IDS Thursday, December 12, 2024
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STUDENTS ATTEND UN COP29
Dunn Now, he’s the last one waiting for adoption. Meadow to open Morty was the first of 68 dogs rescued from a seizure in 2023.
The meadow has been closed for more than 100 days By Benjamin LeGrand
benlegra@iu.edu | @benlegrand11
After receiving the complaint March 8, 2023, Officer Clarke and another animal control officer approached the home, unsure of exactly what they would find. Immediately he noticed dirt buildup on the home’s windows, trash bags of dog food in the yard and insects flying around the property. After a few knocks, Pryor opened the front door. Clarke told Pryor he would need to fill out the proper litter and boarding application to keep the animals in his home — and that he would need to schedule a required home inspection. They wanted to give him a chance to keep his breeding business. Pryor, who officers and shelter representatives described as very cooperative and helpful, agreed. Pryor also told officers he planned to bring some of the dogs to a Carolina dog rescue in South Carolina that month. The animal control officers didn’t enter the home their first visit. But before Pryor closed the door, Clarke noticed three Carolina dogs peering out at him. Carolina dogs are a relatively rare breed that are usually found living near the Georgia-South Carolina border, according to the American Kennel Club, a not-forprofit dog breed registry.
Dunn Meadow is set to reopen by the end of this semester, over 100 days since its closure began on Aug. 2. New turf installation and a re-servicing of the irrigation system after the 100-day pro-Palestinian encampment this past spring brought about the closure, although communication regarding the opening of the meadow has been unclear until recently. “Dunn Meadow will reopen by the end of the semester,” IU Executive Director of Media Relations Mark Bode said in an email Dec. 9. When asked for reasons or any other restoration work still delaying the reopening, IU referred back to an old statement from Vice President of Capital Planning and Facilities, Tom Morrison, which was sent out to the IU community on Aug 2. The fall semester ends Dec. 20, with many students leaving at various points during finals week starting Dec. 16. In an Indiana Public Media article from Oct. 4, officials did not give a timeline for the opening of the meadow with a spokesperson citing the precaution of allowing the turf to grow. Turf takes around six weeks to fully establish itself, and foot traffic should be minimized before six weeks. Bode said in a previous IDS article that initial estimates for the work were $100,000, with potential to increase throughout the project. The Indiana Daily Student obtained contracts for the sod and fence through a public records request in October. The contract for the turf, installation, delivery and other charges totaled $86,600.
SEE MORTY, PAGE 4
SEE DUNN, PAGE 4
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Mortimer Ocatvius, or "Morty," looks at his dog friends playing outside while he stands just past the doorway of his foster mom, Casey Green's, house Oct. 5, 2024, in Bloomington. Casey said Morty is her longest-term foster, but she can't keep him because she might have to move for her job.
By Mia Hilkowitz
mhilkowi@iu.edu | @MiaHilkowitz
The first thing Michael Clarke noticed as he stood in front of the Bloomington home was the smell of skin infection. With his first steps inside, the animal control officer also quickly picked up the smell of feces. Of urine. Of ammonia. His eyes watered as he moved further into the home. Stepping over the straw and excrement covering the floors, Clarke looked at the chaotic scene in front of him — and dozens of dogs stared right back at him. Some of the dogs, mostly Carolina dogs, sat in wired cages. Others strode throughout the two-bedroom house, their eyes tracking the officers as they walked across the room. In the kitchen, a large male Carolina dog with pointed ears paced back and forth. His black fur coat was marked by light brown on his paws, chest and face — two small patches above his eyes almost resembled eyebrows. Though his path was somewhat obstructed by a wire cage, he walked, panicked, close to where another dog lay under the sink with her litter of puppies. Clarke put a pile of nylon rope leashes down on a kitchen counter. He’d start
by trying to take this dog out of the house first. But as he slipped the leash over the dog’s neck, the Carolina dog dropped to the ground. He started alligator rolling and pushed away. “He will be difficult and may bite, none of them have ever been on leashes,” the homeowner told officers. It took several officers to carry the dog, flailing, out of the house and into a plastic carrier waiting to transport him to the Bloomington Animal Shelter. Though the homeowner had given officers names for some of the dogs as they brought each one out; others didn’t have names yet and the animal shelter would rename many of them. As officers coaxed the dog into a carrier to transport him back to the shelter, there were 67 dogs waiting back in the house — assigning each dog a number would have to suffice for a short while. The officers made a note and headed back into the house. Dog number one was accounted for. Now just 67 more. *** Every day, animal shelter and control representatives in Bloomington and across the country see the harm humans can inflict on animals. Maybe a resident, strug-
gling with mental health, accumulates more animals than they can feasibly take care of, crowding dozens of pets into a single room. Sometimes a family decides their lifestyle is incompatible with a young, energetic puppy and turns it in to an overflowing shelter. In some cases, animal control finds an animal already deceased, physically abused by a previous owner. The Bloomington Animal Shelter was already nearing capacity when animal control and local police seized 68 dogs, mostly Carolina dogs, in March 2023 from what people familiar with the case described as the largest animal hoarding complaint ever received in Monroe County. In every case, the shelter tries to heal some of this harm. But these 68 dogs tested this ability. Perhaps no dog tested it more than this first dog, who now goes by a different name: Mortimer (but many call him “Morty”). Almost two years after the initial seizure, the rest of the Carolina dogs have slowly disappeared from the shelter’s list of adoptable animals — a sign of success. But though he was the first one taken out of the house by animal control, Morty’s page remains, the last of the dogs from the seizure waiting on adoption. It’s left those close to him wondering: can they
help him find a home? *** Clarke had started his job at Bloomington Animal Control a month and a half before a woman called his department to deliver a complaint that, at first, didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. She had purchased a dog from Robert Pryor, who was living in a two-bedroom home on North Adams Street. She told animal control she could smell feces and urine from the home’s front yard. Animal control and the Bloomington Animal Shelter had heard of Pryor before. In years past, he lived just outside of Monroe County. From 2018 to 2023, the shelter received at least 10 dogs associated with him. But because he lived outside of Bloomington municipal limits, there wasn’t much they could do. The shelter also wasn’t a stranger to animal hoarding and neglect situations. Even in Bloomington, which had an ordinance banning the retail sale of cats and dogs until the state legislature voided it this year, animal neglect is prominent. A shelter representative said animal control officers respond to several thousand calls — ranging from reports of neglect, to stray animals to animal infestations — each year.
What Trump’s plan could mean for IU, MCCSC Trump plans to abolish the Department of Education during his term as president
By Andrew Miller
ami3@iu.edu | @andrew_mmiller
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to axe the Department of Education in his upcoming term. If he were to do so, what could that mean for IU and Bloomington? An IU spokesperson declined to comment on whether it had plans for how to proceed if the department is abolished. A Monroe County Community School Corporation spokesperson said the district didn’t have one. Both said it would be
speculative to comment on the effects it would have on the institutions. That’s likely because most experts believe the plan is not going to go through. John Graham, an IU professor who worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, said there’s not much political will to do so. The Washington Post reported it would likely take 60 votes in the Senate to go through if the filibuster stays in place. A House vote in 2023 on an amendment that would have abolished the department saw 60 Republicans
vote against it. Trump has even announced Linda McMahon, a former head of the Small Business Administration and previous professional wrestling executive, as his nominee to lead the department. McMahon has limited experience with education, only serving on the Connecticut State Board of Education from 2009 to 2010. Graham also brought up President Ronald Reagan’s attempt to abolish the department decades ago, which failed due to a lack of congressional support. He said a
similar situation would likely happen this time around. Still, the proposal is being taken seriously. Last month, North Dakota Sen. Mark Rounds, a Republican, introduced a bill that would abolish the department. If that goes through, one of the largest issues the federal government would need to reconcile is the $1.7 trillion in student loans it has issued, growing by about $100 billion each year. Trump’s allies have suggested moving those over to the Treasury Department. Details like enforcement would still need to be ironed
out, but proponents say the program designed to assist students from lower-income households would be handled more effectively outside the Department of Education. Still, Graham said he’s skeptical. He said it’s not likely that Trump, nor the Republican party, would have the political will to substantially shrink the department, either. “It’s not just Democrats. Republicans are interested in Pell Grants, loan guarantees for students,” he said. “They don't necessarily want to
Bloomington's 7 Day Forecast
cancel all their debt, all these things, but they do think there's a need for these programs.” In fall 2022, IU found that about 17% of undergraduates had Pell Grants at its Bloomington campus. The department also provides Title 1 funding — dollars intended for schools with high percentages of lowincome students — public education around the country, distributed by states. Data from fiscal year 2023 show that MCCSC received nearly $2.7 million from this program.
SOURCE: BRIDGET WISDOM | BLWISDOM@IU.EDU GRAPHICS BY: ALAYNA WILKENING
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