November
2006November
2006Welcome to the online edition of the NEFHS newsletter. In order to direct more of our resources toward our Annual Conference, and to be more responsive and timely in sharing news and information, we are using this format to replace our print newsletter. Please help us spread the word about this new resource by forwarding it to other animal welfare advocates you think may be interested in signing up. We hope you enjoy it!
If you're not already subscribed and would like to receive future NEFHS e-newsletters, click this link (or go to the NEFHS website) to subscribe. If you'd like to be removed from our mailing list, click the link at the bottom of this newsletter.
In This Issue:
How do you like the new electronic NEFHS newsletter? We'd like to hear from you as we continue to improve our member services. Follow the link below to fill out our quick, online survey. When you complete the survey you'll be entered into a raffle to win a goodie bag that includes an NEFHS sweatshirt, a year's subscription to Animal Sheltering Magazine, and a Pet First Aid book. Click here for the survey.
PRINT, VIDEO & DVD
The
Animal Legal Report covers legal cases, jury verdicts and settlements
pertaining to animal welfare. The report is a balanced, easy-to-read, bi-monthly reference
source for the veterinary, legal, welfare and law enforcement communities.
It's
edited by experienced lawyers and veterinarians who share their insight on every
case. A yearly e-issue is $49.50. For more information, go to www.animallegalreports.com
(Source: Animal Legal Reports Services website)
Bird Flu: A Virus of
Our Own Hatching is a
new release from Dr. Michael Greger, M.D., HSUS Director of Public Health and
Animal Agriculture. In addition to providing practical take-home tips for
protecting oneself from the flu, the author demonstrates that the evolution of
the devastating influenza virus, as well as that of numerous other zoonotic
pathogens, stems directly from the proliferation of confinement agricultural
systems. To order a copy at $19.95, go to http://www.HumaneSocietyPress.org.
The entire contents, with all 3,000+ citations hyperlinked, is also available
for free online at http://www.BirdFluBook.org.
(Source: HSUS)
The Biting Book, by award-winning author
Judi Friedman, helps children gain a better understanding of wild animals and
learn that respecting them can make the difference between getting nipped and
getting along. The book explores how animals use their teeth, when they might use them to
bite, and how to prevent an unwanted encounter. The book is $12.00, and is
recommended for ages 4-8. For more information, go to http://www.nahee.org/ShoppingCart/AddToShoppingCart.asp?Prod_ID=NAH093.
(Source: NAHEE)
Forensic Investigation of Animal Cruelty: A
Guide for Veterinary and Law Enforcement Professionals is a
comprehensive, 268-page introduction to the field. This book is sure to be required reading
for animal shelter, veterinary, investigative and law enforcement professionals.
Written by Leslie Sinclair, DVM, Dr. Randall Lockwood, PhD, and Melinda Merck,
DVM and veterinary forensics expert, it's available for $59.95. For ordering
information, go to http://www.HumaneSocietyPress.org.
(Source: HSUS)
Making Burros Fly: Cleveland Amory, Animal Rescue
Pioneer is a new book by award-winning journalist Julie Hoffman
Marshall. This is the first-ever biography of Cleveland Amory, a Boston wit and
social critic who, as head of the Fund for Animals, gained fame for his acerbic
criticism of opponents involved in cruelty to animals and for his
groundbreaking, fearless, and headline-making animal rescues. Among other
accomplishments, Amory orchestrated the airlift of 577 burros set for slaughter
out of the Grand Canyon by helicopters, and he painted hundreds of baby seals to
protect them from being killed for fur. Amory, who died in 1998 at age 81, made
his strongest impact on the animal movement when he created The Fund for Animals
in 1967. The book is available for $17.50 from Johnson Books. (Source: HSUS Press Release,
August 28, 2006)
For the Prevention of Cruelty: The History and
Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States tells the
remarkable and important story of society's changing relationship with animals
through the lens of those who struggled to shepherd the U.S. public toward a
greater compassion. Authored by Diane L. Beers, a professor of history at
Holyoke Community College, it's available for $19.95 from Ohio University Press.
Call 800-621-8476 for ordering information. (Source: Ohio University Press
news release)
The National Feral Cat Day Advocacy Kit is
available from Alley Cat Allies. Even though the day has passed, the action
campaign will continue throughout the coming year. The kit contains posters,
brochures, and a CD containing a downloadable webpage with essential feral cat
information, an email template to help spread the word about TNR, and
press-ready ads for your local media. For more information, go to http://www.nationalferalcatday.org/advocacy.html.
(Source: Alley Cat Allies)
American Humane's 20-chapter Operational Guides for
Animal Care and Control Agencies will feature some new installments in
2007. The following are available for $10.00 each:
Go to http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pb_home and click on "Animal Catalog 2006" for ordering information. (Source: AHA Animal Catalog)
Tails are Not for Pulling is a new paperback
from the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE).
This book shows young children how to treat dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, and other
pets with kindness and respect. It covers the basic needs and feelings of
animals and
the dos and don'ts for interacting safely. Recommended for ages 4-7, the
book costs $12.00. For more information, go to http://www.nahee.org/ShoppingCart/AddToShoppingCart.asp?Prod_ID=NAH092.
(Source: NAHEE)
TRAINING & EDUCATION
Humane Society University's new Advocacy Course Series offers in-depth, hands-on training for both the new activist and the more seasoned campaigner to learn how to really make a difference. The ins and outs of charitable lobbying and campaigning will be covered in detail. Courses include
The fee for each course is $45. For more information, visit www.HSUonline.org, email hsu@hsus.org or call Frances Gaeta at 301-548-7731. (Source: HSU)
December 11-12, 2006, State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs 3rd Annual National Meeting at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The registration fee is $50 per person before December 5, and rooms are $79 per night. For registration questions, contact Dr. Kevin Dennison at kevindennison@colovma.org or 1-866-854-7278.
March, 2007 (Date and Exact Location TBD), Disaster Animal Response Training (DART) in Montpelier, VT. For more information, contact Joanne Bourbeau at 802-368-2790 or jbourbeau@hsus.org.
April 23-25, 2007, New England Federation of Humane Societies Annual Training Conference, Newport, RI. Go to www.newenglandfed.org for more information.
May 9-12, 2007, Animal Care EXPO, Hyatt
Regency Dallas at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Go to http://www.animalsheltering.org/expo/
for more information.
July 16-20, 2007, New England Animal Control/Humane Academy (NEACHA). Go to http://www.unh.edu/neacha for more information.
For more information about training opportunities in
WEBSITES
The
HSUS's fur campaign has a new website: http://www.hsus.org/furfree/home.html.
Working to end the killing of
animals for fur and fur trim, the campaign features sections on recent
victories, investigations, legislation, and litigation. You can also download
the new thought-provoking video, Cruelty by Design.
GRANTS
The Alliance for Contraception for Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) has awarded a grant to expedite the development of a promising product that would render female dogs and cats sterile. The grant was awarded to SenesTech. This company, in cooperation with local humane societies, is coordinating treatment of adopted dogs with the contraceptive product. Studies on cats are also underway. To learn more about the grant or the alliance's work, visit http://www.acc-d.org/. (Source: ASPCA News Alert, October 20, 2006)
Maddie's Fund is offering targeted spay/neuter grants for dogs and cats in counties with human populations of at least 50,000 and a community-wide Live Animal Release Rate of 40% or less (which means, that animal control and traditional and adoption-guarantee shelters are euthanizing 60% or more of the total shelter population of dogs and cats). Maddie's Fund is awarding grants of up to $200,000 over two years. For more information, go to http://www.maddiesfund.org/grant/targeted_spay_neuter.html. (source: Maddie's Fund website)
NEWS
President Bush Signs PETS Act!
On October 6, President Bush signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act into law, stating that if he had to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina, the one thing he would take would be his dog Barney. The final bill contains provisions to help with disaster planning, including:
National Humane Trade Association Formed
The National Federation of Humane Societies is a new trade association designed to represent the interests and ideals of those working in animal shelters, animal control, and rescue groups. The group has been chartered "to promote animal welfare ideas and policies to the general public; to encourage best practices and policies within our industry; to advance legislation; and to prompt corporations to adopt policies that reflect humane sensibilities."
Membership fees are staggered based on the annual budget of the organization. Any incorporated 501 (c)(3) or animal control agency is eligible to become a member, though some of the federation's lobbying activities may make official participation tricky for municipal agencies.
The initial board is hoping for a strong response; the more organizations and agencies that sign on, the stronger the voice of the federation will be. For information on membership, contact Steve Putnam, interim coordinator, at sputnam@humanefederation.org. (Source: The Scoop, HSUS Animal Sheltering)
Pet Store Challenge Results Are In
A new study conducted by the HSUS confirmed what animal advocates already know: consumers who purchase pet story puppies will often end up with a sick or dying dog who originated from a puppy mill.
The HSUS analyzed the data using two consumer channels. The first was to track phone calls and emails received over a four-month period from distraught people who purchased a dog at a pet store only to find that, within days, their new puppy was very ill, if not dying. The second source for their analysis came from their Pet Store Challenge. The Challenge invited the public to download a web-based questionnaire and take it to their local pet store to ask questions about where their puppies came from.
Out of 117 phone calls and emails from consumers, 63 puppies had an illness, 25 had a congenital defect, 5 had severe temperament issues, and 23 puppies died within weeks of bringing them home from the store. The Pet Store Challenge results cover 27 pet stores in 15 states. Of those, 21 pet stores either refused to take the Challenge or would not show documentation of where puppies originated. The other 6 showed minimal paperwork or stated they got their puppies from unspecified "breeders." (Source: HSUS Press Release, October 4, 2006)
CONNECTICUT
Eleven Connecticut feral cat organizations are being awarded a total of $40,000
in grants for the 2007 fiscal year through the state's new Feral Cat Grant
Program. This program will provide benefits for the vaccination and sterilization of
feral cats. The Department of Agriculture's Animal Population Control Program (APCP)
will administer the program. For more information about the Feral Cat Grant
Program contact the APCP office at 860-713-2507 or visit www.ct.gov/doag/
and click on "Programs and Services."
MAINE
Maine Friends of Animals (MFOA) has launched the "Dogs Chained for
Life" campaign in preparation for the upcoming legislative session. Currently MFOA is educating the public and legislators about the cruelties
associated with continuous chaining of dogs. MFOA has materials (such as sample
letters and door hangers for people who chain their dogs) for volunteers to use
in outreach efforts. MFOA has also created a public service video announcement
on this issue. Last year, during the 122nd legislature, a law passed to protect
dogs left outside. It did not require that dogs be let off the chains, which
will be the focus of this legislative session's efforts. For more information,
see www.mfoa.net or contact
MFOA at 207-781-9056 or mfoa@maine.rr.com.
MASSACHUSETTS
The manager of a Charlestown pet store was
charged with setting fire to the shop and killing more than two-dozen exotic
pets. The fire occurred in September on the second floor of the Boston Tropical Fish and Reptiles shop.
It destroyed the shop and killed a collection of snakes, frogs, and fish.
The manager allegedly sought to frame animal rights activists with the apparent arsonist spray
painting "No more exploitation of animals" on the storefront. Thanh
Trinh and his two alleged accomplices pleaded not guilty to charges of willful
burning of a building, malicious killing of animals, cruelty to animals, and
larceny. (Source: Boston Globe)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
A legislatively-appointed commission to "study the evacuation and housing
of animals in case of an emergency" met regularly over the summer to
discuss their findings and recommendations. The commission settled on the
development of an Animals in Disaster Resource Directory. This will be an
on-line resource detailing how to incorporate animals into a local or state
emergency operations plan. The directory will be available on the websites
of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the New Hampshire
Emergency Management Agency. For more information, contact Joanne Bourbeau at
802-368-2790 or jbourbeau@hsus.org.
The New Hampshire Governor's Task Force on the Humane
Treatment of Animals debuted its new website at http://www.nh.gov/humane/.
The site contains information and links to public and private programs,
companies, and individuals that pertain to the humane treatment of
animals. It also contains news events, legislation, and important contact information pertaining
to animal abuse.
RHODE
ISLAND
The state of RI has begun the process of resurrecting its once-model Disaster
Animal Response Team (DART). Rhode Island was the first state in New England to
create a disaster plan for animals and was able not only to create a great plan
but a database of some 200 volunteers. The group also conducted many trainings
on disaster preparedness. Although the plan is still in place, membership
activity has dwindled, mainly due to a lack of funding to keep things in motion.
Recently a core group of individuals have come together around the original plan
to reactivate it. There have been a few preliminary meetings, but efforts are
still underway to pull together a working group. For more information please
contact Joanne Bourbeau at
jbourbeau@hsus.org.
VERMONT
SpayED, Inc. is a new non-profit organization
that is devoted to educating
people about the importance of spaying and neutering companion animals. In
addition to their educational role, they provide financial assistance for people
who otherwise could not afford the surgeries, and host low-cost spay/neuter
mobile clinics. Their first clinic, held in Brookfield with Spay ASAP, sterilized
a record 48 cats in one day! For more information, go to http://spayeducation.org