From: wheeler@SUPER.ORG (Ferrell S. Wheeler)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.animals
Subject: PET OVERPOPULATION; SHELTER NEWS
Date: 25 Jul 92 02:08:25 GMT


PET OVERPOPULATION; SHELTER NEWS
 
 
     The Las Vegas-based Animal Foundation of Nevada planned a
brief disruption of routine on April 21 to commemorate spaying or
neutering 25,000 animals since the foundation clinic opened in
January 1989.  Housed in the former Las Vegas animal shelter, and
underwritten by a start-up gift of $100,000 from Circus Hotel owner
William Bennett, AFN averages 60 spay/neuter operations a day--with
just one staff veterinarian.
     The secrets, according to AFN president Mary Herro, are
maintaining good technical support and financial self-sufficiency. 
"We have proven it can be done," Herro told The ANIMALS' AGENDA,
"and are willing to share every detail of our procedures and
techniques with other organizations, veterinarians, and/or
municipalities.  We want to encourage new clinics to start, using
our blueprint, and to inspire and challenge existing ones to
increase their numbers, safely.  Los Angeles is a sad example,"
Herro charged, "in that each of their clinics only do 2,500
surgeries a year.  The city is threatening to close them, as they
are a financial drain.  Our one clinic did over 9,000 surgeries
last year, 24% at no cost.  This can easily be repeated
nationwide."
     Herro welcomes inquiries c/o 700 North Mojave Rd., Las Vegas,
NV 89101-2401; 702-384-9291.
 
     * Mobil Oil and the Los Angeles SPCA at deadline were
reportedly close to completing a protocol for relocating up to 100
feral cats who formerly inhabited the firm's refinery at Torrance,
Calif.  The cats were be moved because several had been killed in
machinery, and the accidents had endangered workers, as well.
Veterinarian Bruce Smith organized colleagues to spay/neuter and
vaccinate the cats at $35 each, paid by Mobil.  Six private
landowners offered property to be used as a cat sanctuary.
 
     * Maryland Rep. Benjamin Cardin has introduced a bill, H.R.
3718, that would make pet stores responsible for veterinary bills
incurred by people who purchase sick or injured animals.  The bill
would discourage stores from buying animals from puppy mills and
mass-production catteries.  Send letters of support to your
Congressional representatives.
 
     * Illinois Citizens for Humane legislation got a mandatory
spay/neuter bill introduced into the state legislature, with a
hearing scheduled for mid-April.  Like breeding regulations passed
elsewhere, it sought to require spaying/neutering of all dogs and
cats over six months old, unless exempted by a veterinarian or
covered by a breeding permit.  However, even if the bill survived
opposition to breeding regulation per se, it appeared likely to be
scuttled by opposition to a clause requiring anyone who offered to
sell or give away a cat or dog to be licensed as a pound, shelter,
or breeder, at a minimum cost of $75.
 
     * The North Shore Animal League, Friends of Animals' April/May
1992 "Action Line" magazine charged, is "a money-making machine; a
puppy mill; a glorified pet shop ... part of the cause, not the
cure of unwanted animals." North Shore, with $53 million in assets
and a highly successful national direct mail fundraising apparatus,
buys purebreds and puppies from states as far away as South
Carolina and Ohio for adoption to New York-area clients.  This
decreases the demand for animals from other New York-area shelters,
and creates a market for backyard breeders.
 
     * ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical Corp. is reportedly ready to begin
human clinical trials of vaccine called CATVAX that will cure
allergies to cat dander, not just alleviate symptoms.
 
     * Bubonic plague has been found in four cats, four rodents,
and a dog in Espanola, New Mexico, the worst outbreak of the
disease since 1985, when there were 30 cases in cats, 14 in humans,
and one human death.  Coyotes and a kit fox who were trapped in
five different counties proved to have plague antibodies.  All the
animals were probably exposed to plague-carrying fleas who
customarily live on rodents.
 
     * Blind New York pencil-seller Thomas Armstrong, 64, got four
get-well cards after a taxi jumped a curb and broke his leg on
April 6. His guide dog, who lost an eye, got an estimated 250 cards
enclosing donations to cover the veterinary bills.  Hospital staff
were perplexed, but not Armstrong, who explained, "He's a lovable
dog."
 
 From: Animals Agenda
 456 Monroe Turnpike
 Monroe, CT 06468
 Issue: 5/92
 
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