WAGGIN' TAILS - MARCH - 2026

WAGGIN' TAILS                 MARCH 2026

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS – 3/8/26

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

HAPPY PURIM

Dear Friends & Members:

Let’s start off with some good news.  A judge, Jeffrey Harris in Winnipeg Canada, sentenced a pair of animal abusers to 12 years in prison for torturing, and killing animals.  The sad part is that it involved over 90 animals.  I can’t understand how twisted so many people are.  At least it is a start to put these sub-humans away, where they can’t hurt animals.  I can only hope that the United States gets on board.  We lag behind in humane treatment of animals.

          We are almost through the winter cold months.  April is next month, and kitten season starts.  Please be on the lookout for pregnant cats.  Please feed when you can, and remember, if you can, pick up a mother or kitten and foster it.  We will send it to one of our veterinarians if you continue to foster it.  This is a joint effort.  Let’s work together to help the strays.  A team that works together stays together, and we have done this for 58 years.  Let’s keep doing it, and try to recruit younger people to join us.

   LEGISLATION                                                                                                                 [REPRINTED]

ANIMAL VICTORY 

6 Years of Laws That Changed Animal Protection

2019–2025

2019 — PACT Act (Federal)

Extreme acts of animal cruelty became a federal felony, closing a major loophole in U.S. law.

2021 — Tommie’s Law (Virginia)

Malicious torture or wounding of a dog or cat is a felony even if the animal survives.

2024 — Ponce’s Law (Florida)

Strengthened penalties for aggravated animal cruelty following the killing of a Labrador puppy named Ponce.

025 — Reba’s Law (Nevada)

Increased the maximum sentence for willful and malicious animal cruelty resulting in death from 4 years to 6 years.

2025 — Dexter’s Law (Florida)

Created a public animal abuse offender database and strengthened penalties for aggravated cruelty.

2025 — Trooper’s Law (Florida)

Made it a felony to abandon pets during natural disasters.

2025 — Jerry’s Law (Arizona)

Clarified cruelty and neglect standards and allowed earlier law enforcement intervention.

2025 — Daisy’s Law (Arkansas)

Authorized authorities to remove dogs and cats before conditions become fatal.

Each of these laws started with public pressure — and ended with accountability. 

FYI                                                                                     [REPRINTED]

Italy makes progress for farmed animals with new cage-free fund

Italy has taken a first step toward a future in which farmed animals are no longer confined in cages. In January, the 2026 Italian budget law went into effect, establishing the country’s first public fund dedicated to supporting the transition to cage-free animal farming systems.

Cage-confinement deprives animals of the ability to express their natural behavior and often even the space to turn around, leading to higher stress levels and more frequent health problems. These animals spend all or most of their lives in barren cages designed to restrict their movement so they can hardly move a few inches in any direction.

In Italy, more than 40 million animals are still forced to live in cages on farms every year, including pregnant pigs, rabbits, calves, hens and quails. Across the European Union, the number stands at 300 million. And while the EU has already banned traditional battery cages for egg-laying hens, nearly 40% of hens used for egg production are still confined in so-called “enriched” cages, provided with around the space of a standard sheet of paper and denied the opportunity to fully express their natural behaviors such as dust bathing and perching on elevated roosts. The most recent scientific opinions of the European Food Safety Authority clearly recommend a transition to cage-free systems to improve their welfare.

According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 91% of Italian citizens oppose the use of individual cages in the animal farming sector. At the EU level, as many as 1.4 million people have supported the “End the Cage Age” European Citizens’ Initiative, calling on the European Commission to phase out and ultimately prohibit the use of cages in EU farming. Together with the other members of the “End the Cage Age” coalition, Humane World for Animals is working to ensure that the Commission honors its commitment and submits a dedicated legislative proposal.

The measure was approved by the Italian Parliament, allocating €500,000 for 2026 and €1,000,000 for 2027 to support structural and management changes in industrial animal agriculture operations. While we were hoping for an even higher allocation, the creation of this fund is a starting point that sends an important political signal: Political parties came together, with the support of the Italian Minister of Agriculture, to create real change for farmed animals, which demonstrates a significant precedent at the EU Member State level.

We will work to ensure that the fund is maintained and expanded in the coming years and that other countries make similar tools available, especially as we expect there to be a comprehensive revision of the European Union’s animal welfare legislation soon.

Our global movement has made immense progress because we have built relationships and coalitions with the aim of creating a better world for animals, one that is more humane and more hopeful for future generations. To this end, we work with policymakers, corporations and public and private financial institutions around the world to improve policies, practices and procedures related to animal welfare.

If you too dream of a cage-free Europe and a more compassionate food system, speak up for animals suffering on factory farms and take action through your everyday food choices.

LINDA’S LINE

          Hi.

          We are in 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.  It has been a rough winter this year, for us and the strays, between the snow and the very cold weather.  However, it isn’t over yet, as according to Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, there may be six more weeks of winter weather. but we will see what the rest of this month brings.  Hopefully, before long, spring will arrive, bringing with it some nice warm weather.  This will be a welcome break for the strays, and for all of us.

Please be aware of the strays around your area, and if you see an animal that needs help, please see what you can do to help.  Don’t pass it by. 

Remember to always carry pet food, and bottled water with you.  A Reminder

that kitten and puppy season will soon be upon us.  So, if you see a mother cat with kittens, please give her some food and water, so that she will be able

to nurse her kittens.  It is a matter of survival for them.  I know that we have

said this before, but we must remember that we are their Guardians.  Also, if you come across a homeless person with a pet, please give them a blanket, and some food for themselves, and for their pet.  They will be very grateful for the help.  Remember that any good deed that we do here on earth is a gold star for us in the Book of Life.

          If you are considering adopting a pet for yourself or someone else, please be sure that this is something that you or the recipient really want.  I say this because many times we have seen, and heard of incidents where after a while, the owners decide, for one reason or another, that they no longer want the animal, and it is often left somewhere to fend for itself.  This is a sad

situation for the poor animal, because animals that are use to being cared for

find it very difficult to survive on the streets, and it is very cruel, and illegal

to abandon an animal.  If you no longer want the animal, bring it to the local ASPCA shelter.  So, please be sure that the animal is definitely wanted, before you consider adopting it.

          Remember that Daylight Savings Time begins on March 8^th, 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

            We would like to wish all our Irish friends, and since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, a Happy, Healthy, safe St. Patrick’s Day.  To our Jewish friends, we wish you a Happy Purim.  This is a happy holiday.

          Daylight Savings Time starts on March 8^th, and ends on November 1^st this year.  I like the longer days, when it is still light outside in the late afternoon.

          Next month is Easter.  DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT giving Rabbits, Birds or any other live animal as a gift, unless you are taking the recipient of the gift with you to pick out a new family member as an Easter present.  We say this, this month to give you time to think of something else as an Easter gift.  More animals lose their lives after the holidays.  They are cute babies, and then they get too big for your home.  Many more are abandoned, and die.  So, think about this.

          We hope that you enjoy the newsletter.  Any suggestions are welcome.  Please remember that we need new Adam, Eve and Sponsor-A-Stray members.  When you go on a trip, and put a Temporarily Away notice at the Post Office, please let us know not to send you your monthly newsletter.

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.

    Waggin’ Off