March 25, 2011, I am very excited to share this news from Guest Blogger, Nathan Winograd, national No Kill leader. This is a huge opportunity for each of us to take a stand and be the voice for the animals. It will not be without opposition, so every person that believes municipal pounds must do a better job in caring for the pets entrusted to their care should be willing to make your voice heard in Austin!
End “Convenience Killing” in Texas
A call to action! Groundbreaking legislation has been introduced in Texas. The Texas Companion Animal Protection Act, would, among other things:
• Ban the gas chamber;
• Make it illegal for shelters to kill animals if rescue groups are willing to save them;
• End “convenience killing” (killing when there are empty cages); and,
• Require shelters to be truthful about how many animals they kill.
The law is based on model legislation of the same name from the No Kill Advocacy Center and mandates the programs and services which have ended the killing in communities nationwide. Versions of CAPA have been passed in California and Delaware.
It is expected to face opposition from shelters who do not want public scrutiny and the large, national allies who protect and defend them.
Texas animal lovers should contact members of the Texas House of Representatives Public Health Committee and urge a “Yes” vote. To do so, click here.
To learn more about the Texas CAPA, including what you can do, click here.
About Nathan:
Nathan J. Winograd is the Director of the national No Kill Advocacy Center. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School, a former criminal prosecutor and attorney, held a variety of leadership positions including director of operations for the San Francisco SPCA and executive director of the Tompkins County SPCA, two of the most successful shelters in the nation. He has spoken nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, has written animal protection legislation at the state and national level, has created successful No Kill programs in both urban and rural communities, and has consulted with a wide range of animal protection groups including some of the largest and best known in the nation. Nathan is the author of three books, Redemption, Irreconcilable Differences, and All American Vegan (co-written with his wife, Jennifer). Redemption won five national book awards and redefined the animal protection movement in the United States.
Actually people need to contact members of the PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE right now not their personal representative.
Please see my article for more information on what you can do to help.
All contact information is listed there. http://exm.nr/e6j8RS
We do not gas felons, so the fact we murder innocent animals in such a horrific manner is beyond comprehension. They have done nothing wrong. This must stop immediately!!
Gasing innocent animals should be against the law. I know it is against God’s law… Humans were suppost to take care of all of God’s creatures…what a mess we have made. Let’s all pitch in and fix this.
We must educate the public and make available affordable spay and neuter opptions for all pet owners. We must stop the breeding of pets for profit. We must stop all the cruelity. Be a part of the solution! By not doing anything, you are part of the problem!
In addition to the no convenience killing, we are all going to have to put our money where our mouth is and when we think of donating, do it to a shelter. It costs money to feed, medicate, and excercise these animals so they can hang on until their forever home becomes available. Equal attention, energy, and money needs to go into educating people about the benefits of adopting and the injustice of purchasing. Puppy mills and breeders are going to keep creating excess population until they don’t make money at it anymore. Let’s send them into another career choice!
The section of the news* above that indicates “click here” is not ‘live’. I cannot find the link on the Representatives site – can you provide some direction, please?
*Texas animal lovers should contact members of the Texas House of Representatives Public Health Committee and urge a ‘yes’ vote. To do so, click here. (it’s this ‘click here’ link that is not ‘live’)
Just Google Texas House of representatives. You can email these members by clicking on this page.
JL, sorry you experienced problems; the link works when I click it (it opens in a new browser window, so maybe pop-ups are blocked?). Here is the link: http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/committee/?committee=410&session=82
It looks like we need to email each person on the public health committee about the House Bill once we go to the link? Is that correct?
God put these beautiful animals on this earth, as he did humans. What gives anyone the right to take a life, ba it an animal or human. a little more effort to find homes for animals rather then the lazy way out.
Rita, yes, it’s important to let each one know our beliefs on the changes needed.
I have a “template” letter on No Kill Houston’s webpage if you need help writing your letter. http://s312584456.initial-website.com/legislation/texas-capa/
Also contact information for all members of the Public Health committee is listed on the webpage. If you can’t send a letter, please do sign the petition listed there. It will send an email to each committee member.
If you are on Facebook or Twitter, please contact the committee members who have Facebook and Twitter pages as well. Links are provided on our contact page as well.
This needless killing must stop now. It’s murder and is not justifiable.
WELL, ITS ABOUT TIME,I MEAN WE DONT KILL PEOPLE WHO SPEND TO MUCH TIME IN SHELTERS SO WHY SHOULD WE KILL ANIMALS WHO ARE FORCED TO BE IN SHELTERS. WE OWE IT TO THE ANIMALS TO HAVE A CHANCE AT A GOOD LIFE IN A FOREVER HOME,THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO ALLOW MAN KIND TO GIVE BACK TO THE ANIMALS WE ARE SO BLESSED TO SHARE THIS EARTH WITH.WE SHOULD PROMOTE ADOPTION OF ANIMALS AND ENCOURAGE OUR FRIENDS TO DO THIS AS WELL. THANKS FOR GIVING ANIMALS A CHANCE AT LIFE,WE OWE IT TO THEM.
Like someone say earlier, doing nothing makes you responsible for all the crimes against animals and their rights as creatures like us inhabitating this earth. I am certain though that targeting the commercial breeders is not going to help stop the mass amount of euthanasia or gassing. What will actually do the trick will be laws criminalizing the breeding of any animal with a license you must pay for. Then if caught breeding without this license will result in a big fat fine and a big fat visit to the jail cell for a short but enlightening experience of just how absolutely boring in jail one really is. This way they will have time to reflect on just how grateful they will be when they get out. Also, it needs to be easy for neighbors aware of breeding to discretely snitch of that lovely breeder next door, so they too won’t be responsible for breeding without licensing. This would definitely end euthanasia and gassing, but as simple as this sounds it will take decades for someone to pass it as a law. As successful as this could be, we’ll all be in our grave before something special like this happens. Actually I wonder if it will ever happen, just seems to me laws for animals rights creep as slow as a snail. That tells you something about the America, and human nature.