Dear Companion Pet Lovers ~
Just six days remaining until the start of the 2010 Columbus Pet Expo!
Friday, March 26 (Noon - 9 PM)
Saturday, March 27 (10 AM - 8 PM)
Sunday, March 28 (11 AM - 6 PM)
(To preview the Show Schedule, please click here.)
Since last Wednesday's announcement of Petland's withdrawal from the 2010 Columbus Pet Expo, Columbus Top Dogs has received a flood of e-mail and phone calls (including a $4,000 donation) in support of this year's show!
Working closely with the Expo's organizers, Mythanne, Teresa and Steve, we are confident we will exceed our goal of 200 approved applications for pet adoptions!
For this year's anticipated 20,000 visitors, The Columbus Pet Expo has created a Non Profit Rescue Charity Auction scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 28 at 1:00 PM, with 100% of the proceeds to be divided equally among all participating non-profit rescue groups, shelters and humane societies!
To help raise additional dollars for these groups, friends and supporters can purchase advance tickets online at http://www.columbuspetexpo.com/Pet_Expo_Site/Columbus_Pet_Expo_Tickets.html, print the receipt for their ticket(s) at home and write the name of their non-profit rescue group, shelter or humane society on the back of their receipt. Friends and supporters then present their receipt to the Will Call/Online window at the Expo, and their designated group will receive one dollar for every ticket purchased. It's that easy!
2010 is the year to get political for Ohio's animals!
This year's Columbus Pet Expo will provide an excellent forum to help educate the public on issues and pending legislation impacting Ohio's animals. Because this year's show takes place the same weekend as the March 27 Ohio Dog Auction in Farmerstown Ohio, supporters for the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions will be collecting signatures in support of the 2011 ballot initiative (Ohio Dog Auctions Act). Volunteer petitioners are needed to make this initiative a reality in Ohio - we have until December 1, 2010 in which to collect a MINIMUM of 121,00 signatures! We need everyone's participation to make this vital effort a success!
A limited edition of I'm Getting Political for Ohio's Animals in 2010 and I'm Here Because Petland Isn't! t-shirts are available for $5 to any volunteer working this year's Expo on behalf of the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions or a participating non-profit rescue, shelter or humane society!
Supplies are limited for these 100% pre-shrunk, cotton t-shirts, so please submit your order via paypal to info@banohiodogauctions.com by Monday, March 22! When placing your order, please click on the "Add special instructions to seller" link and enter your shirt size (S, M, L, XL and XXL), name, shipping address and the name of your participating rescue group, shelter or humane society.
We need your voice to help promote and make this Expo the most successful ever!
Please share details of this year's Expo via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to friends, family and co-workers, and encourage them to attend one of the largest pet-related events in the country! We also encourage everyone to join the Columbus Pet Expo Facebook group by clicking here.
Thanks everyone! We greatly appreciate everyone's dedication and commitment to serving as a strong voice for the animals!
Mary O'Connor-Shaver
Cell: 614-271-8248
Columbus Top Dogs
http://www.ColumbusTopDogs.com
http://www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com
http://www.ThoughtsFurPaws.com
http://petnewsandviews.com
http://tejasanimalrefuge.ca/
http://www.LostPetUSA.net
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Protecting Your Animals in the Face of "Moral Panic"-Taking a Page from the Biker's Handbook
Forwarded from the AkC-LL, in its entirety:
Protecting Your Animals in the Face of "Moral Panic"-Taking a Page from the Biker's Handbook
by
Margaret Anne Cleek, Ph.D.
A few months ago I attended a meeting in a local community to discuss issues of gang-related crime and attendant problems of graffiti and loitering. As the POP officer (Problem Oriented Policing, designed to be community-friendly and proactively address community concerns) went through his power point presentation, a few red flags went off for me. At one point the officer, who in fact is a smart fellow whom I respect, mentioned some of the actions and procedures being taken to address gang activity in the community. As a 30 year member of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) I thought, "Whoa, what is wrong with this picture?" I asked the officer if it was in fact a violation of certain constitutional rights to take the actions he described to create an uncomfortable environment for the gangs in our community. The response was, yes, but the folks they are dealing with generally do not know this, and are easily intimidated. Subsequent comments clearly revealed that both the police and the public totally supported violation of the rights of "the bad guys".
The officer went on to comment that this tactic did not work with the outlaw biker gangs. Now these are the real bad folks into heavy-duty stuff like illegal weapon sales, but the officer said they cannot do much about them because they are "older, better organized, and know their rights". He went on to say that the biker gang members generally have audio and video taping devices always available, and access to contact with a lawyer, and unless they have them dead to rights there is no point in confronting them.
This should give us all pause. Laws are being increasingly made which allow government and law enforcement to invade the private affairs of citizens over trivial issues. Further, the perceptions that such laws are necessary often are based on distorted or erroneous data and cognitive biases created by "truisms" or media coverage. It is almost as if such laws are a way to deflect the public focus away from major problems and highlight minor problems which are more easily controlled, or to target a responsive and responsible population more likely to be intimidated or obey the law, while a more dangerous population continues unabated.
As Cicero (42BC) observed, "When people are willing to give up rights for security, they will, in the end, lose both." In a society where the media bombards us with horrible stories of gang violence and portrays a society out of control, it is very easy for government to get concessions from frightened citizens which violate the rights of every citizen under the premise that it is only the bad guys who will be impacted. More and more laws are being enacted which erode the rights of US citizens. In spite of the rights afforded by the constitution, we are increasingly seeing the violation of these rights in the name getting the bad guys or for reasons of the greater good. While the events post 9-11 and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act are the most obvious and glaring examples of the exchange of freedom for perceived security or the greater good, there are numerous additional examples at all levels of government.
Moral panic is a feeling of fear or impending threat shared by part of the population with regard to another group in the population which is seen to threaten the social order or personal or public safety. Stanley Cohen is credited with coining the term, moral panic, and discussed the phenomenon in his book, Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972). Those who come to be defined as the source of the problem in a moral panic are labeled by Cohen "folk devils", while those who plant the seeds of the panic and nurture the resulting crop of fear, hatred, and resulting prohibitive legislation are defined as "moral entrepreneurs". Often these moral entrepreneurs are media savvy and well-funded and not above taking advantage of existing media events. The media has always served the needs of such moral entrepreneurs, even if the media are not intentionally crusading against folk devils. Simply choosing to factually report some news over other news can be sufficient to further a moral panic. The mass media clearly has the power to focus public awareness, maintain public awareness, and shape public opinion.
"Pet-overpopulation" has been raised to the status of a moral panic. Currently, the over-blown concern with pet-overpopulation (when in fact the birthrate for dogs has been below the replacement rate since 2005 and the only dogs out-producing demand are the pit bull and pit bull crosses which stock most shelters), has resulted in the pressure to enact draconian, ineffective, costly and invasive legislation which imposes excessive control over owned pets and severely limits the ability of any owner to maintain an intact pet, whether or not intended for breeding.
Special interest groups such as animal rights activists are accomplished at timing media coverage of raids on large-scale dog breeding facilities, animal agriculture businesses etc. to correspond to pending legislation designed to outlaw practices or enact stricter government controls. Currently, HSUS, the Humane Society of the United States, an animal protection/animal rights organization which is currently supporting increasing controls on dog breeders is highlighting raids on breeding facilities and using its considerable resources to assure media coverage and influence public opinion. Such tactics are typical of organizations with an agenda or ideology and the resources to afford marketing, advertising, and public relations to influence public opinion. Since the special agendas of these organizations lack popular support, these entities rely more on media hype for the need for legislation, limits on personal freedoms, and other sanctions to push their personal agenda.
Animal Rights Activists have created a perception of crisis and threat and the public perception that the "folk devils", all breeders or owners with intact animals, must be acted upon. According to Cohen, this creates a perception of a "deviant" act. While the act may not be criminal, pressure is exerted to have it condemned. Newsworthy information on the issue is reported, but obscure examples which ordinarily would not be noted are now highlighted. What may be statistically low incidences of the behavior are now presented as "the tip of the iceberg". Naturally it is impossible to prove that such is indeed the case. Real data indicating the fact that the behavior is very uncommon or usually benign is ignored. Thus the problem emerges as significant and the resultant outcomes as common. The public are sensitized and kept informed of all incidents of the events.
Next public concern about the issue typically forces legislators, the police and the whole law enforcement system to focus on the specific deviancy-with a much greater degree of concern than it warrants. Municipalities should enact laws, and pressure is put on them to enact harsh penalties to deal with the threat. Ironically this action only serves to confirm that the contrived threat was in fact legitimate.
Moral panics take on a life of their own when the members of a society come to believe that threats and menaces exist and that "others" will act in ways they consider unacceptable, reject their values, and cause untold harm. Those that would do this are defined as the target for action and legislation and must be stopped.
We are the targets of such moral panic over pet overpopulation and the so-called deviance of owning an intact pet. Those of us who are dedicated breeders need to stand up for our rights and shatter the myth of over population and the perception that breeders are low-life deviants responsible for pet slaughter, government expenditures, and attacks by dogs on children. We need to fight the propaganda and negative stereotyping of the ARs at every opportunity. AKC (the American Kennel Club) and all the breed clubs need to take a more active political role or there will be no sport of purebred dogs. Now is the time to go to the mattresses!
Although we are not outlaws (at least not yet, although that may soon change if we don't take action now), we need to take a page from the playbook of the outlaw biker. It is the uninformed, the apologetic, and the easily intimidated who are the victims of "go for the show" raids or crackdowns. Those who know their rights, and are proactive in protecting their rights and interests will be the least likely targets for AR controlled ACs and humane societies.
We have all seen the raids on the "unlicensed" puppy mills where the dogs are "confiscated" by the humane society. These facilities are targeted as an easy score and timed for a great media hit before something comes up for a vote in the municipality or state. The places are usually run by an elderly couple who are easily intimidated when told they can either surrender the dogs or face hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation and possible arrest and criminal prosecution. The kennel conditions may not be bad at all, but what senior citizen with a hand-to-mouth existence could face the stress and expense to fight a well-funded organization with a good-guy reputation? The statement that the kennel is "unlicensed" generally makes the public think it is illegal, when in fact it may not be required by law to be licensed.
Each of us has to know our rights and stand up front and center to protect them. Print out "What to do if Animal Control Comes Knocking"
http://www.ckcscsc.org/animal-control.htm
post it on your fridge and if you have children, or occasional workers on your property inform them that they are not to talk to anyone who may wish to question them. Have an audio or video camera on the ready and record any interaction. Have the name of an attorney available. Know the name of your board or council member who represents your area as well as your state senator or representative and mention you have been in touch with them in the past. Register to vote and write letters at every level when animal related legislation is pending. Let your elected officials know that you and many other dog people were apolitical in the past but are now "one issue" voters and that issue is your dogs.
The days of being able to assume that because you have done nothing wrong, and your kennel is in order, you have nothing to fear are long over. Flying under the radar is no longer a viable strategy unless you want your dogs to live like Anne Frank, sequestered in your house so as not to come under the long arm of draconian animal control laws.
While you are in no way an outlaw biker, or a deviant of any kind, it is unfortunately time to take a page from the playbook of the outlaw biker and be proactive with a game plan in action should you be targeted by anyone because you are a breeder. Now you must know how to thwart those who would use propaganda and moral panic to intimidate normally law-abiding citizens such as you, who choose to responsibly breed and own intact dogs.
Copyright M.A. Cleek 2010
Protecting Your Animals in the Face of "Moral Panic"-Taking a Page from the Biker's Handbook
by
Margaret Anne Cleek, Ph.D.
A few months ago I attended a meeting in a local community to discuss issues of gang-related crime and attendant problems of graffiti and loitering. As the POP officer (Problem Oriented Policing, designed to be community-friendly and proactively address community concerns) went through his power point presentation, a few red flags went off for me. At one point the officer, who in fact is a smart fellow whom I respect, mentioned some of the actions and procedures being taken to address gang activity in the community. As a 30 year member of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) I thought, "Whoa, what is wrong with this picture?" I asked the officer if it was in fact a violation of certain constitutional rights to take the actions he described to create an uncomfortable environment for the gangs in our community. The response was, yes, but the folks they are dealing with generally do not know this, and are easily intimidated. Subsequent comments clearly revealed that both the police and the public totally supported violation of the rights of "the bad guys".
The officer went on to comment that this tactic did not work with the outlaw biker gangs. Now these are the real bad folks into heavy-duty stuff like illegal weapon sales, but the officer said they cannot do much about them because they are "older, better organized, and know their rights". He went on to say that the biker gang members generally have audio and video taping devices always available, and access to contact with a lawyer, and unless they have them dead to rights there is no point in confronting them.
This should give us all pause. Laws are being increasingly made which allow government and law enforcement to invade the private affairs of citizens over trivial issues. Further, the perceptions that such laws are necessary often are based on distorted or erroneous data and cognitive biases created by "truisms" or media coverage. It is almost as if such laws are a way to deflect the public focus away from major problems and highlight minor problems which are more easily controlled, or to target a responsive and responsible population more likely to be intimidated or obey the law, while a more dangerous population continues unabated.
As Cicero (42BC) observed, "When people are willing to give up rights for security, they will, in the end, lose both." In a society where the media bombards us with horrible stories of gang violence and portrays a society out of control, it is very easy for government to get concessions from frightened citizens which violate the rights of every citizen under the premise that it is only the bad guys who will be impacted. More and more laws are being enacted which erode the rights of US citizens. In spite of the rights afforded by the constitution, we are increasingly seeing the violation of these rights in the name getting the bad guys or for reasons of the greater good. While the events post 9-11 and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act are the most obvious and glaring examples of the exchange of freedom for perceived security or the greater good, there are numerous additional examples at all levels of government.
Moral panic is a feeling of fear or impending threat shared by part of the population with regard to another group in the population which is seen to threaten the social order or personal or public safety. Stanley Cohen is credited with coining the term, moral panic, and discussed the phenomenon in his book, Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972). Those who come to be defined as the source of the problem in a moral panic are labeled by Cohen "folk devils", while those who plant the seeds of the panic and nurture the resulting crop of fear, hatred, and resulting prohibitive legislation are defined as "moral entrepreneurs". Often these moral entrepreneurs are media savvy and well-funded and not above taking advantage of existing media events. The media has always served the needs of such moral entrepreneurs, even if the media are not intentionally crusading against folk devils. Simply choosing to factually report some news over other news can be sufficient to further a moral panic. The mass media clearly has the power to focus public awareness, maintain public awareness, and shape public opinion.
"Pet-overpopulation" has been raised to the status of a moral panic. Currently, the over-blown concern with pet-overpopulation (when in fact the birthrate for dogs has been below the replacement rate since 2005 and the only dogs out-producing demand are the pit bull and pit bull crosses which stock most shelters), has resulted in the pressure to enact draconian, ineffective, costly and invasive legislation which imposes excessive control over owned pets and severely limits the ability of any owner to maintain an intact pet, whether or not intended for breeding.
Special interest groups such as animal rights activists are accomplished at timing media coverage of raids on large-scale dog breeding facilities, animal agriculture businesses etc. to correspond to pending legislation designed to outlaw practices or enact stricter government controls. Currently, HSUS, the Humane Society of the United States, an animal protection/animal rights organization which is currently supporting increasing controls on dog breeders is highlighting raids on breeding facilities and using its considerable resources to assure media coverage and influence public opinion. Such tactics are typical of organizations with an agenda or ideology and the resources to afford marketing, advertising, and public relations to influence public opinion. Since the special agendas of these organizations lack popular support, these entities rely more on media hype for the need for legislation, limits on personal freedoms, and other sanctions to push their personal agenda.
Animal Rights Activists have created a perception of crisis and threat and the public perception that the "folk devils", all breeders or owners with intact animals, must be acted upon. According to Cohen, this creates a perception of a "deviant" act. While the act may not be criminal, pressure is exerted to have it condemned. Newsworthy information on the issue is reported, but obscure examples which ordinarily would not be noted are now highlighted. What may be statistically low incidences of the behavior are now presented as "the tip of the iceberg". Naturally it is impossible to prove that such is indeed the case. Real data indicating the fact that the behavior is very uncommon or usually benign is ignored. Thus the problem emerges as significant and the resultant outcomes as common. The public are sensitized and kept informed of all incidents of the events.
Next public concern about the issue typically forces legislators, the police and the whole law enforcement system to focus on the specific deviancy-with a much greater degree of concern than it warrants. Municipalities should enact laws, and pressure is put on them to enact harsh penalties to deal with the threat. Ironically this action only serves to confirm that the contrived threat was in fact legitimate.
Moral panics take on a life of their own when the members of a society come to believe that threats and menaces exist and that "others" will act in ways they consider unacceptable, reject their values, and cause untold harm. Those that would do this are defined as the target for action and legislation and must be stopped.
We are the targets of such moral panic over pet overpopulation and the so-called deviance of owning an intact pet. Those of us who are dedicated breeders need to stand up for our rights and shatter the myth of over population and the perception that breeders are low-life deviants responsible for pet slaughter, government expenditures, and attacks by dogs on children. We need to fight the propaganda and negative stereotyping of the ARs at every opportunity. AKC (the American Kennel Club) and all the breed clubs need to take a more active political role or there will be no sport of purebred dogs. Now is the time to go to the mattresses!
Although we are not outlaws (at least not yet, although that may soon change if we don't take action now), we need to take a page from the playbook of the outlaw biker. It is the uninformed, the apologetic, and the easily intimidated who are the victims of "go for the show" raids or crackdowns. Those who know their rights, and are proactive in protecting their rights and interests will be the least likely targets for AR controlled ACs and humane societies.
We have all seen the raids on the "unlicensed" puppy mills where the dogs are "confiscated" by the humane society. These facilities are targeted as an easy score and timed for a great media hit before something comes up for a vote in the municipality or state. The places are usually run by an elderly couple who are easily intimidated when told they can either surrender the dogs or face hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation and possible arrest and criminal prosecution. The kennel conditions may not be bad at all, but what senior citizen with a hand-to-mouth existence could face the stress and expense to fight a well-funded organization with a good-guy reputation? The statement that the kennel is "unlicensed" generally makes the public think it is illegal, when in fact it may not be required by law to be licensed.
Each of us has to know our rights and stand up front and center to protect them. Print out "What to do if Animal Control Comes Knocking"
http://www.ckcscsc.org/animal-control.htm
post it on your fridge and if you have children, or occasional workers on your property inform them that they are not to talk to anyone who may wish to question them. Have an audio or video camera on the ready and record any interaction. Have the name of an attorney available. Know the name of your board or council member who represents your area as well as your state senator or representative and mention you have been in touch with them in the past. Register to vote and write letters at every level when animal related legislation is pending. Let your elected officials know that you and many other dog people were apolitical in the past but are now "one issue" voters and that issue is your dogs.
The days of being able to assume that because you have done nothing wrong, and your kennel is in order, you have nothing to fear are long over. Flying under the radar is no longer a viable strategy unless you want your dogs to live like Anne Frank, sequestered in your house so as not to come under the long arm of draconian animal control laws.
While you are in no way an outlaw biker, or a deviant of any kind, it is unfortunately time to take a page from the playbook of the outlaw biker and be proactive with a game plan in action should you be targeted by anyone because you are a breeder. Now you must know how to thwart those who would use propaganda and moral panic to intimidate normally law-abiding citizens such as you, who choose to responsibly breed and own intact dogs.
Copyright M.A. Cleek 2010
Learn About Ohio Dog Auctions
Dear Companion Animal Lovers ~
Learn more about the Ohio Dog Auctions Act and how you can get involved in this important ballot initiative campaign! (Invitations have been extended to state legislators and local media for each county; those legislators confirming their attendance are denoted in parenthesis.)
1. LORAIN COUNTY (Representative Matt Lundy, D-57)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
10:00 AM
Avon Lake Public Library - 32649 Electric Boulevard, Avon Lake, OH 44012-1669
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, March 18 to Anne Neumann at anne.wssc@yahoo.com.
2. HOLMES COUNTY
Saturday, March 27, 2010
10:30 AM
Holmes County Library (Millersburg), Room A - 3102 Glen Drive, Millersburg, OH 44654
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, March 25 to Veronica Dickey at veronicadickey@yahoo.com.
3. HAMILTON COUNTY
Saturday, April 3, 2010 - Coalition Meeting on Ohio Dog Auctions Act
10:00 AM
SPCA Cincinnati, Sharonville - 11900 Conrey Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, April 1 to Kristen Fox Angel at kfoxangel@cinci.rr.com.
4. CUYAHOGA COUNTY (Senator Dale Miller, D-23)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
10:00 AM
Cleveland Animal Protection League - 1729 Willey Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 2 to Ayse Dunlap at adunlap@clevelandapl.org.
5. FRANKLIN COUNTY (Senator Karen Gillmor, R-26)
Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 8, 2010
3:00 PM
Ohio State University
R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, April 6 to Molly Stancliff at b.k9osu@gmail.com.
6. MEDINA COUNTY
Monday, April 12, 2010
1:00 PM
Brunswick Community Library, Sycamore Room A - 3649 Center Road, Brunswick, OH 44212-3619
R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 9 to Vanessa Fields at vfields826@aol.com.
7. TUSCARAWAS COUNTY
Saturday, April 24, 2010
1:00 PM
Country Club Retirement Campus - 860 Iron Avenue, Dover, OH 44622
R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 23 to Cinda Godfrey at adnic@roadrunner.com.
8. TUSCARAWAS COUNTY (Senator Joe Schiavoni, D-33)
Friday, April 30, 2010
10:00 AM
Country Club Retirement Campus - 860 Iron Avenue, Dover, OH 44622
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, April 28 to Cinda Godfrey at adnic@roadrunner.com.
9. STARK COUNTY (Representative Scott Oelslager, R-51)
Friday, May 14, 2010
10:00 AM
Home of Representative Oelslager - 1585 Yorkshire Trcese, North Canton, OH 44709-4855
R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, May 12 to Veronica Dickey at veronicadickey@yahoo.com. Seating limited to 12!
10. STARK COUNTY (Representative Stephen Slesnick, D-52)
Friday, May 21, 2010
12:00 PM
Jackson Township Library - 7487 Fulton Drive NW, Massillon, OH 44646
R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, May 19 to Veronica Dickey at veronicadickey@yahoo.com.
Meetings currently under development for Athens, Butler (April 17), Columbiana (June at Angels for Animals), Crawford, Delaware (early June), Gallia (June), Lake (May), Licking, Lucas and Wood (May), Montgomery, Muskingham, Pike (late May-early June), Union (May), Vinton and Washington.
For dates, times and locations of all Town Hall Meetings (as they become confirmed), please click here - > http://banohiodogauctions.com/Events_02UZ.html.
Thanks everyone for serving as a strong voice for the animals!
Mary O'Connor-Shaver
Cell: 614-271-8248
Columbus Top Dogs
http://www.ColumbusTopDogs.com
http://www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com
http://www.ThoughtsFurPaws.com
http://petnewsandviews.com
http://tejasanimalrefuge.ca/
http://www.LostPetUSA.net
LEGISLATIVE ALERTS: Please visit our Home page for pending legislation impacting the welfare of OH animals - http://www.columbustopdogs.com/
Learn more about the Ohio Dog Auctions Act and how you can get involved in this important ballot initiative campaign! (Invitations have been extended to state legislators and local media for each county; those legislators confirming their attendance are denoted in parenthesis.)
1. LORAIN COUNTY (Representative Matt Lundy, D-57)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
10:00 AM
Avon Lake Public Library - 32649 Electric Boulevard, Avon Lake, OH 44012-1669
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, March 18 to Anne Neumann at anne.wssc@yahoo.com.
2. HOLMES COUNTY
Saturday, March 27, 2010
10:30 AM
Holmes County Library (Millersburg), Room A - 3102 Glen Drive, Millersburg, OH 44654
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, March 25 to Veronica Dickey at veronicadickey@yahoo.com.
3. HAMILTON COUNTY
Saturday, April 3, 2010 - Coalition Meeting on Ohio Dog Auctions Act
10:00 AM
SPCA Cincinnati, Sharonville - 11900 Conrey Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, April 1 to Kristen Fox Angel at kfoxangel@cinci.rr.com.
4. CUYAHOGA COUNTY (Senator Dale Miller, D-23)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
10:00 AM
Cleveland Animal Protection League - 1729 Willey Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 2 to Ayse Dunlap at adunlap@clevelandapl.org.
5. FRANKLIN COUNTY (Senator Karen Gillmor, R-26)
Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 8, 2010
3:00 PM
Ohio State University
R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, April 6 to Molly Stancliff at b.k9osu@gmail.com.
6. MEDINA COUNTY
Monday, April 12, 2010
1:00 PM
Brunswick Community Library, Sycamore Room A - 3649 Center Road, Brunswick, OH 44212-3619
R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 9 to Vanessa Fields at vfields826@aol.com.
7. TUSCARAWAS COUNTY
Saturday, April 24, 2010
1:00 PM
Country Club Retirement Campus - 860 Iron Avenue, Dover, OH 44622
R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 23 to Cinda Godfrey at adnic@roadrunner.com.
8. TUSCARAWAS COUNTY (Senator Joe Schiavoni, D-33)
Friday, April 30, 2010
10:00 AM
Country Club Retirement Campus - 860 Iron Avenue, Dover, OH 44622
R.S.V.P. by Thursday, April 28 to Cinda Godfrey at adnic@roadrunner.com.
9. STARK COUNTY (Representative Scott Oelslager, R-51)
Friday, May 14, 2010
10:00 AM
Home of Representative Oelslager - 1585 Yorkshire Trcese, North Canton, OH 44709-4855
R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, May 12 to Veronica Dickey at veronicadickey@yahoo.com. Seating limited to 12!
10. STARK COUNTY (Representative Stephen Slesnick, D-52)
Friday, May 21, 2010
12:00 PM
Jackson Township Library - 7487 Fulton Drive NW, Massillon, OH 44646
R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, May 19 to Veronica Dickey at veronicadickey@yahoo.com.
Meetings currently under development for Athens, Butler (April 17), Columbiana (June at Angels for Animals), Crawford, Delaware (early June), Gallia (June), Lake (May), Licking, Lucas and Wood (May), Montgomery, Muskingham, Pike (late May-early June), Union (May), Vinton and Washington.
For dates, times and locations of all Town Hall Meetings (as they become confirmed), please click here - > http://banohiodogauctions.com/Events_02UZ.html.
Thanks everyone for serving as a strong voice for the animals!
Mary O'Connor-Shaver
Cell: 614-271-8248
Columbus Top Dogs
http://www.ColumbusTopDogs.com
http://www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com
http://www.ThoughtsFurPaws.com
http://petnewsandviews.com
http://tejasanimalrefuge.ca/
http://www.LostPetUSA.net
LEGISLATIVE ALERTS: Please visit our Home page for pending legislation impacting the welfare of OH animals - http://www.columbustopdogs.com/
Monday, March 8, 2010
AKC registrations continue to decline
Mar 1, 2010
By: Daniel R. Verdon
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
NATIONAL REPORT - More than 33 states last year enacted regulations targeting animal breeders. While the crackdown is closing puppy mills, it's also putting reputable breeders out of business.
Patti Strand, executive director of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), an animal-welfare organization aligned with purebred breeders and pet enthusasiasts, believes this country is truly at a turning point. Why?
Numbers of American Kennel Club (AKC) registrations have posted sharp decreases since 1992 levels, and the numbers for all purebred animals are thought to be on the decline as well. What is up, however, are purebred dog importations (see "Breed Wars").
Table 1: AKC registrations
Strand questions the health and safety implications of imported purebreds and the long-term impact on domestic pet populations.
Table 2: AKC registered dogs per 1,000 people
Last year, NAIA tracked 700 pieces of legislation influencing its members. An evaluation of data from the AKC depicts registrations last year at 716,195 animals (Tables 1 and 2). Only half of purebred owners are believed to register their dogs through AKC. The data suggests last year's registrations are closer to 1965 levels, and she believes it will continue to spiral downward.
Table 3: Dalmatian registrations
Consider the Dalmatian breed. Following a spike in breeding after the Disney release of 101 Dalmatians in 1996, breed numbers have been plummeting (Table 3). Breed registrations peaked in 1993 at 42,816 dogs and dropped to just 983 in 2008.
It's a driving impetus behind NAIA's creation of a kind of pet census. The idea is to better track numbers of animals from purebreds to shelter animals and monitor placement, ownership and relinquishment trends.
"Breeders have been the recipients of 30 years of really bad publicity during which time they have been portrayed as responsible for pet overpopulation, the creation of genetic diseases and bad temperaments," Strand says. "People come away thinking they just don't care about dogs."
These messages have resulted in wide-scale efforts by the AKC and other breed groups to fund research and support open discourse about the health problems associated with purebred dogs.
The history of anti-breeding laws came into vogue in the 1980s, Strand explains, and the public consciousness has shifted from targeting unscrupulous breeders to all breeders. The solution to a pet overpopulation problem lies somewhere inbetween.
"Very often the brush stroke is very broad, and it defines all breeders as part of the problem. It stigmatizes those who breed responsibly," Strand adds.
And yet critics believe that dog breeders are responsible for propagating genetic diseases by simply practicing selective breeding. And there is a very serious animal overpopulation problem resulting in large intakes within shelters. The only way to have an overpopulation problem is by breeding.
But the problem is far more complex, Strand contends. The pet overpopulation is driven by multiple reasons including unplanned litters, strays, importations and other factors.
The country, Strand says, also faces many challenges to pet ownership including costs, dangerous dogs, neighborhood nuisances, surplus of shelter dogs, feral cats and hoarding.
And a 2008 American Pet Products Association study confirms this country is actively trying to spay and neuter its way out of a surplus of unwanted pets. In fact, the association estimates that 76 percent to 87 percent of pets were neutered in 2008, Strand says.
The questions have become: Is it enough? And what about demand?
By: Daniel R. Verdon
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
NATIONAL REPORT - More than 33 states last year enacted regulations targeting animal breeders. While the crackdown is closing puppy mills, it's also putting reputable breeders out of business.
Patti Strand, executive director of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), an animal-welfare organization aligned with purebred breeders and pet enthusasiasts, believes this country is truly at a turning point. Why?
Numbers of American Kennel Club (AKC) registrations have posted sharp decreases since 1992 levels, and the numbers for all purebred animals are thought to be on the decline as well. What is up, however, are purebred dog importations (see "Breed Wars").
Table 1: AKC registrations
Strand questions the health and safety implications of imported purebreds and the long-term impact on domestic pet populations.
Table 2: AKC registered dogs per 1,000 people
Last year, NAIA tracked 700 pieces of legislation influencing its members. An evaluation of data from the AKC depicts registrations last year at 716,195 animals (Tables 1 and 2). Only half of purebred owners are believed to register their dogs through AKC. The data suggests last year's registrations are closer to 1965 levels, and she believes it will continue to spiral downward.
Table 3: Dalmatian registrations
Consider the Dalmatian breed. Following a spike in breeding after the Disney release of 101 Dalmatians in 1996, breed numbers have been plummeting (Table 3). Breed registrations peaked in 1993 at 42,816 dogs and dropped to just 983 in 2008.
It's a driving impetus behind NAIA's creation of a kind of pet census. The idea is to better track numbers of animals from purebreds to shelter animals and monitor placement, ownership and relinquishment trends.
"Breeders have been the recipients of 30 years of really bad publicity during which time they have been portrayed as responsible for pet overpopulation, the creation of genetic diseases and bad temperaments," Strand says. "People come away thinking they just don't care about dogs."
These messages have resulted in wide-scale efforts by the AKC and other breed groups to fund research and support open discourse about the health problems associated with purebred dogs.
The history of anti-breeding laws came into vogue in the 1980s, Strand explains, and the public consciousness has shifted from targeting unscrupulous breeders to all breeders. The solution to a pet overpopulation problem lies somewhere inbetween.
"Very often the brush stroke is very broad, and it defines all breeders as part of the problem. It stigmatizes those who breed responsibly," Strand adds.
And yet critics believe that dog breeders are responsible for propagating genetic diseases by simply practicing selective breeding. And there is a very serious animal overpopulation problem resulting in large intakes within shelters. The only way to have an overpopulation problem is by breeding.
But the problem is far more complex, Strand contends. The pet overpopulation is driven by multiple reasons including unplanned litters, strays, importations and other factors.
The country, Strand says, also faces many challenges to pet ownership including costs, dangerous dogs, neighborhood nuisances, surplus of shelter dogs, feral cats and hoarding.
And a 2008 American Pet Products Association study confirms this country is actively trying to spay and neuter its way out of a surplus of unwanted pets. In fact, the association estimates that 76 percent to 87 percent of pets were neutered in 2008, Strand says.
The questions have become: Is it enough? And what about demand?
HSUS: Federal Bill Aims to Allow the Government to Lead by Example
Link to bill:
Forwarded from HSUS release, through AKC-LL list:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.4733:
http://tinyurl.com/yg4l9mk
http://media-newswire.com/release_1113899.html
http://tinyurl.com/yjgdpf4
Federal Bill Aims to Allow the Government to Lead by Example on Farm
Animal Welfare
As food industry giants from Burger King to Hellmann's are making moves
away from some of the most inhumane factory farming practices, a new
federal bill adds support to the growing trend. U.S. Reps. Diane Watson,
D-Calif., and Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., this week introduced the
Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set a higher animal welfare
standard for food purchased by the federal government.
(Media-Newswire.com) - As food industry giants from Burger King to
Hellmann's are making moves away from some of the most inhumane factory
farming practices, a new federal bill adds support to the growing trend.
U.S. Reps. Diane Watson, D-Calif., and Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., this
week introduced the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set a
higher animal welfare standard for food purchased by the federal government.
The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal
protection organization, praised the proposal and encouraged Congress to
act swiftly to pass the bill.
The bill, H.R. 4733, simply requires that any food purchased for federal
programs comes from animals raised with enough room to stand up, lie
down, turn around and stretch their limbs.
"Americans are increasingly demanding that we move away from abusive
confinement in tiny cages on factory farms," Rep. Watson said. "The
federal government has a responsibility to help lead the way on this
important issue, just as many of our nation's largest companies are
starting to do."
"This bill requires meat producers who sell to the federal government to
follow the same guidelines that California producers have in place to
ensure the animals are raised humanely," Rep. Gallegly said.
"We are grateful to Representatives Watson and Gallegly for introducing
this important legislation, which would meaningfully improve the lives
of millions of farm animals being raised for the federal government,"
commented Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "Animals built
to move should be allowed to move, and it's the most basic of
requirements that they shouldn't be crammed into cages barely larger
than their own bodies for virtually their entire lives."
Seven U.S. states-Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine,
Michigan and Oregon -have passed laws to phase out some of the most
extreme confinement on industrial factory farms.
Many supermarket chains have taken steps to move away from products from
producers that use cruel and inhumane cages to confine farm animals,
including Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods
and Safeway. National U.S. restaurant chains-including Burger King,
Wendy's, Denny's, Red Robin, Quiznos, Sonic, Hardee's and Carl's
Jr.-have done the same. And the country's largest pork and veal
producers have pledged to phase out gestation crates and veal crates,
respectively.
Facts
Both the U.S. House of Representatives' and the U.S. Senate's cafeterias
already use cage-free eggs.
The HSUS has 11 million supporters nationwide.
Each year, the federal government spends more than $1 billion purchasing
animal products for a variety of programs and agencies, including the
National School Lunch Program, the Armed Services and the Bureau of Prisons.
Currently, no federal laws address the treatment of animals while
they're on factory farms.
Forwarded from HSUS release, through AKC-LL list:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.4733:
http://tinyurl.com/yg4l9mk
http://media-newswire.com/release_1113899.html
http://tinyurl.com/yjgdpf4
Federal Bill Aims to Allow the Government to Lead by Example on Farm
Animal Welfare
As food industry giants from Burger King to Hellmann's are making moves
away from some of the most inhumane factory farming practices, a new
federal bill adds support to the growing trend. U.S. Reps. Diane Watson,
D-Calif., and Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., this week introduced the
Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set a higher animal welfare
standard for food purchased by the federal government.
(Media-Newswire.com) - As food industry giants from Burger King to
Hellmann's are making moves away from some of the most inhumane factory
farming practices, a new federal bill adds support to the growing trend.
U.S. Reps. Diane Watson, D-Calif., and Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., this
week introduced the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set a
higher animal welfare standard for food purchased by the federal government.
The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal
protection organization, praised the proposal and encouraged Congress to
act swiftly to pass the bill.
The bill, H.R. 4733, simply requires that any food purchased for federal
programs comes from animals raised with enough room to stand up, lie
down, turn around and stretch their limbs.
"Americans are increasingly demanding that we move away from abusive
confinement in tiny cages on factory farms," Rep. Watson said. "The
federal government has a responsibility to help lead the way on this
important issue, just as many of our nation's largest companies are
starting to do."
"This bill requires meat producers who sell to the federal government to
follow the same guidelines that California producers have in place to
ensure the animals are raised humanely," Rep. Gallegly said.
"We are grateful to Representatives Watson and Gallegly for introducing
this important legislation, which would meaningfully improve the lives
of millions of farm animals being raised for the federal government,"
commented Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "Animals built
to move should be allowed to move, and it's the most basic of
requirements that they shouldn't be crammed into cages barely larger
than their own bodies for virtually their entire lives."
Seven U.S. states-Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine,
Michigan and Oregon -have passed laws to phase out some of the most
extreme confinement on industrial factory farms.
Many supermarket chains have taken steps to move away from products from
producers that use cruel and inhumane cages to confine farm animals,
including Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods
and Safeway. National U.S. restaurant chains-including Burger King,
Wendy's, Denny's, Red Robin, Quiznos, Sonic, Hardee's and Carl's
Jr.-have done the same. And the country's largest pork and veal
producers have pledged to phase out gestation crates and veal crates,
respectively.
Facts
Both the U.S. House of Representatives' and the U.S. Senate's cafeterias
already use cage-free eggs.
The HSUS has 11 million supporters nationwide.
Each year, the federal government spends more than $1 billion purchasing
animal products for a variety of programs and agencies, including the
National School Lunch Program, the Armed Services and the Bureau of Prisons.
Currently, no federal laws address the treatment of animals while
they're on factory farms.
Radical blogger launches own "abuser" data base
What if you have a recently rescued dog in your yard that is underweight. What if someone got a hold of the pictures of a sad/matted/disfigured rescue, such as Briar, and decided to say those pictures came from somewhere else. Or said his foster home were responsible?
This is very scary stuff - we can readily see what will happen to people whose names end up posted here. All your info., to be utilized in their own 'special' way (their emphasis, not mine).
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
Negotiation Is Over (blog)
Negotiation is Over Baby. An Army of ONE!!!!
March 6, 2010 -
http://negotiationi sover.com/ 2010/03/06/ negotiation- is-over-baby- an-army-of- one/
Burke Bryant (An Army of One) & Camille Marino (Negotiation is Over)
are Proud to Present:
The Animal Liberation Movement's Dedicated Database of Abusers
This is a grassroots effort intended for informational purposes only.
You provide the abuser's profile. And our database will be available
on mirror sites all over the net 24/7.
Use our database to write courteous & polite letters at your convenience.
It's time to start going after those that abuse the animals, it's time
for some polite payback letters.
------------ --------- --------- --
The Rules:
One
-The evidence against the person must be documented by either photos,
video, or direct confession before being posted to this page.
Two
-Any information posted that does not provide the requested
requirements will be pulled immediately.
-Once the above has been fulfilled then any and all information (home
address, work address, cell #'s, home #'s, make of car, occupation,
etc.) about that person is to be posted for everyone to see, and
utilized in their own "special" way.
Three
-Each and every person(s) who utilizes the information posted on these
pages exercises their own discretion.
-We assume no liability.
-This is an educational collective.
We encourage everyone to link our two permanent pages to your
websites, Facebook and MySpace pages, etc.
An Army of One
"It's time to go after those that are abusing the animals.. It's time
for some payback!"
"The time has come to change all the rules.
Another Army of One
"Oppressors never simply relinquish their power.
They need to be subdued and removed."
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *****
Burke Bryant is the Founder and co-sponsor of An Army of One and a
relentless and dedicated animal liberationist. He is passionate about
acting, photography, and the animals. He is a revolutionary, a
visionary photographer, a photojournalist, actor and photographer of
fashion, commercial, and lifestyle. Lover of world travel, rain, cold
weather, hiking, camping, surfing, road trips, spontaneous excursions
and silence.
Camille Marino, Founder & Senior Editor of NIO and co-sponsor of An
Army of One. Negotiating with abusers is an exercise in futility and
veganism is essential. The only action that matters to the imprisoned
is the one that imparts freedom. It is a moral obligation to protect
the innocent. Free speech must be exercised or it shrivels up and
dies. Oppressors never simply relinquish their power. They need to
be subdued and removed.
If the nonhumans could fight back, their tormentors would have expired
long ago. We have an obligation to expose the abusers. It is the LEAST
we can do! I welcome your emails & contributions.
If you have a Facebook account, join the extended Negotiation Is Over
network.".
To submit work to NIO for consideration and publication, please send
an email to camille@... with the subject
This is very scary stuff - we can readily see what will happen to people whose names end up posted here. All your info., to be utilized in their own 'special' way (their emphasis, not mine).
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
Negotiation Is Over (blog)
Negotiation is Over Baby. An Army of ONE!!!!
March 6, 2010 -
http://negotiationi sover.com/ 2010/03/06/ negotiation- is-over-baby- an-army-of- one/
Burke Bryant (An Army of One) & Camille Marino (Negotiation is Over)
are Proud to Present:
The Animal Liberation Movement's Dedicated Database of Abusers
This is a grassroots effort intended for informational purposes only.
You provide the abuser's profile. And our database will be available
on mirror sites all over the net 24/7.
Use our database to write courteous & polite letters at your convenience.
It's time to start going after those that abuse the animals, it's time
for some polite payback letters.
------------ --------- --------- --
The Rules:
One
-The evidence against the person must be documented by either photos,
video, or direct confession before being posted to this page.
Two
-Any information posted that does not provide the requested
requirements will be pulled immediately.
-Once the above has been fulfilled then any and all information (home
address, work address, cell #'s, home #'s, make of car, occupation,
etc.) about that person is to be posted for everyone to see, and
utilized in their own "special" way.
Three
-Each and every person(s) who utilizes the information posted on these
pages exercises their own discretion.
-We assume no liability.
-This is an educational collective.
We encourage everyone to link our two permanent pages to your
websites, Facebook and MySpace pages, etc.
An Army of One
"It's time to go after those that are abusing the animals.. It's time
for some payback!"
"The time has come to change all the rules.
Another Army of One
"Oppressors never simply relinquish their power.
They need to be subdued and removed."
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *****
Burke Bryant is the Founder and co-sponsor of An Army of One and a
relentless and dedicated animal liberationist. He is passionate about
acting, photography, and the animals. He is a revolutionary, a
visionary photographer, a photojournalist, actor and photographer of
fashion, commercial, and lifestyle. Lover of world travel, rain, cold
weather, hiking, camping, surfing, road trips, spontaneous excursions
and silence.
Camille Marino, Founder & Senior Editor of NIO and co-sponsor of An
Army of One. Negotiating with abusers is an exercise in futility and
veganism is essential. The only action that matters to the imprisoned
is the one that imparts freedom. It is a moral obligation to protect
the innocent. Free speech must be exercised or it shrivels up and
dies. Oppressors never simply relinquish their power. They need to
be subdued and removed.
If the nonhumans could fight back, their tormentors would have expired
long ago. We have an obligation to expose the abusers. It is the LEAST
we can do! I welcome your emails & contributions.
If you have a Facebook account, join the extended Negotiation Is Over
network.".
To submit work to NIO for consideration and publication, please send
an email to camille@... with the subject
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ohio Dog Auction
Dear Companion Pet Lovers ~
The next Ohio Dog Auction is scheduled to take place on March 27 and over 300 dogs are expected to be placed on the block. Now is the time to send a strong message to our state legislators that dog auctions are an embarrassment to Ohio and its humane minded citizens, and voters and taxpayers are committed to supporting a 2011 ballot initiative to ban these events from our community!
In the News! If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to read these latest articles (we encourage you to post comments) highlighting our ballot initiative campaign:
ü 02/26/10 - The Post (Ohio University) - Humane Society ranks Ohio low
ü 02/21/10 - Lancaster Eagle Gazette - Group seeks to stop puppy mills, dog auctions
ü 02/14/10 - Mansfield-News Journal – Group wants dog auctions banned in Ohio
ü 02/05/10 - Best Friends Animal Society (Puppies Aren't Products) - UPDATE: Ohio Dog Auctions Act
ü 02/02/10 - Star News Online - Two animal welfare ballot measures proposed in Ohio
ü 01/27/10 - Westlake/Bay Village Observer - Dog auctions in Ohio need to be banned!
For a complete listing of media releases relating to our ballot initiative, please click here.
More Voices! We applaud these wonderful organizations who recently joined Animal Law Coalition, ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society and the many voices supporting a ban on Ohio Dog Auctions:
ü Erie Shores Humane Society. Erie Shores Humane Society is a grass roots, non profit animal welfare organization. This dedicated group has been helping animals in need for 24 years.
ü Forever Friends Foundation. Forever Friends Foundation is a small non profit 501(c)(3), no-kill, animal rescue organization specializing in cats. Since it's founding in September 2003, Forever Friends has successfully found homes for over a thousand cats and kittens as well as several dogs.
ü Greyhound Adoption of Ohio. Greyhound Adoption of Ohio is a nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to placing retired racing greyhounds in loving homes for over sixteen years. To date, the organization has placed more than 2,000 dogs (who might otherwise have been destroyed) into homes where they have become members of the family.
ü Huron County Humane Society. The Huron County Humane Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that serves the residents of Huron County, and their mission is to prevent the suffering experienced by abandoned, neglected and abused animals.
ü Louisville Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. Louisville Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization whose objective is to find permanent, responsible owners for Weimaraners that come to their rescue. The organization serves Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio.
ü Operation Warm & Cozy, Inc. Operation Warm & Cozy, Inc. (OWC) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based on the belief that each family's pet's needs are of the utmost importance. This dedicated team delivers free pet food (when available), straw and doghouses year 'round, and they also offer a free spay/neuter program four months out of the year! OWC speaks at elementary schools on "HUMANE" issues, as well. As a result, their organization has aided many pets in Tuscarawas County and beyond.
ü Pure Doggy Organic Bakery. Pure Doggy Organic Bakery is committed to using human grade organic ingredients, meaning no pesticides or other chemicals have come into contact with your homemade dog cookies! They also believe in giving back to their friends in the dog community. They donate a percentage of our profits to charitable causes that benefit and enhance the lives of misfortunate animals.
ü The Furry Nation. The Furry Nation is a center of advocacy for rescue, training and holistic care for your pet. They focus on products that keep your pet nourished through natural ingredients the way nature intended. The store's learning center focuses on humane training and herbal/holistic remedies.
ü There's No Place Like Home Boarding Kennel. Located in beautiful Hocking Hills, this dog-friendly boarding kennel is owned and operated by dedicated animal advocate, Anne Riesbeck (part of the team that exceeded the signature goal for Hocking County!)
ü Twinsburg High School People for Animal Welfare (PAW). Twinsburg High School's People for Animal Welfare (PAW) is a student run organization founded in 1999. PAW aims to help animals through volunteer work, fundraising, and advocacy. PAW members care deeply about animals and hope to do all they can to help.
For a complete listing of those who support a ban on Ohio dog auctions, please click here.
Just 305 days remaining until December 1! As of February 28, a total of 7,565 signatures have been collected of the minimum 120,700 signatures required by December 1, 2010. 240 volunteer Petition Circulators have been raising awareness of the Ohio Dog Auctions Act by helping to collect signatures from 64 counties!
Voters across the state are communicating with their fellow citizens and starting to gather a goal of a minimum of 120,700 signatures by December 1, 2010 to put the proposed law before the Legislature in January 2011. Volunteer petitioners are needed to make this initiative a reality in Ohio —we have until December 1, 2010! We need everyone's participation to make this vital effort a success!
New Campaign Kits! A new campaign kit to help gather signatures; contains a media release, an informational sheet on the top questions (with answers) everyone needs to know on Ohio dog auctions and an informational sheet on best strategies in helping to raise awareness and gather signatures from registered voters. To download these and other informational materials, including a copy of the Initiative Petition (Ohio Dog Auctions Act), please click here.
Town Hall Meetings - Jackson (3/6), Franklin (3/13), Holmes (3/27) counties and more! Learn more about the Ohio Dog Auctions Act by participating in a Town Hall Meeting for your county! For dates, times and locations (as they become confirmed), please click here.
Signature Gatherings! With over 120,700 signatures required for the Initiative Petition to be placed on the 2011 ballot, much help is needed from volunteers! For dates, times and locations of upcoming Signature Gatherings (as they become confirmed), please click here.
Ohio Voters Against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions! If you haven't done so already, we invite you to join the over 1,780 voices who have become members of our FaceBook group, "Ohio Voters against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions." Membership is FREE, and our portal serves as a great vehicle in which to receive timely updates on issues and campaigns addressing Ohio dog auctions, puppy mills and the entities that support and keep them in business.
For more information on how you can become a member, please click here.
Campaign Gear! If you are interested in purchasing any of our low cost 'Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions' gear to help raise awareness of the Ohio dog auctions (t-shirts, car magnets, lawn signs, etc.), please visit the 'Contact Us' page of our website, www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com.
Thanks everyone for your continued dedication to serving as a strong voice for the dogs!
County Total votes cast in 2006 governor's race 3% (the MINIMUM number of signatures we need to collect by 12/01/10) The total number of signatures we have collected as of 02/28/10 Percent of Goal
Adams 8,685 261 14 5.36%
Allen 36,229 1,087 0 0.00%
Ashland 19,355 581 14 2.41%
Ashtabula 33,865 1,016 5 0.49%
Athens 19,840 595 114 19.16%
Auglaize 16,907 507 0 0.00%
Belmont 23,996 720 0 0.00%
Brown 14,044 421 1 0.24%
Butler 115,895 3,477 65 1.87%
Carroll 11,152 335 5 1.49%
Champaign 14,264 428 2 0.47%
Clark 49,056 1,472 1 0.07%
Clermont 65,010 1,950 31 1.59%
Clinton 12,646 379 0 0.00%
Columbiana 36,223 1,087 2 0.18%
Coshocton 13,408 402 419 104.23%
Crawford 16,744 502 0 0.00%
Cuyahoga 454,100 13,623 2,214 16.25%
Darke 20,223 607 0 0.00%
Defiance 13,638 409 0 0.00%
Delaware 64,773 1,943 194 9.98%
Erie 30,106 903 10 1.11%
Fairfield 54,004 1,620 23 1.42%
Fayette 8,402 252 1 0.40%
Franklin 373,258 11,198 1,103 9.85%
Fulton 16,141 484 1 0.21%
Gallia 10,165 305 0 0.00%
Geauga 39,148 1,174 304 25.89%
Greene 59,113 1,773 0 0.00%
Guernsey 13,375 401 2 0.50%
Hamilton 287,496 8,625 162 1.88%
Hancock 25,675 770 249 32.34%
Hardin 9,723 292 13 4.45%
Harrison 6,095 183 0 0.00%
Henry 11,473 344 0 0.00%
Highland 13,158 395 0 0.00%
Hocking 9,860 296 330 111.49%
Holmes 8,108 243 12 4.94%
Huron 18,917 568 3 0.53%
Jackson 10,423 313 103 32.91%
Jefferson 26,133 784 0 0.00%
Knox 20,780 623 13 2.09%
Lake 88,006 2,640 304 11.52%
Lawrence 19,109 573 1 0.17%
Licking 59,051 1,772 28 1.58%
Logan 16,080 482 7 1.45%
Lorain 100,632 3,019 385 12.75%
Lucas 142,784 4,284 52 1.21%
Madison 13,441 403 17 4.22%
Mahoning 95,251 2,858 4 0.14%
Marion 21,691 651 11 1.69%
Medina 65,511 1,965 110 5.60%
Meigs 7,707 231 13 5.63%
Mercer 15,646 469 1 0.21%
Miami 37,054 1,112 23 2.07%
Monroe 6,066 182 0 0.00%
Montgomery 189,201 5,676 90 1.59%
Morgan 5,516 165 11 6.67%
Morrow 12,575 377 8 2.12%
Muskingum 28,719 862 9 1.04%
Noble 5,072 152 0 0.00%
Ottawa 17,207 516 0 0.00%
Paulding 7,479 224 0 0.00%
Perry 11,291 339 1 0.29%
Pickaway 17,960 539 141 26.16%
Pike 9,776 293 0 0.00%
Portage 54,970 1,649 61 3.70%
Preble 15,553 467 2 0.43%
Putnam 14,161 425 0 0.00%
Richland 45,799 1,374 18 1.31%
Ross 23,839 715 2 0.28%
Sandusky 22,736 682 1 0.15%
Scioto 26,369 791 0 0.00%
Seneca 20,051 602 1 0.17%
Shelby 17,029 511 0 0.00%
Stark 139,414 4,182 306 7.32%
Summit 197,747 5,932 313 5.28%
Trumbull 81,128 2,434 18 0.74%
Tuscarawas 31,585 948 43 4.54%
Union 16,877 506 14 2.77%
Van Wert 10,409 312 0 0.00%
Vinton 4,422 133 12 9.02%
Warren 68,091 2,043 21 1.03%
Washington 22,788 684 0 0.00%
Wayne 38,546 1,156 113 9.78%
Williams 13,033 391 0 0.00%
Wood 45,616 1,368 13 0.95%
Wyandot 8,160 245 1 0.41%
TOTAL 4,022,754 120,682 7,565 6.27%
Mary O'Connor-Shaver
Cell: 614-271-8248
Columbus Top Dogs
http://www.ColumbusTopDogs.com
http://www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com
http://www.ThoughtsFurPaws.com
http://petnewsandviews.com
http://tejasanimalrefuge.ca/
http://www.LostPetUSA.net
The next Ohio Dog Auction is scheduled to take place on March 27 and over 300 dogs are expected to be placed on the block. Now is the time to send a strong message to our state legislators that dog auctions are an embarrassment to Ohio and its humane minded citizens, and voters and taxpayers are committed to supporting a 2011 ballot initiative to ban these events from our community!
In the News! If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to read these latest articles (we encourage you to post comments) highlighting our ballot initiative campaign:
ü 02/26/10 - The Post (Ohio University) - Humane Society ranks Ohio low
ü 02/21/10 - Lancaster Eagle Gazette - Group seeks to stop puppy mills, dog auctions
ü 02/14/10 - Mansfield-News Journal – Group wants dog auctions banned in Ohio
ü 02/05/10 - Best Friends Animal Society (Puppies Aren't Products) - UPDATE: Ohio Dog Auctions Act
ü 02/02/10 - Star News Online - Two animal welfare ballot measures proposed in Ohio
ü 01/27/10 - Westlake/Bay Village Observer - Dog auctions in Ohio need to be banned!
For a complete listing of media releases relating to our ballot initiative, please click here.
More Voices! We applaud these wonderful organizations who recently joined Animal Law Coalition, ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society and the many voices supporting a ban on Ohio Dog Auctions:
ü Erie Shores Humane Society. Erie Shores Humane Society is a grass roots, non profit animal welfare organization. This dedicated group has been helping animals in need for 24 years.
ü Forever Friends Foundation. Forever Friends Foundation is a small non profit 501(c)(3), no-kill, animal rescue organization specializing in cats. Since it's founding in September 2003, Forever Friends has successfully found homes for over a thousand cats and kittens as well as several dogs.
ü Greyhound Adoption of Ohio. Greyhound Adoption of Ohio is a nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to placing retired racing greyhounds in loving homes for over sixteen years. To date, the organization has placed more than 2,000 dogs (who might otherwise have been destroyed) into homes where they have become members of the family.
ü Huron County Humane Society. The Huron County Humane Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that serves the residents of Huron County, and their mission is to prevent the suffering experienced by abandoned, neglected and abused animals.
ü Louisville Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. Louisville Weimaraner Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization whose objective is to find permanent, responsible owners for Weimaraners that come to their rescue. The organization serves Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio.
ü Operation Warm & Cozy, Inc. Operation Warm & Cozy, Inc. (OWC) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based on the belief that each family's pet's needs are of the utmost importance. This dedicated team delivers free pet food (when available), straw and doghouses year 'round, and they also offer a free spay/neuter program four months out of the year! OWC speaks at elementary schools on "HUMANE" issues, as well. As a result, their organization has aided many pets in Tuscarawas County and beyond.
ü Pure Doggy Organic Bakery. Pure Doggy Organic Bakery is committed to using human grade organic ingredients, meaning no pesticides or other chemicals have come into contact with your homemade dog cookies! They also believe in giving back to their friends in the dog community. They donate a percentage of our profits to charitable causes that benefit and enhance the lives of misfortunate animals.
ü The Furry Nation. The Furry Nation is a center of advocacy for rescue, training and holistic care for your pet. They focus on products that keep your pet nourished through natural ingredients the way nature intended. The store's learning center focuses on humane training and herbal/holistic remedies.
ü There's No Place Like Home Boarding Kennel. Located in beautiful Hocking Hills, this dog-friendly boarding kennel is owned and operated by dedicated animal advocate, Anne Riesbeck (part of the team that exceeded the signature goal for Hocking County!)
ü Twinsburg High School People for Animal Welfare (PAW). Twinsburg High School's People for Animal Welfare (PAW) is a student run organization founded in 1999. PAW aims to help animals through volunteer work, fundraising, and advocacy. PAW members care deeply about animals and hope to do all they can to help.
For a complete listing of those who support a ban on Ohio dog auctions, please click here.
Just 305 days remaining until December 1! As of February 28, a total of 7,565 signatures have been collected of the minimum 120,700 signatures required by December 1, 2010. 240 volunteer Petition Circulators have been raising awareness of the Ohio Dog Auctions Act by helping to collect signatures from 64 counties!
Voters across the state are communicating with their fellow citizens and starting to gather a goal of a minimum of 120,700 signatures by December 1, 2010 to put the proposed law before the Legislature in January 2011. Volunteer petitioners are needed to make this initiative a reality in Ohio —we have until December 1, 2010! We need everyone's participation to make this vital effort a success!
New Campaign Kits! A new campaign kit to help gather signatures; contains a media release, an informational sheet on the top questions (with answers) everyone needs to know on Ohio dog auctions and an informational sheet on best strategies in helping to raise awareness and gather signatures from registered voters. To download these and other informational materials, including a copy of the Initiative Petition (Ohio Dog Auctions Act), please click here.
Town Hall Meetings - Jackson (3/6), Franklin (3/13), Holmes (3/27) counties and more! Learn more about the Ohio Dog Auctions Act by participating in a Town Hall Meeting for your county! For dates, times and locations (as they become confirmed), please click here.
Signature Gatherings! With over 120,700 signatures required for the Initiative Petition to be placed on the 2011 ballot, much help is needed from volunteers! For dates, times and locations of upcoming Signature Gatherings (as they become confirmed), please click here.
Ohio Voters Against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions! If you haven't done so already, we invite you to join the over 1,780 voices who have become members of our FaceBook group, "Ohio Voters against Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions." Membership is FREE, and our portal serves as a great vehicle in which to receive timely updates on issues and campaigns addressing Ohio dog auctions, puppy mills and the entities that support and keep them in business.
For more information on how you can become a member, please click here.
Campaign Gear! If you are interested in purchasing any of our low cost 'Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions' gear to help raise awareness of the Ohio dog auctions (t-shirts, car magnets, lawn signs, etc.), please visit the 'Contact Us' page of our website, www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com.
Thanks everyone for your continued dedication to serving as a strong voice for the dogs!
County Total votes cast in 2006 governor's race 3% (the MINIMUM number of signatures we need to collect by 12/01/10) The total number of signatures we have collected as of 02/28/10 Percent of Goal
Adams 8,685 261 14 5.36%
Allen 36,229 1,087 0 0.00%
Ashland 19,355 581 14 2.41%
Ashtabula 33,865 1,016 5 0.49%
Athens 19,840 595 114 19.16%
Auglaize 16,907 507 0 0.00%
Belmont 23,996 720 0 0.00%
Brown 14,044 421 1 0.24%
Butler 115,895 3,477 65 1.87%
Carroll 11,152 335 5 1.49%
Champaign 14,264 428 2 0.47%
Clark 49,056 1,472 1 0.07%
Clermont 65,010 1,950 31 1.59%
Clinton 12,646 379 0 0.00%
Columbiana 36,223 1,087 2 0.18%
Coshocton 13,408 402 419 104.23%
Crawford 16,744 502 0 0.00%
Cuyahoga 454,100 13,623 2,214 16.25%
Darke 20,223 607 0 0.00%
Defiance 13,638 409 0 0.00%
Delaware 64,773 1,943 194 9.98%
Erie 30,106 903 10 1.11%
Fairfield 54,004 1,620 23 1.42%
Fayette 8,402 252 1 0.40%
Franklin 373,258 11,198 1,103 9.85%
Fulton 16,141 484 1 0.21%
Gallia 10,165 305 0 0.00%
Geauga 39,148 1,174 304 25.89%
Greene 59,113 1,773 0 0.00%
Guernsey 13,375 401 2 0.50%
Hamilton 287,496 8,625 162 1.88%
Hancock 25,675 770 249 32.34%
Hardin 9,723 292 13 4.45%
Harrison 6,095 183 0 0.00%
Henry 11,473 344 0 0.00%
Highland 13,158 395 0 0.00%
Hocking 9,860 296 330 111.49%
Holmes 8,108 243 12 4.94%
Huron 18,917 568 3 0.53%
Jackson 10,423 313 103 32.91%
Jefferson 26,133 784 0 0.00%
Knox 20,780 623 13 2.09%
Lake 88,006 2,640 304 11.52%
Lawrence 19,109 573 1 0.17%
Licking 59,051 1,772 28 1.58%
Logan 16,080 482 7 1.45%
Lorain 100,632 3,019 385 12.75%
Lucas 142,784 4,284 52 1.21%
Madison 13,441 403 17 4.22%
Mahoning 95,251 2,858 4 0.14%
Marion 21,691 651 11 1.69%
Medina 65,511 1,965 110 5.60%
Meigs 7,707 231 13 5.63%
Mercer 15,646 469 1 0.21%
Miami 37,054 1,112 23 2.07%
Monroe 6,066 182 0 0.00%
Montgomery 189,201 5,676 90 1.59%
Morgan 5,516 165 11 6.67%
Morrow 12,575 377 8 2.12%
Muskingum 28,719 862 9 1.04%
Noble 5,072 152 0 0.00%
Ottawa 17,207 516 0 0.00%
Paulding 7,479 224 0 0.00%
Perry 11,291 339 1 0.29%
Pickaway 17,960 539 141 26.16%
Pike 9,776 293 0 0.00%
Portage 54,970 1,649 61 3.70%
Preble 15,553 467 2 0.43%
Putnam 14,161 425 0 0.00%
Richland 45,799 1,374 18 1.31%
Ross 23,839 715 2 0.28%
Sandusky 22,736 682 1 0.15%
Scioto 26,369 791 0 0.00%
Seneca 20,051 602 1 0.17%
Shelby 17,029 511 0 0.00%
Stark 139,414 4,182 306 7.32%
Summit 197,747 5,932 313 5.28%
Trumbull 81,128 2,434 18 0.74%
Tuscarawas 31,585 948 43 4.54%
Union 16,877 506 14 2.77%
Van Wert 10,409 312 0 0.00%
Vinton 4,422 133 12 9.02%
Warren 68,091 2,043 21 1.03%
Washington 22,788 684 0 0.00%
Wayne 38,546 1,156 113 9.78%
Williams 13,033 391 0 0.00%
Wood 45,616 1,368 13 0.95%
Wyandot 8,160 245 1 0.41%
TOTAL 4,022,754 120,682 7,565 6.27%
Mary O'Connor-Shaver
Cell: 614-271-8248
Columbus Top Dogs
http://www.ColumbusTopDogs.com
http://www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com
http://www.ThoughtsFurPaws.com
http://petnewsandviews.com
http://tejasanimalrefuge.ca/
http://www.LostPetUSA.net
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