WAGGIN' TAILS - JUNE - 2026

WAGGIN TAILS                        JUNE 2026

FLAG DAY

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

ADOPT A SHELTER CAT MONTH

To All our Friends and Members:

          Welcome to June.  Memories of June for all of us growing up, was the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation – Block Parties, and Coney Island, for us in the 5 Boroughs.  A simple time.

          As we grew up, we learned about the world and its hardships for people, and especially animals.

          This past year, there have been wars around the world.  The Middle East, Ukraine and other places also and now Iran.  The wars hurt the people, but the wars devastate the animals.  Injured, starving with no hope.  At least people can get some help.  If you are in a position to help legitimate animal organizations in war-torn countries, please do.  Even a few dollars will help.

          We have a big problem here.  Even though we are not in a war zone, our strays suffer.  We need new organizations like Save Our Strays to open up.  We need to fund the ones that are here.  Carol, our Director of Animal Welfare and Coordinator is stressed out every day.  She gets most of the calls for help.  Linda gets some also.  We can just do as much as we can, funds permitting.

          Please encourage friends, and neighbors to spay and neuter.  It is so very hard to keep up with all the all the kittens born in the street.

          We have to work together.  The strays only have us.  We care, we help.  Thank you to all who read this newsletter.  I know that you care.

          Enjoy your Father’s Day.  Also Grandfathers, Uncles, Brothers and anyone who cares for children and pets, and strays.  You are all appreciated.

LEGISLATION                                                                                                 [REPRINTED]

Top Massachusetts animal policy concerns in 2026

From a pet shop bill to an ivory ban, our Massachusetts state director is fighting for change

At Humane World for Animals in Massachusetts, “no two days look the same,” says state director Preyel Patel. “We’re working on nearly every priority issue filed here.”

Preyel Patel, Humane World for Animals state director of Massachusetts

Among them is the Humane Pet Shop Bill, which would prohibit the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops. Patel ensures lawmakers have the full picture; some are surprised to learn that stores almost always get their animals from high-volume commercial breeders, many of which have documented Animal Welfare Act violations for sick or injured dogs. The goal of this legislation is to stop the pipeline of animals coming from these puppy mills and shift to a humane business model geared toward adoption partnerships.

“Because of states passing similar laws, we’ve seen the number of dogs trapped in USDA-licensed facilities drop,” Patel explains. “It’s proof that cutting off this sales channel really does shrink the puppy mill industry.”

Other bills in the running to become law this year include a factory-farmed fur sales ban, a ban on the trafficking of ivory and rhino horn and an act to promote humane cosmetics and other household products by limiting the use of animal testing. Patel says the most impactful way supporters can get involved is to contact their legislators.

“Having people who show up, who tell their stories, who bring their lived experience to the table matters more than most folks realize.”

FYI                                                                                                                                        [REPRINTED]

Victory! World’s largest bullfighting arena no longer holds bullfights

The Monumental Plaza de Toros in Mexico City—the world’s largest bullfighting arena—is no longer a venue for bullfights. The bullring closed its doors indefinitely last month, after a judge issued a suspension on bullfighting shows in the Mexican capital. This is the first time in its 76-year history that the 50,000-seat Monumental Plaza de Toros has been legally prevented from staging bullfights.

Judge Jonathan Bass’s decision was based on Article 13-B of the local constitution of Mexico City, which guarantees the "right to a healthy environment" and recognizes animals as “sentient beings.” In 2016, Humane Society International/Mexico worked with local legislators to ensure the constitution reflected citizen concern for animal welfare. We are extremely honored to have participated in the drafting of the constitution and the shaping of that article, which ultimately made this ban possible. We’re also grateful to the lawsuit filed by Justicia Justa, a civil society organization, which brought this issue to court.

Mexico City’s constitution is one of the most animal-friendly in the Americas. It includes far-reaching animal protection language that recognizes animals as sentient beings who should be treated with dignity and whose welfare must be protected. As part of that moral consideration, it frames their care as a common responsibility of citizens and local authorities. It also mandates secondary laws to determine penalties for animal abuse and guidelines for wildlife protection and humane practices for farm animals.

The judge’s decision took account of a study by the Environmental and City Planning Attorney General of Mexico City that describes the suffering and injuries caused to the bulls during the fights. Backed by scientific evidence, the research shows that bulls forced to participate in the spectacle of bullfighting suffer agonizing pain before dying. One of the authors of the study, ethologist Claudia Teresa Edwards, who serves as programs director for HSI/Mexico, shows there is sufficient evidence derived from neurophysiology, pathology and ethology, to argue that animals such as bulls are sentient, capable of feeling pain and generating diverse emotions.

As with any major step forward for animal protection, there has been controversy over the judge’s decision. Bullfighting still has a significant fan base in Mexico, and its supporters see the decision as an attack on one of the country’s long-standing traditions. (The city hosted its first bullfight to honor Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes in 1526.) Mexico remains one of the handful of countries that still allows traditional bullfighting: Bulls are raised for the fight and usually die in the ring at the tip of the matador’s sword. But the tradition is swiftly falling out of favor as citizens become ever more concerned for animals. Since 2013, five states in Mexico—Coahuila, Guerrero, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa and Sonora—have banned bullfights, and several polls indicate substantial citizen support for a ban. According to a leading polling agency, 80% of Mexico City’s inhabitants consider bullfighting a cruel spectacle in which animals are abused.¹

I’ve thought about this issue for a long time because it has come up in discussions of global declarations of heritage under UNESCO and other international entities in which I’ve played a part. But claims of tradition are not a warrant for animal cruelty. As Judge Bass pointed out, "society demands that the physical and emotional integrity of all animals, including bulls, is respected."

We agree with Judge Bass, and we are enormously grateful to him for issuing this suspension as well as to all the concerned citizens who believe that bullfighting should be banned. This is a critical step forward for a more humane future for animals. In the world we’re trying to build, there’s no room for such cruelty.

LINDA’S LINE

          Hi.

June is here again, and hopefully, we are free of all the rain, enjoying much better and warmer weather and making plans for the arrival of summer.  This is a welcome break for all of us, especially for the strays.  This month we also honor all the Fathers of this world.  I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of the two-legged, and four-legged fathers out there a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY.  I am hoping that the amount of 4-legged fathers will decrease, so we will have less strays in the world.

On another note, whether you are at home or on vacation, please remember to carry pet food, and water with you in your travels, in case you come across any strays that need a helping hand.  It’s a rough world out there, and as their guardians, it is up to us to do what we can, whenever we can to help them.  If you see an injured animal, please don’t pass them by, and do nothing.  Please call Animal Care & Control (dial 311- the Mayor’s Office) to report it, to have them pick up the animal.  If you live outside of New York or are on vacation, please call the local Animal Care & Control Center.  It is important to remember that the strays too, are G-d’s children,

and as such, they deserve to be given the same respect, and treatment that we would give to a human being that is hurt.

A reminder that this month is also Adopt A Shelter Cat Month.  So, if you are thinking of taking in a cat or dog, please consider looking into adopting one, or even two, from a shelter, rather than buying them from a pet store.  There are so many wonderful and deserving animals in shelters such as ASPCA, and Animal Care & Control, where you could be saving an animal’s life.  You can look within your local rescue groups.  If you have a computer, you can check the internet, under Google.com for rescue groups in whatever area you are in, to find them.  The animals desperately need, and want a good, loving home.  If you don’t see what you are looking for at these shelters, please feel free to call Save Our Strays, and we will be happy to offer you some other options to consider.  Our phones are opened Monday to Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  All phone calls, and messages are always returned and answered in a timely fashion.

          Also, please remember whether you’re on vacation or here at home, to carry cool bottled water for your pets.  It is very important to keep them well hydrated, and as comfortable as possible in the hot weather.  Yes, they feel the heat, and can be affected by it the same way as humans are.

Also, please remember to wipe the bottom of your dog’s paws with a cool cloth or pet wipe, as well as the top of his or her head, before walking them as this will help to keep their bodies cool, and keep their paws from being irritated by the hot sidewalks.  It is a good idea to wipe their paws,

and the nose and mouth area after a walk as well, because we do not know what germs they may pick up while they are out on the streets.

          Never leave a pet dog or cat or a child in a locked car, even with the windows opened a little bit.  The summer heat, along with a metal roof of a car, will make the temperature rise very fast.

          Have a wonderful summer!  Stay safe!  That’s all for now, but I’ll be back again next month.

                                                                   Till next time.

CLOSING THOUGHT

                Once again I can say, that the people reading this newsletter are enlightened people, who have learned in their years, kindness and giving.

            I know that it’s been said, but it is worth repeating.

We need new men, and women who can give their time, energy and their hard-earned money to feed, and care for the strays.  I know our Rescuers go out early in the morning, and late in the evening to care for colonies of strays.  During kitten season, they help mommy cats with food to nourish their “babies.”  If they find a kitten that has wandered from its mommy, they try to find the litter, if they can.  If not, they take the kitten home.

Our hearts continue to go out to the Rescuers around the world that helped to rescue animals where there is need in Gaza, and around the world.  Animals are not given the respect that they should have.  They help through hard times, and are always there, no questions asked.

            The Fourth of July is coming soon, and firecrackers go off starting in June.  Please be aware of the strays in your area.  They can become frightened by the noise, and run out in front of a car.  Pets can pull out of their leash, and collar.  This day is NOT a celebration for them.

            If you are a snowbird, please update your address with us.

Thank you to all our Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members.

            Please pass our newsletter around.  We need more Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members.  We rely on the funds from these donations.  They are really very important.  These funds help keep us here.

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!”

            To one, and all have a wonderful summer, and let’s try to help one stray at a time. There are many stray animals out there that won’t have a wonderful summer.  That’s why we must continue to spay, and neuter and hopefully, reduce the stray population.

            And yes, More Humane Laws for all animals – cats, dogs, horses, farm animals etc.

            We have to become a better world.

Till next time.

                                                                                                            Waggin’ Off