Los Angeles is having a vote tomorrow (Friday, Feb 1!) that would mandate spay/neuter for all animals four months of age and over. The AKC has the details. (Hat Tip NoPitbullbans). Mandatory Spay/Neuter has been pretty well documented to have no positive affect on decreasing the animal populations or in improving public safety, and has also proven to have negative affects such as reduced licensing and reduced numbers of people getting dogs vaccinated - as well as using up animal control resources that should be going to more urgent matters. Meanwhile, there are many other options that have a proven track record of working better. Meanwhile, the city rejected a proposed program that would have helped cure a large part of their shelter's kill rate by helping dogs to become more adoptable from the shelter. MSN is bad policy and if you're in the LA area, you should show up and speak out against the ordinance.
Also tomorrow, pethobbyist.com is hosting an Evening With Nathan Winograd tomorrow night at 9:00 EST. Chances to live chat with Nathan about topics such as shelter kill rates, spay/neuter policies, and the perils of breed specific legislation can be discussed. Winograd wrote the book Redemption...a book that outlines proven and affective ways of improving animal welfare and public safety.
And finally, Lassie Get Help has a great post entitled "Nitwit" about Merritt Cliffton. Cliffton has somehow gotten some media folks to buy into his bunk numbers and pass himself along as an "expert"...although when any reasonable person that has a conversation with the man realizes he is not an expert, but someone with a set agenda. Lassie Get Help is another quality look at the unquality data that is offered up by Cliffton.
I was told the public will only have 10 (ten) minutes total to OPPOSE?????????
Posted by: Sabrina Kennedy | January 31, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Although some cities like SF, CA claim to have a 95% save rate, in reality by classifying animals as "unadoptable" they really do not have 95% saved.Supposedly the SF SPCA was to take every adoptable animal from animal control if AC couldn't get it out. Insider info says they take them but don't get them homes either. Los Angeles will likely never even get to 85%, no matter what law they adopt. When the govt can't locate owners of unaltered dogs, they just move to focus to owners they can locate. Owners called breeders.
Posted by: Sabrina Kennedy | January 31, 2008 at 09:43 PM
In Ontario at the public Committee Hearings into our noxious dog ownership ban, individuals got 10 minutes for their presentations - including questions. Corporations got 20 minutes.
Typically, at Committee, presentations are anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes plus questions.
Rigged much?
Despite these constraints, the message was loud and clear - 86 of 102 presenters were opposed to the ban. Every dog-related organization opposed the ban. In favour were Toronto's police chief who spewed the shopworn 'pit bulls' = drug dealers mantra (and who is a personal friend of the Premier), a municipal umbrella organization and a sorry parade of private individuals invited to present by the government - and paid for their trouble.
Of the pro-ban individuals, only two had been attacked by dogs they perceived as 'pit bulls'. One was a mail carrier, two dogs rushed through the unlocked storm door and worked her over pretty badly. The other was a girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time (never a good time for that place) and she was very seriously injured by three resident dogs on the premises.
Despite the overwhelming opposition to the idea, the agenda and conclusions were pre-scripted. It was a sham performance stage-managed by the government to make it appear as though there had been public consultation.
All in all a shocking display of arrogance, vanity and stupidity for which everyone is now paying.
My point? Their minds are made up, they are being manipulated by you-know-who. The fellow who mobilized all those people over AB1634 is likely your best bet to oppose this. I forget the name of his group but he's the one who took Lassie up to Sacramento.
MSN is the new BSL. Get ready for another major fight across the continent. BSL is fading and that's no accident.
Posted by: Caveat | February 01, 2008 at 09:00 AM