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1/28/2009 10:18:00 AM
Shelter critics aren't excited about panel
Ryan Jeltema
News Editor
STANTON - Some of the most vocal critics of the Montcalm County Animal Shelter don't believe they won a victory with Monday's County Board of Commissioners decision to establish an ad hoc committee to study whether to renew a contract with R&R Research in Howard City.
The business hopes to renew its five-year contract, which will expire in February and allows R&R Research to take live animals and sell them for research in exchange for disposing of euthanized animals.
On Monday the commissioners approved a six-month extension while the ad hoc committee looks into possible alternatives.
Sandra Carlton of Greenville, a member of Montcalm County Citizens for Animal Welfare (MCCAW), has a pessimistic view of the move. She believes the commissioners forming a committee instead of voting on the contract extension was merely a ruse to let the heat die down before approving an extension.
Carlton said County Board Chairman and District 7 Commissioner Patrick Q. Carr is pushing to renew the contract "with some sort of modifications."
"The board had a chance to make a definitive move to change the shelter around and were either incapable or unwilling to do so," Carlton said. "Pet owners once again were betrayed and animals will continue to be victimized by the county government."
Jeanne Urbanski of Coral, a member of Concerned Citizens Coalition Montcalm (CCC), said the new committee doesn't spell defeat for the group's cause but certainly isn't a victory.
"We think it was better than no vote," she said. "We look at it as one more hoop to jump through before they vote "yes'" to renew the contract.
Urbanski added that the groups are not giving up, especially after Monday's turnout of more than 150 people opposed to the R&R Research deal.
"We're not disheartened," she said. "CCC and MCCAW are not going away. We're at the top of the mountain and rolling down now. We're getting a lot of new interest and offers of help."
Neither Carlton nor Urbanski plans to volunteer to serve on the committee, which will contain seven to nine members, including Greenville veterinarian Dr. Randy Carpenter, Greenville resident Fran Schuleit and a yet-to-be-named county commissioner.
Urbanski's husband, Mike, has offered to serve on the committee, however.
Carr will name the panel's remaining members later this winter. County Controller-Administrator Chris Hyzer said a deadline for applications and a date for announcing the members has not been determined but he urged interested people to come forward "as soon as possible" by calling his office at (989) 831-7300.
During Monday's meeting, Carr said he hopes to select both people who support the R&R Research contract and some who do not. He cautioned that anyone on the committee needs to give up a hard-line stance either way.
"I'd like to caution anyone interested in being on that committee that it needs to have some give and take," Carr said. "We're going to need a group of people willing to work together in a civil manner."
He was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
The committee will report back to the commissioners at least every three months and will issue its final recommendations after six months.
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Posted: Saturday, January 31, 2009
Article comment by:
Nancy
I left a comment re: last Wednesday's column, you may want to go back and read it. Duke- a lot of pro testing people are using the same as you do -get the animals neutered, you take meds that were made possible by animal testing. It's all true...but it's also in the past, nothing we can do about it now. I'd just like to see it stop now that we have other ways to test products, ways that don't injure a living creature.You say that when you have to get rid of your dog then it's no longer a pet. That may be true in your eyes, but it still had the "pet" way of thinking. I'm sure their brain is in pet mode when it sees a nice comfy lap that it could lay on. A dog that's never been a pet wouldn't know that a lap was made for a dog to either sit on or to rest it's head on. A pet would look at a person that's holding a leash and would think of taking a nice long walk. A dog that's never been a pet wouldn't even know what a walk is.The big point is that even if an animal is slated to be euthanized - I'd rather it's last minutes are being cradled by someone who cares about it while the dog slips into a quick and painless death than to have a dog put into a big barrel (where he can smell death from previous animals), have the lid shut on it and then having to be gassed. Being gassed doesn't just put them to sleep. When they take a breath it burns their lungs and of course they panic and scratch at whatever they can find. Horrid.
Posted: Friday, January 30, 2009
Article comment by:
ermorrow
Do the Commissioners of Montcalm County understand they work for and represent the people? Seems to me they are acting more like dictators than public
servants!
I believe this issue may be as much about responsive and responsible government as it is about treating pets under the control of our shelter with care and compassion. Maybe it's time to throw the bums out!
Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2009
Article comment by:
Duke
there are several things that i do not hear being mentioned. so i will mention them.
1) we would not have so many animals in this county. that people do not want if they were to start being more responsible people. many people take animals that they are not able to care for properly. they do not have their pets neutered, have the some of the shots done .and sometimes they do not have the money to feed there animals and care for them properly.
that is the pet owners fault.
2) in this reserach. if you are on any medication for heart,diabeties,cancer,blood pressure, cholestrol, etc. than you should get down on your hands and knees and kiss the scientist feet. because without dogs & cats we would not have these medicines.and you would either be dead. or very sick..
3) when you give up your animal they are no longer your pet.
4) keeping a animal that you no longer can care for or want and starving and letting it loose or anything else inhuman that you can think to do to that animal you are abusing it.and that is against the law.
5) when we just got our dog we had it neutered and had his shots. we had to go to another county to have it done. because they only charged $20 for the whole thing.
yet you do not see montcalm county offering a service like that to people. i am sure that some of these vets can get together and offer this service to the low income people of our county. they charge us enough for every visit if we have it done in there office.
if you have enough money to go and get your alcohol, cigarettes, go out to eat than you have enough money to have your pet taken care of properly....
i know people will being making comments on this because everyone has an opinion. but first think about what i wrote. it took me a couple of days to think what i wanted to say before i wrote this.
Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Article comment by:
what is he thinking
There were 150 people at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday and only four of them yes four, who were in support of the county renewing the contract with the animal dealer. What is Chairman Carr thinking? And why is he so in favor of the county doing business with this private company, when obviously the tax payers want this alliance to stop. Something stinks.
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