This is going to be an abreviated roundup this week. I have some holiday travel planned this week so posting is going to be a little lighter than usual -- but there has been a LOT of great stuff written by other folks on other blogs for the past couple of weeks -- and I want to get that out there. I'll catch up on the news items next week.
Great blog postings from other people
This is the lone news story for the week -- but big news was made this week when word hit that a hero dog named Target - -that spent a tour of duty in Afghanistan and got a hero's welcome on the Oprah Winfrey Show -- was killed by his local animal control. The dog escaped from his yard and was "accidentally" killed by the local animal control. The story was big enough news that it was picked up by the NY Times - and sparked a lot of commentary in blogs across the country.
Love Dogs? Help your community become No Kill - Pet tips and tails takes a look at how the killing of a Target may lead you to realize that this same thing could happen, at any point, to anyone's dog - -and the only way to keep it from really happening is to end the killing of all of them in your community.
Poochmaster comments on Target - noting that in too many cities, animal control officers are given police power without the training, skills, aptitude or organization to ensure the Constitutional rights of the dog owner.
The oddest couple in the world - Tonic has a great story about a Chihuahua that was guarding his girlfriend, a pit bull, and how a kind dog warden made sure the two had a happy outcome.
Sentence to Ponder -- Marginal Revolution has a great sentence to ponder. Not animal-related -- but it certainly applies: "If flying is a 'privilege, not a right' it's because over the last century we have gradually accepted the proposition that anything the government tells us it can regulate, it can regulate." If we let them.
Maricopa Co stands by its kill numbers -- YesBiscuit! has the numbers from Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix). According to their records they are killing 100 dogs a day -- and yet, not a single one of the dogs that is killed is "healthy". Seems, uh, unlikely. Shelters can start ending the killing by being honest about why the killing is happening...
Resistance - Saving Pets notes many of the reasons why people who favor the status quo offer resistance to no kill policies that would change the killing.
Finally a bit of honesty from a Victorian council - Saving Pets notes that Victoria (Australia) seems to be realizing that their mandatory spay/neuter laws in the provence have led to a 25% increase in shelter cat killing since it was enacted -- primarily because most unsterilized cats are unowned cats...and making a law that targets unowned cats is a good recipe for killng them. BTW, Saving Pets also has a great post on what science says the role community cats plays on the environment (and it's not the negative description you've heart far too often).
LA Times Sports Columnist Bill Plaschke had a great editorial about Mike Vick, and his dogs, and how while Monday Night Vick was being glorified for his on-field performance, the evidence of his animal cruelty remains and why many animal lovers cannot forgive. It's a great column (thanks Bill for writing it) and sparked several other good comments from others.
Michael Vick and the Value Proposition - Francis Battista at Best Friends takes a look at Mike Vick and whether or not he's paid his debt to society, and what his "welcome" back to the NFL means in our quest for No More Homeless Pets.
Christie Keith over at The Pet Connection also has a great take on Plaschke's story.
Not Dumping - Another great one from Saving Pets -- "The best way to keep your bank from getting robbed is to not open a bank" --and if you open a shelter to cater to the public's unowned pets -- people are going to bring unowned pets to you -- so quit blaming them for it, that's what you're there for.
San Francisco's Commission on Animal Control and Welfare voted to table discussion about No Kill indefinitely - Winograd takes a look at why they did it and what that means.
Life Saving Attitude: From "Who Can I blame?" to "How Can I help?" -- Ryan Clinton in "O" is for Onward
A Political Cartoon on Missouri's Prop B - from PenroseOnPolitics - I'm not really sure how the puppy mill issue in Missouri turned into a partisan issue but somehow it certainly has and neither side seems to be overly willing to play well in the sandbox together. When partisan politics gets in the way of doing what's right, it can be certain the dogs (you know, the ones we're trying to help) will be the victims. And yes, both parties are to blame regardless of whether or not they want to take "credit" for that blame.
The Problem with Oops at Kill Shelters -- YesBiscuit! has a great commentary on 'accidental killings" and how if your shelter makes it their business to routinely kill pets (as is the case in most public animal shelters), "oops" results in the death of a beloved family pet.
Why I support the No Kill Movement -- By the Pet Studio -- we all have our stories and our reasons for wanting to end the killing
Kiss or Dismiss -- another great video breakdown from Dogs & Storks. People really do need to understand dog warning signals better -- and doing so would be a great way to avoid attacks on small children that are often catestrophic. Now, imagine this video without any adult supervision and how something could go majorly wrong.
Tether vs "Tether" -- Dogs & Storks looks at tethering -- and how something that is usually seen as a horrible act, when used appropriately, can be a very handy tool.
Toronto pit bull owners want to put provencial dog law to sleep -- Brindle Stick has the story
We become what we believe -- Wisconsin Watchdog notes that when we begin to believe that No Kill can happen, we start becoming no kill. Knowing that it is possible is the first step.
Houston TX -- Still in the dark ages -- I posted a link to this last week, but it deserves repeating, Bad Rap has a look at several Houston, TX shelter policies that cause all 'pit bulls' that enter the shelter to be killed because they do not offer them up for adoption.
In Honor of Animal Shelter Reform Week - For your entertainment takes a look at the need for shelter reform in New York City.
This is your local animal shelter - The Houston No Kill Examiner tackles the same story with a look at the shelters in Houston
And YesBiscuit! tackles the topic more globally (and she always has the best examples).
For the Pit Bulls has some great recommendations for Las Cruces, NM -- which started doing neighborhood sweeps last month. There are good ways and bad ways to do sweeps -- and most cities do it the wrong way. For the Pit Bulls offers some solid suggestions.
10 Foolish thing people do with dogs - from Poochmaster
Have a great holiday week everyone.
Good weekly roundup. So, everyone still has their shorts in a wad over Mike Vick. Cheer up, folks, there's always a higher power. I suppose the Devil can find room for him in that room reserved for Randall Lockwood and Wayne Pacelle.
In the meantime....
1. Animal Control officers are given police power without training and - Whoa, glad I was sitting down for this one, they violate pet owners' constitutional rights. Actually, this is good news, considering how many times the courts have told us we have NO constitutional rights.
2. A pit bull is saved because she has a friend that's a Chihuahua. Otherwise, she would have ended up in a shelter that kills dogs, or just pit bulls?, after 48 hours.
3. MSN in Victoria (Australia) results in a 25% increase in killing cats.
4. SanFrancisco, the city of peace, love, and all things tie-dyed, votes to table no-kill indefinitely. Take another little piece of my heart, now baby!
5. Missouri Republicans are faulted for dismissing "the will of the people" in a political cartoon about Prop B, when this is more accurately a rural vs. urban issue. The Republicans may be in charge of the Missouri House and Senate but that's a bit of an oversimplification of the issue. If Republicans are dismissing the will of the people can we then assume Democrats want to put people out of work and kill dogs? It's not that easy.
5. Shelters continue to accidentally kill people's pets.
6. News Flash! Houston TX shelters kill more pit bulls than Mike Vick.
7. And finally, my personal favorite...Maricopa County is killing 100 dogs a day because they're "unhealthy". Okay, I realize it's a BIG county, but valley fever must be hitting dogs at epidemic proportions.
Posted by: kmk | November 21, 2010 at 08:12 PM