Score one for the dogs!

Score one for the dogs!! Proposition 401, the Tucson Dog Protection Act, passed 402 to 373. Winning an election by 29 votes makes this starkly obvious: everything we did for the dogs was necessary to our success. Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who stepped forward!

There are hundreds of people and organizations who deserve thanks for their assistance to the campaign and the dogs. Among them are: Animal Defense League of Arizona, Carmen Arrison, Laura Burchette, Carol Burney, Bill Carnegie, Diana Chapin-Tsai, Kayla Coe, Dr. Phil Comer and the other 101 endorsing Tucson veterinarians, Cynthia David, Linda Dills, Christine Dorchak, Elsa Duarte, Joan Eidinger, Marion Erickson, FBI agents Mike and Jeff, Dr. Janet Forrer, Mary Gay, Greyhound Adoption League, Greyhound Network News, Greg Hale, Cindy Hall, Sandra Heater, Pete & Marilyn Kaniowsky, Bonnie Kay, Jeanne Keller, the Kislak family, Claire Klingler, KrisAnn Kokes, Janet Lang, Dona LaSchiava, Ashleigh Letofsky, Lisa Markkula, Maggie McCurry, Karen Michael, Krista Nelson, Carolyn Olson, Penny Orth, Jean Pace, Pima County Democratic Party, Joan Randles, Jim Shea, Angy Shearer, J.D. Shulec, Lorri Tracy, Jerry Tucker, Marcie Velen, Gary Vella, Susan Via, Jeff Vifquain, Maru Vigo, Chris Wencker, Ron & Roberta Wright, and Karyn Zoldan.

For those of you who weren't able to follow the campaign, we used your donations for three direct mailers to South Tucson voters, two door hangers that we passed throughout the community, 100 yard signs, and 176 radio spots on 4 Spanish stations. That may be impressive, but I'm sure what put us over the top were the intrepid volunteers who went door-to-door and talked with voters.

Kennel operators will have to either cook the diseased meat that they use or buy commercial pet food, they'll have to segregate the males and the females, and they'll have to find ways to get the dogs out of their cages at least six hours a day. If they try to get away with doing nothing, they're in for a rude awakening. We intend to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone violating the new law.

We're also staying on top of investigations by the Department of Racing and the Arizona Veterinary Examining Board. There is so much wrong with the abuse of anabolic steroids at the track that this matter won't be going away any time soon.

In other wonderful news, Massachusetts voters banned greyhound racing and California voters passed the most significant ballot initiative in U.S. history, protecting more than 20 million animals and almost certainly setting into motion a momentous change in the way that Americans view and treat animals raised for food.

Our bottom line is that we're elated at the good sense of the voters, we're enormously grateful to all of you who helped make this possible!

Your Office Manager

Jamie Massey

Mountain Lion Killed South of Tucson

The Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGF) killed a female mountain lion in the Coronado National Forest (CNF) near Madera Canyon, south of Tucson, on October 26. The day before the lion reportedly aggressively stalked a hiker and his dog. The Animal Defense League of Arizona is in contact with AZGF and has attempted to reach the CNF. We will continue to follow-up, and update you on new information.

Here's what we know. The lion was a female of normal weight and health. She was not rabid. She had scars on her neck. The University of Arizona Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory has conducted a necropsy. AZGF applied its Protocol aka AZGFD Action Plan for Minimizing and Responding to Lion/Human Interactions. That was officially adopted in 2005, after the bungling of some poorly documented lion sightings in Sabino Canyon by CNF and AZGF.

AZGF has learned a lot from its mistakes. First, it held extensive public meetings in 2004 after Tucson expressed outrage at the agencies' actions and statements. Second, it developed a reasonable (although certainly not perfect) policy in the Protocol. Third, it has actually followed the Protocol. The bonus is that Gerry Perry the former head of the Tucson regional office retired. His replacement is Leonard Ordway, a long time AZGF employee. Ordway is certainly an "old school" wildlife manager in many ways. However, he has integrity and is responsive. Moreover, he is a biologist and will listen to suggestions made with data to back them up. Tucsonans should take the opportunity to get to know Ordway, and give him the benefit of the doubt.

On the other hand, the CNF is a complete disappointment. Its spokesperson continues to spread the myth that lions have a "natural fear" of people. They don't. Let me set the record straight. There is no scientific evidence that mountain lions have a natural fear of people. To the contrary, a study by Linda Sweanor indicated that mountain lions have no natural fear of people. It's very sad that a lay volunteer with an animal protection group knows more about the natural history of lions than the agency that manages the land where lions live, but that's the state of affairs in Arizona- at least at the CNF.

Update on Prairie Dog Reintroduction

Here's an update on the prairie dog colony from volunteer Landon Vincent :

“I just wanted to write with a bit of an update on the black-tailed prairie dogs down in Las Cienegas. Last week I camped out spending four straight days monitoring the colony. Every hour (of daylight) we would do a visibility count and compare that with previously known percentage ranges for what's been observed in healthy colonies elsewhere and our colony seemed to be doing really well. Our counts were right within the expected range, depending a bit on the weather. During windy days we saw a few less, but I guess that's understandable when they rely upon scent and sound for defense. The dogs were really active at already building their own natural burrows as well as exploring up the far hillside.”

The Tucson Citizen has an article on the prairie dog release: and AZ Game & Fish has posted an article . And check out our slideshow on the release . It takes awhile to load – wait until the control panel shows up on the right corner of the screen.

AZ Game & Fish needs volunteers over the next three months to monitor the prairie dog colony. If you can help please contact us.

Thanks to Landon for the update and to all of the volunteers for their efforts to return this keystone species to its home in Arizona!

Karen Michael

Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project Party

Here are some pictures from the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project's Wolf Without Borders Party in Flagstaff on October 18. Congratulations to Project Director Paula Lewis and all the hard-working volunteers. It was a great party for a great cause. To learn more visit the ADLA website and go to GCWRP link.

Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs Back in Arizona

Big news for Arizona's wildlife and grassland habitats in southeast Arizona. After 50 years of extirpation, black-tailed prairie dogs were reintroduced in Arizona this week. So many groups supported this effort, including Animal Defense League of Arizona (see October 4 Blog).
In an e-mail message, Bill Van Pelt, Grassland Coordinator of Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies said

I am pretty confident this will not be a lead story on the front page of any newspaper. Today [October 7], at 11:17 a.m. after nearly 50 years absence on the Arizona landscape, 73 black-tailed prairie dogs were placed in release cages on the Las Cienegas Grasslands near Sonoita, Arizona. This has been a project in the making since 1965, when the first discussions about re-establishing this species began in Arizona. While part of the success story today is the return of the prairie dog, the other part is the number individuals, and entities working together for grassland conservation...

Bill may be right, but this is front page news for Animal Defense League of Arizona!

Prairie Dog Reintroduction

Last weekend Animal Defense League of Arizona volunteers helped the AZ Game & Fish Dept. with constructing release pens and nesting chambers for black-tailed prairie dogs, which will be reintroduced in southern Arizona.
The job was finished earlier than expected, thanks to hard-working volunteers who drilled, dug, and cut weeds around the tunnels.

Thanks to everyone that volunteered on the black-tailed prairie dog reintroduction project. It’s exciting to see this keystone species being returned to its rightful place.

ADLA is a member of the Prairie Dog Coalition. Visit the website for more information on these remarkable animals.

(Photo: Volunteers Landon Vincent and Darlene Handley)

Requiem for Bentley

I didn't know Bentley, but I was there when he died. There was a group of us there, but Bentley is the only name I know.

I believe Bentley was a good dog who had a good life with a family that loved him. While his death was a sad thing, the fact that a group of strangers came to his aid gives me hope.

I was eastbound on Peoria Avenue in Glendale, Arizona. The car in front of me stopped. I didn't know why until he pulled into the next lane, and I saw Bentley injured in the street. Apparently he had been hit by a car. The driver who hit him didn't stop, but other people did and, in the process, showed a lot of compassion.

One woman stood out. I stopped my car behind Bentley so no other cars would hit him. The woman put Bentley's head in her lap, and petted and comforted him. I got a sheet and a man held it up to shade Bentley. His wife managed to corral Bentley's dog friends who were across the street barking and distressed. She managed to get them back in their yard. We also called 911. They in-turn called Glendale Fire Department and the Arizona Humane Society and one of its Emergency Animal Medical Technician (EAMT) units.

Bentley died in the arms of the wonderful woman whose name I don't know. We were both petting him when he died. I truly believe she made Bentley's death better for him. He had some comfort and the love of a complete stranger as he passed. After he died we moved him out of the street. A man came-up and said "That's my dog." He was obviously sad, but calm. Apparently his dogs had gotten out of the yard while he was away. He told us he wanted to take Bentley home, so we helped wrap Bentley in the sheet and he headed across the street to go home.

A Glendale Police Officer pulled-up, and asked if I'd seen what happened. I said "No, but I wish I had." He gave me his card, and I left.

The woman said she wished that she could have saved Bentley or gotten him to hang-on. But I think she gave him a peaceful death. Everyone there, including the City of Glendale Fire and Police Department, gave him something else. Respect. They treated him like an individual who was scared and fatally injured in the street. That's no small thing, but that's what Bentley deserved. That's what all animals deserve.

ADLA Quarterly Meeting 9-14-08

Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting about the "Plight of Pit Bulls." Here's the set-up crew.

The Tragedy of Dog & Cat Overpopulation

One of the saddest and most frustrating animal issues is the euthanasia of healthy, but homeless, dogs and cats all across the United States. Maricopa County and Arizona are no different. We euthanize tens of thousands of unwanted animals each year. Every time I think of this fact, it breaks my heart. With a little love, every one of those dogs and cats could be the love of someone's life. These days pit bull and pit bull mixes are the dogs that are most likely to wind-up in shelters and be euthanized. Poor pit bulls. Talk about a misunderstood dog. They can be such sweeties- if given a good home and a chance. The Animal Defense League of Arizona Quarterly Meeting at 3 pm on Sunday September 14 at Glendale Public Library will talk about the plight of the pit bull in Maricopa County and some upcoming events and ongoing programs to help them. Please stop by and learn how you can help!

Setting the Record Straight on County Supervisors & Pit Bulls

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is NOT currently considering an ordinance to ban pit bull dogs. Unfortunately, some misinformation has been circulated about this issue. The Supervisors have been and are being flooded with calls and e-mails about an issue that is not on the table. If you receive such an e-mail, please DO NOT forward it to your lists and please do not encourage a flood of calls and e-mails to the Board of Supervisors. This hurts the credibility of the Animal Protection Community and our ability to work with policy-makers when animal issues are being considered.

The Real Story:

On August 4, Dr. Rodrigo Silva made a presentation to the Maricopa County Supervisors and County Manager that was essentially a status update of recent activities. A number of folks from the Animal Protection Community were in the Audience including Bari Mears from PACC-911, Sonia Hernandez and myself (Stephanie Nichols-Young) from the Animal Defense League of Arizona and its Spay/Neuter Hotline, Cheryl Weiner of Altered Tails, Heather Allen from HALO Animal Rescue, Melissa Gable of Friends of Animal Care & Control and a number of Administrative Staff People from Animal Care & Control. ( I am relying on my memory. I apologize if I have forgotten anyone!).

After the presentation, individual Supervisors made comments and asked questions. Supervisor Andy Kunasek asked what people thought about pit bulls. I do not believe he specifically asked about a breed-specific ban, but my impression was that was what he was asking about. No other Supervisor expressed any interest in the question. Supervisor Kunasek stated something to the effect that he may be asking an inappropriate question or a question that no one wanted to hear. Again, no other Supervisor showed any interest in supporting the question. The Supervisors left quickly (as I believe they were continuing the meeting in an executive session). On his way out, Bari Mears and I spoke to Supervisor Kunasek, and expressed our and our organizations' opposition to a breed-specific ban.

At the Alliance for Companion Animal Meeting on August 12, those present discussed Supervisor Kunasek's question. The Alliance took a vote, and decided to respond to Supervisor Kunasek's question and let him know that the Alliance had discussed the issue and voted unanimously against a breed-specific pit bull ban.

There is no ordinance or agenda item pending before the Board of Supervisors on this issue. It was simply a question by one Supervisor.

Arizonans Support Mexican Gray Wolves

A poll was released moments ago that reveals that 77% of Arizonans support reintroduction of Lobos on public lands in Arizona and New Mexico. The Animal Defense League of Arizona was one of many groups in the two reintroduction states that supported the poll. Please read more about the poll, and look for more information about wolves in ADLA's upcoming newsletter. Here's a link to the complete poll results.

A shaggy dog story with a Happy Ending

Last night as I was getting home from work, I noticed a dog crossing the street and heading toward my house. She was an old dog, and walked like an old dog with the forlorn look of a lost dog. She didn't know where she was going, but she was afraid to stop moving. She wagged her tail for a moment. Then she quickly moved away. I got off my bike, and put it away.

By the time I got back, she was a half block down the street. I walked after her, but she kept moving away. I sat on the curb to see if she would come to me. She didn't. So I continued to follow at a slow pace. She kept moving away. Finally, I decided to stop following her, and see what she would do. As I walked away, she started following me. She followed me home.

My husband was sitting in the front yard waiting for me. He got a look at her tag, and I was able to call Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) and find her people's phone number. They were elated. Pepper had gotten out of the yard overnight. Her family had been burglarized the day before, and in the chaos, they didn't notice that the burglars had left the back gate open.

Pepper's family had spent the day looking for her. But the best thing they did to facilitate Pepper's safe return home was to have a current license and to keep Pepper's tags on her at all times. When she unexpectedly got out, even though we found her after MCACC hours, it was easy to call and get her home. Remember that. If you find a dog with tags, you can call MCACC anytime 602 506-7387 or 1-888-pets911, and you can get the owner's phone number. It's easy for the finder, the dog, and the dog's family. The family offered us a reward. We declined. Truth is, seeing them reunited was the best reward we could have gotten.

ADLA Volunteers Meet the AZGF Commission

Thanks to ADLA volunteers who attended the Arizona Game & Fish Commission "Meet the Commission" Banquet on January 19 in Phoenix. ADLA had a full table displaying the ADLA name and logo, paid for by an anonymous donor.

Our presence is a small statement, and part of ADLA's larger campaign to remind the Game & Fish Commission and Department that many of their constituents do not hunt and fish. Their interests and the interests of wildlife must be balanced in Game and Fish decision-making.

Stephanie Nichols-Young

Improbable Publicity for ferrets and prairie dogs

With apologies to Dave Barry...
I am not making this-up. In my usual pile of e-mails this morning I had one from one of ADLA's Prairie Dog Coalition partners, Jarid Manos of the Great Plains Restoration Council. It contained a cryptic message about a bodice ripping romance novel, plagiarism and black-footed ferrets. I admit it; I bit. I assume you will, too. http://www.newsweek.com/id/94543

This is as good as it gets for our issues. In addition to the juicy stuff (that I'll get to in a minute), writer Paul Tolme shows innovation, optimism and a sense of humor by using the fact that his work was plagiarized to write a Newsweek story in which he shares a bit about the plight of ferrets and prairie dogs.

He notes that black-footed ferrets have been listed as an endangered species. They are being reintroduced in states where they once lived, but there's a big problem. Their favorite food, black-tailed prairie dogs, is not as plentiful as it used to be and prairie dogs are still being poisoned- even on federal land.

As an aside, I should tell you that prairie dogs are incredibly cool animals in their own right. Arizona was once home to black-tailed prairie dogs, but we killed them off with poison decades ago. Arizona does have Gunnison's prairie dogs up north, and we hope some day black-tailed prairie dogs will be reintroduced in southeastern Arizona. Please visit the ADLA and Prairie Dog Coalition websites to learn why prairie dogs are so important. http://adlaz.org/
http://prairiedogcoalition.org/

Back to the juicy part. Mr. Tolme is a free-lance writer. In 2005, he went to the Conata Basin in South Dakota to write a story about ferrets for Defenders magazine. His story ran, and three years later much of it reappeared in Shadow Bear, the novel I mentioned earlier. The quotes that Mr. Tolme got from ferret expert Travis Livieri were now dialogue from the title character during some steamy moments in the novel. Instead of lawyering-up, Mr. Tolme wrote a story for Newsweek, and in the process took us all to school on how to get-out our messages.

I just heard from Jonathan Proctor of Defenders of Wildlife (another Prairie Dog Coalition partner) that the group that ferreted-out the Shadow Bear story is now putting information about these critters on their website http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/. Apparently, in the process, they are trying to raise awareness and money. If you had put this story in a novel, your editor would say "That's too far fetched. No one will believe it." But these are the opportunities for animal protection that we always have to be looking for. Who says we don't have a sense of humor? Who says being an animal advocate can't be fun?

Stephanie Nichols-Young

Hog Factory Proposal officially withdrawn; stay vigilant

It's official. Cullison Farms LLC says its done with its planned hog factory near Dateland, Arizona, according to an article in the Yuma Sun. This is great news, but the animal protection community and other concerned citizens shouldn't let their guard down.

In ADLA's last newsletter, we reported that Cullison had not submitted new applications to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. But we didn't want to assume Cullison had changed its plans, until we had some official word. This facility never made sense at its proposed location. Not only was it bad for hogs, but also the community and clean air and water. Morever, it was a threat to scarce quantities of water in southwestern Arizona.

People concerned about industrial hog factories need to stay vigilant. PFFJ, LLC, a Hormel subsidiary, had been looking for a local farmer to host this facility for over a year. It will undoutedly continue its search. While we remain vigilant, we should take a moment to appreciate the victory and the folks who made it happen. Our thanks and congratulations to local farmers, landowners and businesses who got involved. Some expressed outright opposition, others expressed concern about specific aspects. They worked hard and took a lot of criticism for speaking out against this flawed proposal. ADLA played a supporting role and is proud to have helped them. That's sometimes a tough role for a small, grassroots organziation. We want to get ADLA's name out to further its effectiveness. But sometimes other voices will be better heard and be more effective. ADLA has to put its mission "to protect and defend Arizona's animals" before promoting the organization.

Stephanie Nichols-Young