Humane News & Views | Summer 2021

SUMMER

Walk for animals through August!

Details on page 3.

KHS is hiring vet team members!

PAGE 1

Volunteer Spotlight PAGE 2

Making Tracks For Animals Virtual Walk Fundraiser PAGES 3-4

Wildlife Killing Contests Condemned by Kalamazoo County PAGES 5-6

KHS Wish List Honor/Memorial Gifts Update BACK COVER

PAGE 1 KALAMAZOO HUMANE SOCIETY HUMANE NEWS & VIEWS 2272 River Street Kalamazoo, MI 49048

CONTACTUS

(269) 345-1181 (269) 345-1290 info@kazoohumane.org www.kazoohumane.org

HOURS Lobby: Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM Closed Major Holidays & Weekends METRO TRANSIT INFO Route 8 | Egleston Stop 1143 | ML & Gaywood

PRESIDENT Benjamin Damerow VICE PRESIDENT Bette Zawacki

KHSBOARD

SECRETARY Laura Vennie TREASURER Mike Wittenberg MEMBERS Karen Arvanigian Sondra Nowak Stacy Nowicki

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Winters DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Tabitha Yuhas

KHSADMIN

MEDICAL DIRECTOR Kati Loeffler, DVM PhD MRCVS FINANCE MANAGER Gretchen Smith PROGRAM/VOLUNTEER MANAGER Amy Stockman COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Julie Barber

Visit the KHS booth, sponsored by the

Healing Body and Spirit Expo Saturday, August 21 and Sunday August, 22 Wings Event Center

Free lectures, door prizes and pet-friendly!

Volunteers needed for KHS booth. Sign-up or apply to volunteer at kazoohumane.org.

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Do you have time to spare for animals?

The gift of time spent volunteering is one of the most valuable contributions a person can make toward our mission of improving the lives of animals and ending pet overpopulation.

If you have a few hours of free time each month and a love for helping people and pets, sign-up to become a KHS volunteer today! Anyone 16 years of age and older is welcome to register.

Volunteer Spotlight DEBORAH BETZ | VOLUNTEER SINCE 2018 "When I retired, I looked for a meaningful way to volunteer in the community. I love animals and feel that KHS does so much to prevent the overpopulation of animals, leading to less killing in shelters, and I wanted to be a part of that. KHS is the best game in town for low-cost care for animals. I always say that the cats go home looking better than they did on arrival with the care we take. Our team loves and cares for each animal as if it’s our own.”

LEARN MORE: Visit kazoohumane.org/volunteer or scan the QR code below to open the volunteer application.

VAL MISASI | VOLUNTEER SINCE 2009 "When I retired from the workforce, I knew I was never going to be that person who sits at home. I have always loved animals all my life, and volunteering for KHS seemed like the perfect solution to interact with more animals and also people. I started back in 2009 by making reminder calls for upcoming spay and neutering appointments. I progressed to helping in the recovery room when KHS had a month-long Happy Neutering event. I also signed up to volunteer at Kalamazoo County Animal Control and Enforcement thru KHS. I have met lots of nice people and lots of nice dogs and cats. My day is fulfilled."

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Registration Register as a participant for FREE at https://charity.gofundme.com/khsmakingtrac ks2021, or scan the QR code below.

Register for FREE on GoFundMe!

Walk for animals!

Register for FREE today to walk for local companion animals!

We're so excited to bring back the #KHSdogwalk, virtually, as Making Tracks for Animals 2021. Even though we can't meet together for the traditional Dog Walk & K-9 Festival, animals still need your help - now, more than ever!

Helping local pets is as easy as walking. Register to walk, set a goal, and reach out to family and friends to sponsor your walk. Every dollar raised during this event helps provide:

Spay and neuter surgeries.

Pet food and basic pet supplies.

Dog houses and straw.

Sheltering for pets involved in a domestic crisis.

The Making Tracks for Animals campaign was originally set to end at the end of July, but we’re extending it through the month of August to make sure we hit our goal. We have set an aggressive goal of $50,000. The past year has been challenging for pet owners, and we are doing everything we can to help them and the pets they love.

Please help us raise funds by creating a personal fundraising page and collecting pledges from friends and family. This event is only a success when all of our registered participants help to collect donations. To help keep you motivated, we have some great prizes you can earn for hitting fundraising goals. Get your first prize - the official 2021 event shirt - by achieving your first $50 in donations for KHS! Registration is FREE! All we ask is that you raise a minimum of $50, but we know you will raise so much more!

All donations are tax-deductible. Our non-profit tax ID number is 38-1474932.

During the registration process, create your personal fundraising page to make it easier to accept online donations toward your fundraising goal.

Share your fundraising page with all of your friends, family and social media contacts.

Encourage them to donate through your online GoFundMe page.

Fundraising teams are welcomed, however due to GoFundMe changing their giving platform, registered participants will not be able to join any team after July 2021. For this reason, we strongly encourage all participants to individually fundraise, and reach out to as many people as possible for donations.

Prizes!

Earn prizes for fundraising! Reach the first goal of $50 to earn the official event shirt!

See all goals and prizes on the event website.

MAKING TRACKS FOR ANIMALS

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Where to Walk We’ve partnered with Kalamazoo County Government Parks & Expo Center and Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy to direct event participants to some of the most beautiful and natural walking routes in the area!

Thank you, Sponsors!

You’re welcome to walk your own favorite route, or even in the privacy of your own home on a treadmill, but we want to encourage you to make use of these peaceful, scenic, pet-friendly routes.

Cold Brook - Climax Markin Glen - Kalamazoo Prairie View - Vicksburg River Oaks - Galesburg Scotts Mill - Scotts

Bow in the Clouds Preserve - Kalamazoo Chipman Preserve - Galesburg Wolf Tree Nature Trails - Oshtemo Portman Nature Preserve - Mattawan

Find these locations on a map at https://www.khsdogwalk.org

Learn more, download information and donation collection forms, and more at https://www.khsdogwalk.org

There are still sponsorship opportunities available!

For event information or questions, contact Julie Barber at jbarber@kazoohumane.org

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WILDLIFE KILLING CONTESTS CONDEMNED

BY KALAMAZOO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS For many, it’s shocking to learn that wildlife killing contests happen every year in the state of Michigan.

Even more concerning is that the largest killing contest in Michigan, the Great Lakes Region Predator Challenge, is held right here in Kalamazoo, sponsored by D & R Sports. The 2021 event was canceled due to COVID-19, and there is no date available on the event website for the 2022 challenge. Animal and wildlife advocates, including ethical hunters, would like to see this event remain dormant.

In these contests, participants compete for cash and prizes to see who can kill the most, the heaviest , or even the youngest or mangiestanimals, in a specified period of time. Awarding prizes for the competitive and indiscriminate killing of animals is unethical and inconsistent with our current understanding of the important role each species plays in the ecosystem.

Wildlife killing contests are unsporting and cruel; a bloodsport akin to dogfighting or cockfighting. They violate the hunting principles of fair chase, which is the notion that the hunter should not have an unfair advantage over the animal and should respect animals and their habitats.

These events flout sportsmanship ethics and outdoor traditions, threatening the reputation of the hunting community. They promote violence and killing for killing’s sake and send a dangerous message to younger generations of hunters who are often encouraged to participate in these events.

Some so-called “traditions” need to fade away.

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (NAMWC), which embraces the public trust doctrine, holds that wildlife belongs to everyone. Some of the basic tenets of this model state that the commercialization of wildlife should be eliminated, that animals should only be killed for legitimate, nonfrivolous reasons, and that science should guide wildlife conservation decisions. Indiscriminate killing of vital native carnivores for prizes and bragging rights violates these tenets. Killing contests are the very definition of casual killing.

Wildlife killing contests are also counterproductive to conservation purposes. They are not an effective method for managing wildlife, and. the best available science does not support the misguided belief that “reducing predators” will make farm animals safer or protect deer populations.

Specifically, persecution of coyotes disrupts their social structure, which, ironically, encourages more breeding and migration and in the end results in more coyotes. Furthermore, indiscriminate killing of native carnivores fails to target specific animals with whom there is a conflict, and can actually lead to an increase in conflicts with farm animals. Finally, coyotes play an important role in controlling rodent populations. Instead of killing rodents with poisons or cruel traps, allowing coyotes to live on the land provides us with a cost-effective, natural control alternative. It’s also important to note that it isn’t just coyotes being targeted in these events. Bobcat, fox, and other animals are often included.

In a post dated January 26th, 2020, the Great Lakes Region Predator Challenge Facebook page posted a photo of dozens of coyote carcasses hanging from wooden beams and piled in a heap in front of a Predator Challenge banner. The wet ground is dark red with blood. This wasteful decimation of Michigan’s vital wildlife, animals that feel fear and pain, is a stark reminder that Kalamazoo cannot truly call itself an animal-friendly community. There is plenty of work to be done.

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Thankfully, on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, the Kalamazoo County Commission voted to pass a proclamation that publicly condemns wildlife killing contests, becoming the first municipality in Michigan to do so.

This proclamation does not mean that these contests are illegal, but it sends a very clear message that Kalamazoo County is largely opposed to this bloodsport. It also helps encourage other communities to follow in our footsteps, as Washtenaw County did on July 7, 2021. As more communities step up for animals, a ban on wildlife killing contests in our state comes closer to being a reality.

And in another step in the right direction for Michigan’s wildlife, Representative Bill Sowerby introduced two bills in June, HB 5079 and HB 5078, which will require greater diversity on Michigan’s Wolf Management Advisory Council and the Michigan Wildlife Council. This is great news, as the new seats would require the input of a scientist and a representative from a non-consumptive conservation organization.

While there is still more work to be done, we are happy with the rapid progress of this movement and will continue to advocate for more protections for wildlife from unethical hunting practices. A special thanks goes to the Michigan staff and volunteers for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and the many animal shelters, rescues, sanctuaries, wildlife rehabilitators, scientists, and advocates across Michigan whose dedication make this proclamation possible.

LEARN MORE Visit www.humanesociety.org/wildlifekillingcontests or contact the HSUS Michigan state director at Michigan@humanesociety.org.

TAKE ACTION You can contact the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at NRC@michigan.gov to ask them to ban cruel and unsporting wildlife killing contests.

Eight U.S. states have already done so--California, Vermont, New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, and Maryland--and Michigan should be next.

Scan to view our Amazon Wish Lists!

Next time you’re out, can you grab something from our Wish List?

Donations can be dropped off to our office or shipped to us if shopping an online retailer.

Canned/Wet Cat Food Canned/Wet Dog Food Clay Cat Litter Dry Cat or Kitten Food Dry Puppy or Dog Food Break-away Cat Collars Cat or Dog Treats Local Pet Store Gift Cards Feliway Diffusers & Refills

ou!

Thank y bit helps le t t li y r Eve

KHS would like to thank illustrator/cartoonist Dave Coverly, creator of the cartoon panel “Speed Bump”, for creating new graphics for our spay and neuter after-care handouts! These adorable images really simplify all the words on the page, and especially help with clients that have comprehension, literacy or language barriers.

You’ll be seeing these doodles on the spay and neuter pages of our website soon, in addition to other places our spay and neuter program is promoted.

Thank you, Dave!

Looking for honor and memorial gift acknowledgments?

We’re moving this section online! Please sign up on our website as a site member to get an emailed notice when the new honor and memorial gift acknowledgments are available. Moving them online will allow us to update them in a more timely manner, make them searchable, and more! If you need help, just contact Julie Barber at jbarber@kazoohumane.org, or call 269-743-0393.