By Nathan & Jennifer Winograd Pit bull adoption bans do not reduce dog bites or dog severity, but they do kill a lot of dogs (and, according to an article in the Washington Post, are likely motivated by racism). They are, however, supported by Merritt Clifton. Indeed, a columnist for The Huffington Post called Clifton “the academic impostor behind the pit bull hysteria”. This summer will mark 16 years since the achievement of our nation’s…
A new study looked at the killing of dingoes as a method of protecting people and found that it doesn’t work. In fact, it found that it makes things worse. Killing wild dogs led “to social instability and diminished territorial integrity in the dingo population, resulting in both increased human-dingo and conspecific conflict, heightened stress, elevated breeding rates and fatal dispersal of poorly socialised juveniles into neighbouring pack territories.” The study’s author suggests that “kindness”…
Help needed to get Florida shelter reform legislation passed. It is the most powerful piece of shelter reform legislation ever introduced. Short of a ban on killing, its passage would be a game changer not only in Florida, but across the nation. It is more sweeping than California’s Hayden Law which increased rescue transfers by over 350% (over 45,000 animals a year) and arguably saved over 1,000,000 animals since its passage. It is more comprehensive…
By Jennifer Winograd The most effective way to destroy people is to deny or obliterate their own understanding of their history. — George Orwell The wrongs done to trees, wrongs of every sort, are done in the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, for when the light comes, the heart of the people is always right. — John Muir In our work to protect the trees of the East Bay now under attack by native plant…
And the promise of even better things to come… A lot of people are saying good riddance to 2016. Many of those are not looking forward to 2017 either. This is understandable. But from the standpoint of animals, the first was a very good year; the second promises to be even better. Here are the highlights of a remarkable year: THE GOOD — Many, many years ago, a Michigan activist asked me how we could…
Lynda Foro, the founder of Doing Things for Animals (DTFA), has died. Foro launched the first “No Kill Conference” in 1995, was the first to create a directory of No Kill shelters in the U.S., and steadfastly promoted the No Kill philosophy in the face of entrenched and ugly opposition by groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA. In the 1990s, while these groups were calling No Kill a…
Updated January 17, 2017 A Letter to the Leadership, Activists, & Supporters of Direct Action Everywhere Direct Action Everywhere Organizing Principles: ‘WHAT WE BELIEVE: Animal Liberation: We believe that every animal (human or non-human) has an equal right to be safe, happy, and free… Truth: There are times in history when uncomfortable truths must be said; we will say them… HOW WE OPERATE: Integrity. Choose the ethical route over the easier one…’ ‘Thursday, Dec 29,…
Michael Eckert, Editor The Times-Herald 911 Military St. Port Huron, MI 48060 Dear Mr. Eckert, The Editorial Board of The Times-Herald recently published an OpEd claiming that achieving No Kill in the county shelter is a “fairy tale” for “dreamers.” (Editorial Board, Don’t leave dreamers to run animal shelter, The Times-Herald, Dec. 15, 2016.) The Board urged local officials to ignore the “Bambi-talk” and continue killing animals. They also urged the police department which runs…
“Political Abuse, Corruption, Nepotism and Cronyism” costing animals their lives. Years ago, staff at the Town of Hempstead, NY, pound filmed themselves terrorizing a cat. As lazy, inept and cruel animal control officers stand around laughing, making obscene gestures, and goofing off, a very frightened cat is brought into the room and hung from the neck with a catchpole. While he struggles to escape, the “professionals” in the Town sadistically chant “kill the kitty, kill…
A new study offers 71 million reasons to save animals. There are many good reasons to save more lives in “shelters,” not the least of which is that animals have a right to life, we have an ethical duty to do so, and we have the means to do it as communities across the country have proved. There’s also another reason: it makes economic sense. A 2016 Florida Southern College study of the impact of…