A Canadian biotech company has announced it successfully created a cat food made from “cultured meat.” It is made from a one time draw of stem cells. The stem cells are then replicated in a laboratory and grown in an animal-free medium to produce real meat from animals without killing. It is not just similar to meat; it is meat. It expects to bring the first of these products — a cat treat made from…
This is a photo of a puppy who was banned from PetSmart because of the way he looks. This is the “vision” for the future PetSmart and PetSmart Charities aspire to. Animal Farm Foundation, NJ Animal Observer, and others have been sounding the alarm about a PetSmart Charities presentation by Roger Haston called “The Future of Animal Welfare.” The concerns relating to this troubling, regressive, and anti-animal video are many. Despite being called “The Future…
Ohio makes the “shelter pet” the official state animal; spending on animal companions tops $70 Billion with more people choosing adoption over buying; Petaluma, CA, places 99% of dogs; Henderson, NV, falsely claims to have achieved No Kill; New York City fudges its data to create the illusion of progress; and anti-No Kill zealots are trying to further harm animals in Pueblo, CO. Meanwhile, the Austin City Council unanimously embraces a 95% standard for its…
Members of the City Council and County Commission: I am deeply troubled by the deaths of 14 dogs in the Pueblo Animal Shelter under a new contractor. But I am also mindful that Pueblo’s recent problems are not the outcome of the Pueblo Animal Protection Act (PAPA). The new law explicitly authorized the “euthanasia” of dogs who were suffering. As noted by Doug Rae of the Humane Society of Fremont County (HSFC), who spent over…
Shorty is waiting for you at the Austin Animal Center. This week, the Austin, TX, City Council voted unanimously on a resolution in favor of a 95% minimum placement rate. The Austin, TX, City Council voted unanimously on a resolution to increase its minimum 90% placement rate in favor of a 95% minimum in its city shelter. While I would have liked to see a higher threshold — consistent with the success of the most…
The shelter in Pueblo, CO, is in turmoil after 14 dogs died and the state took over operations. Adding insult to injury, anti-No Kill zealots are trying to exploit it to repeal a new law that mandates a 90% placement rate. The head of the Denver Dumb Friends League (DDFL), an organization that has long fought progressive sheltering policies and operates in a city that still kills dogs because of the way they look —…
Shelter Reform Advocate Uncovers Proof that the Number of “Treatable” Animals Reported Killed was Altered. Animal Care Centers of New York City (ACC), the City’s pound, is no stranger to scandal. The Department has been plagued by one scandal after another — including a long, ignoble history of neglect, abuse, and killing — since its inception, including its most recent ones which include ramming through a 34-year contract to maintain the status quo until 2052…
The Philadelphia pound intended to kill this dog back in July 2017 after provoking her in a “temperament test.” She would have been killed, too, had the video not gone viral and a rescue group not intervened. A new study finds that there is not a single temperament test used to evaluate shelter dogs that is reliable in predicting behavior. The study authors are calling for a moratorium on their use by pounds to determine…
The Henderson, NV, animal shelter reported that it achieved a record high placement rate in 2018. Congratulations to the good people of Henderson. That’s worth celebrating because it means more animals are going out the front door in the loving arms of adopters, rather than out the back door in garbage bags. It also reported, however, that it “qualifies as a ‘no-kill’ shelter for 2018 after it achieved a 91.5 percent save rate.” Unfortunately, to…
A new study looked at cat impound and killing rates in six city pounds before and after the implementation of a program to sterilize and release community cats. The cities involved were Albuquerque, Baltimore, Columbus (GA), Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Tucson. Once again, the study adds to a growing body of literature that Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) works. In all: A median decline of 83% in cat killing occurred at the six shelters compared to baseline. The…