Support moving elephants from zoo to sanctuary

Los Angeles councilman gets celebrity help in push to remove elephants from LA zoo

Associated Press
October 22, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Bob Barker, Alicia Silverstone and other celebrities are joining a city councilman's effort to move elephants from the Los Angeles Zoo to a massive sanctuary where they can roam free — or at least close to it.

Councilman Tony Cardenas, accompanied by several celebrities at a news conference Tuesday, announced his desire to halt construction of the zoo's elephant habitat and use the money to build a 60-acre sanctuary operated by the zoo.

"We need to get those elephants out of the LA Zoo," Cardenas said.

Cardenas filed two motions Tuesday at the City Council meeting to reallocate what's left of the $39 million approved for the elephant exhibit and open the sanctuary in the northern San Fernando Valley. He said the 3 1/2-acre "Pachyderm Forest" at the zoo will be too small to keep elephants happy and healthy.

Los Angeles Zoo officials said they intend to complete the project, which will house 11 African elephants and a breeding program. Zoo director John Lewis said construction is one-third complete and about $10.2 million has been spent.

Cardenas said he was one of the council members who approved the new facility in 2006, but "ever since then, it really hasn't set well with me."

Cardenas said he decided the city's elephant exhibit needed drastic changes after visiting Ruby, a former zoo elephant, at the Performing Animal Welfare Society sanctuary in Stockton.

"You could see in her eyes, she looked healthy. She was interacting with the other elephants," he said.

At the news conference, which included celebrity animal lovers Barker, Silverstone, Robert Culp and Esai Morales, the councilman played a video of the zoo's only pachyderm, Billy. The elephant was seen bobbing his head — a behavior that animal advocates say is caused by the psychological stress of living in confinement.

Barker said Cardenas' proposal is "the perfect solution" for Billy and other elephants scheduled to arrive at the zoo.

Lewis defended the zoo's care of the elephant, saying Billy bobs his head when zoo personnel come to feed or care for him.

"Is it a normal elephant behavior? No. Is it pathological? No. It's a Billy behavior," Lewis said.

Cardenas said a sanctuary would cost $10 million. The unfinished elephant habitat at the zoo could be turned over to giraffes, saving the city $20 million, he said.

A City Council panel will review the proposal Nov. 6.

© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

Young Tiger Cub Being Exploited at Corn Maze.

The October issue of The Wildcat Sanctuary Newletter:

What could be wrong with a cute little, local petting zoo? Isn’t that what Fall and Family Fun and Severs Corn Maze are all about? How could taking my child to enjoy getting up close and personal with these adorable animals make a difference in the scheme of things?

If you take a closer look and read more about the exhibits and exhibitors, there is so much that the general public doesn’t know. The animals that you have the opportunity to see spend thousands of hours and miles on the road being transported from venue to venue all year long. You are not their first stop and you certainly won’t be their last. That little pen you see them lying in at the fair might be the largest habitat they’ll ever see.

And what about the exhibitors who portray themselves as animal lovers who just want to share the joy of animals with you? These folks are businessmen and women whose livelihoods come from transporting these animals around the state and around the country, displaying them for profit. The animals are a product and displaying them is their profit center. When Minnesota voted to pass S.F. 1530 aimed at curbing the commercial trade in exotic animals, Kevin Vogel of Vogel Exotic Animal Shows fought against it vigorously saying “his family business travels extensively” with these animals. Is this something you want to promote with your attendance at Severs Corn Maze who has contracted Vogel Exotics? http://www.severscornmaze.com/index.php

And why do you see so many baby animals on display? Ask yourself and then ask them, where do they end up when they are fully grown? Will they continue to transport a fully grown 500 pound tiger? Doubtful…that tiger will end up sold off in the exotic animal industry where meeting the animals' needs is definitely secondary to profiting from them. Thankfully, Dateline, CNN, 60 Minutes, and so many other news organizations are beginning to shed light on the reality of what is behind these animal displays and the trade in exotics.

Please do the right thing and say “No” to animal abuse of this kind and please share this information to teach as many others as you possibly can. You can set a wonderful example by not attending exhibits like this one.

Hard times all around

Check out this New York Times article about the "trickle down effect" of the financial crisis on homes and rescues for companion animals.

Good News! Shandy found a home.

Thanks to everyone who made an effort or sent good thoughts her way!

I am so happy and thankful that we found a new loving family for Shandy! Thanks to Steve & Katrina, they are giving Shandy a second chance on having a healthy, happy and active life!

Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers...Shandy is very happy and extremely spoiled with love! Life is good for her now!

~Sherry

Shandy needs a new home

This beautiful black lab was found wandering and was taken in by a kind family. They managed to find the dog's owner, but the owner didn't want her anymore. They have another dog and apparently this one is a bit of an escape artist. The rescue family loves this dog (Shandy), but already have a big dog and a cat and can't keep her.

She is 3-4 years young, spayed, up-to-date on shots with shiny white teeth. She is a love, but she'll need exercise and probably a fenced yard.

Please spread the word and contact Sherry or Jon at 612-382-0685 or Sherry.Hood@target.com if you interested or need more information.

I need to take this opportunity to comment on this kind of situation. The rescue family had taken Shandy to the one of the Animal Humane Society locations (Golden Valley, Coon Rapids, Buffalo, St. Paul or Woodbury) and they were told pointblank that the dog would be held for five days and then euthanized if the owner did not come to claim her.

They signed the surrender documents giving up all rights to the dog, but continued to look for the owner and to try to find a home. Incredibly, they managed to find the owners, but the owners were willing to let the dog be euthanized. Instead, they agreed to get the dog out of the Humane Society and give her to the rescue family which took Shandy and went to work to find a new home.

I appreciate the candor of AHS in letting these people know that the dog would be euthanized in five days if the owner did not claim her. It is a common misperception that animals brought into the Humane Society will be placed on the adoption floor to find new homes as long as they are healthy and socialized. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Of the thousands of animals that are brought into the five AHS locations each year, about 40-50% are euthanized and many of those are healthy, adoptable animals. The facilities simply don't have room for all the abandoned and surrendered animals. They have an "open door" policy which means that they will take in any animal brought to them, but when the population exceeds their capacity, many pets are euthanized.

The AHS locations here are unusually full of dogs right now because they took in dogs from the areas in the southern United States that had hurricane damage. This is a noble cause, but it results in even more of our local animals being pushed aside. Puppies and young dogs with perfect health and excellent temperaments are the only ones that will ever even make it to the adoption floor. A black dog, especially a lab, is at the greatest disadvantage of all due to color and commonness.

Cats are in an even worse situation, because there are more of them. For at least six months of the year, any cat over one year of age coming into one of the AHS locations will be euthanized without ever making it to the adoption floor. I was sick at heart last week when the AHS was begging for cat adoptions. I know that means they are full to the point of having to euthanize even kittens and nursing moms. I know because I foster kittens and nursing moms for them.

I had a very similar situation to the one with Shandy a few years ago when a friend found a little black kitten and took it to the Humane Society, then called me -- she should have called me first. I told her we had to get it out immediately. I pulled all the strings I could and offered to foster the kitten, but it was too late. They admitted that they had euthanized the kitten within 24 hours of receiving it, probably because she had a little cold.

AHS is not the evil empire, but when all the "no-kill" shelters close their doors because they are full -- which happens for months every summer -- all that is left is the "open-door" and a likely death sentence at AHS. I truly believe that if people understood what really happens, they would make a greater effort to be responsible (spay and neuter your pets!) and demand greater accountability from AHS. It is possible to do so much better.

Just a few examples include
San Francisco which has been a leader in the "no-kill" movement and New York City which is on a ten-year plan to achieve citywide no-kill. Maricopa county in Arizona (which includes Phoenix) is also several years into a ten-year plan.

There is no reason the Twin Cities metropolitan area cannot achieve this goal, too, if AHS would join the effort already begun by the Homes For All Pets group here. Literally millions of dollars are available in grants from Maddie's Fund, but only for a joint effort to achieve "no-kill". The "no-kill" groups in Minnesota are aligned and ready to work together, but we can't move ahead without cooperation from AHS.

Please adopt a cat!

The largest animal rescue group in the state is begging for adopters and all the other rescue groups in the state are similarly overrun. What will it take to get people to spay/neuter their cats??

Cat overpopulation: Public asked to adopt

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- The Animal Humane Society in the Twin Cities is asking the public to adopt a cat.

The organization says it's overrun with stray cats and kittens that came in over the summer.

Nearly 10,000 cats came in from June through September. So far this year, the Animal Humane Society has received more than 16,000 cats. That's an increase of 6 percent from the same period a year ago.

Warmer weather in the spring and fall is increasing the number of litters produced each year by cats that have not been spayed or neutered.

Humane Society president and CEO Janelle Dixon says the organization has more than 350 cats at its five location ready for adoption right now.

Oct. 18 Vaccine & Microchip Clinic

Hi everybody!


The next Low Cost Vaccine & Microchip Clinic at NE Community Lutheran Church will be on Saturday, October 18th

from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM.



Northeast Community Lutheran Church

697 13th Avenue NE

Minneapolis, MN 55413



Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic for Pets: OCTOBER 18 3PM TO 6PM!

Includes a basic exam if time allows, rabies shots and distemper combos for dogs and cats.



Veterinarian and vet techs on site, $20.00 suggested donation per pet. Low-cost microchipping available for $20 by the

Humane Society.



A portion of proceeds benefits the Animal Humane Society. Volunteers needed!



Please call me with any questions, or if you can volunteer!



RESCUE GROUPS WELCOME!



-Cathie Witzel

mobile: 612 859 7284