https://secure.everyaction.com/FormProgress/2wrGS02RxkOJufNkjKs4Hw2?formShortCode=
Rocky is a 4-year-old coyote who was surrendered to Animal Control in Tennessee four years ago when he was mistaken for a German Shepherd puppy. Once subsequently labeled “imprinted on humans” he was deemed unreleasable into the wild. He was saved from death, but then transferred to Cook County Forest Preserve’s River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, Illinois, where unfortunately he has lived alone ever since in a small, dismal enclosure next to the parking lot and he is clearly not doing well. Urge officials in Cook County to release him to a wonderfully spacious and accredited sanctuary that is ready and willing to take him right now!
Rocky exhibits numerous signs of stress, such as pacing back and forth, biting and licking his paws, and scratching to alleviate itching, for which he is on antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. His main source of seclusion is flawed as it is in a dog kennel in the middle of the cage with the opening facing visitors. Throughout the winter months, his water bowl was observed repeatedly frozen solid. After the staff was questioned, the bowl was moved out of view. Rocky’s environment violates the USDA blue book Forest Preserve policy manuals on housing wildlife and Illinois’ Humane Care for Animals Act, as well as the Forest Preserve’s own Mission Statement.
Rocky’s true needs are not being met. It is inhumane to keep him alone in a small cage for the rest of his life simply because he was mistaken for a dog, and ended up deposited there. He deserves to have plenty of space to roam, hide in underground tunnels, have the opportunity to integrate with his own species, and be taken off the drugs that are used to address his stress.
For his well-being and his long-term health, Rocky should be surrendered to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. He should be free to live in as natural an environment as possible, and living at the sanctuary will provide him with the life he deserves. Just because he interacted with humans instead of other coyotes at a young age, doesn’t mean he should be deprived of the opportunity to socialize with members of his own species. There are solutions for integration that the sanctuary has plenty of experience with. Even wild animals who have been domesticated have instincts to roam, run, dig tunnels, and interact with their own kind, and these things are denied to Rocky in his enclosure at the nature center. The Cook County Forest Preserve’s mission dates back 100 years and remains the same today:
“To acquire, restore and manage lands for the purpose of protecting and preserving public open space with its natural wonders, significant prairies, forests, wetlands, rivers, streams, and other landscapes with all of its associated wildlife, in a natural state for the education, pleasure and recreation of the public now and in the future.”
The mission is to preserve the landscape with all of its wildlife in a natural state, which is wonderful, not in a cage for display against the backdrop of the open landscape. The Forest Preserve’s logo includes the tagline “feel free.” Feeling free should extend to those whom the Preserve holds captive, but it especially should be the case in Rocky’s unique situation. We are calling on Cook County to act in Rocky’s best interests and thus agree to surrender him to The Wild Animal Sanctuary, where he will be able to thrive for the rest of his life.
1. Make Calls. Please call the Forest Preserve District of Cook County President and as many of the Board of Commissioners as you’re able to. Express your desire to have Rocky the coyote surrendered to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. When you speak to someone or leave a message please say the following or something similar:
I am calling regarding the coyote Rocky who is unnaturally stressed and isolated in a small, inappropriate enclosure at the River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook. Please surrender him to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado where he will have plenty of space to roam, hide in underground dens, and the opportunity to integrate with his own species. If you truly care about his well-being, allow him to be a coyote and grant him this freedom. Thank you for making the compassionate choice.
Phone numbers
Cook County Board President:
Toni Preckwinkle 312-603-6400
Cook County Commissioners:
Sean Morrison 312-603-4215
Kevin Morrison 312-603-6388
Brandon Johnson 312-603-4566
Bridget Gainer 312-603-4210
Bridget Degnen 312-603-6380
Michael Cabonargi 312-603-5560
Luis Arroyojr 312-603-8530
Dennis Deer 312-603-3019
Bill Lowry 312-603-6391
Stanley Moore 312-603-2065
Deborah Sims 312-603-6381
Donna Miller 312-603-4216
Alma Anaya 312-603-5443
John Daley 312- 603-4400
Larry Suffredin 312-603-6383
Frank Aguilar 312- 603-4735
Peter N. Silvestri 312-603-4393
Scott Britton 312-603-4932
2. Take Your Message To Social Media. Please contact the social media targets – the Cook County Forest Preserve pages and president Toni Preckwinkle – and ask them to surrender coyote Rocky to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado. If time permits, please also contact the county commissioners via their social media pages which are listed in a separate link below.
Contact Cook County Government on
Contact Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on
Please click on this link to access the individual social media contacts for the Cook County Commissioners and target as many as possible to help Rocky!
3. Write a Letter. Send our letter by submitting the form on this page to urge the River Trail Nature Center, the Forest Preserve, and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County President and its Board of Commissioners (who are all on the Forest Preserve Board) to have Rocky the coyote surrendered to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.
Sign our alert to immediately deliver your comments to:
- River Trail Nature Center
- The Forest Preserve, and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County President and its Board of Commissioners
In Defense of Animals fully expects and strongly urges all people involved in this campaign to act responsibly and lawfully and to respect the personal interests and privacy rights and concerns of any individuals who may be affected by, or become the subject of, your protests or related efforts.
Exposing the Big Game 
Reblogged this on Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting Blog.