Nebo, NC - As an owner of cats, dogs and horses, I am quite interested in the outcome of the discussion of the proposed animal ordinance. I applaud Lt. Steve Massey and the late Ed Davis for their efforts to stop cruel and inhumane treatment of animals, as well as to address problems of abuse and neglect of some of the more unfortunate animals in our county. I hope that the board of commissioners will adopt many of these provisions after the special committee reviews and makes minor changes to those sections that may be too vague or too broad. I am troubled, however, by the sections on stray or abandoned animals (Article I Section XV, Article III Section III) where the ordinance actually makes it a crime for individuals to feed or care for abandoned animals. The ordinance essentially mandates a death sentence to any cat that has the misfortune to belong to an irresponsible pet owner, since many of the "feral" cats in our area have been dropped off and abandoned by their owners. They are scared and hungry and when trapped are mistaken as being feral, so they are euthanized, usually the same day they are trapped. This was my experience in trying to rescue a cat that was neutered and up to date on shots, but would not wear a collar (please do not mandate that cats wear collars!). I have been told that more than 90 percent of the cats that are trapped by Animal Control are euthanized when most are adoptable. Also, a couple of years ago, I contacted Burke County Friends for Animals several times about a pregnant dog that had been abandoned in Bridgewater. It was more than a week before Animal Control came out. Several folks fed and watered the dog during this time. Why make it a criminal act to do so? I respectfully request the board to remove much of language of these sections. Finally, I encourage the board to add language making it a crime for Animal Control to sell live or euthanized animals to a biological supply company or veterinary researcher – something that is explicitly permitted by the proposed ordinance in its current form. I am hopeful that the animals of Burke County will benefit from the efforts of all involved in the debate on the proposed ordinance.
Please will you sign this important Petition to help feral cats. Most animal control agencies fine or threaten people who feed feral cat colonies. Alley Cat Rescue wants to change this, and help the cats through TNR.
Apparantly laws regulating animal cruelty in PA are so confusing that owners cannot be prosecuted for shooting and killing their dogs and cats, a state appeals court ruled Friday.
Alley Cat Rescue is raising funds to help the small African Wildcat in South Africa. Please use Good Search and designate ACR to help raise these funds. ACR has vets. and people ready to do TNR outside Pilanesberg Game Reserve. This will end the hybridization that occurs between the Wildcats and feral cats.
Dear Friends,
Copenhagen's last-ditch
summit to stop
catastrophic global
warming isfailing; only
massive public pressure
can save it. Sign
the giant petition below
- it may be the largest
in history:
With three days to
go, t...
Please note Care2 news
story by clicking on link
below.. Thanks!
Overlooked 150 Year Old
Household Cleaner a
Remedy for Swine Flu
Health &
Wellness (tags
: healthcare, h
ealth, illness,swine
flu, prevention,&nb.
..
Here is a meditative
practice called Metta, or
kindness meditation you
may want to try.
Metta cultivates a
sense of compassion for
yourself and for all
life, and gets you off
the hamster wheel of
worry and anxiety. Set
aside a few minu...
A funny email I got a
while back that made me
chuckle. The stuff in
parentheses are my own
comments *sardonic*I just
want to thank all
of you for your
educational e-mails
over the past year.
I am totally screwed
up now and have
little c...
Forgiveness of others,
forgiveness of yourself
To practice forgiveness
meditation, let yourself
sit comfortably, allowing
your eyes to close and
your breath to be natural
and easy. Let your body
and mind relax. Breathing
gently into the area...