CUDAHY, Wis — A Cudahy woman is fighting to keep her pet wallaby. Linda Rowster purchased August the wallaby from an exotic animal dealer from 7 Mile Fair in Racine a year ago.
As a self-proclaimed animal lover, she said it was her kids that convinced her to purchase August. She tells Wisconsin’s Weekend Morning News, “my kids just looked at him and said, ‘Mom, he’s so cute. Let’s get him.’” The seller drove August from his farm in Madison to Rowster’s home in Cudahy for a “meet and greet”, and the whole family fell in love.
She admits she didn’t know much about wallabies before purchasing August, so she did her research including the legality of owning a wallaby. “I called the [Wisconsin] DNR and the Department of Agriculture and asked the question of them as well,” Rowster said. “DNR said that I only needed a permit if I was to purchase him outside the state of Wisconsin, across the border. Because I purchased him inside of Wisconsin, I did not need a permit.”
Rowster also checked with the City of Cudahy, which requires a permit if you own a dog or cat, which she does have. “When I got my dog license, I asked them. I said, ‘I have a wallaby. Do I have to get him licensed as well?’ They said no, just cats and dogs”…