WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — There’s a new service being offered by Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg for residents, no matter if they live within the borders of Wausau or not.
Or, more accurately, residents and their pets.
Earlier this month Rosenberg began performing #CityHallDogInspections through her Twitter account after she told a resident she wanted to inspect their puppy.
“If you Tweet something out about wanting to inspect someone’s puppy, eventually they will show up, and you’ll have to inspect,” said Rosenberg.
That led to a flood of Tweets from across the country asking the Mayor to inspect their pups as well. Not all of them came from Wausau or even Wisconsin for that matter.
Happy to perform this review but since you're still in Marathon County, you should probably bring them by to ensure I get it right. #CityHallDogInspection https://t.co/9BG8aCTAeY
— Katie Rosenberg (@katierosenberg) September 2, 2020
“We’ve inspected a couple of Indiana Dogs. My favorite is a couple from Alaska. Those mushing dogs, sled dogs. I was super excited about that,” she added.
Every dog that’s been inspected gets an online certification from the Mayor herself declaring them a good dog. She’s also performed a few cat inspections as well, including WSAU News Director Mike Leischner’s own cat Napoli.
100% cool cat. #CityHallCatInspection https://t.co/Ce1edzvPMa
— Katie Rosenberg (@katierosenberg) September 2, 2020
“He’s a 100% good cat, good work- I’m sure you can take all the credit for that,” she told him during her monthly chat with WSAU News.
Rosenberg also discussed the need for poll workers and how residents can turn in their absentee ballots to City Hall directly, without worrying about having them get lost in the mail. She also touched on the recent unrest in Kenosha following the shooting of Jacob Blake by Police Officers. Those topics have led to many nationwide debates and at times have sparked divisive dialog, especially on social media.
Rosenberg says by performing the dog and cat inspections on her Twitter page, she feels she can help send positive energy at a time when we need it most.
“There’s a lot of rumor-mongering and fear and just difficult stuff we are going through as a community. But, dogs are not one of them. They are always good dogs.
“We need a little levity sometimes. It’s tough, and I’m trying to put positive things out into the universe. When you do that, sometimes you get pictures of dogs back. I’ll take that,” she added.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Rosenberg has used her Twitter account to create a buzz for Wausau. After the ballots for the Spring Election had been counted she set the internet ablaze by Tweeting “HOLY BALLS” when she realized she had unseated Incumbent Robert Mielke. That Tweet was picked up by numerous outlets across the nation, some calling it her “Two-word acceptance speech.”
She also once Tweeted about goats, which led to a collection of toy farm animals that’s now proudly displayed in her office. That collection includes a rubber chicken.
Other topics Rosenberg discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- Wausau’s new ballot dropbox and procedures for the upcoming drive-thru voting event in October (NOTE: This segment was recorded before Thursday’s ruling by the State Supreme Court that halted the distribution of absentee ballots statewide. Therefore, some of the information presented is no longer accurate, though it was accurate at the time of the recording on Wednesday, September 9th.)
6:30- Reaction to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha and the violence that followed, and how Wausau’s Policing Task Force is coming together.
12:50- City cat and dog inspections!
