ACTIVIST DIES SHORTLY AFTER BILL SIGNING
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 -- 2:32 PM
From WRN:A bittersweet day, for advocates of humane treatment for animals in Wisconsin.
Joyce Kitsemble, a longtime supporter of efforts to stop puppy mills in Wisconsin, died after she collapsed during the signing ceremony for the bill she campaigned for tirelessly. Eilene Ribbens worked with Joyce Kitsemble and her husband Ed, as part of the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project. ?Because she was such an amazingly charming and gracious woman, she was extremely productive,? said Ribbens.
Ribben said Kitsemble could always be counted on to write letters to supporters, or collect signatures on petitions, and the couple volunteered at the South Wood County Humane Society in Marshfield. ?They walked dogs and helped socialize dogs, and every now and then they found one that they fell in love with and took it home,? Ribben said. ?We will miss her more than words can express.?
Assembly Bill 250 significantly strengthens the regulation and oversight of dog breeders and dog breeding facilities in Wisconsin. Tuesday?s signing by Governor Jim Doyle marked the culmination of years of effort to get the bill passed.
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