‘Windchill law’ would strengthen animal protections in Wisconsin

• Windchill

Jeff Tucker of South Range comforts Windchill, the 9-month-old horse that was found malnourished and exposed to extreme cold without shelter in February 2008. The horse died 20 days after it was found. (2008 file / News Tribune)

Talk about it

Wisconsin State Rep. Nick Milroy, D-South Range, said Friday that he’s working with other lawmakers to draft legislation to strengthen the state’s animal neglect laws.

Milroy said he has tapped Rep. Keith Ripp, R-Lodi, to reintroduce “Windchill’s Law,’’ named after the 9-month-old horse in Douglas County that perished after not being protected from cold winter weather in 2008.

The colt was found malnourished, covered in ice and snow and unable to stand. With no access to shelter and the wind chill between 40 to

55 degrees below zero, the colt was near death. Though a great effort was made to save the colt, it died 20 days later.

The couple boarding the colt was charged with animal neglect but received “a slap on the wrist for their neglect,’’ Milroy’s statement said

Friday.

The bill was introduced last year and passed the Assembly, but was not taken up by the Senate before the end of the legislative session.

“We ran into some roadblocks last session with some of the language in the bill,” Milroy said. “This session we are introducing a scaled-down version that was agreed upon following many discussions between Representative Ripp, myself and other interested parties.”

Milroy credited Polly Niemi, a local animal advocate and member of the group Windchill’s Legacy, for her numerous visits to Madison to bring awareness to the issue of animal cruelty and abandonment.

The legislation: