Michigan judge distributes certificates for free sterilization surgeries
 |
| Illustration: Margaret Georgiann |
In Macomb County, Michigan, violators of animal control ordinances may be in the doghouse in the eyes of the law, but they still might be rewarded for their bad behavior once they reach the courthouse.
It seems an unlikely place to hand out freebies to offenders, but 37th District Judge John Chmura doesn’t see it that way. By distributing spay/neuter gift certificates to those who come before the bench for animal-related infractions, Chmura hopes to do his part to encourage responsible pet ownership.
Whether they come before Chmura for letting their dogs run at large, owning too many animals, or failing to procure a license tag, pet owners who’ve had minor run-ins with the law are offered a choice: Obtain a free sterilization surgery for the animal or pay a $100 fine.
“It’s funny because the people I give these things to are people who have been charged with a crime, and they don’t expect something like this,” says Chmura. “When it’s all over and done and they get one of these things, it’s a surprise. ... They thank me when they get the card, but that’s about it. They’re so surprised by it they don’t really know what else to do. ...
“Very few people want to be bad pet owners,” he says. “Every once in a while you get people charged with animal cruelty, which is a different class. I wouldn’t give one of those people something like this.”
Chmura got involved with animal protection issues when someone from the mayor’s office in the city of Warren asked him if he’d like to serve on the Warren Animal Rights Commission. “I’ve always enjoyed animals and had lots of pets growing up, and I’ve been interested in their welfare, so it seemed like a good thing to do,” Chmura says.
 |
| Illustration: Margaret Georgiann |
It was while serving on the commission that Chmura met Paul-Michael Turkal, DVM, of the Animal Medical Surgical & Critical Care Center in nearby Clinton Township. Turkal has long been active in his community, working with local shelters and municipalities to provide low-cost vaccinations; he also worked with the commission and the mayor of Warren to create a large dog park. Distressed by the number of stray animals in the area, Turkal first tried to implement a program whereby people who couldn’t afford to sterilize their animals could obtain free surgeries and vaccinations from his clinic. But when he was deluged with requests for house calls to expensive homes indicating the pet owners obviously had money tucked away somewhere, he decided to try another route and worked with Chmura to develop the certificate idea.
“Our idea was to get to the people who really can’t afford it, who really need it, [whose pets] were having multiple litters year after year,” says Turkal. “We were just going to do it for a month or two and see how it worked, but it’s been so positive that we just made a commitment to do it all year round.”
The program began in February, so it’s still too early to tell how many people will make use of the certificates, which are signed by the judge before being presented to Turkal and his staff. But at least 30 people have brought them to Turkal’s clinic, he says, and he expects that the number will level off to about five or six a month. Turkal’s motivations in providing so many free and discounted services are no more complex than the fact that he lives and works in the community and “puts his pants on every day” like everyone else, he says. “I love my job,” he says. “But I don’t have a job—it’s not a job. It’s the best non-job you can have in the world.”
Chmura is just hoping he can encourage people to do “what oftentimes needs to be done,” he says. “It’s a small thing that will help a little bit.”
