Animal People News

October 2008 3/22/13 9:19 PM Page 1 Big U.S. election wins for farm animals, greyhounds & pro-animal candidates SACRAMENTO, BOSTON, WASHINGTON D.C.––Animals won big on November 4, 2008 on all political fronts. California voters approved giv- ing battery-caged chickens room to Black rhino babies Tatenda, 2, at left; Shanu, 4, at right. (Johnny Rodrigues) spread their wings, and banned veal crates and sow gestation stalls. Massachusetts voters banned greyhound racing––making Massachu- Rhino babies bring hope to setts the first state to ban greyhound WEDZA, Zimbabwe––Two bottle- to retain control over key cabinet posts. racing while still hosting active grey- fed orphaned Zimbabwean black rhino babies Members of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party still Racing greyhound. (Kim Bartlett) hound tracks. may live happily ever after, if the uneasy roam the countryside, poaching wildlife, Arizona voters crushed a proposition counted, 248 candidates endorsed by the power-sharing pact between president Robert intimidating political opponents, looting aid “which would have made it nearly impossi- Humane Society Legislative Fund had won Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan convoys and invading farms, claiming privi- ble to pass any future ballot initiative deal- seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Tsvangirai brings stability and economic recov- lege as “war veterans” whether or not they had ing with animal protection,” exulted Representatives. Only 10 had lost. ery to the nation. anything to do with the revolution that brought Humane Society Legislative Fund presi- Democrats Barack Obama and Signed on September 15, 2008, the Zimbabwe into being and brought Mugabe to dent Mike Markarian. Joseph Biden, the first presidential and agreement was jeopardized as ANIMAL PEO- power in 1980. At 12:47 a.m. on November 5, with vice presidential candidates endorsed by PLE went to press by Mugabe’s determination (continued on page 18) ballots in many close races still being the Humane Society Legislative Fund, had won at least 349 electoral votes and 52% of the popular vote, sweeping into office sup- ported by strong Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House. For the first time in 20 years the ANIMAL PEOPLE White House will be be occupied by a non- hunter. For the first time since Richard News For People Who Care About Animals Nixon resigned in 1974, the president will take office with a positive record on pro- animal legislation. California Proposition 2 won 63% October 2008 support with 95% of precincts reporting, Volume XVIII, #8 as of dawn on November 5. “No state in the U.S. and no agribusiness titan anywhere in the U.S. can overlook this mandate: people do not want (continued on page 17) RSPCA & Dogs Trust convince the Kennel Club to revise breed norms L O N D O N ––The Kennel Club, the weeks after complaining to the Office of world’s first and oldest purebred dog registry, Communication, the British television regula- is redrafting the show standards for 209 tory agency, that it was unfairly treated by the breeds to eliminate rules that favor dogs with producers of the British Broadcasting extreme and unnatural characteristics which Corporation exposé “Pedigree Dogs Exposed,” might impair their health. aired in August 2008. The Kennel Club, founded in 1873 “Among the dogs featured in the and regarded in the show dog world as the documentary were boxers with epilepsy, pugs most prestigious guardian of pedigrees, quiet- with breathing problems, and bulldogs who ly disclosed the revisions of rules barely six were unable to mate or give birth unassisted,” reported Associated Press writer Jill Lawless. “After the show was broadcast,” Lawless added, “the Royal Society for the Prevention of Mother & kittens at the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends shelter. (Kim Bartlett) Cruelty to Animals and the Dogs Trust withdrew their support for Crufts,” the annual Kennel Club $75 million offered to further show, begun in 1891. The only dog show of comparable status, worldwide, is the Westminister Dog Show, held non-surgical sterilization in New York City by the West- C H I C A G O––F or $75 million, can financial backing, Michelson is also offering minister Kennel Club, affiliated someone invent a vaccine against canine and up to $50 million in grant funding for nonsur- with the American Kennel Club. feline pregnancy? Or a chemosterilant that gical sterilization research. “Dog shows using current will be widely accepted by the humane and “Researchers have been on the verge breed standards as the main judg- veterinary communities? of discovering pet contraceptives and non-sur- ing criteria actively encourage both If an effective immunocontraceptive gical steriliants for years,” said Found the intentional breeding of or chemosterilant for dogs and cats existed, Animals director of communications Michael deformed and disabled dogs and would it be used where most needed? Gilman, “but a lack of funding has kept these Terrier at Clare Animal Welfare. (Kim Bartlett) (continued on page 18) Might the money be more produc- ideas stalled in the early stages of research. tively used in extending high volume, low New scientific breakthroughs in other health ANIMAL PEOPLE cost, best practice dog and cat sterilization care fields may offer promise when applied to Nonprofit Organization surgery to all parts of the world––and in keep- this goal.” PO Box 960 ing existing low-cost sterilization programs Michelson, 59, has put comparable Clinton, WA 98236-0960 U.S. Postage Paid operating, at a time of plummeting donations? money into promoting medical breakthroughs ANIMAL PEOPLE, Inc. The headline item at the mid- on behalf of human beings. A practicing October 2008 Spay USA national conference orthopedic surgeon for more than 25 years, was the $75 million incentive package offered Michelson eventually turned to surgical inven- by Found Animal Foundation founder Gary K. tion, chiefly associated with treating back Michelson, M.D., to encourage the develop- pain. According to the Found Animal ment of nonsurgical dog and cat contraception. Foundation web site, Michelson “has over Representatives of the Found 900 issued or pending patents worldwide relat- Animal Foundation at an October 16 pre-Spay ed to instruments, operative procedures, and USA conference reception announced that medical devices. In 2005 Michelson assigned Michelson is offering a prize of $25 million to ownership of much of his spine-related intel- the inventor of a successful single-injection lectual property to Medtronic for a price in sterilization method for dogs and cats. The excess of $1 billion, catapulting him onto the claimant may be either an individual or an Forbes 400 where he has since remained.” organization. Of more immediate help to Medtronic announced in April 2005 researchers who have promising ideas but lack (continued on page 8) October 2008 3/22/13 9:19 PM Page 2 2 - ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2008 October 2008 3/22/13 9:19 PM Page 3 Editorial feature ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 2008 - 3 The humane community can handle hard times Writing only for SPCA Los Angeles, SPCA/L.A. president Madeline Bernstein When the inevitable shakeout came, the humane community was perhaps the hardest might have spoken for the whole humane community worldwide in an early October 2008 shaken part of the the nonprofit sector, and was already feeling economic whiplash long appeal expressing deep concern “with the state of our economy, food costs, gas prices, Wall before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 brought a further jolt. Street woes and its negative trickledown effect. Following the 2001 experience, humane societies that acquired something to invest “SPCA/L.A. is struggling to feed and tend to the ever-increasing number of homeless tended to recall Scarlett O’Hara’s conclusion in Gone With The Wind that only real estate animals in our care,” Bernstein said, “many a direct result of foreclosures and financial hard- endures. By mid-decade ANIMAL PEOPLE was noticing in IRS Form 990 filings a tenden- ship. Worse, fewer adoptions are occurring for the same reasons. This puts us in the unten- cy for humane societies to diversify their portfolios by mixing stocks with buildings, land, able position of having to bear higher costs while donations, corporate funding and even the and investments in mortgages. This was precisely what mainstream financial advisors were bestowal of in-kind gifts is shrinking. Natural disasters and an expensive presidential election telling individuals to do with their personal assets. have also put a claim on limited resources. The bottom line is that there is less discretionary Despite declining real estate values, the investments in buildings and land will prob- and disposable income for charities…less funds to give and more difficult choices to make.” ably pay off in the long run. Humane societies usually prefer to avoid the risks and stresses of SPCA/L.A., with an annual budget of $6 million and estimated assets of $16 mil- becoming landlords, with good reason, but those that have managed to rent out inherited lion, according to IRS Form 990, is among the most affluent 1% of all humane societies. property until market conditions warrant selling have historically tended to do well. Yet as American SPCA executive vice president for national programs Steve Humane societies’ mortgage investments, unfortunately, collapsed with the rest of Zawistowski recently remarked, being among the most affluent 1% of all humane societies the mortgage industry. Now we are seeing some national charities losing assets faster than requires only being about as big as an average car dealership. gamblers in a card game, even though they had no intention of gambling at all. We are seeing Humane work has rarely claimed more than 1% of all the money donated to U.S.

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