And the promise of even better things to come… A lot of people are saying good riddance to 2016. Many of those are not looking forward to 2017 either. This is understandable. But from the standpoint of animals, the first was a very good year; the second promises to be even better. Here are the highlights of a remarkable year: THE GOOD — Many, many years ago, a Michigan activist asked me how we could…
Lynda Foro, the founder of Doing Things for Animals (DTFA), has died. Foro launched the first “No Kill Conference” in 1995, was the first to create a directory of No Kill shelters in the U.S., and steadfastly promoted the No Kill philosophy in the face of entrenched and ugly opposition by groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA. In the 1990s, while these groups were calling No Kill a…
Updated January 17, 2017 A Letter to the Leadership, Activists, & Supporters of Direct Action Everywhere Direct Action Everywhere Organizing Principles: ‘WHAT WE BELIEVE: Animal Liberation: We believe that every animal (human or non-human) has an equal right to be safe, happy, and free… Truth: There are times in history when uncomfortable truths must be said; we will say them… HOW WE OPERATE: Integrity. Choose the ethical route over the easier one…’ ‘Thursday, Dec 29,…
Michael Eckert, Editor The Times-Herald 911 Military St. Port Huron, MI 48060 Dear Mr. Eckert, The Editorial Board of The Times-Herald recently published an OpEd claiming that achieving No Kill in the county shelter is a “fairy tale” for “dreamers.” (Editorial Board, Don’t leave dreamers to run animal shelter, The Times-Herald, Dec. 15, 2016.) The Board urged local officials to ignore the “Bambi-talk” and continue killing animals. They also urged the police department which runs…
“Political Abuse, Corruption, Nepotism and Cronyism” costing animals their lives. Years ago, staff at the Town of Hempstead, NY, pound filmed themselves terrorizing a cat. As lazy, inept and cruel animal control officers stand around laughing, making obscene gestures, and goofing off, a very frightened cat is brought into the room and hung from the neck with a catchpole. While he struggles to escape, the “professionals” in the Town sadistically chant “kill the kitty, kill…
A new study offers 71 million reasons to save animals. There are many good reasons to save more lives in “shelters,” not the least of which is that animals have a right to life, we have an ethical duty to do so, and we have the means to do it as communities across the country have proved. There’s also another reason: it makes economic sense. A 2016 Florida Southern College study of the impact of…
I’ve reported on various studies that have found that group housing, play groups, and plenty of socialization are absolutely crucial for dogs in shelters. Last week, I also reported about a new study on senior dogs that shelters need to go one step further and assign dedicated caretakers (i.e., a familiar face) as senior dogs “cope less efficiently with the emotional distress caused by a change of caretaker.” Two other studies yield even more guidance…
Last year, the Commonwealth of Virginia overwhelming passed SB 1381, a law which requires shelters to be “operated for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes.” In other words, SB 1381 does what the public already thinks shelters do and what the dictionary says they do, even though PETA, which is located in Virginia, does not. In fact, the bill was introduced in a response to PETA—which is licensed in Virginia as a shelter—killing over…
(Photo courtesy of Eileen McFall) For the animals of Napa County, CA, it was a good day at the ballot box. Voters overwhelmingly approved a law to provide better care and increase the number of animals who leave the shelter alive. Measure A requires that dogs, cats, and rabbits in the shelter be given “prompt and necessary veterinary care; appropriate socialization; [and] exercise.” It requires “accommodation of special needs in situations such as nursing mothers,…
Killing at the pound not only harms the animals who are killed, it harms animals outside the “shelter”* by fueling the puppy mill industry. It harms volunteers and rescuers, taking a severe emotional toll on them. And now comes a study that shows it can take “a psychosocial toll on the mental and physical health” of shelter veterinarians resulting in “emotional and physical exhaustion.” According to the study, veterinary shelter workers face “significant mental and…