Despite the support and endorsement of groups like the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Indianapolis City Councilman Mike Speedy’s effort to pass Breed Discriminatory Legislation is dead. The City Council tabled the measure indefinitely. The Indianapolis animal welfare community celebrated victory.
Four paws for “Hotel for Dogs,” Building a No Kill Michigan, Another award for Redemption, and a mandatory spay/neuter nightmare in Los Angeles.
Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation & The No Kill Revolution in America has already won several national book awards, including USA Book News Best Book, Silver Medal from the Independent Publishers Association, a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers Association of America, and a Certificate of Excellence from the Dog Writers Association of America. It has just picked up another.
A deep thank you to all who made the No Kill Conference in Washington DC a tremendous success. We had representatives from 37 states, the District of Columbia, and seven countries (the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, France, and Thailand). Thank you to the attendees, to the speakers, to the sponsors, to the hosts, to the supporters, and to the No Kill Advocacy Center and George Washington University Animal Law Program for making it possible. The following was my keynote presentation which opened the conference on Saturday morning.
An opportunity for a new direction in Los Angeles, No Kill level success comes to the San Francisco Bay Area, success in Kentucky, rethinking adoption screening, and No Kill Conference 2009.
HSUS backs down over Indy’s pit bulls, shelter reform legislation introduced in Arizona, the 90% club grows, and a No Kill conference update.
The first step to building a No Kill community is rebuilding your relationship with the community. And that is done by showing them that you are true to your mission. Two years ago, in January 2007, as part of a top-down assessment of the agency, I did a series of Town Hall-type meetings and surveys to determine how the Washoe County community felt about its shelter, the Nevada Humane Society. Today, public perception stands in sharp contrast to what it was.
UPDATE: The ink is barely dry on the “new” HSUS Pit Bull policy signed in Las Vegas, and yet the support of killing continues…
HSUS is at it again, Dr. Hurley says animals are as disposable as cereal, what’s in a name?, letters with Wayne, increasing redemption rates, and off to Reno…
I am grateful that Best Friends challenged HSUS on the issue of seized Pit Bulls and tried to come up with a “win” for the dogs. I welcome the involvement of Best Friends in helping set HSUS policy and have very high regard for Best Friends employees working in this field. But, in the end, I have serious reservations about whether this will truly signal a substantive shift in HSUS policy and a lot of what HSUS said at the meeting is still very disturbing.