[lit-ideas] Schwarzenegger and Strays
- From: Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2004 16:31:41 EDT
Hi,
Maybe he also changed his mind because he would not have been very popular
even at the Republican Convention had he stayed the course in this matter.
Though I noticed that he changed his mind because he had made a mistake on
the budget-not that he realized that pets are people, too. <g>
His proposal showed up on the pet rescue board that I am part of--and it
seemed like it was almost as soon as he had announced/made it public. People
were
commenting and, apparently, responding to it, immediately. I wonder if this is
another example of the World Wide Web changing the way things operate in the
world as I don't think I would have known about it otherwise...
I know that the rescue groups are able to respond to these strays from all
over and match the pets -- but the logistics do sometimes take a bit of time
even though one hurries extra fast when dealing with the kill-shelters. Six
days
often causes alot of scrambling - especially in communities which are far away
from either a no-kill shelter or a rescue group is operating (though they
tend to monitor almost all shelters...)
I do think that those who think 'pets are people too' must cross all
political lines,
Anyone have a favourite animal/pet story or poem? What about other
countries/cultures? Do they have the same sense for their pets as we do?
Marlena in Missouri
Schwarzenegger: Stand on strays was mistake
Friday, June 25, 2004 Posted: 10:57 PM EDT (0257 GMT)
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the doghouse
with animal-welfare advocates for proposing that shelters be allowed to kill
stray animals more quickly to save money, said Friday that his budget
recommendation was a mistake.
As part of his budget proposal first drafted in December, the governor had
asked the Legislature to repeal a 1998 law that requires the shelters to hold
dogs and cats up to six days before destroying them. The governor wanted to
save
local goverments that operate the shelters $14 million by cutting the waiting
period in half.
But after a nationwide storm of protest, the governor organized a press
conference outside his Capitol office and confessed to his error.
"I realized last night that there was a mistake that I made on the budget,"
he explained, noting he had only a few weeks to put his proposed budget
together between his inauguration in November and when the document went to the
printers in December.
Statewide, an estimated 600,000 dogs and cats are put to death each year --
34,000 in Los Angeles alone. In addition to cats and dogs, the shelters also
care for many other animals including birds, hamsters, potbellied pigs,
rabbits,
snakes and turtles.
H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance, had said the
six-day waiting period caused overcrowding and forced some shelters to kill off
animals.
Political observers noted the issue was potentially volatile.
"Cats and dogs are like mom and apple pie," said Barbara O'Connor, director
of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at California State
University, Sacramento.
"Don't mess with the pets. Most people prefer them to other people," she
said.
The Legislature is working to pass the state's budget before the next fiscal
year begins July 1.
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