Bye Bye Oreo's Killer!

Nathan Winograd said on July 27th 2012: 

Yesterday, I asked people to write the Chair of the ASPCA Board of Directors, asking for a more progressive replacement after the glorious announcement that Oreo's killer, Ed Sayres, will "step down" as President. His response? "Everyone at the ASPCA is extremely grateful to Ed for his immense contributions to the organization on behalf of our nation's animals. During his tenure, Ed has established the ASPCA as a leader in providing sheltering expertise, enforcing animal welfare laws, and rescuing and rehabilitating animal victims of cruelty. Under Ed's leadership, the organization's membership base has tripled to more than 1.2 million and our revenues have quadrupled to $148 million in 2011."

He might have duped the animal loving American public to enrich the ASPCA with heartbreaking commercials that prey on their emotions and the ASPCA Board might consider success based on how much money they raise, but there isn't a single No Kill advocate who believed that Sayres' tenure was anything but a tragic betrayal of New York City’s neediest animals, the animal protection community’s desire to save animals currently being killed throughout the State, and the lost potential to move this movement aggressively toward the achievement of a No Kill nation.

Remember this: Since Ed Sayres killed Oreo's Law and all subsequent attempts to mandate collaboration by making it illegal for NYS shelters to kill animals when qualified rescue groups are willing to save them, over 50,000 animals who had an immediate place to go have been needlessly slaughtered throughout the state--enough to fill every seat at Yankee stadium.

Oreo's Law

This is a political cartoon I felt compelled to do. The important thing to know about this is that the ASPCA is against positive progress in US shelters. Their medieval practices leave 25,000 animals dead in NYC alone each year. CAARA (Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act) would allow Rescue groups from NY and near by to take animals from the NYC ACC (animal 'care' and control) before they are euthanized. CAARA was started when an abused dog named Oreo was offered sanctuary by a Rescue group in upstate NY and instead killed by the ASPCA- even though there was safe, reliable rescue ready and willing to do everything to save Oreo.

Here is what No-Kill Nation's pioneer Nathan Winograd had to say the day CAARA was defeated:


Today, the ASPCA has succeeded in defeating badly needed shelter reform legislation in NYS, effectively condemning 25,000 animals a year to death. We've been trying to pass such a law since 2010. Each time, the ASPCA has led the charge to defeat the bill, choosing kill shelters and their regressive directors over the lives of the animals.

In fact, 49,404 animals have been killed in New York State shelters who rescue groups were ready, willing, and able to save since the ASPCA first defeated legislation which would have made it illegal for shelters to kill animals when qualified rescue groups were willing to save them. It is not easy to conceptualize 49,404 dead animals. But if you were driving along the road and each of those bodies was lined up end to end, that monumental trail of dead bodies would stretch approximately 15 miles long (and lead straight to ASPCA CEO Ed Sayres' door). Put another way, they would fill virtually all of the seats at Yankee stadium. When you donate to the ASPCA, you help fund this massacre. 

Dropping the ax was Agriculture Assembly Committee Chair Bill Magee. He did the ASPCA's bidding yet again. Let him know what you think:

Email: MageeW@assembly.state.ny.us
Telephone: (607) 432-1484

Dont Shop, ADOPT!

This started out as a fun assignment but turned into something better. I first got this assignment right before going home for winter break in December. I couldn't really come up with anything great, until I remembered an article I had read in my hometown newspaper about over population of cats in the shelter near me.

I volunteered at the Monmouth County SPCA from when I was 12 to 18. I started out doing 'cat socializing'. I raised hundreds of dollars a year doing my 'Pet Caricatures' at the annual Pet Walk. I charged everyone 10-20 dollars for a drawing of their pet and I drew them right on the spot. All the money went straight to the SPCA. It was a great way for me to use my art to help animals, which is my ultimate goal in life.

Once I was older (I believe 16), me and my boyfriend at the time went to the shelter almost every day after school to walk the dogs. We were both so passionate about every dog in there, but none of them compared to our Monday. Monday was a beautiful Pit Bull mix that I know will be in my heart for the rest of my life. She was all white except for an orange-brown tan spot over one eye and ear and a spot of her butt and tail. She was some-what banished to the back of the shelter because she has been exhibiting some aggression to the other dogs. Joey (my boyfriend of that time) and I knew her better. We took her out almost 6 days a week and socialized her with our own dogs. She loved to play more than anything and would do anything for Joey- even attempt to follow him up a ladder on a playground once. We brought her to the beach, the park, our homes. We would have given anything to keep her but unfortunately our parents were too afraid of the breed. This story has a bitter-sweet end; she did get adopted- which we were afraid she'd be put down first. We are so happy she is alive and hopefully happy... but we did not get to meet her adopters, or say goodbye.

When we walked into the shelter to see that she was gone, the mixed emotions had traumatized us. We spent so many hours over the months with her. Me and Joey could not help but sit in our car and cry for hours. As sad as we were at our loss we were also so happy she no longer had to sleep in a cage at night. We drove away and never looked back.

However, there are so many unwanted animals out there that are so wonderful. They need their 'fur ever' home so badly. I want to raise awareness that just because you get an animal from a shelter doesn't mean you cannot train, rehabilitate, or help them to be the pet you want. There are often even puppies and pure breds in shelters. Everyone should consider using PetFinder.com before going to a breeder. There are plenty of purebreds out there that have been abandoned. A lot of people do not know about puppy mills, which is why they go to Pet Stores to get their puppies. Awareness must be spread because no person would knowingly adopt a dog from a puppy store if they knew the condition of those puppies' mothers.

Going back to my painting though- this is more about cats than dogs. My family and I have adopted or accidentally adopted in the case of Furby, all of our cats. They have all be such a huge part of my life and are/were healthy. If anyone is thinking of getting a kitty I beg you to go to your local shelter and pick a cat, just because they are bit older doesn't make them used- it makes them wise. (And there are often kittens at shelters as well).

Don't Shop, Adopt- they will be a family member, you wouldn't 'buy' a kid would you!? Haha.