Countdown to L.A. Spay/Neuter Ordinance
It’s the Law: October 1. In the ongoing effort to create a humane Los Angeles and to help make the City a No-Kill zone for dogs and cats, the L.A. City Council and the Mayor approved a law requiring all cats and dogs in the City older than four months of age be spayed or neutered, with some exceptions. This ordinance was signed into law on February 26, 2008 and goes into effect on OCTOBER 1. By October 1, pet guardians subject to the law must have their dogs and/or cats spayed or neutered. People in violation of the law will be required to have their pet spayed or neutered and will be subject to fines. Be part of the solution and spread the word. If you are interested in volunteering, contactani.volunteers@lacity.org. For more information about the law, Humane L.A. and Los Angeles Animal Services, visit: laanimalservices.com. – FMT
Neighborhood Ahimsa
Resources for animals affected by housing foreclosures. With the recent torrent of bank foreclosures, staggering numbers of homeowners have found themselves in the doghouse. But if they’re in the doghouse, one might wonder: Where are their dogs…and cats, rabbits, snakes or chickens?
Many of these animals currently occupy city shelters, some which are filled to more than four times their capacity. And most of these animals are not spring chickens, but loyal companions to families for as many as 10 to 15 years. Unfortunately their loyalty may be less appealing than youth on the adoption market. The fate of the older animal is evident in the thirty percent increase in euthanasia
rates in a recent two-week period.
Don’t buy stock in Kleenex yet. Valuable resources are available to people faced with foreclosure and struggling with prospects for their pets. One Los Angeles area nonprofit, Voice for the Animals (VFTA) is devoted to finding creative solutions and keeping all members of a family together during this difficult time.
VFTA services include:
- 24-hour hotline with live people equipped to comfort those in shock and help brainstorm practicalities.
- Resource list for pet-friendly housing.
- A slew of donor supported programs, some aimed to help qualified people during economic hardship.
Melya Kaplan, founder and executive director of VFTA, is approaching her seventeenth year in uplifted animal advocacy with multiple programs at Voice, including those assisting people in the housing crisis. She engages activism with heart rather than anger and realizes that results in her field, as well as in her personal yoga practice, require determination, goals, consistency and the power of community, ideals to which we can all contribute, no matter our own circumstances.
Be the change you wish to see.
- Donate.
- Foster an animal temporarily.
- Adopt an older rescue animal.
- Direct those in need to the VFTA.
- Become involved in the other VFTA programs advocating for animals.
Voice for the Animals Foundation, 2633 Lincoln Blvd. #202, Santa Monica, CA. 90405, (310)392-5153. vftafoundation.org
Lindsay J. Greene is a Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, and Poet keepin’ it real in Los Angeles.
Voice for the Animals is Searching for a home for Katie
Katie is a lap-loving shih tzu whose elderly owner lost her house to a foreclosure. While the woman’s daughter could take her in, there was no room for Katie. Approximately six years old. Katie loves to please and likes the company of people and other animals. To foster or adopt Katie, call Voice for the Animals at (310)392-5153 and leave a message for Debbie at 4#.
Stop Animal Cruelty
Vote YES! On Proposition 2 in California In the upcoming November general election, California voters have the opportunity to vote for increased ahimsa (nonviolence) for animals by signing Proposition 2 into law. This ground-breaking measure in the U.S.’s largest agricultural state sets up a value system for outlawing the worst animal rights abuses by agribusiness offenders. The law would prohibit confinement in veal crates, battery cages and sow gestation crates and would go into effect in 2015. Large industry has put up money to block its passage which is why the yoga community needs to come together in a concerted and loving effort to bring more compassion to the lives of farm animals. Vote Yes on November 2, and in the meantime, tell your friends and galvanize support for the proposition. – FMT
For more information, visit the Humane Society of the U.S. at: hsus.org or Californians for Humane Farms at: humanecalifornia.org.
By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
