sutton078

courtesy spcaLA In response to members of the public and legitimate animal welfare organizations advising people to use caution if they wish to dump an ice bucket on their dog, a spokesperson for an animal welfare lobbying organization  glibly responded that there are more important things to worry about. Notwithstanding that those of us in the "hands on" business see endless cases of well-meaning accidents gone bad; it is a prime example of the arrogance of the ignorant. There is always something worse to worry about. Watching your son beheaded on the internet, acts of genocide in Iraq, incurable diseases, climate change or intentional acts of violence against the vulnerable are all good examples of worse things than pouring water on a dog. But imagine if any of us in the nonprofit sector or anyone pursuing a passion stopped their work because there is always something worse out there that is not remedied. We would all be paralyzed in existential hell. It is only because we ...

Courtesy of MSN.com link When people ask me - "why don't you get a real job" or "why did you give up prosecuting people" or "why should we care about animal abuse" - I show them an article like this - http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/after-5-year-manhunt-fugitive-couple-arrested   Note the treatment of both their children and animals. I never changed jobs - I changed my primary victim focus. But guess what! The defendants remain the same.  Criminals are criminals, bullies are bullies, and sadists are sadists. The connection between animal abuse and people abuse particularly in the areas of domestic violence and in the development of serial killers is air tight. We must stop the cycle of violence as early as possible, as soon as it is manifested, even as young as a preschooler. spcaLA, alone , has programs to do that which include the only alternative sentencing mandate for qualifying juveniles, a domestic violence safety net, and others targeting yout...

not ninjas Four fictional ninja turtles and one real disease. I love the ninja turtle movies but I also love turtles. Real turtles are not ninjas, not appropriate pets for youngsters, and not legal to sell if their shells are less than 4 inches in diameter . not a turtle Real turtles also carry salmonella which transmits to children and adults when hands are put in mouths, eyes etc without serious washing in between. Salmonella can be fatal to the young, elderly and vulnerable. Turtles also don't provide the type of sustained interaction that children like which often results in their being flushed, illegally dumped in a pond, or accidentally killed. Who needs that? It is also illegal in California and other places to sell animals on the street. Therefore if you see a vendor selling turtles, large or small, on the street, report it rather than buy one. Unfortunately, history tells us that whether the featured movie animal is a dalmatian, chihuahua, cat or turtle the ending is alway...

Courtesy spcaLA There seems to be an  epidemic of animal hoarding cases    involving 501(c)(3) not for profit corporations who characterize themselves as “rescues” or “no kill” shelters,  but are in fact the perpetrators of animal cruelty. It is critical that animal shelters, both public and private, screen, physically inspect, and research the reputations of these “rescues” before releasing animals to them or giving them pull privileges. Animal hoarding is defined as keeping higher-than-normal numbers of animals without the ability to properly house or care for them, while at the same time denying this inability.  Part of the problem is the hoarder’s incapability to part with any animal and thus, contrary to their representations will not work to find animals in their care new homes.    Pressure by sincere citizens and out-of-state organizations with deep pockets and misguided ideology can lead well-meaning, but ill informed city and county offic...

Courtesy Google Images Last week a bear was hit by a car and killed on the 101 Freeway. This is one of many incidents of wildlife encountering traffic while looking for food, water and the company of friends. Mountain lions and bears have turned up in residential yards, at school or, as in the case of a baby lion, in a Santa Monica office building. As we develop more cities and encroach into areas inhabited by wildlife, it is incumbent upon us to commit to doing our best to keep them safe and minimize the likelihood of chance encounters with people. We know there is a proposal to create a wildlife corridor at Liberty Canyon under the 101 Freeway which would connect two areas of natural habitat on either side of the freeway thus increasing the lions' roaming area while keeping them and motorists safe from accidents. Now, there is a motion before the  Los Angeles City Council  which would require the City Planning Department to consider wildlife corridors in any new ...

Many of you have been sending me this story and asking about it. Many of you also think that aspca and hsus are national/umbrella organizations. They are not. They are not connected in any way to the other spcas and human societies across the country. Your spcaLA has nothing to do with this egregious conduct.  That said, 14 years ago aspca and others sued Feld for issues regarding the improper treatment of their elephants. As standing is required to be heard in court - a plaintiff was identified and the case was allowed to proceed. When it was learned that there was an issue regarding the legitimacy of this plaintiff, Feld countered under the Rico statute which is a federal criminal racketeering law alleging bad behavior and conspiracy on the part of aspca, hsus et al. This is the result: aspca,  hsus and others collectively have to pay Feld, the parent company of Ringling Brothers circus almost 25 million dollars (9.2 and 15.5 million respectively) to settle a lawsuit in whic...

On November 8th and 9th  spcaLA again partnered with Animals for Armed Forces® to give pets to members of the military and their families at no charge. Photo courtesy of spcaLA Many veterans can benefit from a bona fide service dog to assist with head injury issues, and all can be helped by the therapeutic healing powers of a family pet. Unfortunately, the difficulties encountered by veterans in getting treatment for, or even recognition of their injuries, such as PTSD, have become insurmountable as we learn more each day about the ineptness of the Veterans Administration. As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I grew up hearing of the indignities and injustices delivered to our troops instead of  the support they deserve. My father served in the Air Force on a bomber crew. His plane was shot down and they landed behind enemy lines. They miraculously reached the allied forces wounded, hungry, scared and happy to be alive. While waiting for medical attention, they were gr...