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WAGGIN TAILS JULY 2025
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY Dear Friends and Members: Happy summer. It is amazing how time flies. It’s July 4th, the birth of our country. We have to hold on to it, and appreciate all that it is. Please watch out for pets, and strays. The firecrackers are very frightening to them. Pets are on a leash (or should be), but strays can run into traffic. 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] ASPCA Farmers Join the ASPCA on Capitol Hill for Briefing Urging Congress to Invest in a More Humane, Healthy Food System WASHINGTON, DC – Today on Capitol Hill, the ASPCA® moderated a briefing featuring farmers and ranchers from across the country who shared their experiences both raising animals in the industrial agriculture system and operating in a healthier, more humane and sustainable manner. Congressional staff in attendance heard directly from farmers who advocated for policy solutions, highlighting the need for greater investment in America’s independent farms, and encouraged Congress to prioritize support for higher-welfare, more resilient, pasture-based farming systems as discussions continue around federal funding and the next Farm Bill. The briefing directly follows a June 16th tour of two higher-welfare farms in Virginia – Whiffletree Tree Farm and Kinloch Farm – where congressional staff joined the ASPCA, farmers, and other food system experts to visit these operations in-person and hear directly from the farmers making them successful. Hosted in cooperation with Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), the panel featured a robust discussion with farmers from Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota and Virgina, who spoke about the benefits for animals, farmers and consumers of more humane, pasture-based farming, how their practices differ from industrial agriculture, the markets they’re currently able to access, as well as the barriers to growth and financial stability that they face using non-industrial practices. The farmers also explained how federal policies impede their ability to adopt better practices or continue farming this way, highlighting the critical need to invest in America’s independent farms and the supply chains they rely upon to support the growth of a more humane, healthy food system. “At the ASPCA we celebrate the farmers and ranchers across the country who choose – despite the many challenges of working in a system that was not designed for them – to raise animals with the highest welfare standards,” said Daisy Freund, vice president of Farm Animal Welfare for the ASPCA. “After hearing from these farmers and seeing first-hand the difference that high welfare, pasture-based farming can make, we hope that lawmakers will understand that we cannot double down on the industrial status quo and join us in building a more humane and healthy farming system.” “Conventional farming practices often work against the nature of land and animals: pastures are overgrazed, animals are stressed, our food lacks nutrition, and toxic feed and chemicals are used to save money and band-aid the systemic problems,” Jesse Straight, farmer and founder of Whiffletree Farm in Virginia. “U.S. land, animals, food, and farmers will benefit from farm policy that encourages farming that collaborates with nature’s systems.” “Farmers want out of industrial agriculture. They want to raise animals or grow crops in healthier ways that don’t leave them desperately buried under debt, but there is no off ramp,” said Craig Watts, former poultry contract grower & director of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project’s Contract Grower Transition Program. “We need federal policies like the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act to save farmers from exploitative contracts and help them farm with dignity and security.” “Investing in pasture-based, humane agriculture offers huge economic, ecological and food security returns,” said Andrew L. Smith Sr., co-owner of Smith Brothers’ Ranch in Georgia. “This way of farming and ranching isn’t a quaint folly, its already nourishing communities, regenerating our soil and revitalizing rural America, but we need policies in place to scale and replicate these benefits that will enable all producers to grow together.” “Higher-welfare farmers in the Midwest and across the country need public investment in coordinated value chains, accessible support services, and community-owned infrastructure to build resilient regional food systems,” said Diane Christofore, executive director of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. “If we want nourishing food, regenerative, humane agriculture at scale, and money back in the hands of the people growing our food, then farmers and rural communities need to be in the driver’s seat of farm policy.” Over 10 billion animals are raised for food on U.S. factory farms every year, and surveys show that the vast majority (89%) of Americans are concerned about industrial animal agriculture, citing animal welfare, worker safety, or public health risks as a concern. Today’s panel of farmers demonstrated that there are more humane alternatives to factory farming, highlighting the urgent need to align the food system with the values of a majority of Americans. As Congress considers which farmers and practices to support with the hundreds of billions of dollars allocated to agriculture through the Farm Bill and other vehicles, they must increase support for the many farms that are protecting animals, consumers and our environment, rather than using tax dollars to reinforce the harm done by factory farming. ASPCA ASPCA Announces New Round of Grant Funding to Support Cutting-Edge Research to Benefit Animals NEW YORK – The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has announced $460,000 in grant funding available to U.S. and Canadian organizations to support research that either directly or systemically benefits animals, with a focus on projects that examine cruelty, access to veterinary care, applied behavior, psychological trauma, shelter research, and farm animal welfare. As the nation’s leading voice for animals for more than 150 years, the ASPCA is deeply committed to improving the lives of at-risk dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals, and research is a key element to addressing animal welfare. “Research is critical to understanding the full scope of an issue and determining how we can most quickly and effectively take action, however most animal welfare issues are unsolved and underrepresented in both research and practice,” said Dr. Maya Gupta, vice president of research at the ASPCA. “By fostering high-quality research on some of the biggest issues facing animals in our society, we can help inform innovative strategies on how the animal welfare community and its partners can enhance access to veterinary care, adoption and behavioral rehabilitation programs, partnerships with law enforcement and shelter professionals, and increase public awareness to improve the lives of both companion and farm animals.” Billions of animals across the U.S. face challenges to their wellbeing each year, from cruelty to homelessness and lack of access to veterinary care, as well as those suffering on cruel factory farms. To address some of the most urgent issues facing the animal welfare community, the ASPCA is seeking proposals for Research Grants in the following categories:
For years, the ASPCA research grants have awarded funding to organizations nationwide to support groundbreaking and thought-provoking research. Some of last year’s grant recipients include:
“The ASPCA Research Grant has been instrumental in advancing our collaborative study with the Virginia State Police, examining how animal cruelty cases are reported in Virginia through the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS),” said Dr. Holly Hargreaves-Cormany, Associate Professor of Forensic and Legal Psychology, Marymount University . “Thanks to the ASPCA’s support, our findings will help raise awareness of the challenges involved in enforcing animal cruelty laws, highlight current trends in the animal control field, and inform best practices for training animal service agencies to use the NIBRS database effectively. Ultimately, with the insights of this research, the Virginia State Police training program could serve as a national model for other state law enforcement agencies." LINDA’S LINE Hi. July is here again, and I can’t believe that we are in the seventh month of the year. It is unbelievable how quickly time passes. 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. First, 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. If you have an animal that has any kind of health problems, be extra careful to give them as much attention, and comfort as possible during this time, because the stress caused by the noise of fireworks can be especially harmful to them. Please remember to be aware of the strays in your area as well, because 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. Please, at the very least, call the appropriate agency to come and pick up the animal if possible. 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. Please continue to write or call your politicians asking to change laws for better humane care for the strays. 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, thank you for all that you do. Please update your mailing address – we don’t want to lose you. Let us know your summer/winter address. If you know of anyone who is interested in joining our programs to help the strays, please give them our literature. It is very important to have more people join. Please visit our website. We are always updating the pictures of animals that we have helped. The website address is saveourstraysbrooklyn.com. Please let people know that we have a PayPal page, and a Go Fund Me page. It is now easier to donate to Save Our Strays. The funds are greatly needed, and very appreciated. We have helped thousands of strays over our 57 years. Our starting date was May/June 1968, so it is now 57 years. The funds that come in enable us to stay, and help the strays. We need you to spread the word to keep funds coming in. Please put our newsletter on a work bulletin board or give it to people who might be interested. Remember, we are a 501(c)(3) Tax deductible organization. Thank you, in advance, for your help. 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. They need us to fight for them. 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!” Have a Happy, and Healthy Summer. Till next time. Waggin’ Off
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AuthorThis blog is a digital version of our Waggin' Tails Newsletters Archives
August 2025
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