FW: Kids Against Dog Chaining Campaign

[Guest guest]

This is a request for a summer campaign

for youth. Please forward to young people you know and (have them) contact Pam

directly.

Thanks,

Nora

 

 

Pam at AVAR

[pam]

Friday, June

09, 2006 3:14 PM

ihearrain;

nora

" Kids Against Dog

Chaining " Campaign

 

Hi Jackie and Nora,

I got your contact from Sara Chenoweth with PETA. She said you were involved in

humane education and may be interested in the campaign we are initiating to try

to get students to help us with our bill to ban dog chaining. See below for the

intro letter and attached documents. Let me know if there are other contacts

you think I should forward this to.

Pam

 

" Kids

Against Dog Chaining " Campaign

Sponsored by the California Animal Association

 

Dear Humane Educator,

 

Please consider having your students participate in the " Kids Against Dog

Chaining " campaign as a humane education project this summer. This

campaign can help students learn why dogs shouldn't be chained and the proper

way to care for canine companions. It also is a great opportunity for students

to learn about the legislative process, since a bill dealing with this topic is

currently being considered by the California Legislature.

 

The California Animal Association, a coalition of 15 animal protection groups,

is sponsoring SB 1578, a bill that would ban dog chaining as the primary means

of confinement in the state of California. (Temporary chaining would still be

allowed and families could still use a pulley or trolley system to confine

their dogs.) The bill is authored by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). SB

1578 has already been approved by the California Senate and will next be voted

on by the California Assembly. If the Assembly approves the bill, Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger will have to sign it into law.

 

SB 1578 has the potential to help free hundreds, if not thousands, of dogs in California

from living life on the end of a chain. It can also help reduce the number of

dog bites in our communities, since research has shown that chained dogs are

more likely to become aggressive and bite. But we need student support to help

make this happen. Legislators and the governor care what kids think!

 

Here are some steps your students can take to help:

 

1) Write a letter of support for SB 1578 to send to your locally-elected

assembly member. Be sure that students include their addresses so that the

assembly members know they live in their district. The Assembly has to vote on

this bill by August 31 but the sooner these letters are sent, the better

because they will have more impact. Go to www.assembly.ca.gov to identify your assembly member and

obtain contact information. Please see attached sample letter for ideas.

 

2) Write a letter of support for SB 1578 to send to Governor Arnold

Schwarzenegger. If the Assembly approves the bill, the governor will have

to sign the bill into law sometime in September. But his staff is already

reviewing bills and has taken an initial position against this bill so now

is the time to let him know what we think! The governor needs to stand up

for humane treatment of dogs. Letters to the governor can be addressed to:

 

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capitol Building

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-445-2841

Fax: 916-445-4633

 

3) Adopt a dog who was rescued off a chain. If students are interested

in " adopting " a rescued dog, please let us know and the California

Animal Association, working with Dogs Deserve Better, one of our member groups,

can try to identify a dog who was rescued off a chain in your area. Students

can prepare care packages to mail or deliver to their " adopted " dogs.

If appropriate, the caregiver may also allow students to help walk or care for

the rescued dog.

 

4) Visit the State Capitol to talk with legislators and/or the governor

about SB 1578. If students are traveling to Sacramento this summer, or live

in the area, we can help coordinate visits with legislators to talk about the

bill and why dogs shouldn't be chained. Please let us know if your students are

interested in this option, and we can set up appointments.

 

Attached are several documents to help with this campaign. They include: a fact

sheet about SB 1578, an informational flyer on the dog chaining issue, a sample

letter of support, and a copy of SB 1578. Students can also visit the following

websites to learn more about the dog chaining issue:

 

www.dogsdeservebetter.org

www.unchainyourdog.org

http://www.helpinganimals.com/ga_chained.asp

 

Please contact Pam Runquist with the California Animal Association at

pam for more information or questions about " The Kids Against Dog

Chaining " Campaign. We also would like to know if your students are

participating so we can recognize them in our lobbying, publications and media

efforts. Or if your students come up with any extra projects or innovative

ideas for this campaign, let us know so we can share the ideas with others.

Again, please email Pam at pam or call (530) 759-8106 with updates or

suggestions.

 

###

 

Pam Runquist, Steering Committee Chair

California Animal Association

 

 

 

 

Pam Runquist of Companion Animal Issues

Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights

PO Box 208

Davis, CA 95617-0208

Tel: (530) 759-8106

pam