Wisconsin.

I had so much hope once that my home state would be the first no-kill state in our nation.  But it seems the largest nonprofit shelter and largest municipal shelter of Wisconsin are going to fight that tooth and nail until the bitter end.  Both the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) and Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) are currently trying to change the state’s stray hold period from 7 days to 4 days (through AB487).  This will adversely affect the thousands of animals that rely on shelter intelligence and compassion to ensure they are safe and find their loving homes again.

WHS and MADACC try to make the argument that strays just aren’t claimed (3% of cats and 27% of dogs were claimed by an owner at MADACC in 2014) and that it is more beneficial to just adopt them out or, as can very well be the case, kill them to make more room.  Reporting that only 3% of stray cats and only a quarter of stray dogs are reclaimed by owners doesn’t speak to stray holds needing to be shortened.  It most definitely speaks to the Shelter’s severely lack practices and procedures in helping owners find their lost pets.

These Wisconsin shelters should be focusing on how to reach owners and connect them to their lost pets, not trying to shorten how long an animal is safe while an owner tries to find them.  Trying to claim that no-kill communities are successful because of shortened stray holds is completely false.  The no-kill equation does not include in any way shorter hold periods.  It does, however, include focusing efforts on pet retention and proactive pet redemptions.  It is MUCH easier to reunite pets with their families than it is to find that pet a new home.  And why waste resources on finding new homes, when these pets obviously already have one?

Wisconsin Humane Society and Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission:  don’t try to shorten your stray holds.  That won’t have ANY positive effect on saving lives.  Instead, focus on how you can better help reunite your lost pets with their owners.  THAT will help keep your shelters from overflowing.  And THAT will be true to the no-kill movement.

While I normally focus on nonprofit issues – typically animal welfare – on here, this is something that I am just too passionate about to not bring to light.  This election season has been the most contentious, and it is unwise to ignore the serious damage that can happen if certain candidates are elected into office.

When I moved to Colorado, one of the first things I made sure to do was register to vote.  On the registration form, it asked my party affiliation.  I was about to check “Independent” since I don’t like being pigeon-holed by a party, but was told at the desk that if I didn’t pick “Democrat” or “Republican”, I wouldn’t be able to vote in the primary elections.  So I figured I usually skew towards the left (shocking, I know!), and don’t want to be excluded from  voting, so I checked the “Democrat” box.

I have never missed an election since I turned 18, even the local elections.  It is very important to me to exercise my right and duty as a citizen of this nation to vote.  So when January rolled around, I hadn’t heard in any news channels or mail a date for when Colorado has their primaries for the presidential election.  I googled for when the primaries are and the internet tells me “June 28”.  Seems like a pretty late primary, but okay!

Then, the third week of February, I received a postcard in the mail from a woman running for the local sheriff position and it says “Don’t forget to vote March 1!”.  Honestly, without this random postcard, I would not have known about the Colorado Democratic Caucus happening on March 1st UNTIL March 1st.  The first of many problems with this setup…

The Night of the Caucus

I’m sure you already heard from our news stations the mess that the caucuses were.  Thousands showed up to places that could only hold hundreds.  Volunteers didn’t know what to do.

It started off horrible, with the nearest parking spot available when I arrived being over half a mile away on a completely dark dirt road.  Walking to and from my car was the most unsafe I have felt since I moved to Colorado.  As a woman walking alone down a dark street in a neighborhood that isn’t the greatest, it was terrifying.  Also, anyone with mobility issues would have been screwed.

For my polling place, check in was literally signing next to your name in a binder  (I was never asked to show an id/prove I was who I said).   I stood in line outside (40 degree weather… doable for me, not so doable for those there with infants, or for the elderly) for 2 hours before we were told the building was full and that we would be voting outside.  I cannot hear out of one ear, so I missed a lot of instruction and explanation from our volunteer since she was just yelling outside to our over 100 group precinct.  I still don’t know how caucuses are supposed to work.  I also don’t even know if my vote was counted.  They did a roll-call at one point, and luckily I thought to ask the woman next to me to tell me if she heard my name.  Thank goodness I did, because I did not hear it and I would have missed my chance to vote at all.

I understand that the purpose of the caucus is to give you and your neighbors an opportunity to debate candidates to try to sway the undecided, to bring up concerns and issues for the party to take note, and to vote.  But the first two things did not happen.  It was too chaotic and there were too many people.  We were barely able to actually vote, casting our nominations about 9 minutes before the polls closed.

The Problem 

There is a ridiculous amount of issues with the caucus setup.  I’m sure it made perfectly good sense in the 1800s when communities were several hundred, maybe even several thousand, and those that qualified to vote (only adult men) could easily fit in the local school house for discussion, debate, and voting.  However, our population is too large for this now.  It should be obvious we have outgrown this system, and our technology gives us much better options.

• horrible communication to voters about when and where the elections are
• forces individuals to give up three hours during a specific time to place one vote – those with night school, evening jobs, children, transportation issues, ADA issues, etc cannot vote.  This is unacceptable.  EVERYONE should have easy access to voting.
• voters are forced to publicly show who they are voting for… in front of family and neighbors
• voters were not id’ed

At my polling place, during the chaos, so many people left before they could vote.  Every co-worker that works at the Clubs (Boys & Girls Clubs) could not vote (Clubs close at 7pm).  There are reports that people were turned away and WERE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE.  Anyone in a wheelchair, blind, hard of hearing, etc could not vote (we were outside on a hilly field, with volunteers just yelling for communication).  People who didn’t claim “Democrat” on a form were not allowed to vote.  The caucus is literally setup to only work for the privileged.  They honestly should be illegal.

Colorado and the other 12 states holding caucuses deserve better.  These 13 states MUST switch over to a standard primary voting system.  Where one can choose the hour or two needed to vote during an entire twelve hour or more period of time, for when it works for them.  They need to be at locations that are ADA accessible and have amount of time it takes to vote falls under the amount of time your employer legally has to give you to vote.

We need to demand change.  If you are in one of the states that does a caucus instead of a primary, it is time to act.  There are groups forming to campaign for this change.  Look them up, join them, help them.  Reach out to your representatives and demand change.  The number of people not able to vote for their next president is disgusting and should never happen again.

I am incredibly honored to announce that I am the newest member to be voted onto the board of Animal House!  This is a goal and dream I have had since I moved to Fort Collins almost two years ago, and I am so excited to be in this position to help the animal shelter and the dogs of Larimer County.

About Animal House

The mission of Animal House is to decrease the euthanasia rate of adoptable animals by:

· Collaborating with overpopulated and underserved shelters.
· Providing the community with education, information and outreach.
· Providing adoption opportunities for homeless animals and giving them what they need most — time to find their forever homes.

They are a wonderful animal rescue that is working hard to guarantee every dog gets their second chance of a loving home.

Learn more about Animal House and how you can support them at their website here.

She is the most loving, outgoing, ridiculous cat I have ever known.  While I know each day is a blessing because any day her FeLV could take hold, but we don’t let that stop us from having tons of fun and lots of cuddles.  Here is a little video I put together in Calliope’s honor to celebrate the 15 months she has spent with me so far.  Love ya, little bunny cat!

I hear the Toad vs Frog conundrum quite often, but there are many similar species out there that might be hard to tell the difference between the two.  This fun cheat sheet can help with the most common ones:

As for Toads and Frogs?  You can tell most toads and frogs apart by the appearance of their skin and legs.  Both amphibians make up the order Anura in the animal kingdom, but there are some key differences.  Most frogs have long legs and smooth skins covered in mucus.  Toads generally have shorter legs and rougher, thicker skins.  And, yes, all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads.  That should settle things. 🙂

Another year is drawing to a close, and in just a few hours millions of people will be celebrating in their own way the beginning of a new year (woohoo, 2016!!).  Some have a night out on the town, some watch fireworks in their cities/towns, some cuddle up with their loved ones and stay in (sign me up)… there are countless ways to celebrate.

No matter how you celebrate, if you have furry or feathered loved ones in your home (you know the ones, they love you unconditionally and you feed them… it’s really the perfect relationship), please keep their safety and sanity in mind tonight and throughout the rest of the weekend.  Fireworks going off, having strangers in their home, and all that edible (or not so edible) confetti and food on the floor all pose dangers for your pets.

So!  Here are a few ways to keep your fur babies safe this New Year’s:

• Make sure your pet’s ids are all up to date in case they get out.  Doesn’t help to have a microchip or collar with tags if the contact info is not accurate!
• Exercise your pets.  A tired dog is a happy dog (and owner), and also helps them be less stressed out when things get a little hectic.
• KEEP THEM INSIDE.  This one is vital.  One boom of a firework and your dog could bolt clear over your nice fence and down the street far enough to get lost.  Shelters flood with lost animals every New Year’s, so make sure your babies are safely inside where they cannot run away.
• Find them a quiet space away from the hubbub.  Whether you’re having a party or just a few friends over, it can be a lot for your pets to process and handle.  Make them a quiet, comfortable space with some white noise (back bedroom with some Mozart, perhaps?  Or Schubert, I don’t judge!).   Give them their favorite toy and some treats to keep them content while you party in the living room!
• No human food or access to the new fun stuff laying around.  It’s easy to want to share in the delicious dishes you prepare, but that will only lead to upset stomachs and possibly some major accidents in the house.  It is also good to remember that the vast majority of human foods are poisonous or at the very least, an allergen, to your pets.  And don’t forget, all that new stuff in the house (party hats, confetti, etc) will be pretty interesting to them so keep that away as well!

2016 promises to be a year with many changes and challenges for us all.  I wish you the brightest of New Year’s and a happy, healthy, enlightening 2016!

This Halloween was a busy time for me and I was able to wear four different costumes at six different events.  This is actually the first Halloween as an adult (out of college), where I got into things.  I put together costumes, went out with friends, carved pumpkins… I’m not sure what has changed from this year compared to previous years, but it was actually quite wonderful to partake in so much this year.

As Keyboard Cat, I joined forces with some amazing friends and went bowling for the Fort Collins Cat Rescue fund raiser.  We didn’t win any of the costume contests, but we were all the famous kitten memes and it was hilarious.

As Miss Frizzle, I handed out goodie bags at the Wellington Trick or Treat Down Main Street event and hosted a costume quiz for Geeks Who Drink.

As Daenerys Targaryen, I attend the Boys & Girls Clubs annual costume staff meeting and participated in the Phantom 5k with my dragon, Monty.

And then as Sadness from Inside Out, I went out with friends to enjoy the evening Saturday night.

I will be traveling through Iceland this coming week, so stay tuned for a post (or posts!) on my travels!  This is my first solo international trip and I am equal parts excited and nervous – wish me luck!

Pets don’t understand Halloween – and it can be a very scary, unsafe time for them!  Please be aware of your pet’s safety and never force them into a costume if they don’t want to wear one.  Here is a great graphic on Halloween safety tips:

My dog, Monty, and I love to share a bowl of blueberries every now and then and he’s a huge fan of stealing a little banana while I’m making my post-workout smoothies.  Check out this amazing chart to know which “human foods” are good for your pup and which are a horrible idea to share with them.  Bon Appetit!

This past May, I took the plunge and joined Instagram.  Not one to take a multitude of selfies, I decided to use this social media medium to do a personal happiness project.  Every day, I take a picture of something that makes me happy and post it to Instagram.  It typically covers my choir practices, fur babies, and weekly volunteer gigs for the Fort Collins Cat Rescue, but I try to find something unique each day that brings me happiness.

Feel free to check it out – and definitely consider doing this yourself!  It’s been a great lesson in appreciating the life I have and world around me and I look forward to continuing this on for many months.

My Instagram page (Enjoy!)