 WAGGIN TAILS MARCH 2022 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS – 3/13/22 HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY HAPPY PURIM Dear Friends & Members: Looking over the newsletter from last March, is an eye opener. How soon we forget. I said that last year we had a terrible winter in the northern states, with freezing temperatures, rain and snow. Well, unfortunately, it is the same this year with horrible weather in North, and South Carolina. This winter has been terrible, with snow, freezing rain and temperatures in the low 20’s. The stray population here is not use to this kind of weather. Unfortunately, people here in the South still keep their pets outside, with or without shelter. The laws here are not good. I think that North Carolina has better Humane Laws than South, but I have to look into this further. In any case, improvement is needed all over the United States, and the world. We are continuing our medical care, which is growing with each new vetted rescuer. We help with food as much as we can. Medical is always given, thanks to our benefactor. We want to say thank you again, for your response to our Holiday Fundraising appeal. It has helped a great deal. You are all so very much appreciated by the strays, and our staff. Please pass our newsletter around. We need more Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members. Take care of yourself. Till next time. LEGISLATION [REPRINTED] Breaking: Federal judge restores protections for wolves The decision halts the war on wolves in 45 states WASHINGTON—Today, a federal judge overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s November 2020 decision to delist wolves across most of the continental United States. This decision will restore federal Endangered Species Act protections for these iconic carnivores in response to a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States and a coalition of conservation organizations. The opinion, authored by Judge Jeffrey White of the federal district court for the Northern District of California, faulted the government for a number of legal and scientific errors, including its failure to assess threats to wolves across their entire range. Today’s decision puts an end to the bloody and controversial management of wolves by states like Wisconsin that have had primary authority over wolves since the delisting went into effect in January 2021. What quickly followed in Wisconsin was a February 2021 trophy hunting season in which state-licensed hunters aided by packs of hounds slaughtered more than 215 wolves in under three days, exceeding the state’s quota by nearly double. Wisconsin’s plans to open a second hunt this fall were temporarily blocked by a state judge, but future hunting seasons there and elsewhere were all but guaranteed. With Endangered Species Act protections back in place for wolves, trophy hunting is once again prohibited. Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said: “Today is a monumental victory for wolves who will now be protected from state-sponsored bloodbaths. After having yet another wolf delisting overturned in federal court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should finally learn its lesson. Instead of continuing to devise convoluted excuses to strip these beloved animals of legal protections, the agency must develop a plan for meaningful recovery across the species’ range and ensure that states will not decimate their wolf populations.” Previous attempts to delist gray wolves have routinely been overturned by the federal courts, most recently in a precedent-setting 2017 opinion by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in a case brought by the Humane Society of the United States and its allies. That opinion set the stage for today’s victory. After today’s decision, only the Northern Rockies population of wolves remains unprotected. The USFWS is considering relisting Northern Rockies wolves, who are threatened by aggressive wolf-killing laws passed by Idaho and Montana this year. “For far too long the federal government has made decisions about the fate of gray wolves based on political pressure from special interest groups, failing to heed the very clear science which shows that federal protections are necessary to allow this iconic species to recover and thrive,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Today’s decision is a fantastic victory, and it shows the Fish and Wildlife Service that they must stop making politically motivated decisions when it comes to the very survival of species. We urge the agency to use the court’s decision today to inform all of their choices about gray wolves moving forward and to immediately restore federal protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies as well.” The federal government has 60 days to appeal the court’s decision. LEGISLATION [REPRINTED] The Humane Society of the United States honors Rep. Campbell for work combatting puppy mills The Humane Society of the United States presents Indiana state Rep. Chris Campbell, D-West Lafayette, with the Indiana 2021 Legislator of the Year Award for her efforts to help animals in Indiana and beyond by authoring HB 1142 to end the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores. Rep. Campbell also championed similar legislation again this year in filing HB 1160. “Hoosiers should be proud that Rep. Chris Campbell is leading efforts to help protect animals and members of the public alike by authoring legislation to address these concerns at the state-level,” said Samantha Morton, Indiana state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “We are pleased to honor her with this award and thank her for her leadership in standing up to protect the dogs and cats languishing in puppy and kitten mills.” "I am honored to receive this award from the Humane Society of the United States and to champion humane pet retail and ownership practices in Indiana," Rep. Campbell said. "A lack of comprehensive legislation has led to a puppy mill problem in Indiana and, unfortunately, has found itself holding multiple spots on the Humane Society's Horrible Hundred Report.” Indiana ranks No. 2 in the country for commercial licensed pet breeders and many of those are considered puppy mills. Indiana is also home to approximately 20 pet stores across the state. Selling commercially raised puppies and kittens in pet stores raises serious animal welfare and consumer protection issues. Morton notes that responsible breeders do not sell to pet stores and that prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores helps reduce the puppy mill to pet store pipeline. A statewide humane pet store bill would not limit a consumer’s ability to purchase a pet from a responsible breeder or to adopt from a local shelter or rescue. FYI [REPRINTED] Disturbing undercover investigation exposes a potentially deceptive and prevalent ivory trade across Maryland, including sellers saying they were “not supposed to say it’s ivory” WASHINGTON—Today the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International released a disturbing undercover investigation revealing the potentially deceptive sale of products made from elephant ivory by 20 sellers across Maryland. The investigation, which took place between July and December 2021 in Kensington, Annapolis, Hagerstown, Frederick and other locations across the state, documents hundreds of figurines, trinkets and jewelry carved from elephant ivory and up for sale. Legislation to prohibit the sale of parts and products from imperiled species has been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly. The bill (HB 52/SB 381) addresses intrastate trade and complements existing federal laws. The Humane Society of the United States/Humane Society International investigator saw that tags on most ivory items for sale did not identify the material they were made of. When asked about the vague and incomplete item descriptions, several salespeople told the investigator that they were not supposed to say it’s ivory. Most sellers claimed to know nothing about laws regulating the sale of ivory, or about the ivory items they were selling. In an Annapolis store, some ivory items were labeled “ivory” or “elephant ivory” however the store clerk had no further information on the pieces, which is required by federal law. At another Annapolis store, a seller claimed to not know what a set of napkin holders appearing to be ivory were made of but told the investigator he took them off his eBay site after online shoppers complained the items were ivory. In a Kensington shop, a staffer bragged that she took a class on ivory identification but told the investigator she is confused about ivory law and identification and cannot discern ivory age or type. At one store, the investigator found a lamp likely made from a giraffe’s legbone carved with a giraffe and elephant motif that was labelled “camel bone,” demonstrating that sellers may not know the origins of their items or are purposefully misleading buyers. None of the vendors at the 20 locations could provide the documentation required by federal law to verify the age or origin of ivory products. Without required documentation proving that the item is an antique at least 100 years old, ivory items for sale in Maryland are potentially new ivory sourced from recently poached elephants. Several items documented for sale in Maryland appear to be newer—they lack the patina or discoloration which is a sign of age, and the style of the items are more modern than many classic antique pieces. The investigation shows that Maryland sellers and consumers could be unknowingly contributing to the illegal ivory trade as potentially illicit ivory is being sold under the guise of legal ivory. Although many sellers are aware of federal regulations, others are unaware that what they are selling may be illegal ivory given the lack of state law governing its sale. Those seeking to sell illegal ivory take advantage of that gap in state law, putting both honest antique sellers and Maryland consumers at risk of purchasing illegal and recently poached ivory. Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Maryland state director for the Humane Society of the United States, said: “Passage of legislation to stop the sale of elephant ivory and other imperiled species will ensure that Maryland does not provide a local market for animal products that result from international poaching and trafficking. We also want to alert consumers who may not realize they are unwittingly contributing FYI [REPRINTED] Disturbing undercover investigation exposes a potentially deceptive and prevalent ivory trade across Maryland, including sellers saying they were “not supposed to say it’s ivory” (CONT.) to the destruction of iconic animals and the illegal wildlife trade. Twelve states and Washington, D.C., have passed similar measures, and we are concerned the D.C. ivory market can easily shift to Maryland if we don’t have laws to curtail it.” Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and CEO of Humane Society International, said: “We must protect imperiled species around the world by removing the financial incentive to kill wildlife and trade in their parts. This travesty contributes to the devastating loss of elephants and other at-risk species across the globe.” Delegate Sara Love (D-16), the bill’s sponsor in the House of Delegates, said: “Marylanders care about global issues and want to do our part to make a difference. This Humane Society of the United States investigation proves that Maryland is creating a market for these parts and products, and by aligning Maryland law with the federal law, we can take a significant step toward protecting these iconic species.” Senator Will Smith (D-20), the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, said: “The sale of illegally poached ivory right here in Maryland helps fund illegal activity across the globe, fueling terrorism and driving global insecurity. Cutting off access to our markets is a simple step Maryland can take to make all of us safer.” In addition to elephant ivory, the bill would prohibit the sale of products and parts from giraffes, hippos, pangolins, sea turtles, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, jaguars, tigers, leopards, bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Passage of this legislation will ensure that Maryland does not sell products that contribute to animal cruelty, international wildlife crimes and the trade of products from endangered and threatened species. Background
LINDA’S LINE Hi. It’s the Month of March, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends, and members a HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY, and a HAPPY PURIM. With all the bitter cold weather, and the snow that we have had so far this year, it has been a rough winter for us, and especially for the strays. Hopefully, spring will arrive soon, bringing with it some nice warm weather. This will be a welcome break for the strays, and for all of us. On another note, I would like to tell you about a rescue that Save Our Strays, and I were involved in during this past month. One day, I received a call from an acquaintance of mine named Charlotte, who walks her dog in my area, telling me that while walking on East 17th Street with a friend of hers, they came across a very sweet, friendly, cat. The cat, whom I affectionately named Wiskers, kept coming up to them, and rubbing against them, as if he was asking for help. Knowing that I am an animal person, she asked if there was anything that I could do to help. I told her that I would see what I could do, and immediately put some cat food, a bottle of water and two paper bowels into a shopping bag, and went down to evaluate the situation. When I got there, and saw Wiskers I said, “what a beautiful cat.” I immediately put out the bowls with food, and water, and he gobbled it up. The poor cat was starving! We estimated that he was about 1 or 1½ years old, and so sweet, and it was obvious that he had been put out by his previous owner. We all agreed that between his wonderful disposition, and the cold weather, he did not belong on the street. So, I took him to my house, and since I have pets of my own, set him up in my bathroom where it was nice and warm, so that he would feel safe and comfortable. Shortly after that, I made an appointment with one of our veterinarians to have him checked out completely, neutered, given shots etc. Save Our Strays paid the veterinary bill. After that, he stayed with me until he was ready to be adopted. In the meantime, my friend Charlotte got in touch with a rescue group that she knew of, and with their help, we were able to find a home for Wiskers, with a very lovely young women who lives in the area. Since she works out of her home and has no other pets, it ws an ideal situation for this cat. Well, Wiskers was picked up by his new cat mom today, and is now in his new forever home. Another happy ending for Wiskers, and Save Our Strays. Rescue groups work together for the best interests of the animals. Remember that Daylight Savings Time begins on March 13th, so don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour the night before. That’s all for now, but I’ll be back next month with another story. Until then, G-d Bless you all, Stay well and Stay safe. Till next time. CLOSING THOUGHT HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY to all our Irish friends, and HAPPY PURIM to our Jewish friends. Daylight Savings Time will start on March 13th, 2021. It is almost time for new kitten season. Please be aware of the strays in your area. Kittens, and puppies are easier to place, as shelters will accept them quicker. Please help a feeder/rescuer in your neighborhood, to help the strays. Please reach out, and help a stray, even if it is only food and water. Do what you can to help. Please pass our newsletter around. We need more Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members. To help our supporters, who shop on Amazon, to support Save Our Strays through the Amazon Smile program, please go to Google and type in AmazonSmile.com. You will then be directed to a home screen that says AmazonSmile in the upper left-hand corner. Log in with your Amazon account (email/phone number and password). If you are already logged in, just go to the search bar, and type in “SAVE OUR STRAYS INC.” Then select the second option, “Brooklyn, NY.” Click on the Amazon Smile LOGO in the top left corner of your Amazon page. Once you have done this, Under the word ALL in the search bar you should see a line that says “SUPPORTING: SAVE OUR STRAYS.” Now you are ready to shop. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to Save Our Strays Inc. Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for all holidays (remember that Easter, and Passover are coming) and occasions i.e.: birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, christenings, bar mitzvahs and lovely gifts for all occasions. Items that they have are: electronics, jewelry, clothing and more. You may have to set up an Amazon account to use Smile. Please try. It is important. (See instructions on the next page.) Please Remember Our Troops “We salute you for all you have done. Your courage has kept us safe. Your sacrifice has kept us free. All of America owes you more than we can repay. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. We are behind you all the way – From the battlefield. . .to recovery!” Waggin’ Off Till next time AMAZON SET-UP PAGE GOOD NEWS Supporters of Save Our Strays can now use the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on Amazon Smile, and start generating donations. Please pass this on to anyone who uses Amazon, and doesn’t necessarily have a charity that they support. Now is the chance to support Save Our Strays. The funds go for food, and medical treatment. We are certainly a worthy cause. A dollar spent this way feeds an animal in need. Amazon Smile is now in the Amazon Shopping app You can now support Save Our Strays on iPhone, and Android phones. If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, please update your app. How to turn on Amazon Smile in the mobile app – instructions below. 1 Join Amazon Smile If you are already an Amazon Smile member, sign up on your web browser. Simply select Save Our Strays to start generating donations, at no cost to you. 2 Get the app Download or update the latest version of the Amazon Smile Shopping app on your phone. You can find it in the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android. 3 Turn on Amazon Smile Open the app, and find “Settings” in the main menu. Tap on “Amazon Smile,” and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on Amazon Smile on your phone.
Amazon Smile benefits Same products, same prices, no cost to you. Amazon Smile has the exact same low prices, Vast selection, and convenient shopping as the Amazon you know.
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