CUDAHY, Wis. — It's been one week since Linda Rowster brought her pet wallaby, August, to a temporary new home outside of Cudahy. The move came after August escaped from his enclosure two weeks ago and was found by police.
"He's dealing a lot with anxiety now being away from home," Rowster said.
After August was returned following his escape, Cudahy officials informed Rowster that keeping the wallaby on her property wasn't permitted under current city regulations. This prompted her to find temporary housing for August at a farm outside city limits.
Determined to bring her pet home, Rowster launched an online petition to change the city's rules. The petition has already gathered over 1,000 signatures.
"It's great to know a lot of people stand behind me on this," Rowster said.
Where there is an influx of support, there has also been concern. TMJ4 received a tip from a viewer about a video posted to social media showing Rowster carrying August by his tail in a public park. When asked about this handling technique, Rowster told TMJ4 the method was normal.
"I've done my research. Their tail does not harm them," Rowster said. "That is where you get complete control of the animal, so there's no abuse to them. It does not hurt him at all."
According to the Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping, wallabies can be moved by holding them at the very base of the tail. However, when TMJ4 reached out to experts at the Racine Zoo for their perspective, they indicated they use different practices.
"It's not anything that I've had to do in the past to move animals," said Dan Powell from the Racine Zoo's Animal Care and Conservation Department. "We usually keep them in groups to use positive reinforcement techniques to modify behaviors to shift where we want them to go."
Rowster remains confident in her ability to care for August and plans to bring her proposal for changing city regulations to a future city council meeting.
"It makes me feel better there's a lot more support than there is negativity," Rowster said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
