Animals 24-7

News on dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, zoonoses, & nature

Adoption transport, Crazy Cat Ladies, & pyramid schemes

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21st century versions of taking unwanted animals to Crazy Cat Lady HOUSTON, DENVER––Are adoption transport and feral cat translocation truly intelligent free-market approaches to reducing shelter killing, or just the 21st century versions of taking unwanted animals to Crazy Cat Lady? In India, cities without federally subsidized Animal Birth Control programs often covertly hire truckers […]

Casualties of the “save rate”: 40,000 animals at failed no-kill shelters & rescues

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25,000 dogs and 15,000 cats At least 25,000 dogs and 15,000 cats found at failed no-kill shelters and rescues from 2005 through 2014 might be politely described as casualties of the “save rate,” also known as the “live release rate.” The numbers of dogs and cats impounded by law enforcement from failed shelters and rescues dropped […]

ASPCA and the Humane Alliance move toward merger

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“While nothing is final at this point, we intend to merge with Humane Alliance” ASHEVILLE, N.C.;  NEW YORK, N.Y.––The American SPCA, the oldest animal advocacy organization in the U.S., and the Humane Alliance, the largest facilitator of nonprofit spay/neuter surgery, are exploring the possibility of a merger. “While nothing is final at this point, we […]

Anti-BSL Washington legislator Appleton misstates the law

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OLYMPIA, Washington––Testifying before the Washington House Judiciary in support of her own bill to ban breed-specific legislation, HB 1018, state representative Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo) on February 11, 2015 misrepresented 95 years of relevant jurisprudence from the Supreme Court of the United States so completely as to invert the entire meaning of it. Washington news media […]

Steve Hindi repeats 15-year-old challenge to NRA to debate pigeon shoots

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Hindi challenged NRA originally in Tuscon,  home of Safari Club International CHICAGO––Reprising a 15-year-old challenge to debate the ethics and morality of pigeon shooting, made originally in person, that the National Rifle Association leadership never accepted, Showing Animals Respect & Kindness founder Steve Hindi on February 12, 2015 called out the NRA leaders again in […]

Former Pennsylvania SPCA executive director Erik Hendricks, 71, pushed breed-specific legislation to end pit bull overpopulation

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Erik Hendricks, 71, for 27 years executive director of the Pennsylvania SPCA, died on January 30, 2015 of leukemia at Bryn Mawr Hospital, near Philadelphia. “Born in Rochester, New York,” recalled the Pennsylvania SPCA web site, “Hendricks was a longtime resident of Haverford. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, he worked on […]

California attorney general appeals the verdict that struck down foie gras ban

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Kamala Harris fights to maintain foie gras ban LOS ANGELES, SACRAMENTO––California state attorney general Kamala Harris on February 5,  2015 filed notice of intent to appeal to the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals a January 6, 2015 verdict by U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, of Los Angeles,  that overturned the state law prohibiting the sale of […]

Anti-Vaxxers and the pit bull advocacy movement

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by Barbara Kay & Merritt Clifton Reasonable people tend to overestimate the role that reason plays in history and in their own culture, and also tend to overestimate the power reason has to combat the theories, belief systems and emotions that drive people to action––or inaction ––much of the time. Unreasonable theories, belief systems and […]

Is this the most mismanaged U.S. National Wildlife Refuge?

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Not so much as glimmering eyes to indicate the presence of the Columbian whitetailed deer for whom refuge was created by Merritt Clifton CATHLAMET, Washington––Traversing the Steamboat Slough dike at the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge with headlights and a jacklight on the night of January 29, 2015,  Beth and I spotted a large Roosevelt […]

Former New York City animal control chief Julie Bank takes the reins in Oklahoma City

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Bank is expected to help Oklahoma City achieve further dramatic drops in shelter killing OKLAHOMA CITY––Former New York City Animal Care & Control chief Julie Bank on January 16, 2015 assumed direction of the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter and Animal Welfare Division. Succeeding acting director John Gary, who had replaced 14-year executive director Catherine English, […]