 WAGGIN TAILS AUGUST 2024 INTERNATIONAL HOMELESS ANIMALS DAY AUGUST 17, 2024 Dear Friends and Members: August is a very hot month. The country’s temperatures have gone up, due to climate change. We can’t control the weather, but we can control the help that we bring to animals under our care in the New York area, Florida area and the Carolinas, North and South. We are in great need. Donations just about cover the cost of food for the strays. The rest of our bills are being paid from our Reserves, which is rapidly going down. The help that we offer to the strays under our “eyes” everywhere, will not continue to happen without Administrative funds. We need your help. Please reach out to one, and all to see who has a way to help, i.e.: newspaper stories, fund raising parties, people who need a charity to donate to. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. You have always been here for the strays. The strays are begging – we need help. We have money for veterinarians, but if we can’t keep the Administrative part of the organization going, we are gone and so is the help for the strays. I am devoting this August newsletter to just this issue. This is very important. We started in 1968. It is now 2024 – 56 years. No one thought when we started at my kitchen table in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, that we would be here 56 years later. This is your doing. You have helped the strays for at least 56 years. We don’t want to close,, but that is where we are headed if we don’t find a way to increase the funds received. Please reach out to Friends, Family and Business Partners. We are still the grassroots organization living the dream, with your help, to save the strays. Help us to stay here. The Closing Thought page is just going to repeat some of this Appeal. WAGGIN TAILS AUGUST 2024 (CONT.) I need everyone to remember this message, so it’s the beginning message and the end message. In between, Robbin, Nicki and our colleague, and partner Little Feet Haven in South Carolina, will tell you some of the things that we are doing through the stories that we print. Just remember it is a sample of all that we do. We feed, and give veterinary treatment where, and when depending on the need. Food money is needed. I will leave you with several thoughts.
LEGISLATION [REPRINTED] Bill would ban wildlife killing contests on public lands WASHINGTON—Today, more than 14 members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation that would prohibit organizing, sponsoring, conducting or participating in wildlife killing contests on more than 500 million acres of U.S. public lands. Wildlife killing contests are organized events during which participants compete for cash or prizes by killing the most, the largest or the smallest animals over a certain period of time. Each year thousands of native carnivores and other wildlife — including coyotes, foxes, bobcats, raccoons, rabbits, prairie dogs, mountain lions and wolves — are killed during these cruel, senseless competitions. The Prohibit Wildlife Killing Contests Act of 2024, introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., and other congressional leaders, would require the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service to enact regulations banning wildlife killing contests within one year of enactment of the law. “America’s wildlife play a special role in the natural environment and in a healthy ecosystem,” said Rep. Cohen. “Killing apex predators and other targets for what some deem ‘sport’ is both cruel and unnecessary. These contests serve no legitimate wildlife-management purpose and ending them is the right thing to do.” “In addition to being unethical and unsportsmanlike, wildlife killing contests run counter to science-based wildlife management policy,” said Jennifer Eskra, director of legislative affairs of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “This bill would end this execrable practice and protect wildlife at a national level, something that 10 states have already done.” “Wildlife killing contests have absolutely no place in our country including on our public lands,” said Katie Stennes, senior program manager for wildlife protection at the Humane Society of the United States. “These ‘cash for wildlife’ competitions, where native species are targeted, killed and then piled up for photos and bragging rights, are unacceptable. These animals should be respected for their intrinsic value and their key role in healthy ecosystems. We urge Congress to end senseless, wasteful wildlife killing competitions once and for all.” Ten states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington — have already outlawed wildlife killing contests within their borders. The Humane Society of the United States conducted undercover investigations into these competitions in more than a dozen states, spurring significant public outrage against the events. “Wildlife killing contests are cruel events that have no place in modern civil society,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney for the Animal Welfare Institute’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “Participants frequently violate the fundamental hunting principle of fair chase by using bait and electronic calling devices to maximize the likelihood of winning, and animal carcasses are usually dumped once the contest is over.” “It’s shocking that these cruel and reckless contests are still allowed on our public lands,” said Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity. “America’s wild carnivores are so important to maintaining healthy ecosystems. They deserve better than to be targeted in these thrill-kill slaughter fests.” “Most people are shocked to learn that wildlife killing contests are even legal on our public lands,” said Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of Project Coyote. “Killing animals for prizes and entertainment is ethically indefensible, ecologically reckless, and anathema to sound wildlife conservation and management.” Additional cosponsors of today’s legislation are Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Cori Bush (MO-01), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Lloyd Dogget (TX-35), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Grace Meng (NY-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Katie Porter (CA-45), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) and Dina Titus (NV-01). FYI [REPRINTED] Animal testing company agrees to pay historic $35 million resolution two years after the epic rescue mission of approximately 4,000 beagles The Humane Society of the United States assisted the Department of Justice in rescuing thousands of beagles from Envigo RMS’s facility in Cumberland, Virginia, in 2022 CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—Today, the Department of Justice announced that Inotiv, the parent company of Envigo, agreed to pay more than $35 million as a resolution to an investigation which included a criminal search warrant executed at Envigo RMS’s facility in Cumberland, Virginia, in May 2022. This resolution includes the largest ever fine in an Animal Welfare Act case. During the multiday seizure, the Humane Society of the United States assisted federal authorities with the rescue of approximately 445 dogs and puppies found to be in acute distress. As part of the resolution announced today, Inotiv has agreed to pay approximately $1.9 million to the Humane Society of the United States for direct assistance provided to the investigation. Subsequently, the Humane Society of the United States led the historic operation to remove the remaining nearly 4,000 beagles from the facility. A federal court ordered the removal after the DOJ filed a lawsuit which alleged shocking violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the breeding facility. Issues documented by U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors included inhumane euthanasia practices, inadequate veterinary care, and failure to meet the Animal Welfare Act’s minimum standards for handling, housing, feeding, watering and sanitation. “While these beagles have since settled into loving homes, the news of the resolution brings back poignant memories of meeting them for the first time two years ago,” said Adam Parascandola, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team. “For several long and hot days, our team helped assess the thousands of dogs in the facility as we assisted with the search warrant. We were able to bring approximately 445 dogs and puppies to safety that week, and in the weeks that followed, we held our breath hoping for a new beginning for the nearly 4,000 beagles remaining in the facility. It was an incredible relief and honor for all of us when the DOJ asked us to come back and rescue the remaining dogs, and we are grateful that those responsible for their suffering are being held accountable.” Many of these dogs would have been bound for animal testing laboratories if they had not been removed from the breeding facility. Instead, the Humane Society of the United States placed the beagles with over 120 shelter and rescue partners, which helped them find loving homes. In addition to Envigo RMS’s now-closed Cumberland facility, Inotiv owns multiple companies and facilities that breed animals for use in research and operates numerous animal testing laboratories. In 2021, the Humane Society of the United States began an undercover investigation at one such facility—Inotiv’s contract testing laboratory in Indiana. The hidden-camera investigation revealed dogs continuing to be given doses of substances even when they were vomiting, shaking, unable to stand, and had high fevers and labored breathing. The animals spent their days behind bars and were subjected to painful procedures such as being force-fed substances via stomach tubes, injections and multiple blood draws. Most of the animals were killed at the end of the studies, as is typical for any drug testing. Close to 90% of drugs tested on animals ultimately fail in human trials, with approximately half of those failures due to unanticipated human toxicity, despite toxicity not having been observed in animals. There is evidence that non-animal approaches, such as organ-chip technologies, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and various other approaches, provide superior results that will ultimately improve drug success rates for humans while sparing animals. The Humane Society of the United States continues to urge Inotiv and the larger industry to seek out alternatives to animal experimentation. Meanwhile, Inotiv has continued to demonstrate disregard for animal welfare—last year, news broke that Inotiv was again under federal investigation after prosecutors charged several employees of Inotiv’s main supplier of monkeys with involvement in a criminal conspiracy to illegally bring wild long-tailed macaques into the U.S. The violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the Envigo breeding facility from which the more than 4,000 beagles were rescued underscore a need for increased interagency collaboration to fight animal cruelty and neglect by ensuring proper enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. The bipartisan Better CARE for Animals Act will give Department of Justice the tools to better enforce the Animal Welfare Act and ideally, intervene faster at facilities with documented violations to save the lives of suffering animals, like these beagles, before it is too late. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund are calling on the public to urge their representatives to support the Better CARE for Animals Act. LINDA’S LINE Hi. August is here again, the hottest month of summer. Please, please watch out for the strays, and remember to carry dry food, as moist food will spoil in the heat. A cold bottle of water will also be helpful. Also, remember to bring something to put the water in. You can make a bowl from aluminum foil wrap, which you can fold in your bag. It is just as difficult for the strays to find these necessities in the hot weather, as it is in winter. They will be most grateful for your help. A reminder that this month, on August 17th, we also celebrate International Homeless Animals Day. If you are thinking of getting a new pet, please consider adopting from a shelter, rather than buying one from a pet store. There are so many wonderful animals in the shelters that are deserving of a good, loving home. You should also consider adopting from Animal Care and Control, and ASPCA, as by doing so, you can save lives. There are other shelters in the five boroughs of New York that you can adopt from also. If you are interested in contacting them, please feel free to call me Monday to Friday, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm (718-332-3956), and I will be happy to help you. To those of you that live outside of the New York area, please adopt from your local ASPCA. There are many rescue groups that are 501(c)3, that hold animals for adoption. You can google them in your area. As I said above, this is the hottest month of summer so please remember, whether you are at home or away on vacation, that in the heat of the summer, the best time to walk your pet is before 11 a.m., and late afternoon, as these are the times when the sun is weakest. Also, remember to wet the bottoms of your pet’s feet, to keep them comfortable when walking on the hot pavement. It’s a good idea to wet their heads, and under their necks as 2well. This will keep them cool. Remember that extreme heat is just as bad for animals as it is for us. Please remember to carry water with you for your pet. It is important to keep them well hydrated in the warm weather. Also, and again, I know that we have said this before, but I feel that it is important enough to repeat – NEVER, EVER leave a pet or a child in a parked car in the heat, as this can lead to tragic results. We see stories of tragedies like this on the news all too often. If you see an animal or a child left in a situation like this, please don’t ignore it – notify someone immediately. If you see an animal that looks like it has been abused, please don’t pass it by, call police. Remember that we are the guardians of the strays, and they will be grateful for any help that we can give. Also, If, you have not done so already, please have your pet microchipped. It doesn’t hurt them, and it will make it easier to find them, if they get lost. This is very important. That’s all for now, but I’ll be back next month. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Till next time. CLOSING THOUGHT Things to think about during the summer months, and the winter months.
In order for us to remain open, we need more Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A Stray members. So, if you can, please give our newsletter to a friend. Maybe they will join our Adam, Eve or Sponsor-A-Stray program. If you have not given in a long time, please restart your pledge. We have funds to continue helping strays at the veterinarian’s office. We help many each month. We were fortunate to receive a small trust from one of our members, who passed and left a legacy to the strays. The funds are only for veterinary bills, and adoptions. They cannot be used for anything else. We are at a point where Administrative funds are quickly going down, which includes the money that we spend for food. It would be a horror if we ran out of Administrative Funds. No Director is paid at ALL ever. We do need funds for our clerical help, Attorney and Accountant. Funds are needed for supplies, phones etc. Funds are needed on the business end. When these funds are exhausted, we will have to close, even though we will have funds to help the strays. We need YOU to find a way to help us to raise funds. We are doing a Go Fund Me (not really working). We have a Facebook page – problem is no money is coming in. We purchased an email Fund Raising list, (not good). If you know of anyone that does Fund Raising, or who needs a tax break, remember that we are a non-profit 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. So, please keep us here. If you haven’t given us a donation in a while, please think about one now. It is really important. We help so many each month. Please reach out to all you know. This is for the strays. 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!” Till next time. Wagging Of
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 WAGGIN TAILS JULY 2024
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY Dear Friends and Members: Fourth of July. We celebrate the birth of our country, which is a good thing, but unfortunately, the firecrackers are very frightening to pets and stray animals. So, please watch out for the strays in your area. They could run out in the street in front of a car. My Riley, may she rest in peace, would go into a closet to get away from the noise. Once a year, we take an important issue and repeat an article that we think is important to repeat.
There are so many strays in this world that suffer so much. Let’s not forget what they do in the Asian countries with dogs, and cats. It is a nightmare. Please, if you see a petition to stop horrific torture, please sign it. Have a wonderful, safe summer. LEGISLATION [REPRINTED] South Carolina passes legislation removing hurdle in enforcing animal protection laws The South Carolina legislature unanimously passed legislation addressing the financial burden of caring for animals seized in cruelty and fighting cases. This bipartisan bill was supported by South Carolina law enforcement agencies and ensures that the responsibility for covering the costs of caring for abused animals shifts from local agencies and taxpayers to the defendents. “It’s only fair that the true cost of caring for animals rescued from acts of animal cruelty falls on those responsible for those animals,” said Janell Gregory, South Carolina state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “Law enforcement from across the state overwhelmingly supported this legislation because it removes a significant obstacle to enforcing our state’s animal protection laws.” When abused and neglected animals in South Carolina are seized by law enforcement agencies in animal cruelty or fighting cases, they are required to be held for months—or even years—while criminal charges are prosecuted and the judicial process determines the outcome of a case. The length of time imposes a significant and needless cost to law enforcement agencies, animal welfare non-profits, and taxpayers in the state. Under the new legislation, if a judge determines the seizure was justified, the owner must either pay for animal care or relinquish the animals so they can be adopted. “I want to especially thank all of our South Carolina lawmakers for their unanmious support of this important issue to protect animals in our state who suffer from severe animal neglect and abuse,” added Gregory. “They are a true friend to animals in need.” FYI [REPRINTED] Five years after landmark rescue from a roadside zoo in Canada, kangaroos, tigers and others saved from neglect and cruelty are thriving in Texas After living in dungeon-like stalls, these animals now have all of their needs met MURCHISON, Texas—Five years ago, Humane Society International rescued over 200 wild exotic animals from decrepit, barren and disturbing conditions at St. Edouard Zoo, an unaccredited facility in Canada. The animals were taken to sanctuaries and qualified facilities throughout North America, including the 1,400-acre Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison where tigers Serenity and Theodora, Doula the lioness, a zebra named Zuko, and Wolfgang the wildebeest—along with kangaroos Ross, Rachel and Joey—are now living happily-ever-after. At the zoo, rescuers saw failing fences and cages, chewed stalls holding malnourished, anxious and lonely animals, dead animals just below the soil, and a dilapidated and dank barn with rows of stalls housing isolated animals including Zuko, Wolfgang, Rachel, Ross, Joey and many others. The big cat “house” was a shed over a filthy cement floor with enclosures that had unsafe and weakened spots from the cats’ chewing on them. Sue Tygielski, senior director of Black Beauty Ranch, part of the Humane Society of the United States, said, “Five years ago these animals were rescued from deplorable conditions, some in chewed up, dark, dungeon-like stalls where they could barely move, while others were trying to dig out of their habitats. Here at Black Beauty, their lives changed in every way. They are receiving exceptional care, having their needs met and are given the freedom to exhibit their natural behaviors and be the animals they deserve to be. They have become confident individuals able to flourish under our care. They will never face cruelty again.” The animals include:
LINDA’S LINE Hi. It’s July already, and I can’t believe how quickly the year is passing. I hope that this summer won’t be a scorcher. The weather was pretty good this past month, despite a few thunderstorms here and there, but we have already had some warm weather both here, and around the country. So far, the strays are doing as well as can be expected, but please try to remember to carry pet food, and water with you. It is difficult for them to find these necessities for themselves, and they will be very grateful for any kindness that we can show them. Remember that we are their guardians. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends, and members a Happy, and Safe Fourth of July. Once again, a reminder to please be careful with firecrackers, and remember that they can be dangerous to us, our pets, and the strays. Their ears are so much more sensitive than ours, both strays, and pets are very much afraid of the noise that fireworks create. This is very stressful for the animals. So please be aware, and try to keep them calm, and out of harm’s way. Please also be aware of the strays in your area as, if a firecracker goes off near them, they may be tempted to run out into traffic to get away from the noise. If a stray is hurt, please bring it to your veterinarian or the SPCA that is nearest to you. In New York, there are Animal Care Centers in all boroughs that are intended to help strays. Please check with them, if you find an injured animal. For information on where these centers are, please call 311 (the Mayor’s Office). If you can be responsible for the stray, if it is friendly, to find it a home or adopt it, we can help with medical bills if you take it to your veterinarian. You will have to contact us first, as we only pay directly to the veterinarian. Unfortunately, we do not have foster or holding homes. We rely on the public for “hands on.” We can help with medical only. MOST IMPORTANT: We have seen too many reports on the news of children, and animals, who died as a result of being left in a hot car. So, PLEASE remember NEVER to leave a child or a pet in a parked car in the heat. This is extremely dangerous and could result in a tragic loss. There are many petitions out there asking politicians to change laws for better humane care for the strays. So please continue to write to the people that you vote for, and let them know that you want changes in the law, to stamp out cruelty to animals, and more support placed on helping sick and injured animals. Your voice, and your neighbor’s voice, need to be heard. We have to join with each other – there is strength in numbers. Have a wonderful summer. Be safe. Be happy, and be a guardian to a stray – don’t pass him/her by. CLOSING THOUGHT Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members, please update your mailing address – we don’t want to lose you. Let us know your summer/winter schedule. If you know of anyone who is interested in joining our programs, in order to help strays, please show them our literature. It is very important. Don’t forget to check out our website, we are always updating pictures of the animals that we have helped. The website address is saveourstraysbrookyn.com. Please let people know, we have a PayPal page, and a Go Fund Me page set up. It is now easier to donate to Save Our Strays. The funds are greatly needed. We have alleviated the suffering of thousands, and thousands of strays over our 56 years. The funds that enabled us to stay here and continue our work are not forthcoming. Unless we start to receive more funds, our time to help strays will come to an end. We need YOU to spread the word, and help us find new avenues to raise funds so that we can continue to help the strays. Please put our newsletter on a Bulletin Board at work, or give it to people who might be interested. Please let them know what we do. We are a 501(c)3 Tax deductible organization. I can’t say this often enough. We need more funds. So, please help us to find the funds so that we can continue to help strays. Please do not leave a pet in a car, even with the window open. The temperature rises very quickly, and the pet can be DEAD by the time you return from the store or wherever you went, for the proverbial minute. Think about what our “food” animals go through. Please write your government leaders, and ask for more Humane Laws. They are thinking, feeling animals. They suffer, and they have no recourse. Their only hope is more humane legislation. 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!” |