Houston, TX – A BIG day is coming up soon and in more ways than one. November 5th is my birthday. This birthday will be one of those “milestone” birthdays. You know, the ones that slide you into a new category on those lists that we fill out with the checkboxes. I’m now going to have to check a new box.
Every time I pass one of these milestones, I realize how fast time is passing. This year I realize how fast time is passing without significant changes to Houston’s high kill sheltering system. I first learned about the successful No Kill model of sheltering about 5 years ago when I read Nathan Winograd’s book, Redemption. At that time, I was thrilled to learn that someone had finally figured out how we could end the killing of healthy and treatable shelter pets. Five years ago, I could have never imagined that people would actually fight the efforts to stop killing shelter pets. So, the last five years, although it seems like they have flown by, have certainly been a long, hard, very stressful and eye opening experience. I have certainly become wiser and more educated to the shocking realities of the animal sheltering industry.
As you might imagine, my house has been, and still is, home to many rescued and homeless pets; a couple of them were found lost, alone and scared but most were pulled from Houston’s high kill pound, BARC. When I pulled them out, most of them were on the “kill list” because they were either sick, infants or simply because they had been there longer than the 3 day hold period.
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I pulled Marley, who was skinny and had become very sick at BARC, but now looks like the Pillsbury Dough Cat.
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I pulled Conan, along with his mother and 4 siblings. He is my gentle giant with a tiny meow too small for his body.
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I pulled Penelope, the sweet kitty who opens her mouth to meow, but no sound emerges.
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I pulled Sebastian, my 20lb moose of a cat who sits up and “begs” for attention or treats. He was on BARC’s kill list because he had been adopted and returned because he didn’t get along with the adopter’s cat.
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All of my sweet babies, with wonderful, loving and individual personalities each deserving of the right to live their lives.
I still remember the day that I pulled each cat out of BARC. I remember standing in front of cat cages trying to decide who to take, knowing that those I did not take, would probably be killed soon. It is one of the most horrible decisions I’ve ever had to make. Therefore, years later, those memories are still burned into my brain like it was yesterday, along with the faces of those I could not take. It is a choice that I do not wish on anyone, but one that is made by rescuers and adopters each day at BARC.
This is why I am determined the change the system that forces this horrible choice on the animal loving public.
As I look into the eyes of the wonderful, loving, quirky pets who now share my home, sometimes it brings me to tears because I think of the nearly 15,000 animals, just like them, who entered BARC last year and were KILLED by BARC instead of being rehomed or returned their owners.
Those pets were killed for one simple reason; because LEADERSHIP has, for almost 4 years, REFUSED to implement all of the programs and services that would have saved them.
For almost 4 years, city leadership has REFUSED to implement the recommendations of the leading No Kill expert, Nathan Winograd.
For almost 4 years, leadership at BARC has not cared whether they continue to kill tens of thousands of animals; they do care enough to work hard and change their procedures to make the killing stop.
Leadership. That is why BARC continues to kill. Plain and simple.
Folks, we have the opportunity to change that leadership in just a couple weeks.
My birthday, November 5th,, is also Election Day this year. On that day, we will have the opportunity to change the leadership in our city….. we have the chance to elect a new mayor and city council members who can then change the leadership at BARC.
We hold the power to make changes that will save lives.
Even though this birthday is a “big” one for me, I do not want to celebrate with presents.
The only thing that I want for my birthday is for every single person in Houston to stand up for the animals. I want every single person to use your right and this opportunity to vote for new leadership in Houston.
We already know what the incumbent leadership will do (or more accurately, WILL NOT do). We’ve seen the mass killing continue and we’ve seen the ridiculous waste of precious dollars that could have been used to save lives. We’ve seen that, for almost 4 years, BARC’s kill rates have risen.
If we ever hope to change the culture of killing in our city pound, we must change the leadership.
I am asking each of you to please grant my wish and vote for change.
No Kill Texas Advocates has sent questionnaires to the mayoral and city council candidates regarding sheltering issues. They will post the candidates’ responses on their website. They will also endorse the candidates that they believe will make a difference in the lives of shelter pets in Houston.
For me, this is a one issue election. Yes, I am concerned about pot holes, taxes and crime, but all that pales significantly in comparison to my concern for the mass slaughter of adoptable animals that our city pound performs daily….. and on my dime (taxes).
Personally, I am voting for Ben Hall for mayor. I had the opportunity to meet with him recently and I believe that he is genuinely concerned about the horrific sheltering situation in Houston and that he is committed to creating a better, more humane, more financially responsible, life-saving method of sheltering in Houston.
I believe that he is our best shot to drag Houston out of the dark ages of “catch and kill” sheltering and our best shot to save the lives of Houston’s shelter pets.
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