The paragraphs in italics below are excerpted from a letter that an AWLA employee recently sent to the Office of the State Veterinarian at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This employee was concerned and alarmed by the events and practices she witnessed at AWLA.
The first event, which occurred about a year [...]
Archive for the ‘AWLA Policies’ Category
One Step Forward?
Posted in AWLA Policies, DC Area Rescue Orgs, Principles on February 26, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Arlington-based animal-welfare advocate Debbie Marson pointed out to us that AWLA recently took a step in the right direction by simplifying the application that 501(c)(3) rescue organizations must complete in order to have a relationship with AWLA. Once this relationship exists, AWLA can theoretically transfer animals to the group (though this rarely happens.)
The original [...]
Help Support VA HB 429!
Posted in AWLA Policies, Principles on February 1, 2010 | 1 Comment »
A reader asked us to post this important message explaining how you can support VA House Bill 429. Don’t let AWLA undermine this legislation, which will give thousands of homeless animals a chance to survive and find homes!
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A new Virginia law has been proposed (HB 429) which will prohibit city or county pounds from [...]
AWLA Explains Stance on VA HB 429
Posted in AWLA Policies, DC Area Rescue Orgs, Principles on January 31, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Last week, the agricultural subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates considered House Bill 429, which would add the add the following sentence to section 3.2-6546 of the Virginia Code:
However, no pound may euthanize, or prohibit the adoption of, any dog based solely on breed.
AWLA Executive Director Kay Speerstra traveled to Richmond to testify in [...]
Insider View of AWLA Dog Evaluations
Posted in AWLA Policies, Principles on January 29, 2010 | 5 Comments »
Here’s a post sent to us by an AWLA insider who read the front-page article in AWLA’s Pawpourri newsletter about dog evaluations and felt compelled to present a less whitewashed view of those evaluations.
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When a dog is brought into the AWLA shelter, either as an owner surrender or as a stray, a lot happens before [...]
Missing the Forest for the Trees
Posted in AWLA Policies, DC Area Rescue Orgs, Principles on January 22, 2010 | 2 Comments »
The front-page article in the winter edition of AWLA’s Pawpourri newsletter is about behavior evaluations for dogs. It’s much longer than a typical Pawpourri article — seven full columns — and includes an excerpt from a 2003 article in Animal Sheltering, a magazine published by Wayne Pacelle’s HSUS.
(This is the same HSUS that in [...]
Terminology Change
Posted in AWLA Policies, Principles on January 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
My “Random House Dictionary of the English Language” includes this definition:
euthanasia: the act of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition.
From now on, we’ll adhere to that definition when discussing animals, i.e. animals put to death painlessly when suffering from an incurable and painful disease or [...]
Fee Waivers Boost Cat Adoptions
Posted in AWLA Policies, Yardsticks on January 4, 2010 | 1 Comment »
A reader sent this link to a USA Today story about shelters that have waived adoption fees for some or all cats and seen dramatic increases in adoption rates:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-01-03-cat-adoptions_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
This is something AWLA should try for cats that have spent more than a few weeks on view at the shelter (though to avoid scammers, it should [...]
Oreo’s Law
Posted in AWLA Policies, County Contract, Principles on December 8, 2009 | 1 Comment »
This year in Brooklyn, NY, a pit-bull named Oreo was thrown off the roof of a six-story apartment building by an abusive owner. Badly hurt, Oreo was turned over to the ASPCA and nursed back to health.
But Oreo started to show signs of aggression as she recovered, so the ASPCA decided to euthanize her. [...]
