2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 39,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 14 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
“Where is the animal welfare discussion paper promised over one year ago?
November 2011. This matter is of importance to all Australians wanting to stop pound and shelter killing.
Summary: What happens is this: The State Government – for political and PR reasons – announces it will “taskforce” the subject and announce a public discussion document. Nothing happens. And so the ACT Greens announce their own animal welfare Bill. The ACT Gov. is indignant that the Greens have trumped them. And so they and the opposition, (fuelled by vested interests who don’t want any change) fail to pass the Bill. The Gov. announces it will table its own public discussion paper. Eight months later : nothing has happened. Once again, a Gov and its AWAC dragging the chain. Time to rattle the cage. Actions to take below text. (NB This is happening in NSW as well…..) READ MORE HERE
News from the US- the sun also rises in Minnesota!
Bulletin from the No Kill Advocacy Centre, May 2011
Earlier this week, we reported that the Sun rises in New York State as lawmakers introduce shelter reform legislation. Today, Minnesota Representative John Benson has introduced new rescue access and shelter reform legislation, House File 1735, called the Companion Animal Protection Act. The centerpiece of the legislation is a rescue access provision that would make killing illegal if qualified rescue groups are willing to save an animal’s life. But it does so much more.
CAPA would:
- End “convenience” killing when there are empty cages and when animals can share kennels;
- Require transparency in operations by requiring shelters to make their statistics public;
- Provide lifesaving opportunities for “owner-surrendered” animals which are currently killed within minutes of arriving;
- Ban cruel methods of killing; and,
- So much more.
MN CAPA is based on the No Kill Advocacy Center’s model legislation of the same name.
For more information about MN CAPA, click here.
The national G2Z Summit took place on the 7-9 September 2011
The national G2Z Summit took place on the 7-9 September 2011, hosted by the National Desexing Network.
Summit papers are available to download from : http://www.ndn.org.au/national-summit-2011.html
One must-read and circulate paper describing Getting2Zero is available here.
Download and read papers on a variety of related topics and subjects of interest to those seeking to reduce our unacceptable pound and shelter kill figures. READ MORE HERE
news from US – Texas act prohibits killing of healthy animals in pounds – The Companion Animal Protection Act of 2011
Great news to animal welfare! The Texas Companion Animal Protection Act has been implemented. Among other wonderful things, it bans the gas chamber, makes it illegal for shelters to kill if rescue can save them, ends ‘convenience’ killing and requires shelters to be truthful about killing statistics.
“It is the intent of the State of Texas to curtail the killing of savable animals in the State. In order to accomplish this, the State of Texas finds and declares that:
Protecting animals is a legitimate and public interest
The killing of savable animals in shelters is a tragedy………..
http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/txcapa.pdf
Download the full text of the ACT here
DRP Comment:
We wonder how long it will take for Acts like this to appear here in Australia! Tell us your thoughts!
Why wont people speak up?
Last week, 2 things happened on the same day.
Firstly I got an email from a person with inside information on a situation in a certain Shelter in Australia. I was given a great deal of information, but was told that this must remain confidential and anonymous. Now, I don’t know how to help change things if people want to remain “anonymous”and not put their name to their claims.
It happens a lot and it’s very frustrating. We are sitting on this mass of information and can do nothing with it. It’s not a good feeling.
Then later that same day I was sent a link to one of Nathan Winograd’s articles called ”Courage and cowardice in the fight for a no kill nation”. In this article, expressed better than I could, he says :
“I spend a fair part of my day on the telephone. And when I can help someone reform their local pound or when I can help a shelter manager improve their rate of lifesaving, I find it rewarding. But there is one type of telephone call (and e-mail) that fills me with dread. And that is the person who calls about inhumane treatment or other unethical behavior of a local “shelter” or animal welfare organization, but wants to remain anonymous.” (more…)
A guide to the ideal shelter director
Article from No Kill Sheltering Oct 2006
Until April 2005, the CharlottesvilleAlbemarle SPCA, an agency which contracts for animal control in Charlottesville, Virginia, was the target of criticism for what some in the rescue community saw as unnecessary killing.
But then it all changed. In their search for a new director, agency trustees did not hire someone with years of sheltering experience. In an era which has historically been dominated by reactionary policies, “sheltering experience” often brings a mindset of “how we have always done it.” In other words, it brings an overreliance on killing.
Instead, the Charlottesville Board of Directors sought someone with passion for animals, and specific skills which could be transferred to a shelter environment. They chose a lawyer with a business background. And the results have been dramatic.
Download article here…. Guide to Ideal Director
DRP Comment: a valuable article; download it and forward to all board members you know in shelters and pounds. Relevant in light of recent matters at geelong.
Geelong Animal Welfare Society
This report summarises the situation at Geelong Animal Welfare Society (GAWS)– a Greater Geelong Council contracted pound facility. 26 September 2011
GAWS is a private animal welfare society with a 57 year history, (although recent events suggest that we use the term “animal welfare” rather loosely.)
Over 12 months ago, when we wrote about incidences of bullying at the RSPCA WA Malaga Shelter, we were contacted by two staff members at GAWS who started to tell us about similar events at GAWS. Since that time other staff members, both current and now departed , have come forward with information.
What has emerged is a story that has to be told. Told for the staff who have suffered and importantly told for the animals that have been subjected to standards of “animal welfare” that are truly out of kilter with community expectations and standards that we should expect today. READ MORE HERE
Undercover pet shop investigation
In late 2010 Animal Liberation Campaign Co-ordinator Jacqueline Dalziell took a position as a employee in a well known Sydney pet shop. Over a 3 month period she took observations and filmed breaches of the Code of Practice.
The TV report was screened on Today Tonight and can be viewed on COMPANION ANIMAL NEWS click here
( Please nb to click at the bottom to go direct to some other Animal Liberation pet shop diary stories.)
In February 2011 she presented this report to the RSPCA NSW:
RSPCA Report
Location: XXXX
Store Owner: XXXXXXX (DRP note: this store is one of a well known large chain of Pet Stores across the country)
In efforts to expose how animals suffer in pet stores, this year I took a job working undercover in a XXXX store. I worked approximately 2-3 shifts (approx. 6-8 hours) per week, for approximately three months. I was hired having no formal qualifications in animal care. I recorded everything I saw and heard. READ MORE HERE
