The welfare and role of animals on both sides of the backdoor were represented at the June 23 Long Beach City Council meeting. The council unanimously (9–0) passed a request to the city attorney to bring a reworded ordinance in 30 days to amend sections of Title 6 of the Long Beach Municipal Code particularly as it applies to the ownership of chickens, goats and bees.
And at the beginning of the meeting, the dogs and cats had their day. Council Member Stacy Mungo introduced actress Karole Foreman of the Pet Welfare Project, a 501 (c)(3) organization whose goal is for the enhancement of the lives of children, animals and the community at large.
Earlier this year, Councilmember Suja Lowenthal had stressed the importance of public outreach and education during discussion regarding the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance, which passed 7–1 on March 17. Foreman and the artists, educators and animal advocates that comprise the Pet Welfare Project have come up with two effective educational media for their message: theater and music. The organization recently wrote and produced Buddy’s Big Day Out, a live 45-minute musical production that the creators hope will bridge the education gap between the underserved community and the significant positive impact that spaying and neutering make on pets and the entire community. And they want to put the show on some barns around the area.
The story is about a bored little beagle named Buddy who flies his cozy coop and meets up with a beautiful poodle (don’t worry—it’s a family show). The production addresses shelter euthanasia and the importance of spaying and neutering pets while anthropomorphically entertaining the audience. The musical premiered at the Eagle Rock Animal Fest on June 20, and Foreman said that she hopes that she can get support and funding to get information about low- and no-cost spay/neuter procedures and the reasons for it to other communities, particularly Long Beach in Long Beach.
“The biggest challenge is public perception, changing cultural norms, and lack of education about spay/neuter,” Foreman said.
At the end of the presentation, Mayor Robert Garcia awarded the Pet Welfare Project with a proclamation recommended by Councilmember Mungo for the organization’s work toward humane education.
Visit the Pet Welfare Project’s page for videos and information about their projects.
“Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.”
~ Elizabeth Taylor