December
2007December
2007Welcome 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!
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In this Issue:
Dear Friends,
I’m looking out my office window at the snow-covered trees on Brushy Mountain. Our little animal shelter’s dogs are curled up in their cozy beds while our cats nap the afternoon away. The staff, on the other hand, is out straight—answering phones, interviewing adopters, and preparing fall mailing lists.
Your animal shelter or rescue may look very much the same. Or it may look very different. Maybe you are the only animal control officer in a rural town. Maybe you are a volunteer in a network of rescuers and foster homes. Maybe you are a diehard trap-neuter-return activist. Maybe you perform adoptions in a large shelter that sees thousands of animals every year from hamsters to horses. Maybe you investigate cruelty, train dogs, or spend your day surrounded by girl scouts or third-graders.
Whatever path we walk down in our movement, we come to this work to serve—to serve animals, people, and our community. At the end of the day, when we take off our work boots (or high heels), we want to know that our work made a difference, that we saved a life.
Looked at from this perspective, the differences between us seem so much smaller, the chances for collaboration so much more likely. Make a promise to yourself this week. Promise to pick up the phone and contact one animal welfare colleague outside your own organization and make a connection—help your town ACO place a stray dog, agree to help an overwhelmed shelter place an elderly cat, offer a reduced-cost spay surgery to a feral cat group, share a great idea you had for a partnership, or ask for more information about one of their terrific programs.
The more we talk to one another, the more we share our ideas, the more animals and people we help. It’s that simple.
For the animals,
Leslie Harris
President
New England Federation of Humane Societies
P.S. If you’d like to share your thoughts with me on this or other animal welfare topics, please contact me at lharris@dpvhs.org.
Did you know that the New England Federation of Humane Societies hosts periodic Town Meetings on topics of interest to the New England animal care and control world?
Well, it's true! Our last Town Meeting took place in Durham New Hampshire on the UNH campus in early November. Five esteemed panelists from local shelters and dog behavior organizations as well as a veterinarian shared their thoughts and ideas on dog temperament evaluations.
In the spirit of New England Town Meetings, the audience had plenty of time for questions and answers and a lively debate ensued. New Englanders seem to be generally in favor of some form of temperament testing, but as we heard in the talks, there is not much scientific data to back these tests up. Conversations ranged from the one issue that seems prevalent in our area, food aggression, to how different shelters approach and use temperament tests to a conversation regarding quality breeding for behavior as opposed to looks and form.
If you did not attend the meeting, then you missed out on great speakers and enough food for thought to keep our brains feasting for a year! You don't want to miss out on the next New England Fed Town Meeting!
Speaking of which....join us on March 28, 2008 for the next Town Meeting.....keep your eyes open for more info as it becomes available!
Don't forget to add these dates to your calendar:
March 28, 2008 Town Meeting
Location: Tufts, North Grafton, MA
Topic: Kill vs. No-Kill: 15 Years Later, What have we Learned, What has Changed
April 28-30, 2008 NEFHS Annual Spring Training Conference
Location: Burlington, VT
Watch our website (www.newenglandfed.org) for more details about topics, speakers, and registering.
DON'T
FORGET TO CHECK OUR ONLINE STORE FOR YOUR HOLIDAY GIFTS!Our online store has a lots of great gifts for you and your pets.
Profits from the sale of these items help support our Fed events.
Come visit our online store at http://www.cafepress.com/nefhs.
Michael Vick Sentenced to 23 Months for Dogfighting!
Michael Vick, ex-quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for financing "Bad Newz Kennels," his dogfighting operation, and viciously killing dogs that his kennel used in fights. He was also ordered to pay more than $928,000 for the care of the 54 dogs seized from his property. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) applauds U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson's sentence, as it exceeds the 12-18 month sentence recommend by the U.S. Attorney, and it takes into account the cost of care for the dogs rescued from Vick's fighting operation.
To read the whole article, go to
http://www.aldf.org/news
On Thanksgiving in Los Angeles, it is a pretty good bet that you will find Jennifer Love Hewitt, the star of "The Ghost Whisperer," at a mission helping out with serving a turkey dinner to those in need. The gracious star is also taking the lead on another worthwhile project according to a press release. She and a whole bunch of Hollywood types are banding together to raise awareness and try to put an end to puppy mills.
The Humane Society of the United States has issued a press release that notes that these stars are not putting puppy mill cruelty on their holiday gift list. Besides Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kelly Ripa and Nathan Lane are pitching in as well.
Also others from Hollywood like Molly Shannon, and Patricia Arquette, are among the stars supporting efforts by The Humane Society of the United States to stop puppy mills and encouraging people to take part in Puppy Mill Action Week, November 25 to December 1, 2007.
The campaign was designed by The HSUS to educate the public about the cruelties of puppy mills during the height of holiday shopping season, and to inform consumers that they CAN put an end to puppy mills by refusing to buy a dog from a pet store or over the Internet, both of which largely sell dogs from mills.
Wayne Pacelle, the President and CEO of The HSUS said, “The puppy mill business does harm to countless dogs, and we are grateful that these compassionate celebrities are lending their voices and shining a spotlight on this cruelty.”
December 2007- January 2008 Andover & Methuen, MA
Meet Your Match™ Feline-ality™ Training Series
Part 1: Meet the Adopters December 4-5 Andover MA
Part 2:
Feline Behavior Webinar
December 14 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Part 3: Meet Your Match™ Feline-ality™ January 7-8 Methuen, MA
For more information, contact Kelly
Cunningham at 212-876-7700 x4405 or
Kellyc@aspca.org
December 12, 2007 Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, CT
Disaster Planning Workshop
Hosted by the State of Connecticut Region 1 Emergency Planning Team, this workshop will be presented by Joanne Bourbeau of The Humane Society of the United States. Included is an Introduction to Disaster Issues, Personal Disaster Training, Facility Planning, and Community Planning.
In addition, Kevin & Ed Cellini of Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club will present an Introduction to Ham Radio and How to Get Certified.
For more information, contact ACO Rachel Solveira 203-385-4068 or rsolveira@townofstratford.com.
January 5, 2008 CERT Training Location TBA (NH)
January 20, 2008 Sheltering Drill Bedford, NH
January 27, 2008 Human/Animal CPR/First Aid (Manchester or Keene)
Winter 2008 date TBA Massachusetts SPCA Large Animal Rescue New Ipswich, NH
For more information, go to
http://newhampshiredart.org
January 12-13, 2008 Milford, CT
Wildlife First-Aid Class
The Wildlife First-Aid (WFA) Class is a 16-hour comprehensive introductory course that is a must for outdoor enthusiasts. Using mock rescue scenarios, skilled instructors give participants hands-on experience with first-aid and long-term patient care in the backcountry.
WFA is recognized by the American Camping Association, US Coast Guard and various guide and Connecticut summer camp licensing boards as meeting their first-aid requirement, and is accepted as a recertification course for WFA.
This program will take place Saturday, January 12 and Sunday, January 13, 2008, at the Connecticut Audubon Society, 1 Costal Center, Milford, Ct 06460. The fee is $189.00 includes lunch and snacks. Call 203.878.7440 for details or to register.
February 8-9, 2008 Radisson Hotel, Manchester, NH
Farm & Agriculture Expo
March 1-3, 2008 Bedford, NH
Disaster Animal Response Training (DART)
HSUS, Humane Society University Certification
April 5-6, 2008 Bedford, NH
Emergency Animal Sheltering (EAS)
HSUS, Humane Society University Certification
CONNECTICUT
New Animal Fighting Tip Line
Connecticut Attorney General Dick Blumenthal joined members of the Connecticut Animal Fighting Task Force at a press conference in October to announce a new tip line created by his office for animal fighting informants.
The HSUS also announced its new $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in illegal animal fighting, doubling its long-standing reward of $2,500.
As part of the campaign, Blumenthal recorded a PSA about the new reward, and is also joining forces with South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster in leading a bipartisan group of Attorneys General around the country who are partnering with The HSUS to stop animal cruelty.
An End in Sight for the Buxton Dogs ...
At approximately 1:25 p.m. on November
15, 2007, word was received that one of the judges involved with the Buxton Dog
Seizure case had signed the paperwork giving ownership of the animals to the
State of Maine Animal Welfare Program (AWP).
This is very good news and it means that The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARL) and The Animal Welfare Society (AWS), as lead agencies in this seizure, will now be able to prepare for the eventual adoption and placement of these 350+ animals.
We have been waiting on this word for the past few weeks as the appeal process made its way through the courts. The owners of the J'aime Kennel had filed an appeal, but failed to come up with the $867,000 plus required for the bond money. So, the appeal was dismissed.
It should be noted that this action is separate from the criminal proceedings and from any other known legal proceedings currently in place, such as the $900 million law suit that has been reported in some local newspapers.
Steve Jacobsen, former Board Member of the NEFHS and Executive Director of the Animal Welfare Society, had the following words to say regarding the case and future adoption process:
"I think the most important info to pass along is that little will change immediately as these animals are passed to the state. Our responsibilities, our daily routine, and the challenges will still be with us. Once the animals are well, spayed and neutered, and assigned to a shelter, then the adoption process will begin. We will be slow, careful, deliberate and humane in our processes.
"These animals are as much a part of all of us as any we serve. Susan Britt, Norma Worley, Dr. Christine Fraser and myself will be working on protocols for all adoption agencies to follow. We also will address which animals are available first, adoption information materials, applications, qualifications, needs, etc.
"I know it has been a long wait and major effort and it will be even longer, but it must be done correctly for these animals, for all who have worked so hard, and for the agencies who have put so much on the line on their behalf."
Both the Animal Welfare Society and the Animal Refuge League have been posting regular updates on their websites at www.animalwelfaresociety.org and www.arlgp.org.
After three plus months working on this case and caring for these dogs, we are committed to seeing them find loving and appropriate final homes.
Help is still needed on site as we continue to care for the dogs and provide medical care and spay/neuter surgeries. If you are interested in helping, please contact Katie Lisnik, Maine State Director for The Humane Society of the U.S. at 1-207-775-2224. Potential adopters should keep up to date by checking the websites frequently.
Above all, we want to thank each and every person and organization that has helped with this effort. Without all of this hard work and dedication, we would not have made it thus far.
MASSACHUSETTS
With an all-volunteer effort, the Committee to Protect Dogs collected over 100,000 signatures … far more than the number needed to place the Greyhound Protection Act on the November 2008 ballot! If passed by voters next year, the Greyhound Protection Act will phase out greyhound racing by 2010. More information can be found at www.protectdogs.org.
Pets and Domestic Violence
H. 4360 is a bill that would explicitly allow pets to be included in temporary restraining orders issued in domestic violence cases. This bill received a favorable report from the state’s Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. It is now in House Ways and Means. For more information, go to www.mspca.org/petsandviolence.
NEW
HAMPSHIRE In October, New Hampshire residents converged on the Statehouse lawn to bring attention to the plight of outdoor dogs, often relegated to a life void of companionship on the end of a tether. The Million Dog March didn't quite reach the desired mark, but more than 100 animal welfare advocates were there with their dogs to lend support to a legislative proposal that will make improvements to the existing law addressing shelter of outdoor animals.
The event was coordinated by local animal welfare advocate Jean Slepian, and sponsored by The HSUS, the New Hampshire Animal Rights League, and the New Hampshire Federation of Humane Organizations.
The state's animal cruelty statute does not require that outdoor dogs have a doghouse, does not make any provision for bedding or sanitation, and does not place any restrictions on chaining or tethering. Although most complaints received by the state's cruelty investigators in the wintertime relate to inadequate dog shelter, it is very difficult to intervene because the current law is non-specific.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Carla Skinder (D-Cornish), Rep. D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem), and others, represents a bipartisan effort to improve the lives of Granite State canines. Similar efforts in 2004 and 2006 were both defeated.
For more information about the campaign, go to www.Give-us-Shelter.com.
RHODE
ISLAND
The Ocean State Animal
Alliance (OSAA)
The Ocean State Animal Alliance (OSAA) comprises
representatives from a number of Rhode Island organizations involved in animal
care, control and sheltering. These organizations joined together to explore
issues surrounding animal welfare in Rhode Island, with the initial purpose to
establish a statewide subsidized spay/neuter program. With the assistance of
the Rhode Island Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States, OSAA
has begun to develop a strategic plan for achieving this purpose.
New Federal Legislation Introduced by RI Congressman
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) recently introduced federal legislation to ban internet hunting. The Computer-Assisted Remote Hunting Act would prevent the operation of web sites that allow people to shoot live animals remotely. While 34 states have now banned the practice, the interstate nature of the Internet calls for a federal policy to prevent such web sites from emerging in the future.
VERMONT
New Web-Based Tool for Managing Cruelty Cases
The cooperative effort between the Vermont Humane Federation and the HSUS to develop state-wide cruelty response systems (CRS) in each county is gaining steam. Alison Gianotto, director and founder of Pet-Abuse.com, will be lending her expertise to develop a secure, web-based case management and reporting tool to be used statewide.
This system will
· allow each CRS region to log on to its own section of the site to manage cases, document progress, maintain case materials (photos, affidavits, vet reports, etc.) generate reports, and ensure timely follow-up.
· provide for the generation of statewide statistical reports, documenting the number and types of cases as well as how those cases are being resolved.
For more information about the CRS project, contact Jill Tucker at 802-453-7329 or email humane_enforcement@gmavt.net.