Paws Up & Paws Down

 
 
* VICTORY FOR ANIMALS IN ILLINOIS Governor Blagojevich has recently signed two pieces of humane legislation into law:
  • Under the new Illinois Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act, veterinarians are required to report suspected aggravated cruelty, animal torture, animal fighting or dog fighting. In addition to being charged with a misdemeanor or felony, a veterinarian who fails to report such animal cruelty can have his or her license revoked.
  • With the passage of HS Bill 189 into law on July 14, property used in animal fighting or dog fighting, and moneys, profits and proceeds acquired by animal fighting, must be forfeited to the state. This new act is similar to the forfeiture provisions in place for drug dealers.

* In March of 2003, the McHenry County Board of Health approved of a plan to have the Animal Control Advisory Committee write an amendment to county ordinance allowing for a pilot TNR ("Trap-Neuter-Return") program to run for a trial 18 month period, coordinated by Animal Outreach Society. You can read stories about the decision from the Chicago Tribune, Northwest Herald, and Daily Herald.

* On Friday, January 11, 2002, Governor George Ryan signed HB61, the pet-friendly license plate bill. Proceeds from the pet-friendly license plates will be devoted to a pet overpopulation control fund. This fund will enable Illinois non-profit organizations to provide low-cost spay/neuter services, therefore reducing the unnecessary killing of homeless pets. Secretary of State Jesse White indicated that the petfriendly plates would be ready for sale May 2002. For more information, check out the CyberDrive Illinois site.

  * FERAL CATS IN FLORIDA WILL DIE AT THE HANDS OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) approved a policy on feral and free-roaming cats that authorizes the FWC to "prohibit the release, feeding or protection of cats…" throughout Florida. This new policy gives the FWC the authority to eradicate hundreds of thousands of feral and free-roaming cats by any means necessary. Please let Governor Bush know that the eyes of the nation are once again on Florida.

* Researchers transferred 87 embryo clones to surrogate mothers and got ONE live, 'healthy, normal' kitten. Grieving pet owners are saving DNA samples in hopes that some day their dead animals can be cloned. Even if the clone is genetically identical, the personality and relationship cannot be. Meanwhile, over 5 million adoptable dogs and cats die each year because there are not enough homes for them.

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