Wednesday, September 10, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, June 16, 2008
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.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, January 28, 2008
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
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
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
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
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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
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
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