PEOPLE

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1996:

The Green Party has
nominated Captain Paul Watson
of the Sea Shepherd Conservation
Society to run for mayor of
Vancouver. A legal resident of
Vancouver, Watson told ANIMAL
PEOPLE that he takes the nomination
as seriously as he ever takes
politics. Nominated for office on
previous occasions, Watson attended
press conferences with two hats,
one representing the nominating
party and the other representing the
Sea Shepherds, then deftly changed
hats as he cheerfully contradicted
himself on points of conflict.

Mary Beth Leininger,
DVM, of Plymouth, Michigan,
took office in late July as the first
female president of the 133-year-old
American Veterinary Medical
Association. Her election also
marks the growing influence of
companion animal veterinarians
within the AVMA, now a majority
but historically outnumbered by
agricultural practitioners. One of
her first actions was to preside over
the adoption of guidelines for controlling
feral cat populations via
neuter/release (page 14.)
Last Chance for Animals
executive director David
Meyer on August 21 solicited applications
for his own job, then
announced nine days later that he
would continue in the post himself,
offering no clear explanation for the
turnabout.
Former Humane Society
of the U.S. executive Ed Duvin has
been named associate director of In
Defense of Animals, after a six-year
hiatus from animal protection work.
While with HSUS, Dubin shocked
the shelter community in 1989-1990
with a series of manifestoes blaming
conventional shelter policies for
high rates of shelter killing, arguing
that shelters must offer animals
something more than euthanasia to
capture the public support needed to
do the volume of low-cost neutering
needed to reduce the homeless animal
population.
Recalls Pat Dessoy,
elder sister of British prime minister
John Major, “We used to breed
dozens of mice at home, and sell
them off. Suddenly there was a new
surge of customers and we found,
tied to a lamppost outside the house,
a notice saying, ‘Buy two and get a
free slice of cake.’”
Made an honorary member
of a rifle society on July 1,
German chancellor Helmut Kohl
refused to take the ceremonial horse
ride usually accompanying the
honor because, he said, “I’m afraid
I would get in trouble with the animal
rights people.”