Attendees Educated to Ensure they have Habitattitude

On February 3rd, the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance exhibited at the Great Lakes Pet Expo in Milwaukee. With a booth on Habitattitude, our AIS Coordinator for the Winnebago Waterways Program Chris was able to talk with over 200 guests about their pets while promoting responsible pet ownership. Visitors were able to learn about how the pet trade can introduce new invasive species if pet owners aren’t responsible by illegally dumping or releasing unwanted pets and aquatic plants.

Alternatives to releasing pets and plants include;

  • Contacting a retailer for proper handling or possible returns
  • Giving or trading with another aquarist, pond owner, or water gardener
  • Donating to a local aquarium society, school, or aquatic business
  • Sealing aquatic plants in plastic bags and disposing in the trash
  • Contacting a veterinarian or pet retailer for humane disposal guidance

With over 143,000 square feet and over 200 exhibitors, the Great Lakes Pet Expo is the largest non-profit pet expo is Wisconsin. The event drew crowds from around Wisconsin and even from a few other states including Illinois.

Habitattitude is a national campaign focused on protecting our environment through responsible pet ownership. If you want to learn more, visit the website HERE.

To learn more about invasive species and their impacts to Wisconsin’s waters and economy, visit http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/.

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

This article was written by Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator for the Winnebago Waterways Program covering Calumet, Winnebago, and Fond du Lac counties.