Alligator found in Helena tub awaits its transport to Florida

By SUSAN GALLAGHER - Associated Press - 12/13/08

A pet alligator, left behind when a Helena man died, has been living in a restroom at an animal shelter while officials try to find transportation so the reptile can move to Florida.

The gator arrived at the Lewis and Clark Humane Society shelter about two weeks ago. Staff at the shelter put a child’s wading pool in the restroom, set up heat lamps and offered meals of raw chicken. Part of the wading pool rim was trimmed to give the alligator an exit in case it — shelter officials don’t know the gender — wants to move from the water to towels spread out for a beach effect.

‘‘This is a first for us,’’ Gina Wiest, executive director of the Humane Society, said Friday as cats lingered near the shelter’s front desk and dogs barked in the background.

The alligator was moved from the shelter to an undisclosed place on Friday, after an Associated Press reporter asked about the animal. Officials said relocation was best for security and to head off a potential surge of attention from the public.

A Lewis and Clark County animal control officer, Sue Cecrle, said she learned through relatives of the deceased man that his pet alligator was at his home a few miles from Helena. Cecrle used a safety noose to ensure she had control of the gator after finding it in a bathtub at the home. She taped the animal’s mouth shut without a fight, and took it to the shelter on Nov. 25.

A Florida animal refuge has agreed to take the alligator, now dubbed Alex, Wiest said. She is trying to arrange air transportation and hopes to keep the cost down by having Alex hitch a ride with a Florida-bound pilot. A turtle also in the home of the man who died has been placed in an adoptive household, but Wiest said that is not an option for Alex. An alligator should not be a pet, she said.
‘‘They grow, they can get out of control,’’ Wiest said. ‘‘It’s quite a production in doing the right thing for this’’ animal.

Besides, alligators are prohibited in Montana, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department. The agency maintains a list of species that are banned for various reasons. In the case of alligators, human health and safety are the chief concerns, said Tim Feldner, the department’s commercial wildlife officer.

 

Four officers recognized for their apprehension of cat-killers

By ANGELA BRANDT- Independent Record- 10/16/08

Four members of the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office were recognized Wednesday evening for their work in the investigation of three Helena men who were involved in a cat-killing spree that left more than 20 animals dead.

"It had to be horrendous on their part to know the facts that went on with these killings," said Gina Wiest, executive director of the Lewis and Clark Humane Society, while handing out the St. Francis Awards. "These gentlemen worked very hard and we are very grateful."

Detectives Cory Olson, Larry Platts and Dennis Nyland along with Deputy Phil Clark accepted the awards.

The case originated with a call reporting criminal mischief and through Clark's investigation, facts were found that led to the apprehension of Brandon Wayne Hartford, 26, Andrew Joseph Welch, 20, and 19-year-old Kyle K. Hallowell.

"It's a good thing," Clark said, eyeing his plaque.

Olson said he is amazed at the community involvement in the case.
"I was really surprised that they would think of us out of everyone in the community that does things for animals," he added.

Sheriff Leo Dutton said the investigation included late nights and early mornings.

"I am extremely proud of the work they did," he said. "This is the worst type of case like this we've seen. This type of behavior will not be tolerated for the citizens of Lewis and Clark County."

Olson applauded the work of the County Attorney's Office, especially Deputy County Attorney Mike Menahan.

"He did an excellent job to see this to a swift conclusion," he said.

Hartford and Welch have each pleaded guilty to a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge in addition to felony tampering with or fabricating of physical evidence for allegedly removing evidence from the residence where all three were living and using bleach in an attempt to remove blood stains. Hallowell, who has pleaded guilty to a charge of felony aggravated animal cruelty, is slated to be sentenced in District Court on Nov. 20. Hartford and Welch are tentatively set to be sentenced Dec. 4.

 

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Personality test matches cats with compatible people

By LINDA LOMBARDI - Associated Press - 05/18/08

It happens to all of us. You fall in love with someone’s looks... but then he’s not quite what you expected. Even, sometimes, if he’s a cat.

‘‘People come in and say, I had a black and white tuxedo cat before, so that’s what I want,’’ says Jim Monsma of the Washington Animal Rescue League in Washington, D.C. ‘‘But cats are not all the same. They have widely divergent personalities.’’

That’s why the shelter is now using the Feline-ality program, developed by behaviorist Dr. Emily Weiss of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Part of the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program, which also includes Canine-ality for dogs, the program assesses a variety of behaviors in individual cats. It rates the animals on confidence and sociability, which Weiss’ research has shown are independent of each other.

The program then tallies those assessments to place the cat into nine personality categories, which can be matched with a family’s situation and desires.

It’s not unlike a magazine quiz to find out, ‘‘Which kind of cat are you?’’

The program is used at 45 shelters, with additional facilities preparing to use it.On this day in the Washington shelter, Monsma brings Barnaby the cat into an unfamiliar room and opens the carrier.

Lewis & Clark Humane Society
2112 E. Custer Avenue • P.O. Box 4455 • Helena, Montana 59604 • Phone: (406) 442-1660 • Fax: (406) 457-9446
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