You banned elephant acts in Dane County because you understood that it is wrong to profit from the suffering of social, sentient, intelligent, and emotional animals. I trust then that you will see the parallel with trapping in Dane County parks: if you accept money from the state, Dane County and a few trappers will benefit financially from the suffering and deaths of social, sentient, intelligent, and emotional animals.
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Members of the Dane County Board took the time to learn how elephants used in circuses are trained and handled and about the conditions they are forced to endure.
The board deserves praise for adding Dane County to the large and fast-growing list of U.S. communities and countries around the world that have banned the use of elephants in circuses.
No one who takes the time to look into the use of elephants in circuses can have any doubt about the cruelty involved in training them or great suffering these animals are forced to endure.
— Rick Bogle, Madison
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Below is a list of the voting breakdown on the amendment to ban elephant acts from Dane County. Please take the time to thank the Supervisors who helped to pass this groundbreaking measure!
Scott McDonell, District 1
mcdonell@countyofdane.com
In Support
Heidi Wegleitner, District 2
wegleitner.heidi@countyofdane.com
In Support
Nick Zweifel, District 3
zweifel.nick@countyofdane.com
Abstained
Kyle Richmond, District 4
richmond.kyle@countyofdane.com
In Support
Leland Pan, District 5
pan.leland@countyofdane.com
In Support
John Hendrick, District 6
hendrick@countyofdane.com
In Support
Matt Veldran, District 7
veldran@countyofdane.com
In Support
Carousel Andrea Bayrd, District 8
bayrd@countyofdane.com
In Support
Dianne Hesselbein, District 9
hesselbein@countyofdane.com
In Support
Jeremy Levin, District 10
levin.jeremy@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Al Matano, District 11
matano@countyofdane.com
In Support
Paul Rusk, District 12
rusk@countyofdane.com
In Support
Chuck Erickson, District 13
erickson.chuck@countyofdane.com
In Support
Melanie Hampton, District 14
hampton.melanie@countyofdane.com
Absent
Ronn Ferrell, District 15
ronnferrell15@charter.net
Opposed
Dave de Felice, District 16
defelice@countyofdane.com
In Support
Jeff Pertl, District 17
pertl.jeff@countyofdane.com
In Support
Melissa Agard Sargent, District 18
sargent@countyofdane.com
In Support
Bill Clausius, District 19
clausius@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Dennis O’Loughlin, District 20
Oloughlin@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Dave Wiganowsky, District 21
wiganowsky@countyofdane.com
Absent
Maureen McCarville, District 22
mccarville.maureen@countyofdane.com
In Support
Shelia Stubbs, District 23
stubbs@countyofdane.com
In Support
Robin Schmidt, District 24
schmidt.robin@countyofdane.com
In Support
Tim Kiefer, District 25
kiefer.timothy@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Sharon Corrigan, District 26
corrigan@countyofdane.com
In Support
Dorothy Krause, District 27
krause.dorothy@countyofdane.com
In Support
Kurt Schlicht, District 28
schlicht.kurt@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Dave Ripp, District 29
ripp.david@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Patrick Downing, District 30
downing@countyofdane.com
In Support
Jerome Bollig, District 31
bollig.jerry@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Erika Hotchkiss, District 32
hotchkiss.erika@countyofdane.com
In Support
Jenni Dye, District 33
dye.jennifer@countyofdane.com
Absent
Patrick Miles, District 34
miles@countyofdane.com
In Support
Carl Chenoweth, District 35
chenoweth.carl@countyofdane.com
In Support
Cynda Solberg, District 36
solberg@countyofdane.com
Absent
Bob Salov, District 37
salov@countyofdane.com
Opposed
Last night, June 7, 2012, Dane County became the first Wisconsin community to ban the exhibition of elephants for amusement or entertainment. The County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance amendment banning such exhibitions by a vote of 23 to 9.
No new elephant acts shall be allowed at the county’s auditorium or exhibition center. Current county contracts with the Zor Shriners, who bring the George Carden circus to Madison every year, however, shall be honored until the final contract runs out in 2020.
Opposition for the ban, which came largely from circus supporters outside of Wisconsin, were greatly overshadowed by local public support.
Last night’s passage of this ban marks the end of an era which included many years of AFA-organized public protests, educational leafleting, USDA complaints, and vigilant monitoring of elephants at the county’s Alliant Energy Center when the circus came to town. The legislative effort was initiated in February of 2011 when AFA representatives presented the case for an elephant ban to the general membership of Progressive Dane and received a unanimous vote in favor of an immediate ban on elephant performances.
“This is a step in the right direction – the direction of ending cruelty against elephants at Dane County facilities,” said Supervisor Al Matano, who introduced the amendment.
He also stated that the work does not end today. “Members of the Dane County Board have pledged to monitor compliance with the contracts, by attending the circuses to observe the conditions the elephants experience.”
AFA thanks everyone who took the time to come out and speak for the elephants and to all 23 Supervisors who voted in favor of the elephant ban. Eloquent oral testimony came from citizens of Dane County, members of the County Board, and members of Alliance for Animals.
AFA thanks everyone who took the time to come out and speak for the elephants and to all 23 Supervisors who voted in favor of the elephant ban. Eloquent oral testimony came from citizens of Dane County, members of the County Board, and members of Alliance for Animals.
We especially wish to thank Supervisor Al Matano for his courage in introducing the ban and for his steady efforts to see it passed. Many people worked toward this landmark change in county policy; we thank them all. The animals are fortunate to have them working on their behalf.
The Public Works and Transportation Committee approved this ban and passed it on to the full County Board for a vote. On June 7, 2012, the Dane County Board of Supervisors will decide if the County will be the first in Wisconsin to ban the use of elephants for entertainment. We need your help. Please do one or both of the suggestions below:
1. Attention Dane County Residents: During the week of June 4 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday), ask your supervisor to vote YES on Dane County Ordinance Amendment 15. For help with finding your supervisor visit our Legislators page. Make a personal call.
2. Attend the June 7, 2012, meeting of the County Board to represent the elephants who cannot speak for themselves and to show the tremendous amount of support for Ordinance Amendment 15. Please arrive early to get a seat. It’s important that you sign-in when you arrive indicating your support for the measure.
June 7, 2012 at 7 PM
Room 201 of the City-County Building
210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Madison WI
Thank you.
The Park Commission voted for the first time to allow animal trapping in a Dane County park.
In April the county purchased an additional 25 acres adjacent to the 265 acre McCarthy County Park in Sun Prairie for $325,000. The Department of Natural Resources recently offered a stewardship grant of $162,500, but accepting would mean abiding by the DNR’s new recreation guidelines.
In 2007, the DNR stipulated stewardship projects need to allow hiking, hunting, skiing, fishing, as well as controversial animal trapping. Before Wednesday night, Dane County had not approved any grants under the new rule.
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MADISON, Wis. — A proposal to trap animals near a Dane County park has some residents voicing concerns.
The Dane County Park Commission will vote on this issue Wednesday night, and at the heart of this trapping debate looks to be a recent rule change from the state.
Carolyn Schueppel is one resident who opposes trapping near McCarthy Park.
“It’s hard for them to understand what it’s really like for people who empathize with animals unless you actually see the animal die in the trap,” said Schueppel, who is concerned about a Dane County plan to approve recreational trapping on one of the county’s newly purchased parcels of land.
The 25-acre parcel of land sits just outside McCarthy County Park.
In October, Schueppel’s border collie died after getting caught in a trap near a nature conservancy.
“It’s just completely wrong,” said Schueppel.
Watch video here:
Dear County Executive Parisi and members of the Dane County Parks Commission,
I understand that Dane County can receive $162,000 from the DNR Stewardship Fund to offset half the costs of the purchase of 25 acres next to McCarthy County Park, but only if trapping is allowed on the land.
Please withdraw the application for the funds and do not allow trapping on the land.
Imagine that the state had money available for economic development but, to receive the money, the recipients had to agree to discriminate against minorities. Would the proponents of economic development tout the number of jobs that would be created? Would they say that the trade was fair because the benefits (to certain people) outweighed the costs (to certain others)?
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Speak Out Against Trapping in Dane County Parks
Wednesday, February 8
5:15 pm
Room 357
City County Building
201 Martin Luther King Blvd
Madison, WI
The County Parks Department has written a “Limited Access Trapping Permit” and will ask the County Parks Commission to approve this first-ever county-approved recreational trapping plan.
See the permit application here.
The adoption of this plan will set a terrible precedent, potentially opening many Dane County parks to trapping, and guaranteeing that the County will continue to apply for DNR-administered Stewardship grants for land acquisition even though they will be required to provide recreational trapping opportunities.
Take action:
1. Attend the meeting. Tell the Commissioners that opening Dane County Parks to trapping isn’t worth $162,000.
2. If you can’t attend, please email the Commissioners here: park-commission@co.dane.wi.us or call them and voice your opposition to recreational trapping in Dane County Parks.
Background: In 2011, Dane County purchased 25 acres adjacent to McCarthy County Park for $325,000. The County owns the new parcel. The park is 245 acres, including the new 25-acre parcel.
The County applied for a state DNR-administered Stewardship grant to offset the cost and has been tentatively awarded half the purchase price, $162,000.
In order to receive the Stewardship grant, the County is required by the DNR to provide recreational trapping opportunities on the new 25-acre parcel. Except in very special rare circumstances, all lands bought with Stewardship grants are required to be open to trapping.
Traps are indiscriminate. They can catch and kill any animal who steps on one or sticks their nose in one. They are very cruel; they can leave an animal with broken bones, lacerations, and in pain and fear until the trapper eventually checks the trap and kills them.
Trapping is a pastime of the tiniest minority; opening Dane County Parks to trapping appeases the most extreme fringe of so-called outdoorsmen; trapping is inhumane, has no redeeming value, and should not be allowed to become an accepted and promoted use of our public lands.
Channel 15 news in Madison spoke with circus promoter Bob Sands. Watch full video here:
“We will have a Shrine Circus and it will be in Dane County whether we have to put a tent out at the Shrine Center or find somewhere else to put it,” said Bob Sands, the promotional director for Zor Shrine, shortly before the committee meeting Tuesday evening. “This proposal says on county owned facilities. We will have a Shrine Circus and we will have elephants.”
