Pets and Pete
Toolbox
Published: September 10, 2009
MONTPELIER – If you're an animal lover, Saturday is your day.
The Statehouse lawn will be the site of two big animal events this weekend. First, the annual K9s and Company gala, held by the Central Vermont Humane Society, gets underway Saturday morning.
Although the mission is serious – to promote animal awareness and education – the program is a lot of fun. Dogs doing tricks, fun pets to pet, treats to buy for your favorite Fido. It's all good.
Also scheduled for the Statehouse lawn on Saturday and set to begin around noon is a rally to save Pete the Moose, the now-famous docile moose who is living on an elk farm in Irasburg. State wildlife officials are trying to find a way to remove the wild moose and white tailed deer living on the farm because of concerns about the spread of chronic wasting disease from the elk to Vermont's moose and deer herds.
It's possible that the wild animals, including Pete, will be killed by Fish and Wildlife.
In an effort to protect Pete from the slaughter, supporters of the docile moose are gathering at the Statehouse with posters and messages for Gov. James Douglas and Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne LaRoche to spare Pete.
Judging by the interest in that moose – as of Wednesday, Pete had nearly 5,000 friends on his Facebook site – a crowd can be expected.
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