[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: TX: San Antonio Animal Control & RPOA
- From: RihadinK9@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 01:28:25 EST
TX-RPOA E-News
From Responsible Pet Owners Alliance,
the reasonable voice regarding animal issues in Texas.
Responsible Pet Owners Alliance is an animal welfare organization,
not "animal rights" and, yes, there is a difference.
Permission granted to crosspost.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Responsible Pet Owners Alliance has worked diligently for changes at the San
Antonio Animal Care Services Facility for 15 years. We were told when we
first organized: "That's the way it is and that's the way it will always
be." Fortunately for San Antonio, we didn't accept that. RPOA lobbied for
six years to get a new Facility included in and ultimately approved in a
bond issue. Wheels turn slowly in bureaucracy but with the support of our
local newspaper, major changes are now taking place. RPOA was responsible
for keeping a scathing evaluation of the Animal Care Services Facility by
National Animal Control Association from being swept under the rug for three
years until the newspaper picked up on it.
Are we perfect yet? No, but we're on the way. With the new Animal Shelter
Director Cindy Healer (formerly with Humane Society of Bexar County) coming
aboard, we are confident of even more positive changes.
All we hear is the usual negative rhetoric from our local "Animal Rights"
Crowd wanting legislation for Mandatory Spay/Neuter of every dog and cat
(male & female) in the city limits when we can't even enforce the Leash Law
or Pet Licensing. We appreciate the San Antonio Express-News publishing our
Comment below. The article included a picture of a cat playing in the new
Cattery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
San Antonio Express-News
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Your Turn - Comment
"Pound's Success Stories Ignored Amid Disease Claims"
by Mary Beth Duerler
Executive Director
Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
and former Chairman of the
Animal Care Services Advisory Board
So many agendas have surfaced since we opened Pandora's box regarding Animal
Care Services (ACS). City officials will have difficulty separating the
wheat from the chaff. Keeping facts on the table is not easy. Recent
articles attacking ACS on the grounds of "disease" are ludicrous. The
people to blame are pet owners who don't vaccinate their pets. All animal
shelters have this problem but can choose which animals to accept. ACS has
no choice. The staff at ACS is not to blame for all the animals dumped on
their doorstep. Recent articles fail to point out all we've accomplished.
Following the November 2004 San Antonio Express-News expose regarding ACS,
Interim City Manager Rolando Bono immediately made sweeping changes and
appointed Sam Sanchez as the new administrator. Sanchez inherited a
disaster.
Bono's most important step was establishing ACS as a separate department
directly under the city manager's thumb instead of at the bottom of the
Health Department's priority list. The City Council gave ACS an additional
$900,000 in this year's budget to establish essential staff positions.
Last October the Facility switched from mass killing in gas chambers to
euthanasia by injection. This required remodeling existing buildings and
training employees for this enormous job, where each animal is handled in
the most humane way possible --about 120-150 animals per day.
Animal Resource Center (a partnership of the city, Veterinary Medical
Association of Bexar County, Animal Defense League and Humane Society of
Bexar County) has recently expanded their free and low cost surgery for pets
belonging to qualified pet owners in Bexar County. There are other similar
programs in the city.
A trust fund has been established for donations to be used for ACS programs
only. A new $12.1 million Facility is to be completed next year. Disease
control in the existing 50-year-old facility is difficult due to bad design
and airborne diseases, such as Kennel Cough, Parvo and Distemper. Disease
is spread by animals in adjoining cages on incoming trucks, air
conditioners, shoes and clothing. All animal shelters have this problem.
Very successful off-site pet adoption clinics have been held at the Houston
Street Fair and Pets In The Park. Each First Friday a Howl at the Moon
adoption event is held at the Facility until 8:00 pm. A volunteer maintains
a website for ACS animals for adoption. A new position for a volunteer
coordinator has been established and should be filled soon to improve the
program even more. The Adoption Center has been remodeled and air
conditioned, a showplace compared to former conditions. A foster home
network for underage puppies and kittens is being developed.
San Antonio is the eighth most populous city U.S. city and has a very high
poverty rate. Our animal problems are unique and require special programs
targeting the areas where the most animals are impounded. Our organization
is doing just that with our Pets For Life Health Fairs (co-sponsored by
Animal Care Services), our educational booth and programs in the elementary
schools..
All of the above and more was accomplished under the leadership of Sam
Sanchez, the new administrator, in a period of 14 months no less. Staff
training is ongoing with a national trainer coming. It will take five years
for all the new initiatives to effect major change. The negative criticism
and plethora of misinformation being circulated by those with agendas is
counterproductive to all our efforts and stands in the way of progress. ACS
needs the support of the newspaper and the community if we are to make a
difference. It takes a community.
Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
900 NE Loop 410 #311-D
San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone: (210) 822-6763
Fax: (210) 822-9038
Website: www. responsiblepetowners. org
$15 Annual dues (January - December)
To share information, subscribe or unsubscribe,
send an e-mail message to rpoa @ texas.net.
Ginger Cleary
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from
opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will
reach himself. ~Thomas Paine
Rome, GA http://www.rihadin.com/
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