Monthly Archives: October 2009

CHALLENGING THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO KILL

Posted by Bett Sundermeyer in BARC, No Kill sheltering
I attended the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets conference this past weekend (Oct 23-25). This was my first BF conference and I enjoyed it very much. I met a few of the founders and staff of Best Friends and can tell you that they are all awesome people dedicated to stopping the killing. In addition, we heard from shelter directors, including OPEN ADMISSION FACILITIES, in the U.S. and Canada, who have STOPPED KILLING ALTOGETHER. Those shelter directors have taken the word euthanasia back to its true definition of relieving the suffering of those who are irremediably injured or sick. It was incredibly exciting and gratifying to hear their successes.
There are 5 kill shelters in Houston/Harris County killing around 80,000 animals every year. It is so disheartening dealing with city politicians as well as shelter leaders and staff who just don’t seem to care how many animals are dying even though life saving alternatives are right in front of them—for BARC, the leading No Kill expert, Nathan Winograd, literally wrote a 196 page guide for the city leaders to follow. Yet, the killing continues. Winograd’s book and website are step by step guides on how to stop the killing. Yet, the killing continues all over Houston. There are successful No Kill shelter directors all over the US and Canada willing to share their life saving strategies. Yet, the killing continues in Houston.  When will Houston stop the madness?

The speakers and the 650 attendees at the conference were like an IV of energy and renewed sense of purpose for me. It gives me hope and faith that there are enough compassionate people out there that we can pull ourselves out of the dark ages and make No Kill a reality in Houston as well. So, I will continue spreading the No Kill message. If all 2.2 million Houstonians expect and DEMAND No Kill instead of being satisfied with, and allowing, the status quo of 80,000 needless deaths every year, I have to believe we can make it so.

I’m attaching a link to the closing comments of the conference. Best Friends challenges all of us to “Get Crazy”, think differently and challenge the conventional thinking that says killing is the only way.
(http://network.bestfriends.org/golocal/lasvegas/13499/news.aspx)

WILL YOU SPEAK UP WITH US AND CHALLENGE THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO KILL?  80,000 ANIMALS NEED YOUR VOICE.

Join our email list. A link is on our website.  www.NoKillHouston.org

 

We have a new website!

Posted by Bett Sundermeyer in Uncategorized
ImageWe now have a new website!  If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out (www.NoKillHouston.org). It looks FABULOUS! Thanks to Amanda Mitchell who graciously offered her time and expertise, free of charge, to make our website great! We’re still working out a couple small issues, but every page should be fully functional any day.

I would also like to thank Kathleen Helmer who created our WONDERFUL new logo that we’ve been using the last few months. She also created our business cards, our ad in Pet Talk magazine, our new brochures and our new ad in the upcoming Best Friends magazine. She is so creative and talented!

Both of these ladies are great animal advocates!  There are so many wonderfully creative and generous people who are helping us save lives!

 

VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO WILL PUSH FOR PROVEN NO KILL STRATEGIES!

Posted by Bett Sundermeyer in BARC, No Kill sheltering

ImageIn less than 1 week, we will elect a new Mayor, new City Council members and a new City Controller. This election is critical for the 80,000+ pets who will enter Houston/Harris County shelters next year. We must elect representatives who will work to drop Houston’s appallingly high kill rate by using methods that have been PROVEN to stop the killing.

We must identify those candidates who are not only compassionate to animal issues but we also need leaders who will take the time to research what is being done in other successful No Kill shelters. We do not need politicians who are reactionary and will propose more punitive laws that only punish pet owners and will cause kill rates to rise (as we have seen in the recent past). This only shifts the focus and blame of killing on the public instead of laying blame where it belongs….. squarely on the shelters that are still killing.

We are fortunate that Houston does not have to “re-create the wheel”. We don’t have to wonder what will work to stop the killing. There are cities all over the US and Canada, including open admission shelters, who have STOPPED THE KILLING ENTIRELY. We can copy their successful strategies. I met and learned from some of the directors of these successful No Kill shelters this past weekend. They are not killing ANY healthy or treatable pets. Our city leaders must, must become educated on the programs that have stopped the killing in other cities and they must work to put THESE programs in place in Houston. Nothing else will stop the killing.

Questionnaires were sent to all candidates regarding animal and BARC issues. Those who have responded are posted on our website (www.NoKillHouston.org) and we will continue posting new responses right up until election day. (A link is on the bottom right side of our website). Please review these responses CAREFULLY. Pay particular attention to those candidates who propose MORE PUNITIVE LAWS such as mandatory spay/neuter laws. Houston does not need this type of legislation that will only cause kill rates to RISE. Out of all of the Directors of the successful No Kill shelters who spoke last weekend, not a single one of them supported mandatory spay/neuter laws. NOT ONE. Yet all of these shelters were still successfully saving all healthy and treatable pets. In addition, Nathan Winograd, one of the most successful No Kill shelter directors, and the leading expert on successful No Kill sheltering, also vehemently opposes mandatory spay/neuter laws. Please keep this in mind as you review the candidates responses.

I have listed several links below so you can become more educated on this topic yourself. I know mandatory spay/neuter laws may sound like the answer to all of our prayers, but they are not. Please become informed. The 80,000 pets who may die in Houston shelters next year are depending on us to make informed decisions. 

1.   The Dark Side of Mandatory Licensing and Neuter Laws:   Why Punitive Legislation Fails.  http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/mandatorylaws.pdf

2.  L.A.’s euthanasia rates increased 31% following their passage of mandatory spay / neuter law:
http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2008/07/more-on-los-angeles-msn.html

3.  When it comes to spay/neuter, income tells the story:
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/05/27/when-it-comes-to-spayneuter-rates-for-cats-income-tells-the-story

4.   Mandatory Spay/Neuter Success? Not Remotely:
http://fixaustin.blogspot.com/2008/01/mandatory-spayneuter-success-not.html

5.   The Best Animal Control Program in North America

“The Best Animal Control Program in North America”

6.  Mandatory Spay/Neuter Fails:
http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/mandatory_spayneuter/index.html

7.  Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws -A Failure Everywhere:
http://saveourdogs.net/category/legislation/track-record/

8.   Forced Spay-Neuter laws don’t save lives or tax payer money
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/07/30/thebiglies/

9.  Forced Spay/Neuter update – Shifting the Costs of Killing:
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/08/06/california-forced-spay-neuter-update-shifting-the-costs-of-killing/