Shedding second-class status
2:00pm | On May 4, the evening of the third day of Be Kind to Animals Week, Long Beach city councilmembers voted unanimously (7–0, with Councilmembers Patrick O’Donnell and Dee Andrews not present to vote) to gift our shelter animals with a toolbox containing items to improve their lives and adoptability.
The meeting started with a Be Kind to Animals Week presentation that Judy led with the comportment and mien of a grade-school teacher, with the council members following suit as tongue-tied third graders (click here for the Help! parody developed by the Alliance for Humane Action [AHA!]. It’s the best example we’ve seen of convincing people to alter their pets without beating them over the head with the guilt stick. And yes, it’s been fully vetted, pun intended.). Later in the agenda, two items were presented, one of them a multi-goal recommendation in which cats fared well. Several of the goals are geared toward reducing the number of unwanted litters and thereby the comparatively large number of cats euthanized at Animal Care Services. In 2009, 4,479 cats were euthanized or otherwise died in the shelter as opposed to 1,203 dogs. Furthermore, 2,942 dogs were adopted that year, while only 886 cats were taken home.
Second District Councilmember Suja Lowenthal and Third District Councilmember Gary DeLong coauthored the recommendation, with support from Councilmember O’Donnell (see last week’s posting). The recommendation includes the following key goals:
- Initiating a multiyear expansion of low-cost spay and neuter resources for both owned and free-roaming animals. This will be implemented through vouchers supported by local veterinarians and will work toward a city-run clinic under the direction of a full-time state-licensed veterinarian, provided that costs can be fully offset.
- Developing a funding and implementation plan for regular adoption, microchipping and clinics, under the direction of a state-licensed vet
- Developing a plan to implement a formal Animal Care Ambassador program to support adoptions, special events, license canvassing and humane education, all citywide.
- Mandating the licensing of cats
Presented to the council, the last bullet was originally a recommendation, but Seventh District Councilmember Tonya Reyes-Uranga suggested that the licensing condition be changed to mandatory. The council approved the amendment and voted unanimously to pass it.
“I’ve never had an item this comprehensive without at least one person opposing it,” Reyes-Uranga said.
Several people spoke in favor of the recommendation, us included, with no speaker opposed. The goal most heavily weighed in on was the full-time veterinarian. Speakers said that hiring a vet would forward the adoptability of cats, facilitate spay/neuter and possibly open the door to grants for the shelter.
“I encourage you to have a vet at your shelter,” said Dr. Lawrence Kosmin. “A city this size that does not have a full-time vet in charge in an accident waiting to happen.” Dr. Kosmin is president of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association and conducts shelter inspections.
There will be questions and misunderstandings about the cat licensing—we’ve heard several of them and have seen them posted on our page—but ACS manager John Keisler and operations chief Michelle Quigley plan to address them. Send any questions to [email protected].
Volunteer Kay Ruffino holds up one of the signs she made for the May 4 City Council Meeting. Photo by Jillian Clemmons
We’re including part of an enthusiastic letter from Jillian Clemmons, one of the recommendation’s supporters. Clemmons is an Animal Match Rescue (AMRT) member and is one of the volunteers who obtains animals—in AMRT’s case, small dogs—and fosters and cares for them for future adoption.
“Hi Animal Lovin’ Long Beach Friends,
Last night, all seven Long Beach city council members voted yes on Long Beach Animal Care Service….All in all, it was a very successful, inspiring night.
Kay Ruffini made some great “Vets Save Pets” signs, and we had about a dozen or so animal advocates there in support. Eight people spoke on behalf of the animals, all in support of cat microchipping and the need for a full-time shelter veterinarian….
Lorraine Fishman from the Long Beach Spay and Neuter Foundation made the point that our shelter cannot even get outside funding or grant money without a vet, which made a major impact. Apparently, nonprofits will not take our shelter seriously until it takes itself seriously.
Also, I learned that these reforms started in May 2007 and that Dr. Kosmin is the primary vet who’s been working with Councilmember Suja Lowenthal to push these changes through… I had the honor of speaking and said, “[I am] an AMRT volunteer who is one of the few people who is currently able to rescue an animal from the Long Beach animal shelter. AMRT stands for the Animal Match Rescue Team, and we try to save a couple of animals a month, out of the 17–18 animals that are killed every day. So I am for the full-time veterinarian because until we get a licensed vet for Long Beach, the facility will remain closed to the public [for in-shelter adoption], and our euthanasia—another advocate told me kill rate is better word, so I’m going with that from now on—numbers, which were 6,561 in 2009, will remain at this abominable level. Essentially, we’re paying for a facility that the public can’t use.”
…Everyone was eloquent and heartfelt. Suja came to speak with everyone after the meeting adjourned….I heard a lot of “You guys made this bill go forward because they don’t listen to us, they listen to the community.” So, that was really gratifying and I have a lot of respect for everything I have learned about Michelle Quigley, LA Animal Care Services Chief of Operations and John Keisler, LA Animal Care Services Manager.
Thank you everyone for all your amazing support. I see wonderful changes on the horizon.
Amnesty for Rover
The dogs had their day as well, as the following recommendation passed 8–0, with no fanfare: Authorize the city manager to execute an agreement with the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control to provide dog-license canvassing to the city of Long Beach for another year, with the option of renewing, as needed, for two additional one-year periods, in an amount not to exceed $40,000 per year. ACS also sent a bulletin last week announcing that the Long Beach City Council had authorized that the $30 late penalty for dog licensing will be waived during May in an effort to encourage responsible pet ownership and improve rabies compliance.
“The City Council has provided much needed relief to animal owners who want to make their licenses current,” Keisler said. “Pay your dog license by mail or in person at Animal Care Services between May 1 and 31, and your one-time late penalty will be waived.”
Anyone wishing to postpone the fee must request credit to receive waiver. If done by mail, it must be postmarked no later than May 31, 2010 to receive waiver. Refunds will not be granted for previous violations paid. Click here for further information.
Virtually Pets
Here are a couple of cats in need of loving homes as well as an extra-special heart to take in their needs:
Reagan
Reagan is a beautiful Maine Coon senior kitty 15-16 years old. He was found dirty, with matted fur. A nice, nice lady found him and within days, she went into a nursing home. Reagan is now at a vet’s office where he is being boarded. He has diabetes and needs shots. Reagan is sweet, affectionate, and lovable. Please consider this kitty. and give him a wonderful home at this time of his life.
Nathaniel
Nathaniel is a darling boy, about 2 years old, whom a rescuer trapped. He is sweet and gentle, and the rescuer couldn’t release him back into the dangerous neighborhood he was in. He tested positive for FIV.
Pet Projects
Chewsy Dog is hosting an educational, sensational, tasty, fun-filled day for you and your dog on May 22 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. We hope you will join us for one or more of our mini-teach, -taste or -train sessions we have scheduled for you. 10–11 a.m. features Pet nutrition, with Keith Lizette from Nature Pet; at 11–11:30 a.m. and 12:30–1 p.m., Chewsy Dog will have a food-tasting contest [we’re not sure if it’s pet, animal or both, but some of that freshly made stuff is darn tasty]; 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. will Dental Health by Chewsy Dog proprietor Eva Kuncewicki; and at 1–2 p.m., Obedience 101 with trainer Cindy Scott will take place. 4107 Viking Way, Long Beach, CA 90808, (562) 354-6040
Who you callin’ radical?
A couple of people asked us if we’d seen these bulletin boards around town (we’ve noticed two of them—one on Redondo and Fourth, behind a liquor store, and another on Anaheim Street). The website belongs to the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), whose stated mission is to “promote welfare of animals, to strengthen the human-animal bond, and to respect the rights of responsible animal owners.” In a nutshell, their beef (they do support eating meat and “ethical hunting and fishing”) is with entities to which they refer as animal radicals, e.g., the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)), their insistence on saying that pets can not be owned but are human companions and several other issues.
Ownership or custodianship of pets is a matter of opinion, debate and maybe semantics. Meat eating is something that most of us have been raised with, and there are humane ways to slaughter animals. NAIA also supports use of animals for food, clothing and medical research. As for their claim that animal-rights organizations put animals ahead of people—well, some individuals may, but most don’t. It may seem as if they do, because they’re rabidly (again, pun intended) in support of animals, which may appear odd to some.
NAIA has a 501 (c) (3) status and an attractive website. But they step way too far over the line when they refer to HSUS and PETA as radical groups bent on the destruction of pets. They label Ingrid Newkirk, PETA’s president, and Wayne Pacelle, president of HSUS, as “animal extremists.” In our neighborhood, an animal extremist is someone who causes physical harm to individuals with whom they don’t agree. They have a page of alleged anti-pet quotes from animal-rights organizations—in one, they quoted Pacelle as saying, “We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.” Copying and pasting the text into a search engine brought up plenty of citations of the quote, all by organizations and individuals that promote hunting, breeding, loss of control over their rights to protect their pets, fearful of domestic pets disappearing from the face of the earth—but the original source was not to be found. A call to Pacelle cleared it up: there is no written text. The quote was from Pacelle’s discourse about creating new breeds of livestock that, when fallen into disuse, become extinct.
“It was taken completely out of context,” Pacelle said. “Now, it has a life of its own on the Internet. For further comment, visit Pacelle’s blogspace.
Are there animal extremists? Of course, as there are fringe elements in any movement. Are they representative of HSUS and PETA? We know the organizations well, but visit their websites and see for yourself. We haven’t found any chat groups or organized events to harm anyone or anything.
Billboards are free speech, and NAIA has its right to exercise it. But it seems that any entity using these types of methods to further their cause, it’s the pot calling the kettle avocado green. All that really matters is kindness to and support for animals.