In the realm of animal welfare, collaboration stands as a powerful force for positive change, uniting individuals and organizations in a shared mission to protect and care for animals in need. Among the many collaborative endeavors, partnerships with rescue groups emerge as a key strategy, opening a pathway to expand resources, amplify impact, and unlock new opportunities for animals in need. As we look into the implementation of this strategy, we’ll see the transformative potential of collaboration with rescue groups and unveil innovative approaches to maximize its effectiveness. Continue reading “Strengthening Communities Through Collaborative Rescue Efforts”
Building Trust Through Transparency and Accountability
A Commitment to No-Kill Excellence
In the dynamic landscape of animal welfare, transparency and accountability serve as guiding principles, illuminating the path towards a future where every animal has the opportunity to thrive. By maintaining transparent reporting on shelter statistics, including intake, adoption, and euthanasia rates, shelters not only foster accountability and trust within the community but also gain valuable insights into areas for improvement and measure progress towards achieving no-kill goals. As we delve into the importance of implementing this strategy, let us explore the transformative power of transparency and accountability in advancing the cause of animal welfare. Continue reading “Building Trust Through Transparency and Accountability”
Harmonizing Forces for Humane Communities: The Vital Role of Collaboration
Introduction
In the quest for more humane communities, a powerful synergy exists when municipal animal control agencies, dedicated rescue groups, and compassionate foundations join forces. Today, I will explain the profound impact of collaborative efforts among these entities. Together, they create a formidable alliance that can transform our neighborhoods into havens of compassion and care for animals in need. Continue reading “Harmonizing Forces for Humane Communities: The Vital Role of Collaboration”
Pit Bulls Are Not Monsters
They have big hearts, clownish grins, and wildly wagging tails, but pit bulls do pose tough challenges to the humane community. In 2018, nearly half of U.S. pit bulls were homeless.
Many people wrongfully demonize pit bulls as an inherently dangerous breed. Others overlook challenges specific to the breed in their efforts to defend people’s rights to own them. These opposing views often lead to a vitriolic debate that winds up at City Hall. Continue reading “Pit Bulls Are Not Monsters”
Applying the No-Kill Ethic by Ed Boks
More than a policy and statistical objective, “no-kill” is a principle, an ethic, and once applied the practical consequences begin to fall into place. The principle is that animal shelters should apply the same criteria for deciding an animal’s fate that a loving pet guardian or conscientious veterinarian would apply. That is, healthy and treatable animals are not killed simply because of a lack of room or resources to care for them. Continue reading “Applying the No-Kill Ethic by Ed Boks”
Business-Savvy Landlords Allow Pets: Cities Should Make it the Default
Imagine being responsible for the life or death of 55,000 dogs and cats every year. As the General Manager for the City of Los Angeles Animal Services Department, the desperate need of these animals weighed on my mind every day. I was determined to end pet homelessness and the practice of killing and disposing of our society’s surplus companion animals.
Today, most cities and towns across the nation share this noble and ambitious goal. Achieving this requires robust community participation, and our cities desperately need the support of an overlooked constituency−landlords. Continue reading “Business-Savvy Landlords Allow Pets: Cities Should Make it the Default”
Top 6 Ways a Board Can Help Its CEO
In a recent GuideStar Blog, Bill Hoffman shared the following Top 6 Ways a Board Can Help Its CEO:
Board members have a lot of responsibility to the organization they represent, to the community for which they are stewards of the nonprofit’s resources, and also to the organization’s CEO. The CEO’s success is tied closely to the support he or she receives from the board. How can individual board members support their CEO’s success? Below are the six ways I’ve found that have the greatest impact. Continue reading “Top 6 Ways a Board Can Help Its CEO”
Time for a national conversation about pit bulls by Ed Boks
Is it time national animal welfare organizations rethink their position on pit bulls?
This is the recommendation of Beth Clifton, a former Miami Beach police officer, animal control officer, elementary school teacher, veterinary technician and wife of Animals 24-7 editor Merritt Clifton.
Animals 24-7 recently published Beth Clifton’s open letter to Matthew Bershadker, president of the ASPCA; Julie Castle, president of Best Friends Animal Society; and Kitty Block, president of HSUS. Continue reading “Time for a national conversation about pit bulls by Ed Boks”
When it comes to pit bulls, how stupid are we? by Ed Boks
Every year, ANIMALS 24-7 conducts a national dog-breed survey. The results of the 2018 survey were just released. As interesting as the data collected by the survey are, I was particularly struck by a rather provocative proposition posed by Merritt Clifton, the editor/reporter of ANIMALS 24-7 and this survey.
Before exploring the thought provoking proposal, let’s set the stage:
The survey found that as of mid-June 2018, nearly 15% of all the dogs available for sale or adoption in the U.S. were pit bulls. With that kind of market presence, one might conclude pit bulls are pretty popular in the U.S. However, Mr. Clifton has another explanation. Continue reading “When it comes to pit bulls, how stupid are we? by Ed Boks”
Formula to end feral cat killing by Ed Boks
It is commonly understood that any serious initiative to end shelter killing has to focus on ending the “supply side” of the surplus animal equation. The only way to do that is to preemptively spay/neuter those animals most likely to “supply” (give birth to) animals most likely to die in animal shelters.We
The three categories of animals dying in the largest numbers in most shelters throughout the United States are feral cats, pit bulls/pit bull mixes, and Chihuahuas.
There are effective solutions for ending the killing of these populations; and those solutions begin and end with targeted spay/neuter programs. In a previous blog I addressed the need for targeted spay/neuter programs for pit bulls. In this blog, I focus on how to end the killing of feral and stray cats. Continue reading “Formula to end feral cat killing by Ed Boks”