Letters [Oct 1997]

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1997:

No-kill animal control agency
The Colorado Humane Society & SPCA is an open-door
shelter that provides animal control service to a large part of the
Denver metropolitan area––while operating as a no-kill shelter. We do
not kill animals for lack of space or for time limits. We euthanize only
to end the suffering of mortally injured or sick animals; when directed
to do so by a government agency; when an animal’s aggression is
unalterable and it poses a risk to society; and when an owner asks us
to do so––and we try to talk them out of it. In all of our research, I
have found no information on other organizations which manage this
difficult feat. Do you know of another? We would like to find information
on similar organizations, and would love to share information
on our success where it may help others.
––Pat Milton
Colorado Humane Society
Littleton, Colorado

See page 17 for a brief account of a similar accomplishment
by the Gallatin Valley Humane Society, of Bozeman, Montana––and
see below for a lead on another.

Progress in California
Animal Outreach, a cat clinic here in Cameron Park,
California, opened in 1992 and has made phenomenal strides in cutting
down cat overpopulation. The fierce and compassionate director,
a lady of 65, spearheaded this effort with her own funds. At this time
the local animal control agency is no longer killing cats or kittens.
They are actually taking felines from Animal Outreach to place for
adoption, and adopt out no cat unless neutered.
This is proof that determined people can make a difference.
Animal Outreach is noprofit. All workers are volunteers.
The people are crusaders for neutering, this being the purpose of the
clinic. Feral cat colonies are managed with the same spirit of commitment.

This being a no-kill clinic, no cat is ever killed due to an
overflow. Volunteers with acreage take in cats to prevent the clinic
from being overwhelmed. Foster homes handle orphaned kittens, cats
in need of socializing, and any cat with special needs.
Neutering is done as early as eight weeks of age. All surgery
is done on the premises. Anyone relinquishing a litter of kittens must
also surrender the mother.
All efforts pivot around the “Spaying and Neutering Law,” a
militant position, etched in stone.
––Jane Manges
Cameron Park, California

Nothing in Haiti
I called the World Society for the Protection to get the
address of any reputable animal welfare organization in Haiti. There is
no organization they can recommend. This is distressing.
––Sally Hunter
Alexandria, Virginia

Just starting in Tennessee
We are forming a humane society to serve the Upper
Cumberland area of Tennessee, including Smith, Trousdale, Macon,
Clay, and Jackson counties. There is no form of animal control and no
humane society presently in any of these counties. We welcome help
at 615-666-5639 or 859-6579, or e-mail >>mpetlover@aol.com<<.
––Melissa Cothron Walrond
105 Carter Circle
Lafayette, TN 3708

In Your Face
You didn’t do the animals any favors with your
negative review of In Your Face, by Chris DeRose,
founder of Last Chance for Animals. As result of reading
this compelling book, my husband, who is a medical doctor,
and I have committed ourselves to doing everything in
our power to put an end to animal experimentation. It is
unfortunate that your negative review will deprive many
people of an opportunity to become educated about pet
theft and vivisection.
––Laurelee Blanchard
Laguna Beach, California

Undocumented animals are still often found on
the premises of laboratory suppliers, and bunchers still
collect animals offered “free to good home”––but the most
recent verified discovery we’ve heard about of pets in pos –
session of a lab supplier who were actually stolen, not just
given away or picked up by animals control and sold after
a holding period, was back in 1993. Since then, we have
record of 160 verified dog thefts and 29 verified cat thefts .
At least 83 of these animals were stolen for sadistic abuse,
50 by one couple; 23 were held for ransom; 19 were
purebreds stolen for resale to fanciers; 17 were stolen by
people who kept them as pets; eight were stolen by res –
cuers; three were stolen accidentally by car thieves; and
36 were stolen for unknown reason Even if those all
turned out to be thefts for vivisection, the traffic would
account for a miniscule percentage of the dogs and cats
used in U.S. labs––82,454 dogs and 26,035 cats during
1996, both all-time lows. Use of both species peaked in
1979, at 211,104 dogs and 69,103 cats.

Puma panic
Five hundred seventy pumas were killed by Utah
hunters during the last hunting season, and an additional
100 have been killed so far this year by poachers, USDA
Wildlife Services, and other human activity. That equals
40% of both the adult and juvenile puma populations, as
estimated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources prior
to the beginning of the 1996-1997 puma hunting season.
We are very concerned for the future of pumas in
Utah. Utah killed more pumas than any other state––but as
Utah is getting away with the war on pumas, other states
are beginning to push their hunting quotas up, too.
––Craig Axford
Issues Coordinator
Predator Education Fund
Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah has issued 511 “limited entry” puma hunt –
ing permits for the coming winter, plus 270 “harvest objec –
tive” permits––a drop of 84 “limited entry” permits and
five “harvest objective” permits from last year, but still the
second most ever offered.

Hustlers
Regarding the June 1997 Watchdog piece “He’s
An Oxymoron,” it should be no surprise that Last Chance
for Animals, a group that has hustled public donations for
years with baseless claims of m i l l i o n s of dogs and cats
being stolen for vivisection, decided to hire hustler Luke
Montgomery. This is the same organization that in 1993
arranged a “sting” in which an innocent dog was shot to
death by an animal dealer, and is currently using contributor
money to promote the egomania of their James Bondinfatuated
president on a crosscountry book-signing tour.
––Al Hayes
Los Angeles, California

HSUS
How can Humane Society of the U.S. continuously
take donations sent to benefit animals and instead
use them for personal profit? An article is printed almost
annually in major media about how HSUS funds are misused,
and yet nothing is done about it. The most recent
case was the purchase of a $44,000 Chevrolet Suburban
light truck for HSUS president Paul Irwin.
According to HSUS employees, Irwin claims
this is a company vehicle, even though he is the only
employee allowed to drive it. This was also the case with a
previous car that HSUS purchased for Irwin. If this was a
for-profit coporation, I could understand the expenditure
of funds for a luxury company car––but I cannot accept a
nonprofit animal protection organization buying a $44,000
car with a leather interior for someone who is already paid
an annual salary of over $200,000.
Is there no regulatory system that can do a proper
job of overseeing nonprofit organizations? Where is the
HSUS board of directors? HSUS needs to be thoroughly
audited, and not by auditors it hires itself.
––Jerry Mitchell
Bethesda, Maryland