Houston, TX – In 2009, No Kill Houston sent questionnaires to the candidates running for mayor and city counsel in order to learn the candidates’ stances on sheltering issues in Houston.   Annise Parker was one of the candidates who responded to the questionnaire.

Since Parker has been in office for 4 years and currently running for a 3rd term, I thought that this would be a good time to review her 2009 responses to find out just how many promises that she has kept during her 2 terms as mayor.

Below are her responses (in blue.)  My comments regarding whether she has kept her word are in red.  (You can also see her completed questionnaire here:

1. Will you commit to supporting offsite adoption centers in highly visible, high traffic locations/retail space all over the City of Houston?

Yes

After A LOT of searching of BARC’s website, I found only 3 regularly scheduled offsite adoption locations, which are generally open only on Saturdays for only 4  hours per day.  These are 3 PetsMart and Petcos locations.  I also found 1 location in the Galleria that is open only on Saturdays for only 4 hours.

Houston is 600 square miles, yet BARC has only 4 offsite locations that are only open for 4 hours, 1 day per week.

The one very successful offsite adoption event that BARC organized was located in a HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGHLY VISIBLE location.  This event was so successful that BARC had over 400 adoptions that weekend alone.  As a comparison, BARC had only 343 adoptions during the ENTIRE PREVIOUS MONTH.) 

So, considering how many lives were saved at this one successful offsite adoption event, logic would dictate that BARC leadership would organize many more just like it.  But, logic does not come into play when BARC leadership makes decisions.  That event took place in July 2011, and I have yet to hear about a similar event.  

All the events that BARC organizes take place AT BARC’s facility on Carr Street.   This is the location that Nathan Winograd said was not conducive to high volume adoptions.  He pointed out that offsite adoption events were critical to increase the adoption numbers enough so that BARC did not kill “for space”.  This is also the very same location that the mayor herself said DETERS adoptions.  Yet, BARC continues to organize events there instead of more successful locations.

STRIKE ONE

2.  Would you support changing/extending BARC’s hours so that working families can get to BARC after work/school to reclaim their lost pets or adopt new pets?

Yes

BARC’s website indicates that their hours are noon to 5:30 for adoptions and noon to 6 to find a lost pet.   Considering the sheer size of Houston, and heavy traffic and congestion on our freeways, I don’t believe that these hours are adequate.  Personally, I work until 6:00 pm every day and it has taken me over an hour to drive across town to BARC during rush hour traffic.  If I was looking for a lost pet, I could absolutely never make it to BARC before they closed, without having to take off work. 

If lifesaving were truly important to BARC leadership, one would think that BARC would have later hours at least a couple days a week… especially considering that they can, and do, kill pets, including lost pets, after only a 3 day hold period.

STRIKE TWO

3. Would you support requiring that BARC be open on most holidays since there are generally the busiest adoption days of the year?

I would consider it, but I would need to review this with the appropriate HR personnel.

This is not happening at BARC.   The holidays are very good opportunies for people to bring a new pet home because they have time off from work and school.   So, why isn’t BARC taking advantage of these easy opportunities?   Nathan Winograd has said that, when he ran the first Open Admission, No Kill animal control/shelter, his shelter was never closed on a holiday.  They made it easy for the adopting public to adopt from them.  This would make it easier for people to rescue and foster animals for BARC as well since the majority of those people have full time jobs and families.

STRIKE THREE

4.  Would you support BARC having longer weekend hours since weekends are busier adoption days than rest of the week?

Yes

On the busiest days of the week for adoptions, Saturday and Sunday, BARC is open only 5 ½ hours each day.

STRIKE FOUR

5.  Would you support hiring a new Bureau Chief who is familiar with the programs and services necessary to drop kill rate at BARC i.e. the steps in the No Kill Equation?

Yes

This has not happened.   Before Parker took office in 2010, the city hired David Atencio to manage BARC.  Atencio was not at all familiar with the programs and services of the No Kill Equation.   Nevertheless, Atencio tried to make some positive changes that would have increased lifesaving.  However, his attempts were continually thwarted by ARA management (management that Parker put in charge).

Atencio eventually quit in March 2012.  I can only assume that Atencio quit out of the sheer frustration of trying to save more lives, but being blocked at every opportunity by city “leadership”.  Since that time, Atencio has not been replaced.   There is no one at BARC, full time, acting as director.   There is no leadership at BARC who is working to implement programs and services that would save more lives.    No one.

STRIKE FIVE

6.  Would you support shutting down the North Kennel entirely and building new kennels to replace it?

Yes, as funds are available.

The funds for this project have been available since before Parker took office.  In 2009, Bill White arranged for several million dollars to be spent on this renovation, yet 4 YEARS later absolutely no work has begun.  The North Kennels (aka North Ward) are still an absolute dungeon.

For those of you who have never seen the North Ward, see pictures below. 

Note that the dog in the top photo is unable to stand normally in this kennel.  His hind legs are up on top of the metal, flip down, “shelf” in the back of the kennel.  

The kennels in the North Ward are absolutely appalling.   In fact, Nathan Winograd said that they were some of the most poorly designed kennels that he has ever seen.  Considering that he has toured shelters around the US and other countries, that is quite a statement.  

Personally, I have nightmares about animals stuck in those tiny, dark, dank, barbaric cells, too small for larger dogs to turn around or even stand comfortably.   The first time that I walked through the North Ward, I saw a German Shepherd standing on his hind legs, with his front paws up on the metal bars.  He wasn’t trying to get attention.  He was just standing there.  He did this because he was too large to stand comfortably in his kennel.  That was 5 years ago and the image is forever burned into my memory.

The funds to totally gut and rebuild those barbaric kennels has been available to Parker for 4 long years, yet she has not done a thing to make sure that this happened.

What has Parker done with those millions of dollars that were set aside for the animals? 

STRIKE SIX

7.  Would you support a comprehensive TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) Program, which has been proven to drop the population of feral cats without killing them?

No.  I understand the theory and concept. But we need a policy that also balances the need to protect birds and other native wildlife, on which sterile, feral cats have an adverse impact.

One, Parker’s statement about feral cats having an adverse impact on wildlife has been blown out of proportion for years.  Those wild claims have also been thoroughly debunked. 

Today, there IS a TNR program at BARC, which I am sure is no thanks to Parker.   After all, this is a person who, in 2009, admitted to trapping and taking feral cats to BARC.   She did this at a time, when she knew full well that BARC had no TNR program.

She trapped and took feral cats to BARC knowing that there was a 100% guarantee that BARC would kill them.

STRIKE SEVEN

8.  Would you commit to making ‘no kill’ – defined as killing less than 10% of pets sheltered at an open-admission shelter – the official policy of Houston and support any laws or policy changes necessary to achieve this goal?

Yes

This absolutely has not happened.   In fact, just the opposite.  Parker actually opposed No Kill legislation when it was introduced at the state level in 2011.  

In addition, BARC’s records show that their Kill Rates have increased every single year that Parker has been in office.  If the No Kill model of sheltering had been implemented when she took office in 2010, we would have seen a HUGE increase in life saving. 

I would submit that, if BARC had begun rigorously implementing all of the programs of the No Kill model of sheltering when Parker took office, that today, 4 years later, BARC would be very close to No Kill status, if not there already.

But it isn’t, because the No Kill model of sheltering has NOT been implemented by Parker.

STRIKE EIGHT

9.  Would you support the implementation of performance standards that tie management performance to salary increments or bonuses or continued employment? If not, please explain why not.

Yes.  The official policy of the city already requires such reviews – it requires a written work plan and annual evaluations based on performance called for under that plan.

Apparently, this has not happened either.  BARC’s Save Rates have decreased every year for 3 years, yet Parker has kept the same people in management positions the entire time.   She has even made statements that BARC  management is doing a great job.   In any other business, such continued massive failure would not have been rewarded, but apparently, there is no accountability for BARC management under Parker’s watch.

STRIKE NINE

10.  Are you committed to supporting/enforcing the recommendations in Nathan Winograd’s recent assessment of BARC?

Yes.

Again, this absolutely has not happened.  In fact, BARC has implemented very little of what Nathan Winograd recommended in his nearly 200 page assessment report . 

Further, in a reprehensible and reckless use of our tax dollars and a reckless loss of precious lives, she actually went so far as to waste an entire year, asking some college students to come up with a solution.   Instead of simply requiring that her employees do what has already been proven to work in more than 200 communties, she asks college students for advice.  

The result? BARC’s kill rates have increased every single year.

STRIKE TEN

11.  Would you commit to providing funding to pay low cost and free spay/neuter services to low-income citizens of Houston?

As funds are available.  Expanding spay/neuter services is a major part of my BARC policy, which you can find at

http://www.anniseparker.com/issue/houston_is_better_than_barc/.

This was not attempted until July of this year.  After 3 ½ years, BARC, with several partners, finally implemented a so-called “beachhead” program in which they have gone into one low income neighborhood and provided spay/neuter services. 

As a reminder, Houston is 600 square miles and has many low income neighborhoods who could use these services.  So much more could have been done in the last 4 years.

Also, I can’t help but notice the convenient timing of this program coincides with Parker’s bid for re-election and the announcement of formidable Mayoral candidate, Ben Hall. 

STRIKE ELEVEN

12.  No city in America has achieved ‘no kill’ success by implementing a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. Some cities/counties such as Los Angeles, CA, San Mateo, Co.,CA, Lake Co., CA, Santa Cruz Co., CA and Ft. Wayne, IN have seen an increase in shelter killing after introducing mandatory spay/neuter. In addition, such ordinances require increased enforcement costs, money that could be used for life-saving programs that are correlated with reduced shelter killing. In light of this, would you support a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance, or would you support additional funding to increase access to low cost or free spay/neuter services?

As funds are available.

See my comments on number 11 above.

STRIKE TWELVE

13.  Would you support the implementation of CAPA i.e. The Companion Animal Protection Act (attached) or some parts thereof?

I support it in concept, but as always with legislation, the devil is in the details.

This has not happened.   In fact, just the opposite.  Parker, along with the directors of the other high kill shelters in Houston actually opposed the Companion Animal Protection Act (Hope’s Law) when it was filed in Texas at the state level in 2011. 

This was a law that would have protected the lives of shelter pets.  If passed, Hope’s Law would have:

1) abolished the gas chamber;

2) abolished“heart sticks” as a method of “euthanasia” except under certain specific circumstances;

3) banned“convenience killing” (killing when there are empty cages);

4) mandated collaboration by requiring shelters to work with non-profit rescue organizations to maximize lifesaving;

5) mandated transparency by requiring shelters to report how many animals they kill;.

6) banned the killing of animals based on arbitrary criteria such as breed, age or color;

7) prohibited selling shelter animals to research labs;

8) protected feral cats and feral cat caretakers.

and more…….

BARC representatives, and the directors of other high kill “shelters”, again opposed a similar law in 2013.  As a reason for opposing this life saving law, BARC’s “director” was reported as saying that if this law passed, then people would actually expect BARC to save more lives.  

STRIKE THIRTEEN

14.  Would you support programs which have been proven to keep pets in their homes instead of being relinquished to a shelter such as distribution of heart worm preventative, food, animal behavioral counseling, low cost dog training, pet friendly rental programs and dog walker referrals?

Yes, but not with city funds.

Volunteers, who saw the lifesaving potential of a program to help keep pets from being relinquished to BARC, attempted to create and run such a program themselves (it was FREE to the city).  They eventually quit, no doubt from lack of support from BARC leadership.

Volunteers simply cannot run such a program without the full support and involvement of BARC management.

STRIKE FOURTEEN

15.  Would you support the reformation of an animal advisory committee as defined by state and city ordinance? If so, how would you, propose that members of this committee be chosen?

Yes.  I support such a committee and am open to suggestions.  I will consult with City Council and other stakeholders on how to proceed with such a task.

This committee was reformed, however not a single No Kill advocate was appointed to the committee by the mayor or city council.  When appointments were being made for the first committee, I contacted several city councilmembers and asked to be appointed.  But all of them told me that a different council person or the mayor would make the appointments.  I had the city ordinances in front of me which clearly stated that each of those city councilmembers could have made the appointment, but all refused.   Instead the committee was filled with many of the mayor’s “yes people”.

In fact, when one veterinarian, who was appointed to the committee, spoke to a reporter about Keiko‘s prognosis while BARC was foolishly performing delicate surgery on her, the vet was kicked off of the committee.

It is quite clear that the mayor only wanted “yes people” on this committee; those who would not offer differing opinions from her own.   No one on that committee would be allowed to actually speak out for the animals.

STRIKE FIFTEEN

16.  Have you ever rescued an adopted pet?

I currently have 1 dog and 5 cats; all are licensed with the city.  All are indoor pets.  I found my dog – a 15+-year old pincer cross named Dancer – as an adult stray.  Rembrandt is a 15-year old DLH cat that I took home as a stray kitten.  Willie is a one-year old DLH cat that I adopted from the SPCA.  Cinder is a 19-year old DSH cat that I adopted as an adult stray.  Galahad is a 7-year old DSH cat that I bottle fed after I rescued it as an abandoned kitten.  Isis is a one-year old DSH cat that I adopted from the SPCA.

As you can tell, I am definitely an animal lover.

From her inaction over the last 4 years, when it comes to implementing programs that have been proven to save lives; and considering the fact that she trapped feral cats and took them to be killed at BARC herself, I absolutely do not agree that she is an animal lover.   A true animal lover would absolutely never do this.

In addition, now that we have 4 long years of Parker’s leadership to review, we unfortunately are able to see that tens of thousands of animals have been killed, every single year, under Parker’s watch; that is over 14,000 shelter pets killed or lost by BARC in 2012 alone.  

Thousands of animals were killed by a city department, under her control, while she did nothing differently.   More than 200 Open Admission communities are now saving 90% to 99% of all animals, yet Parker has refused to demand that her employees implement the same successful model of sheltering.

No, I do not call this an animal lover by any stretch of the imagination.

STRIKE SIXTEEN

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Houston, TX – Today is the last day to download Nathan and Jennifer Winograd’s book, Friendly Fire, absolutely  FREE.   Click here to download it from Amazon.

As I wrote in my review of Friendly Fire:

If we want to end shelter killing, and I believe the majority of us do, then we will be the ones that will have to fight for it. The kill shelters have proven that they will not stop killing voluntarily even when we literally hand them the solutions. The wealthy, national “humane” organizations have proven that they will fight our life saving, shelter reform efforts.  So, it is up to us. Luckily, Friendly Fire gives us the tools to reform an industry that has become the antithesis of everything that it proclaims to be.  If I could place this book in the hands of every animal lover in the America, I would.

The most important thing that you can do for companion animals is to READ THIS BOOK… then pass it on to everyone you know.

In my review of Friendly Fire, I noted that the number of Open Admission, No Kill shelters in the US was at about 80.  It is less 11 months later and that number now stands at nearly 200!   That is nearly 120 additional Open Admission, No Kill communities in less than 11 months!

The world is literally passing by Houston on their way to a more compassionate, more humane (and more cost effective) No Kill community.  Not only are they passing Houston by, they are RUSHING by and in huge numbers, while Houston/Harris County’s five kill shelters remain firmly entrenched in the dark ages of catch and kill sheltering.

It is time that we all stop listening to the kill shelters, and No Kill naysayers, who say that No Kill can’t be done or that shelters are “forced” to kill healthy and treatable pets.   Every single day, HUNDREDS of communities, some right here in Texas, are proving that No Kill in Open Admission shelters IS possible.  It is already being done.

It is up to US to demand leadership who will end the mass killing in Houston.  For Houston’s pound, that leadership starts at the top with the Mayor’s office.  The incumbent Mayor has allowed BARC’s kill rates to increase every year for 3 years.  She has used our tax dollars to allow BARC to kill or lose nearly 15,000 animals in 2012 alone.

It is clear that it is time for change.

Please VOTE for Ben Hall for Houston Mayor on November 5th.   If elected, Mr. Hall has committed to a No Kill policy for Houston.  Click here to read his statement.

Help save thousands of shelter pets in Houston.  Vote for Ben Hall for Mayor.

Houston, TX – There are now at least 193 communities with Open Admission shelters/pounds who are saving 90% or more of all animals (i.e. No Kill shelters).    These communities represent approximately 500 cities and towns.  This number is growing constantly.  In fact, every time I check the Out The Front Door website, the number has increased.

Yet, I received an email from a woman today claiming that No Kill is not possible.   Among the litany of  misinformation  and flat out lies claimed, she also claimed that there were 11 MILLION homeless dogs roaming the streets in the US (I don’t know how many homeless cats she believes are roaming aorund).  Her claim was made in order to justify her belief in “pet overpopulation”.  However, her claim was not based on any research whatsoever.  Her claim was based on nothing more than a look around her community and she somehow extrapolated that to 11 MILLION homeless dogs in the US.

She also claimed that there are 1.2 million homeless dogs in Houston alone.  I’ve seen or heard  variations of this number, from various people, in the last couple of months.   But, I have very serious doubts about this number.

Yes, Houston is a high kill city.   We have five high kill pounds and shelters in Houston (counting Harris county animal control which is located in Houston).  According to the last reliable records that I’ve gathered, these five pounds/kill shelters were killing around 80,000 animals per year.   Since the “non-profit” kill shelters i.e. Houston SPCA, Houston Humane Society and Citizens for Animals Protection refuse to be honest with the public and produce their intake/outcome records (I’ve asked them twice), we don’t know exactly how many animals they are saving or killing.   However, after speaking with numerous former volunteers and employees, I suspect the number is still in the 80,000 ballpark.

But even if they are still killing 80,000 shelter pets per year, that is far cry from 1.2 MILLION more homeless dogs on the streets on Houston.  Houston is 600 square miles.  1.2 MILLION homeless dogs would mean that there are Two Thousand homeless dogs per every square mile in Houston.   If that were true, we would literally be tripping over homeless dogs.  (And again, I don’t know how many million homeless cats they claim are also roaming in that space.)

I’ve asked the people making these claims how they arrived at this number.  I asked what reliable information was used to calculate this number.

So far, the silence has been deafening.

Folks, it does not help the animals to ignore facts such as there are already more than 190 No Kill communities.  In fact, continuing to claim that No Kill is not possible only gives the kill shelters a free pass to keep on killing thousands of adoptable pets each year because no one will expect them to do any better.   It does not require them to work hard or to copy the successes of the 190+ No Kill communities who already stopped killing healthy and treatable pets.

Repeating this lie only causes more shelter pets to die.

Also, it does not help the animals to just make up numbers, or repeat numbers that have no basis in reality.  We cannot create solutions using faulty data and pure fiction.

Houston, TX – We have learned from the 190 No Kill communities across the United States (representing approximately 500 cities and towns) that the key to saving 90% and more of all shelter pets is Leadership.  The most critical component of the No Kill model of sheltering is a compassionate, hard working shelter director who is dedicated to saving lives.

In Houston, that leadership begins at the top with the Mayor because this is the person who can ensure that dedicated shelter management is hired to run Houston’s high kill animal control facility.   That person also has the power to fire shelter management if they do not do their jobs well.

On November 5th, we again have the opportunity to choose leadership in Houston.  As a concerned citizen, animal lover, taxpayer and compassionate human being, I hope that you will seize the opportunties before you and learn about the candidates who will run our city for the next 2 years.  These are the people who will ultimately choose life or death for tens of thousands of shelter pets in Houston for the next 2 years.

No Kill Texas Advocates has sent questionnaires concerning BARC issues to all the mayoral and city council candidates.  They have started posting the candidates responses on their website now.

There are also several opportunities to meet the candidates, in person, at candidate forums.  I hope that you will attend at least one forum and please do question the candidates about their stance on BARC and sheltering issues.  If you need help coming up with questions, take No Kill Texas Advocates questionnaires with you. (The questionnaires are linked on their website).

WE citizens hold the power to make changes which will impact the lives of shelter pets at BARC.   Please take advantage of these opportunities.

Several candidate forums are listed below.

If you attend a forum and talk to the candidates about sheltering issues, please post a comment here.   I’d love to hear what the candidates say to voters.

Neighborhood Center, Inc.’s Mayoral Candidate Forum

Church of Bethel Praise Empowerment Center Mayoral Debate

Mayoral Candidate Forum

Houston, TX – Tonight, the Houston Young Republicans invite you to a Mayoral Candidate Forum with confirmed Candidates:

Ben Hall, Mayor Annise Parker and Eric Dick

Although the public is not allowed to ask questions unless you are a member of the Houston Young Republicans, I am told that HYR does plan to ask questions concerning Houston’s high kill pound, BARC.

I urge every animal lover (and taxpayer, who funds BARC’s killing) to find out if the candidate’s care about this issue and if they have a plan to drag Houston out of the dark ages of “catch and kill” sheltering.

Become informed before you go to the voting booth on November 5th.  Candidate forums are a great way to become informed.

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Houston, TX – I received the below update regarding additional changes proposed by BARC to Houston’s animal related ordinances. Although, the change (in red below) removes dogs and cats from the “OK to kill immediately” list, it still leaves every other feral i.e. undomesticated animal at risk of immediate death. This could include any wild animal such as rabbits, raccoons, possums, squirrels, coyetes, bird, etc. etc.

“As we just finished discussing, the revision to this section is intended to explicitly articulate the ability of our ACOs to take action in the field with respect to feral hogs. We have that flexibility from State law, but like many things, are carrying that through to our local ordinances. This does not affect feral cats, our increasingly successful TNR program, or anything else. We are working on some different language that more thoroughly articulates our intent. We are also pulling some numbers on our TNR program so that we can show people how committed we are to that program.

Thanks for the heads up, it gave us an opportunity to improve our product.

Thank you,

Christopher Newport

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For your information, we have included the new language below into a new draft ordinance that is posted on our website:

Sec. 6-7. Destruction of wounded or feral animals.

(a) For purposes of this section only, feral animal shall not include dogs or cats. When from any cause it may happen that any animal within the corporate limits of the city shall be so wounded, maimed or injured as to render its recovery hopeless, or the animal is feral and poses a threat to humans, domestic animals or property, then it shall be the duty of the director to cause it to be destroyed. Such destruction shall take place as soon after such injury as practicable after such injury occurs or the animal’s feral and threatening situation is discovered, and shall be conducted in such manner as the director shall determine to be the least painful. Upon destruction, the director shall direct or cause the carcass thereof to be lawfully removed and disposed of. When the director shall cause any animal to be destroyed under this section, it shall be his duty to file prepare a report in writing of such destruction with the city secretary to be maintained in BARC’s electronic records. Such report shall show:”

As I said, the way the ordinance it is written now, it could include any animal besides a dog or cat. I don’t believe that feral i.e. wild animals should be included in this section at all which describes ending the life of irremediably wounded and suffering animals. They just do not belong together. In addition, it is a slippery slope to give an organization, that already kills more than 57% of all animals in their “care”, more authority to immediately kill any wild animal.

There is already a section regarding wild animals. If this addition was intended for feral i.e wild hogs, they should covered under the category of wild animals and should be treated like any other wild animal — not killed immediately.

There are additional problems with the proposed revisions such as:

1) Labeling anyone who feeds a homeless animal for 3 days the “owner“ (Section 6-26). This is what Harris County animal control uses to threaten people who are just trying to help keep strays from starving to death. (They’ve actually threatened my elderly mother just because she left food on her front porch for the starving cats after neighbors moved off and left them behind.) It is absurd to punish the public who are simply trying to save homeless animals. This undoubtedly will cause impounds to go up when those new “owners” can’t afford to spay/neuter the strays they may be feeding. Higher impounds = high kill rates at BARC.

2) Requiring people to prove that their pet has been vaccinated for rabies in the previous 1 year—there are now 3 year rabies vaccines so this is not a reasonable requirement. (Section 6-94)

3) Requiring random inspections if a person fosters animals for BARC. I’m sure a lot of people would never agree to this (I NEVER would) which means BARC will lose foster parents, and/or not retain additional foster parents. This is simply crazy and will only cause BARC’s kill rates to rise when foster parents decrease. [Section 6-121(c)(2)]

4) Requiring mandatory sterilization of an animal if he/she is impounded at BARC, at the owner’s expense.

• a) There may be a reason that an animal should not be sterilized, such as health reasons.
• b) What happens if the owner can’t afford to pay for the sterilzation? Are they forced to give up their pet to BARC? If so, that pet will most likely end up killed by BARC, simply because the owner was too poor to pay for spay/neuter and their pet was unfortunate enough to end up at BARC [Section 6-137 (a) (1)(b)(1)].

5) The definition of “public nuisance dog” (page 57) appears to include anyone who has more than one dog/animal.

6) An attorney friend states that the proposed Ordinances make a new category of dogs that can be deemed “aggressive” even when on your own property.  They are trying to expand the definition of dangerous dog to include if a dog bites someone while on its own property.  Then, they have created a very difficult time scheme for hearings which are in contravention of state law and demand they be conducted in municipal court which is against state law.

As I said, I see quite a few problems with BARC’s proposed revisions which will only cause impounds and kill rates to rise.

I hope everyone will try very hard to attend the meeting tonight and oppose these revisions. The animals are depending on us to speak for them. 

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2013

WHERE: Houston Permitting Center: 1002 Washington Avenue, Basement Training Room B2

Parking: There is free parking in Permitting Center lots

Please RSVP to Christopher Newport at Christopher.Newport@houstontx.gov.