International Society for Animal Rights Report

Special ReportKilling the Crisis, Not the Animals

An International Symposiumon Dog and Cat Overpopulation

September 20 & 21,1991Washington, DC

Each year, in the United Statesalone, over 27 million dogs and cats areborn. Up to 17 million of these animalsare classified as unwanted or "surplus."They are killed.

On September 20 and 21. 1991, aninternational symposium was held inWashington, D.C. to offer sound,humane alternatives to managing dogand cat populations by killing. Theconference was co-sponsored by ISARand the Association of Veterinariansfor Animal Rights (AVAR). SusanRegan, former AVAR ExecutiveDirector, was the Conference Coor-dinator. ISAR assumed responsibilityfor all conference costs.

ISAR President Helen Jones, whowas responsible for the symposium'sconcept, explains the significance ofthis pioneering effort: "As far as ISARis concerned, dog and cat over-population is the oldest animal rightsissue on the books. Our success inhelping to solve this age-old crisis willcertainly come to bear on how success-ful we are in stopping other forms of

/•""- animal neglect and abuse. Killing

animals to manage their populationmust be scrutinized continuously bythose of us who are charged with theresponsibility of caring for unwantedand homeless animals. The fact is thatdeath is the worst thing that canhappen to perfectly healthy animals andit must be considered an extreme 'solu-tion.' This international conference wasabout new solutions, re-commitment toold solutions that are working, andcreating networks between variousgroups and the public to, once and foral l hHp solve th l y ^humeful crisis."

New and controversial responses todog and cat overpopulation, such asmandatory spaying and neutering, werecovered in depth at the symposium —from getting legislators involved withmandatory spay and neuter initiatives,to whether or not these new lawsimpact civil liberties, to how eachcommunity can construct its own initia-tives, to how to deal effectively with themedia.

Ned Buyukmihci, VMD, President ofAVAR and the symposium's modera-tor, reflected on the importance of

legislative initiatives: "Both AVAR andISAR stand solidly behind the initia-tives that will prevent millions ofanimals from being born only to bekilled because they are unwanted. Ourlegislative process is a means by whichto adopt societal mores. We seebreeding bans and mandatory spayingand neutering the same way MothersAgainst Drunk Driving sees stricterpenalties for driving under the influ-ence, or in the same light that theAmerican Medical Association nowsees smoking. Irresponsible or recklessbehavior must sometimes be correctedor deterred legislatively."

On the following pages you will findhighlights of this first-ever meeting,devoted exclusively to solving the tragicproblem of dog and cat overpopula-tion. Please read carefully and reflecton what you and your community cando to help "kill the crisis." As nationallysyndicated columnist and symposiumparticipant Colman McCarthy pointedout, our choices are only two: decreasethe births ...or increase the killings. •

International Society for Animal Rights, Inc., 421 S. State St., Clarks Summit, PA 18411 717/586-2200 FAX 717/586-9580

President's Message

Killing the Crisis, Not the Animals,an international symposium on dog andcat overpopulation, has come and gone.But it was the beginning of an inter-national commitment to ending thedaily destruction of animals for whomthere are no homes.

The tragic problem of unwantedanimals is so vast that no one knowshow many millions are killed each yearin the United States alone. In countryafter country, the killing goes on. Thekilling is a repulsive method of"managing" the tragedy.

Millions of Americans, most well-informed about contemporary socialjustice issues, are not even aware thatthere is a problem. While the animalrights movement turns the spotlight onmany forms of exploitation of animals— vivisection, fur, zoos, circuses, and

more — the mass extermination ofAmerica's supposedly most popularanimals, dogs and cats, goes unreportedand unnoticed.

1SAR is committed to changing that.In the autumn of 1990, while working onprogram planning for 1991, 1 decidedthat an aggressive program to stop theoverpopulation of dogs and cats had tobe a priority for 1SAR not only for 1991but until the tragedy is ended. TheSymposium was the beginning.

This is yet another example of whatISAR is all about, i.e., trailblazing.

I'm saying so because animal rightscolleagues frequently say that ISAR istoo self-effacing and should toot its ownhorn. Taking that advice, 1 will mentioncategories in which ISAR has blazedtrails:

LEGAL: Working closely for twodecades with Brooklyn Law ProfessorHenry Mark Holzer, ISAR has achievednotable "firsts" in using the law onbehalf of animals.

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to challenge the religious exemp-tion to the Federal Humane SlaughterAct;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to attack New York City's shock-ing abuses in its three zoos;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to argue, in one of those cases,that animals could sue on their ownbehalf, and to establish in both ofthose cases that humans could sue onbehalf of animals;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to fight an increase in the NewYork State dog license fee which wasto be used for experimentation onanimals;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to take on the United Statesgovernment, in an effort to stop itsgenocidal destruction of millions ofblackbirds;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to convene a national conferencefor lawyers interested in AnimalRights Law;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to publish an Animal Rights LawReporter;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to recognize the danger ofdefamation lawsuits to the AnimalRights Movement;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to provide a Workshop forAnimal Rights Activists devotedexclusively to teaching them about thelaw of defamation;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to address the important subjectof "Good Intentions Gone Astray:Thwarted Gifts for the Benefit ofAnimals";

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion to prevent an executor fromdisposing of some $3,000,000 in amanner at odds with the way in whichthe decedent wished to benefit animals;and, in addition to still other legalactivities;

• We were the first (and only) organiza-tion fully and unequivocally to supportProfessor Holzer's newly-createdInstitute for Animal Rights Law.

EXPERIMENTATION: ISAR col-lected data that exposed the sufferinginflicted on animals in cosmetic testingwhich in turn led to the currentcampaign in this country and beyondagainst all product testing on animals.

ISAR led the movement to stop theuse of pound and shelter animals forexperimentation, resulting in success inNew York State, Connecticut, NewJersey, and Los Angeles.

ISAR stopped the use of cats inintubation training programs in a majorhospital. And we brought to an end along-standing trauma program, whichused dogs, at a major university.

CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING: Throughaction alerts, newsletters, fact sheets,brochures, demonstrations, andconsumer protest, ISAR has raised andcontinues to raise the consciousness ofthe public on the ways in which animalsare exploited, abused, and killed.

Stay tuned, ISAR is committed to amulti-faceted ongoing campaign againstthe tragic overpopulation of dogs andcats and the mass killing that results.

Everything that ISAR does and canhope to do is made possible by membersand contributors. A heartfelt thank youto each of you.

Sincerely,

Dealing with the MediaThe Best and Worst of Them

Colman McCarthy

As a journalist for the past 22 years for The Washington Post, I want to offer a few thoughts on what are the problems withmedia and what kind of an aggressive media campaign can help bring about some solutions. It does little good merely to dump onthe media —which is a vague term to begin with -without examining the pressure each of us and our organizations can exert toget editors, reporters and news executives to be more responsive to what is surely one of the major stories of our times, abuse toanimals.

The problems are easily identified. In 1969 when I joined the Post to write editorials and columns, much of the press portrayedanimal welfare organizations as groupings of little old ladies in sneakers. Today all those harmless old grandmas have becomecrazed animal rights terrorists. The phrase actually turned up the other night on the CNN evening news in a story about thethreats of global terrorism. Included in the accounts of the Baeder Maenhoff gang of Europe and Abu Nidal's thugs in the MiddleEast was a mention of America's animal rights terrorists.

This is a standard technique among some editors and reporters. Instead of reporting the issue fairly, label those involved in itunfairly. World terrorism has caused thousands and thousands of deaths. If anyone in the animal rights movement has blown upa plane or assassinated anyone or been convicted in court of killing anyone, I'd like to know about it.

Much of the press are like crows, a bird that is intelligent, proud, and active. But it has one major flaw: it cannot resist peckingat the shiny. It flies over a field, sees a shiny object, and swoops in for a happy afternoon of pecking away. When the shine isgone, it flies off to find the next shiny object. Journalists like shiny stories, especially television journalists who rely on visualexcitement to carry the story.

If you are working on the pet overpopulation problem, it's easy to get on television or on the front page of your hometownnewspaper. Just do something shiny, i.e., do something bizarre, like dressing up in cat and dog costumes and picketing themayor's office. Or disrupting the city council meeting by shouting "stop killing the animals." Or having a hundred gassed dog andcat corpses dumped on the town square.

Any of those capers or stunts will get you attention. You had the required shininess.The problem is obvious. Too many reporters, editors and news executives see animal welfare and animal rights organizations as

fringe groups out of the mainstream. I don't know of any major newspaper or any television station—network or local—that hasa reporter assigned to the animal rights beat. Stories about animal abuse occasionally run, but much more common are the frothystories about a lion escaping the zoo, or whether Ling-ling and Sing-sing are having a panda cub, or a bear on the loose on a citystreet.

As a bleak result, much of your work—the daily struggle to lobby for humane legislation, or the effort to raise money forpoorly-funded programs, or the campaigns for spaying and neutering—goes unreported, uncovered and, for sure, unappreciated.

When the press isn't depicting you as violent crazies or disruptive nuisances, they are trivializing the issues you're involved in.This was on display two years ago when the dog of Senator Robert Dole and the dog of George Bush had puppies. Animalwelfare groups protested to both politicians that it was time they had their animals spayed or neutered, considering the enormityof the pet overpopulation problem. The press, or much of it, reported the stories in a frothy way: Ain't it a riot what the animalrights loonies will do next. They'll make a federal case out of anything, including Millie.

Those are a few of the problems. I'm sure most of you have run up against them. Let me offer a few ideas that might lead tosolutions.

1. It's smarter to cultivate the press rather than try to seduce it. This is done, for example, by setting up meetings with theeditorial page staff of your local newspaper. Phone or write the editorial page editor for an appointment, explaining that you wantthe chance to present your views before a crisis erupts rather than risk being shut out after. Many editorials are written in responseto breaking stories, with editorial writers depending on second-hand information found in the news pages. If you had had ameeting a month or two before a crisis occurs, chances increase that the editorial will at least be balanced and possibly befavorable to your position.

2. Use the same approach with editors and reporters. Trade associations, business groups, and politicians running for officeknow how to get into newsrooms to tell their stories. It should be the same with you. Approach by phone or letter the managingeditor or the executive editor. These are often more important than an individual reporter. Editors assign reporters. In themeetings, lay off the rhetoric and preaching. Stick to the facts. A quality journalist respects facts. On pet overpopulation, mostlikely they know the preverbial "something" about the crisis but not the details and specifics. Present the information both orallyand in writing. Fact sheets are fine. You are only as good as vour information.

3. Be aggressive in your letters to the editor. More and more newspapers are expanding their letters section. Many are openingtheir op-ed pages to Voice of the People columns written by local citizens, not professional columnists. Keep on submitting lettersand columns. If you get turned down, try again. Many of the best stories about pet overpopulation are found in letters to theeditor. It's a powerful forum.

4. If a reporter makes a mistake, it is sometimes smarter to complain to his immediate superior—an editor or editors—than tothe individual offender. Ask for a correction. Don't wait for a few days to pass, but call or write the day the error appears.

5. If and when you are being interviewed by a journalist, remember that one of you will be controlling the interview. Odds on, it

(continued on page 6)

Making Overpopulation a Political IssueTom NolanPresidentSan Mateo Countr Board of Supervisors

The thrust of this presentation will bethe political history of the landmarklegislation in San Mateo County (Cali-fornia) and the political lessons that welearned and that are applicable in cities,counties, and states throughout thecountry.

Almost a year ago, representatives ofthe Peninsula Humane Society visitedme to discuss the fact that San Mateo

in a two-fold fashion:1) Newspaper inserts with the graphic

depictions of euthanasia took placethe first week.

2) The next week we held a pressconference at the shelter. The key toour success for this coverage was mywillingness to watch the euthanasiawhich meant that the press had towatch, as well.

On the night of the final hearing, theordinance prevailed. The effective datewas delayed to allow citizen task forcesthe opportunity to make recommenda-

Helpful GuideTo receive a 40 page, how-to guide on initiating and passing a ban ordinance

similar to San Mateo's, send a check or money order for $5.00 to:The Fund For Animals808 Alamo Drive Suite 306Vacaville, California 95688

This excellent handbook was written by Kim Sturla and directly draws on herexperiences passing the San Mateo Mandatory Spay and Neuter Ordinance.

County was killing 10,000 cats and dogseach year. Efforts had been made in thepast ten years to educate the publicconcerning this situation and to increaseadoptions. An extensive and intensivemedia campaign had been conductedand yet the results remained tragicallythe same. In summary, voluntary effortsand goodwill have not worked!

The solution, proposed by Kim Sturla(then Executive Director of thePeninsula Humane Society and nowWest Coast Coordinator for the Fundfor Animals), would be an ordinancethat required spaying and neutering ofall cats and dogs within the county untilzero population growth was achieved.

In subsequent meetings with thePeninsula Humane Society, we discussedthe intricate details of establishing anordinance. We anticipated questions andcriticism; we sought expert witnesses;and, most of all, we demonstrated theproblem and we proposed a solutionthat was reasonable and workable. Wealso found every single precedent wecould.

Establishing the ProblemThe first step was the establishment of

the problem and that was accomplished

tions. The ordinance is to take effect onJanuary 1, 1992.

An applicable formula for use acrossthe country is the following:A) Establish the problem of this dirty

secret in the minds of thepolicymakers and the public.

B) Find a political leader who has shownsome willingness to take a risk in thepublic policy arena. Try to find aneffective official who has a sense ofperseverance apid an ability to getsomething done.

C) Present a draft ordinance to thatelected official.

D) Plan a campaign to heighten publicawareness of the issue.

E) Identify all potential supporters.F) Identify friendly or supportive media

to help tell the story.G) Gather information on precedents

throughout the country.H) Plan the public presentation carefully

and wisely to make the case comeacross reasonably and responsibly.

I) Anticipate objections and haveresponses ready.

J) And finally, show flexibility inworking with critics and opponents,but be firm on the principle involved.

Unacceptable to Continue KillingThe assumption that I began with,

and continue to hold today, is that // issimply unacceptable to the vast majorityof the people that we as a society killperhaps a million cats and dogs a monthin this country because they do not havea home.

I believe, and continue to believe, thatpeople will respond generously andhumanely when they understand theproblem and a reasonable solution ispresented to them. I also believe thatpolitical leaders who embrace this causeand this mandatory spay and neuterordinance will be strongly supported bythe citizenry.

I offer my personal assistance to anycommunity that seeks to adopt similarlaws. My ultimate hope as an electedofficial is that if we learn how to livesuccessfully in harmony with animals,we may some day learn to live inharmony with our total environment,and perhaps with each other. •

The preceding article was excerptedfrom Mr. Nolan's statements presentedat the symposium.

A copy of the San Mateo MandatorySpay and Neuter Ordinance is availablefrom:

Tom Nolan, PresidentSan Mateo County Supervisors401 Marshall StreetRedwood City, California 94063915/363-4570 •

Thank YouA special thank you to the Summer-

lee Foundation for their generous grantto help underwrite this importantsymposium.

The success of this conference wasdue in large part to the hard work ofour volunteers. A heartfelt thank yougoes to Sandra Etzel, Zira Akhtar,Evelyn Levenson, Olive Nash, SuzanneCliver, Lee Meenin, and Carol Breinig.And a special thank you to SusanRegan for so ably pulling togetherthis landmark symposium.

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King County Drafts A Hard-Hitting,Responsible Breeding Ordinance

The Performing Animal WelfareSociety (PAWS) in King County,Washington, had "bought into theeuthanasia formula" for handlingunwanted dogs and cats until theylearned of the San Mateo MandatorySpay and Neuter Ordinance. Immedi-ately they drafted a ResponsibleBreeding Ordinance for their countyand began working with the sponsor,King County Council member RonSims. This ordinance requires all dogsnd cats over the age of nine months to: spayed or neutered unless their

guardians obtain special breedinglicenses.

An aggressive campaign of advertise-ments, press conferences, and educa-

tional materials was developed.According to PAWS spokespersonMitchell Fox, "we had a message forevery market." The brochures andadvertisements were designed in-houseat a modest cost. (See above example ofPAWS's dramatic ads.)

Very quickly PAWS concluded thatthe public was their strongest ally.Breeders, pet stores, and someveterinarians were not! The campaigngenerated new donors and donations.Far more members were gained by thisbold program, than were lost.

PAWS Executive Director TimGreyhavens made the followingimportant points during the PAWSworkshop at the symposium.

1) Before beginning such a campaign,one's "house must be in order."

2) The process is an excellent educa-tional tool for the public.

3) Overpopulation of dogs and cats isnot a complex issue. It is a simpleproblem with a simple solution —spaying and neutering.For a copy of PAWS's 40 page special

report on overpopulation and for addi-tional information on their ordinance,please contact:

Mitchell FoxPAWSBox 1037Lynnwood, Washington 98046206/742-4142 •

Symposium Videos AvailableISAR is pleased to offer video tapes of the symposium presentations. The video

taping was done by Ron Scott of Argus Archives. For more information on eachspeaker, please see Page 8.

Each tape is $20.00 plus $2.75 for shipping and handling (shipping and handlingfor two tapes is $3.75; and shipping and handling for three or more tapes is $5.00).Please send orders to ISAR/Symposium Videos, 421 South State Street, ClarksSummit, PA 18411. Phone (717/586-2200) and Fax (717/586-9580) orders accepted ifbilled to a VISA or Mastercard.

VIDEO TAPE 1Ingrid Newkirk/ Dark AngelsMichael Weeks/ Recommitting to a Curative ProcessDr. Arthur Baeder/ New Jersey's State Subsidized Spay and Neuter Program

VIDEO TAPE 2Robert Rush/ Municipal Funding and AnimalsEric Dunayer/ A KC: Culpability and Capability

VIDEO TAPE 3Menaka Gandhi/ Chemical Sterilization Project in New Delhi, IndiaDr. Jenny Remfry/ Feral Cat Population Control in England and North AfricaDr. Patricia Olson/ Non-Surgical Sterilization Update

VIDEO TAPE 4Dr. Mark Bloomberg/ Early Spaying and Neutering

VIDEO TAPE 5Henry Mark Holzer/ Constitutional Rights and Caretaker ResponsibilitiesDr. Richard Bachman/ Incorporating Overpopulation into Veterinary CurriculumNina Natelson//lmma/ Overpopulation in Israel and Some Responses

VIDEO TAPE 6Colman McCarthy/ Overpopulation and the Media - Keeping the Issue in the NewsTom Nolan/ Making Overpopulation a Political Issue

VIDEO TAPE 7Tim Greyhavens, Mitchell Fox, and Laurie Raymond/ Aggressive Media Messagesand Reaching Critical MassesBecky Robinson and Louise Holden/ Reviewing Trap and Release PopulationControl — Pros, Cons, Considerations

VIDEO TAPE 8Kim Sturla/ Mandatory Spay and Neuter Initiatives

Proceedings of the symposium will be available from ISAR. Please write for details. •

"I learned a great deal andyou probably changedall of India as a result."

Honorable Menaka GandhiFormer Minister of theEnvironmentIndia

Dealing ...(continued from page 3)will be the reporter. He is a full-timeinterviewer and you are a part-timeinterviewee. He'll talk to you, say, forhalf an hour and end up using a minute'sworth of words, if that. Who chooseswhat minute's worth? Not you, for sure.The only defense is to watch your wordscarefully, say the same thing over andover in different words and be mindfulas you talk as to how your language willappear in print or on the air. Peoplewho are interviewed a lot—politicians,for example—are masters of controllingthe interview. They refuse to be baitedby reporters but, instead, know how toget across their message artfully.

6. Stage events that dramatize anissue without lapsing into hype.Reporters can smell a media hustle rightaway. The good ones will be turned offby it. The competition for newspaperspace or airtime is usually fierce,especially in the larger cities. Noreporter wants to be known as a patsyor a shill.

7. When you or your organizationmakes a mistake, don't try to cover itup. Look what happened to Nixon.You'll be more respected for acknowl-edging a mistake, however godawful,rather than going into contortions withalibis or denials.

And one final suggestion. Don't liveor die by the media. Even if you or yourwork is rarely or never covered, havefaith in yourself that it is important,humane, and noble. You aren't trying tobe successful, you're trying to be faith-ful. Faithful to the original idealism thatbrought you into this kind of work.

As for me, I have written regularly inthe past 20-odd years on animal issues.Some of the columns 1 am proudest ofare those on the obscure citizens whokeep plugging away, regardless ofwhether or not the press comes around.All that matters to these noble people isthat the animals are served. If thereaders of newspapers don't know aboutthis humane work, or the viewers oftelevision, well, that's too bad. But theanimals know. What's more important,or more lasting and beautiful, thanthat? •

^

The AKC and Dog OverpopulationEric Dunayer, VMD

In the United States, purebreds arestatus symbols. Many "owners" ofpedigrees possess a breed chauvinism,the belief that their breed is moreworthy of love and respect than otherdogs. Ironically, the scorned mixed-bred dog is generally more physicallyand emotionally fit than the purebred.

The self-appointed promoter ofpurebreds is the American KennelClub (AKC). The AKC's literaturestates that, "Its purpose is to ... fosterand encourage interest in and thehealth and welfare of purebred dogs."Yet, the very nature of breeding

pedigrees is detrimental to the dogsthemselves, and is irresponsible whenmillions of homeless dogs (bothmixed-breds and purebreds) are beingkilled in shelters.

Purebreds suffer from inheriteddiseases at a far greater rate thanmixed-breds. Eye diseases plaguepurebreds — including cataracts,glaucoma, and retinal degenerationthat ends in blindness. Congenitalheart disease afflicts purebreds at overfour times the rate found in mixed-breds. As a result of inbreeding tocreate and maintain their appearance,each breed harbors over a dozen gene-tic defects, and there are now close to300 genetic disorders documented inthe various breeds. These defects mayundermine psychological as well asphysical health.

Sources of Purebred DogsDespite all these problems, pure-

breds are still desired. Many "owners"are ignorant of these diseases; othersoverlook them because their love fortheir breed is just too strong to bebothered by these problems. Theresulting demand for purebredssustains a multimillion-dollar industry.

Having created the demand, nowthere must be suppliers. Purebred dogsgenerally come from one of threesources,1) backyard breeders,2) "responsible" or dedicated breeders,

or3) pet stores, often supplied by "puppy

mills."While puppy mills have received a

Perhaps the most afflicted of all purebreds is theEnglish bulldog. Wrinkles and huge skin foldsare sites of skin infection*. The deep, set-backnose results in short and twisted air passages.And often an over-long palate and a narrowedtrachea further obstruct breathing. This shortensthe bulldog !v life and reduces life to a ceaselessstruggle against suffocation.

lot of attention for adding to the over-population problem, it is the other twogroups — the backyard breeder andthe "responsible" breeder — whoproduce the majority of purebredbirths.

For the last four years, the AKCregistered close to 1.2 million dogsannually. Of these, the AKC foundthat only 8 percent of the registrationswere for puppies purchased throughpet shops, and likely born in puppymills. The remainder of the yearlyregistrations were for puppies bred bybackyard breeders and "responsible"breeders.

Purebreds are AbandonedPurebreds are coming into shelters

in alarming numbers. Shelter workersreport that 25 percent of the dogshandled each year are purebreds. Inone Chicago area shelter, purebredsaccount for about 50 percent of theiranimals. Incredibly, this number hasoccasionally reached 80 percent! Yet,in none of the AKC's publicationsdoes one find reference to the shelteras a place to find a dog. Instead, theAKC writes strictly about buyingpurebred dogs.

The AKC and its breeders can nolonger hide from the problem of

companion animal overpopulation.They can take immediate steps toreduce the number of purebreds bornand the suffering they endure, either inpuppy mills or through genetic diseasesthey painfully live with. In the end,however, it is the height of hypocrisyto breed and buy afflicted purebredswhile healthy mixed-breds (andpurebreds) perish by the millions. •

This article was excerpted from Dr.Dunayer's presentation at thesymposium.

Statistics• 43 percent of U.S. households have

companion animals (30 percent have adog and 22 percent have a cat), while38 percent of U.S. households havechildren.

• Estimates of the dogs in the U.S.range from 51 to 58 million.

• Estimates of the cats in the U.S. rangefrom 49 to 60 million.

• There are approximately 75 U.S.animal protection organizations.

• There are approximately 5,000 animalshelters in the U.S.

• The estimated number of animalsgoing through U.S. shelters each yearranges from 1 1 to 27 million. A littlemore than half are brought in as strays,the remainder are brought in byguardians.

• Only 15 percent of the stray dogs arereclaimed and just 2 percent of the cats.

• Only one animal in 10 is adoptedfrom shelters.

• Cats are usually acquired free, fromfriends or as strays.

• The primary source of dogs isprofessional breeders (28 percent),followed by friends (26 percent).

• In the U.S., companion animals are adiscretionary purchase that risessteadily with income.

SOURCE: American Demographics,May 1991

Symposium Speakers and Their Topics •>New Jersey's State Subsidized Spay/Neuter Program

Arthur Baeder, I I I , DVMRockaway Animal Clinic328 Route 46Rockaway, New Jersey 07866

Dr. Baeder, a private small animal practitioner,represented the New Jersey Veterinary MedicalAssociation. He has been instrumental in theestablishment of the only state-subsidized, low-cost spayand neuter program in the United States.

Incorporating Overpopulation intoVeterinary Curriculum

Richard Bachman, DVMNorthtown Animal Hospital3881 Old Redwood HighwaySanta Rosa. California 95403

Dr. Bachman is a small animal practitioner. Prior toearning his veterinary medical degree from the Universityof California, Dr. Bachman established Sonoma CountyAnimal Regulation volunteer program. Currently, he isan advisor and contract veterinarian to the SonomaAnimal Regulation Department. He has 13 years ofanimal control experience.

Early Spaying and Neutering

Mark Bloomberg, DVM, MSCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of FloridaBox J-126 Health Science CenterGainesville, Florida 32610-0126

Dr. Bloomberg is a clinical professor at the University ofFlorida's Small Animal Clinical Sciences Department. Hehas participated in early neutering Lstudies at thisuniversity and at Florida animal shelters. He will beginshortly an early neutering study with cats. This study willbe funded, in part, by the American Veterinary MedicalAssociation.

Symposium Moderator

Ned Buyukmihci, VMD3448 Laguna Creek TrailVacaville, California 95688

Dr. Buyukmihci is president and co-founder of the Asso-ciation of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR), andassociate professor at the University of California Schoolof Veterinary Medicine. Recently, he won a First andFourteenth Amendment discrimination lawsuit againstthe University of California. The university settled out ofcourt, admitting guilt that it had discriminated againstDr. Buyukmihci because of his animal rights views.

American Kennel Club (ARC):Culpability and Capability

Eric Dunayer, VMD7806 Fairborn CourtRockville, Maryland 20855

Dr. Dunayer is the executive director of the Center forRisk Assessment Alternatives in Washington, DC.Previously he practiced at People for Animals, a low-costspay and neuter clinic in New Jersey, and was director ofResearch and Education for the Association ofVeterinarians for Animal Rights.

Chemical Sterilization Project i New Delhi, India

Honorable Menaka GandhiA4 Mahareni BaghNew Delhi 110065 India

Mrs. Gandhi is the former Minister of the Environmentand Forests in India. During her administration sheinitiated several measures to protect various animalspecies. Mrs. Gandhi is a staunch supporter of animalrights and is a representative of the Royal Society for the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She operates theSanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre which shelters andprovides veterinary care for stray animals.

Aggressive Media Messages and Reaching Critical Masses

Tim Greyhavens, Mitchell Fox. and Laurie RaymondProgressive Animal Welfare SocietyP.O. Box 1037Lynnwood, Washington 98046

The Progressive Animal Welfare Society was the secondhumane society in the United States to bring about theintroduction of mandatory spay and neuter legislation.

Constitutional Rights and Caretaker Responsibilities

Professor Henry Mark Hol/erBrooklyn Law School250 Joralemon StreetBrooklyn, New York 11201

Professor Hol/er is a law professor at Brooklyn LawSchool in New York. He is also the founder andpresident of the Insti tute for Animal Rights Law. He hasserved as legal consultant to International Society forAnimal Rights for two decades.

Overpopulation and the Media —Keeping the Issue in the News

Colman McCarthyThe Washington Post1150 15th Street, NWWashington, DC 20071

Mr. McCarthy is a nationally syndicated columnist forThe Washington Post. He is a longtime supporter ofanimal rights.

Animal Overpopulation in Israel and Some Responses

Nina Natelson, PresidentCHAI3914 Brenda LaneAnnedale, Virginia 22003

Ms. Natelson has worked with various groups on behalfof animals since 1980. She founded Concerned forHelping Animals in Israel (CHAI) after a 1984 tr ip toIsrael during which she witnessed the condition andtreatment of animals.

Dark Angels ___

ingrid Newkirk, National DirectorPETAPO Box 42516 ,Washington, DC 20015

Ms. Newkirk is co-founder of the largest animal rightsorgani/alion in the United States, People for the EthicalTreatment of Animals (PETA). She was a state humaneofficer and was previously director of a Washington. DC.shelter and animal control facility.

Making Overpopulation a Political Issue

Tom Nolan, PresidentSan Mateo County Board of Supervisors401 Marshall StreetRedwood City. California 94063

Mr. Nolan is the author of the landmark San MateoCounty mandatory spay and neuter ordinance which heintroduced in October 1990. He is currently a candidatefor the Democratic nomination to the U.S. House ofRepresentatives in California's 12th CongressionalDistrict.

Non-Surgical Sterilization Update

Patricia Olson. DVM, PhDI3epartment of Clinical and Population SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine1988 Fulton AvenueSt. Paul. Minnesota 55108

Dr. Olson is a veterinary medical reproduction specialistand clinical professor. She was solely responsible for thecoordination of the American Veterinary MedicalAssociation's special edition (April 1991) of the Journalof the American Veterinary Medical Association devotedto dog and cat overpopulation.

Feral Cat Population Management inEngland and North Africa

Jenny Remfrey, PhD, VET.MB, MRCVS19 Moxon StreetBarnetHerts ENS 5TSGreat Britain

Dr. Remfrey is a veterinarian and an animalprotectionist. Since 1976 she has worked with theUniversities Federation for Animal Welfare in GreatBritain and with the Society for the Protection ofAnimals in North Africa on feral cat behavior and theimpact of spaying and neutering programs.

Reviewing Trap and Release Population Control —Pros, Cons, Considerations

Becky Robinson, Louise HoldenAlley Cat AlliesPO Box 397Mount Rainier, Maryland 20712

Ms. Robinson and Ms. Holden are founders of Alley CatAllies, an organization that advocates humane andinnovative feral cat control programs.

Municipal Funding and Animals"

Robert Rush, General Manager, City of Los AngelesDepartment of Animal RegulationCity Hall EastLos Angeles, California 90012

Mr. Rush has been general manager of the City of LosAngeles Department of Animal Regulation since 1968.This is the largest animal care and control program in theworld.

Mandatory Spaying and Neutering Initiatives

Kim Sturla, Western DirectorThe Fund For Animals808 Alamo Drive, Suite 306Vacaville. California 95699

Ms. Sturla was executive director of the PeninsulaHumane Society when the historic mandatory spay andneuter ordinance was passed into law. Since the successfulpassage of the San Mateo legislation, she has accepted aposition with The Fund for Animals to help initiatesimilar measures across the country.

Recommitting to a Curative Process

Michael Weeks, Executive DirectorBritish Columbia SPCAVancouver Regional Branch1205 East Seventh AvenueVancouver, BC V5T I R 1Canada

i he Vancouver Regional Branch of the British ColumbiaSPCA has operated an impressive low-cost spay andneuter program since 1976.

Future issues of the ISAR Report will cover symposiumpresentations not appearing in this newsletter. The nextissue will examine the Los Angeles and Vancouver programs.

Individuals and organizations are invited to reprint articles in their entirety from this newsletter. Proper credit to ISAR is requested.