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Governor Targets California Shelter Animals Again

June 06, 2009, 2:40PM MT
By Carrie Jones
Help Fight the Proposed Shortened Shelter Holding Period

Help Fight the Proposed Shortened Shelter Holding Period

To California Residents:

Governor Schwarzenegger is endangering homeless pets by resurrecting an inhumane and unpopular budget proposal in an attempt to recover an estimated 0.1 percent of the state's $24 billion deficit. The Governor is once again threatening to suspend the Hayden Bill, known as the “Animal Adoption Mandate”, which protects stray pets by imposing a minimum four-to-six day holding period in government-run animal shelters to stave off euthansia. In an attempt to curb the budget crisis, Schwarzenegger wants to shorten the holding period in shelters to three days, which dramatically shortens a homeless cat or dog's chance at adoption prior to euthanasia.

The Governor's proposal has other implications as well. Reducing the holding period to three days also decreases a lost family pet's chance at being reunited with his/her family. With the suspension of the Hayden Bill, the foreclosure crisis would present an even more dire choice for struggling families who must surrender their beloved pets to shelters. Schwarzenegger's budget proposal decreases a surrendered or abandoned animal's chance for survival by fifty percent when the odds are already stacked against these innocent victims.

Don't let Schwarzenegger classify our state's animals as fiscal waste. Your opposition to this heartless budget proposal can increase a homeless pet's survival odds.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Call and write Governor Schwarzenegger to let him know you OPPOSE the shortened shelter holding period in California:

Email the Governor here and call 916-445-2841 to voice your opinion.

To contact the Governor's office in your district, click here.

Vote NO in the OC Register opinion poll here.

For non-California residents, please contact all your family and friends that live in the state and urge them to speak up now for these animals in serious trouble!

Posted by Carrie Jones, Best Friends Volunteer

Sources: LA Pet Rescue Examiner;
The Humane Society of the United States


Photo of Kenneth courtesy of Amanda Foundation

*Best Friends Animal Society opposes this proposed reversal of Hayden's Bill. For more information on how animal legislation is reported on the Best Friends Network, click here.
Comments
Posted June 16, 2009, 12:42PM by Luvztigger
I emailed the Governor but I doubt anyone is gonna really read it. This law is very very cruel. you might as well kill all the shelter animals because there is no way 3 days is nearly enough. I think we should give him a 3 day ultimatum to fix his budget mess and see how well he does! attacking innocent animals, he couldn't come up with a real plan so naturally he attacks the defensless. sign of a real man!
Posted June 16, 2009, 2:39PM by crazysleepingcatlady
I just sent an email even though I don't live in California either and I intend to forward this to as many of my animal loving friends as possible. If we all do the same perhaps we can literally bombard his office with emails.

We have power in numbers and this would be a great time to show the great governor of California {dripping with sarcasm I hope you know} how we feel about this and about him.

I agree with the previous posters.....he can't balance his budget and decides to go after the animals because he can't do his job?

.....sounds like something a heartless coward would do.

I will fight tooth and nail for my pets, I wonder if the governor will do the same?

Mom of Whiskers, Pete, Niki and Samantha
5.23.94 ~ 8.13.94 ~ 10.10.05 ~ 6.10.08
Posted June 16, 2009, 4:17PM by Kelly4cats
Something as simple as a cheap micro-chip could be saving thousands of these lives and tax dollars. More low cost/free spaying and neutering for pets and feral cats would further help to reduce the kill rates at shelters . We have to get our elected officials to see the economic benefits of doing these things as well as all the lives it would save.
Posted June 16, 2009, 7:9PM by rileyzmommy
DONE! Let's pray our efforts are effective!
Posted June 10, 2009, 11:46AM by cottageantiques
I emailed the Govenor about this.

His proposal is heartless and inhumane. Living in San Diego, I've known people who found their pets in the County Animal Shelter a little too late.
There is still no such thing as a No Kill municipal shelter in San Diego even thought they say they are. There is an effort to make San Diego a No Kill community. Unfortunately, many people are under the misconception that San Diego is already a No Kill community, and therefore, turn over their animals or stray pets to the County Animal Shelters thinking that their pets cannot be euthanized. Most people are shocked to find that tens of thousands of animals are still being killed and the numbers are a conservative guess. Schwarzenegger's proposal will make it worse, way worse. I'm embarrassed to say he's my governor.
Posted June 08, 2009, 8:59PM by JillC
Can you show your opposition against this bill if you live in Washington State ?
Posted June 09, 2009, 8:21PM by GeorgeBailey47
Jill,

I sent a comment (a respectful one). It didnt ask for my state...just my name, email info.
Posted June 17, 2009, 3:12PM by scratchtopaz
One of our colleagues emailed the Governor and wanted to share his response. Notice the PR machine in action!

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me about the proposal to lift restrictions on hold times at animal shelters. I value your input during these challenging economic times.

As you know, we are in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. We now face a budget shortfall that has grown to $24.3 billion. I have proposed cuts that I would have never proposed except in a worst-case scenario, including eliminating General Fund support for programs like Healthy Families, CalWORKs, Cal Grants and State Parks. This was not an easy decision for me. As a dog owner myself, I have always supported animal welfare and have worked to ensure the humane treatment of animals.

Currently, the state requires all shelters to hold stray animals for four or six days and reimburses them for the associated costs. To address our budget crisis, I have proposed to suspend some
Non-Proposition 98 mandates, including the reimbursement funds for these shelters. To help local shelters deal with the challenges of
this difficult budget situation, I have also proposed that the state no longer require the four or six day hold time. Shelters still have the flexibility to keep the animals for more days, but my proposal avoids placing an unnecessary burden on local communities.

As I work with my partners in the Legislature to find solutions to these problems, know that I will keep your thoughts in mind. Working together, I believe we can weather this storm and start the slow but
steady march back toward prosperity.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Posted June 16, 2009, 12:48PM by rlynns66
I emailed his office yesterday, his lack of compassion for animals has made them a target for budget cuts..
I am so disgusted with him ,if I knew how he targets animals I would have not voted for him.
He is not the most popular Governer right now, when that is over he will have made so many enemies he couldn't even go back into the movie business.. he need to go back to Austria! a man like that does not belong here in the USA..
Posted June 09, 2009, 8:13PM by GeorgeBailey47
Hey Govenah!

It might have been cool to be a "Terminator" in the movies, but when you're a terminator in real life, you're nothin but a girlie man!

I used to think you were cool.

Not anymore.

Precious souls already have a short life span in "shelters", the idea is to LENGTHEN their life span, to SAVE THEM, not to send them to their deaths faster because you want save a couple of bucks. Have you no shame?
Posted June 16, 2009, 12:56PM by pamsandwich
Thank you for allowing us to be the voice for animals across the state of CA. I do not live in this state by choice, but due to my husband's career. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here.
Posted June 10, 2009, 11:45AM by cottageantiques
I emailed the Govenor.

His proposal is heartless and inhumane. Living in San Diego, I've known people who found their pets in the County Animal Shelter a little too late.
There is still no such thing as a No Kill municipal shelter in San Diego even thought they say they are. There is an effort to make San Diego a No Kill community. Unfortunately, many people are under the misconception that San Diego is already a No Kill community, and therefore, turn over their animals or stray pets to the County Animal Shelters thinking that their pets cannot be euthanized. Most people are shocked to find that tens of thousands of animals are still being killed and the numbers are a conservative guess. Schwarzenegger's proposal will make it worse, way worse. I'm embarrassed to say he's my governor.
Posted June 10, 2009, 10:37PM by reehutch
I emailed the governor. This state was once a nice place to live, but there is much about it I no longer like. I'm embarrassed to live here.

We need a moratorium on breeding and mandatory spay and neuter legislation. Saving animals these days is a heart breaker. For every one that finds a home, two don't. We're going backwards. I can't stand it.
Posted June 10, 2009, 2:21PM by grabowskilisa
I sent an e-mail...and I don't even live in California, though I have considered it time and time again, though now I'm questioning that choice if he actually goes through with this. You can't make cuts in LIFE just to try to fix the mess you made. I am disgusted and ANGRY!!!
Posted June 16, 2009, 3:42PM by gussyman
THANK GOD FOR RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS!!! WISHED THERE WERE MUCH MORE ANIMAL LOVERS.
NO - I DID NOT VOTE FOR THE GOV AND HE'LL BE OUT OF CALIF SOON - UNFORTUNATELY, NOT SOON ENOUGH FOR OUR LITTLE PAWS THAT HAVE NO VOICE IN OUR SHELTORS. I HAVE 4 RESCUES (8 IF I INCLUDE 4 CATS); WISHED EVERY ONE WOULD ADOPT AND NOT BREED TO BUY - WE'D SAVE SO MANY OF OUR 4 PAWED FRIENDS!!!
PASS THE SB 250 PET RESPONSIBILTY ACT - THIS WOULD SURELY BE A GOD SEND...
I CALLED GOV OFFICE & BOTH MY REPS IN MY AREA; EVERY ONE, PLEASE DO THE SAME AND VOTE THIS PROPOSAL TO CUT TO 3-DAY HOLDING.

THANK YOU, GUSSY, GABBY, LOUIE, BELLA, CARLOS GOMEZ, SOPHIE, SPOTTER, & JOSIE'S MOM
Posted June 16, 2009, 4:3PM by vickiebr
I voted and I also sent an email from my rescue (named Lucky) that I just brought home in February, he came from a Shelter in Los Angeles and he would not be alive if the budget cuts were in effect then. So I thought it be a great idea to send the email from him. Our house would not be the same without him!
Lucky's new mom and Sammi's mom too!
Posted June 16, 2009, 4:24PM by AYng01
I just sent in my e-mail to the Governor, sent an e-mail to my friends encouraging them to do the same and posted this to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

As I expressed in my e-mail, the budget crisis is a HUMAN issue! We have no right as human beings, citizens of the state of California and citizens of the United States of America to sentence innocent animals to a certain death to save ourselves from our own -- moreover, our state legislature's -- financial mistakes. IT IS WRONG ON EVERY LEVEL.

I am so thankful for rescue organizations like Best Friend's and The Humane Society of Sonoma County (They are a non-profit not associated with the Humane Society of the United States -- they do not receive any money from the government and run entirely on donations). I am also very grateful to be a member of both of these organizations.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND SAVE ANIMAL LIVES!
Posted June 16, 2009, 7:9PM by rileyzmommy
DONE! Let's pray our efforts are effective!
Posted June 16, 2009, 7:40PM by yurufeng
I just did it. What a shame to have a governor like that.
Posted June 09, 2009, 9:37PM by dionie
I just called the office but they are not taking any voice mail. This will set animal welfare back into the 19th Century. Unbelievable we are going backwards not forwards to save innocent lives.
Posted June 10, 2009, 11:44AM by cottageantiques
I emailed the Govenor.

His proposal is heartless and inhumane. Living in San Diego, I've known people who found their pets in the County Animal Shelter a little too late.
There is still no such thing as a No Kill municipal shelter in San Diego even thought they say they are. There is an effort to make San Diego a No Kill community. Unfortunately, many people are under the misconception that San Diego is already a No Kill community, and therefore, turn over their animals or stray pets to the County Animal Shelters thinking that their pets cannot be euthanized. Most people are shocked to find that tens of thousands of animals are still being killed and the numbers are a conservative guess. Schwarzenegger's proposal will make it worse, way worse. I'm embarrassed to say he's my governor.

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