2011 | Volume 15 www.spcaLA.com Friends for Life A publication of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles PROTECTING SINCE 1877 On the Cover » 2011 Friends for Life Denise Jakcsy, Senior Operations Manager, Pet Volume 15 Adoption Centers & Level II Humane Officer Cover photography by Chris Massa Photography CONTENTS www.chrismassa-photography.com 06 REGUlarS ARTICLES President’s Message 4 06 Year in Review 5 Letters Highlights of our past fiscal year. DONOR RECOGNITION 08 Cover Story: 12 Donors Protection & Compassion 26 Memorial & Tribute Gifts spcaLA Humane Officers Rescue the Voiceless HOW TO HELP 10 spcaLA Around Town 33 spcaLA Locations Catch your spcaLA out and about! 35 Donor Tiles 37 Naming Opportunities 39 Donate Needed Items to spcaLA 10 Art direction, design, & edits by Ana Bustilloz, Shelby Moulden & Taylor Benton, spcaLA Communications spcaLA does not necessarily advocate or promote the use of & Marketing Department, with special assistance by Jennifer Kaye of Silver Skye Design. products/services featured in Friends for Life. 2011 vol 15 3 Heather A. Mahood, Esq. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Philip D. Pitchford LETTERS Cini & Ira Robb « Rally is a natural model! People always ask – “why spend your time Dayl Salamanca Dori Slater Vance, DVM on kindness to animals and animal cruelty? We are so happy we found our cat Rally! Website: www.spcaLA.com Resa Trent Shouldn’t you be concerned with cruelty towards That’s the name you gave him, and we Email: [email protected] Betty White people?” liked it so it stuck. He has fit into our Phone: (888) 772-2521 ENTERTAINMENT Report Animal Cruelty: (800) 540-SPCA COMMITTEE home so perfectly. He snoozes next to The answer is – because we are working with the Dr. Buzz Aldrin me when we watch TV and rolls on his root of the problem. EXECUTIVE TEAM Ed Asner back on the floor when he wants to be Madeline Bernstein Candice Bergen petted. He also loves watching our bird President Jacqueline Bisset Acts of violence against animals typically feeder out the window. We’re so glad that he’s happy in his new home with us. We Diane Eyler Amy Boatwright precede such acts against humans. Hurting a pet Dyan Cannon took him for his free vet exam and he got a perfect report. » » Madeline Bernstein Executive Vice President allows the offender to “warm up” and eliminate Nancy Carr Kelly and Brad Fitzgerald Stay in step with Madeline. Go to Liz Visco if not eradicate feelings of empathy towards any Keith Hamilton Cobb www.spcaLA.com to check out her blog, Vice President Phil Davis, Esq. Twitter feed, & more! living victim. Hence, animal cruelty is often We adopted our boy, Buster, just before Christmas. We have CORE MaNAGEMENT Ellen DeGeneres present in conjunction with or antecedent to a Barbara Eden loved all the dogs that we have owned over the years, but Ana Bustilloz violent crime, an act of domestic violence or a random desire to cause pain. Blake Edwards our Buster is SPECIAL!!! What a loving little guy. It’s as if he Director of Communications & Jim Ervin Marketing knows that we rescued him and he is grateful. I’m not sure Dann Florek We know that children will turn to harming an animal in response to witnessing Miriam Davenport Daniel A. Fiore that he knows what he’s done for us. violence in the home, experiencing it themselves, peer pressure, coercion, and a desire Senior Director of Development Dennis Franz to shock and offend. This behavior allows a child to desensitize his/her feelings, avoid Dr. Karen Halligan, DVM Annabeth Gish We have a very happy home that is full of love. We did not Lee Grant attachments, and identify with the role of aggressor. Director of Veterinary Services think for a second that Buster would bring even more love Tommy Habeeb into our home, but he has. We are taking obedience classes Denise Jakcsy Jeff Hall » » Joe and Matthew Essentially, animal cruelty is often the strongest root for growing a bully. Senior Operations Manager, Daryl Hannah and he is coming along just fine. In fact, he is set to graduate with Buster Pet Adoption Centers Patricia Heaton on Thursday. spcaLA intervenes at the beginning of this progression with the hope that we can J.R. Sitman, MCP Danielle Hunt William Immerman change the end. Director of IT Buster loves to ride in the car. We have been flagged down on the street by people Ashley Keegan Debra Sutton Curt King who want to know where we got him and we are so happy to tell them that we got Though we daily confront this cycle of violence and face unspeakable acts of cruelty Senior Director of Programs B. Susan Kirch him from the spcaLA in Long Beach. In fact, one family said that he was their “dream against both animals and humans in our work at spcaLA – we take pride in the fact Melanie Wagner, M.S. Ed Patrick Labyorteaux dog.” We replied that he is definitely our dream dog and that he is not available :) Cloris Leachman that we continually see progress through our efforts in education, enforcement, Director of Humane Education Joe Mantegna legislation and mentoring. We instill empathy (the cure for violence) in at risk teens BOard OF DIRECTORS Constance Marie Thank God you are there doing what you do. If you weren’t there, we would never while also teaching them the art of civil discourse and peaceful conflict resolution. Officers Roxanne Motamedi have gotten our dream dog, Buster Graham. We provide a safety net for pets of victims of domestic violence who are willing to Rollin Ransom, Esq. Craig T. Nelson Joe, Marie, Matthew and Buster Ginger Perkins be physically battered rather than leave a pet behind. We criminally prosecute those Chairman of the Board Ellen Pittleman who cannot be taught, and teach our youth so there will be no one to prosecute. We Robert S. Span LeAnn Rimes My name is Elise. I just turned six years old. I celebrated my birthday by having a party legislate where there are gaps and do our best to model best practices. We speak for the Vice Chair Akiko Rogers at Kidnastiks with all my friends and family. vulnerable and to those who would offend. Bart Zitnitsky Dale Rosenbloom Jodi Roth Treasurer Kids from my class at school, my Daisy Girl Scouts, family friends, neighbors, and my Gena Rowlands Mariann N. Ettorre Together we can make a difference. Jenni Runyan soccer friends all came to play at my party. We did gymnastics, ran around, played Hide Secretary Theresa Russell and Go Seek, and climbed up into a castle. Afterwards we ate pizza. Everyone sang Yours truly, Directors Molly Sims Happy Birthday to me. I blew out the candles and made a wish for a real puppy. We ate Todd Brewer Cynthia Snyder yummy cupcakes. I got lots of presents. Some were toys and gifts for me, but I asked for Ben Stein Harold F. Pine donations for my puppy friends at the shelter instead of presents for myself. I got lots of Craig de Recat Bill Todman, Jr. George G. Strong Bonnie Todman dog toys, doggy food and snacks, collars, a dog sweater, and Madeline Bernstein, spcaLA President John Travolta cards with money to donate to the animals at the shelter. I HONOrarY BOard Jennifer Weingroff hope they like all these special gifts. Thank you to all my Peter A. Cheney Kim Wilder-Lee Cathy Guisewite Matt Winston friends for helping me celebrate my 6th birthday. Matt Knabe Elise Kristopher Van Over « Elise’s Birthday Party 4 Friends for Life www.spcaLA.com 2011 vol 15 5 This year, we increased the number of “Project Dogs” by 64%. YEAR IN REVIEW By Miriam Davenport And, thanks to the HEAL program, all September 1st, 2010 through August 31st, 2011 spcaLA shelter pets receive a special plan of care – one that is reinforced by Still in the pilot stage, participants spcaLA staff, volunteers and even the are court-ordered to complete the public. As a result of their efforts, our intensive two-day jTLC program as shelter pets have a better quality of life, a condition of their probation. Many making them less stressed and more offenders were arrested for violence quickly adopted. or bullying, and all need to rekindle their ability to feel for the suffering HOW DO WE DO IT? of others: empathy. spcaLA relies 100% on donations – we After one of the first pilot jTLC » HEAL Project Dog, Popeye, and TLC » spcaLA staffer, Matthew Weins, do not receive a penny of government sessions, one of the graduates called student, Bryan. socializes a kitten. funding, and there is no national spcaLA in panic. She had found spca or humane society that provides some stray kittens near her home. PrOJECT: HEAL our Helping Enhance Animals’ support. Programs and services for » She wanted to know what to do and Lives (HEAL) program. the public – spcaLA Marketplaces, we helped her. She said: “Before Often victims of animal abuse Grooming Salon, Pet Hotel, Dog jTLC, I would have walked by these or neglect, and exhibiting signs We work with “Project Dogs” Training, Spring & Summer kittens, not caring. But now, I know I of depression, anxiety or severe on dog-to-dog manners and Children’s Camps and Specialty can’t do that.” stress, spcaLA “Project Dogs” are other common behavior issues. Spay/Neuter Center – help to make »» These two kittens found their new families at the Village. in need of a little bit of extra help. “Project Dogs” receive a special spcaLA more self-sufficient while During jTLC, kids are paired And, thanks to a generous grant training plan, which can include strengthening the human-animal IT TOOK A VIllaGE: setting a replicable new benchmark with shelter dogs and offered from the PEDIGREE Foundation, foster care, one-on-one training, bond and reinforcing the importance TEN YEarS OF in cost-efficient, life-preserving intensive sessions designed to help we were able to give these dogs the obedience classes and specialized of being kind to animals.