (816) 513-9822 petadoptions@kcmo.org

Please send an email, letter or make a call. We have to let these people know that we know what they did and we do NOT approve.

Hundreds of animals found in home, including 89 frozen ferrets

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Authorities say they removed nearly 200 animals from a Virginia Beach home, including 89 frozen ferret carcasses.

Police spokeswoman Margie Long says animal control agents found more than 100 live ferrets, a dog, a bird and three cats, most of them suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. Long said the frozen bodies of 89 ferrets, a cat, a rat and an otter were discovered in freezers in the house and garage.

Sixty-one of the live ferrets had to be euthanized because of poor health.