OT: Schwarzenegger No Friend to Animals

[Guest guest]

This came in this morning to one of my other groups. Best, Pat.

------------

Governor Wants to Repeal Law Favoring Pet Adoption

 

By Robert Salladay Times Staff Writer

 

SACRAMENTO — In his brief political career, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

(news - web sites) has challenged powerful state unions, prison guards

and wealthy American Indian tribes alike. But now he is up against a

group with far greater numbers and a louder voice: animal lovers.

 

Schwarzenegger wants to repeal California's comprehensive law forcing

animal shelters to hold stray cats and dogs up to six days before

killing them, a budget-cutting move that has enraged pet adoption groups.

 

As a favor to the state's cash-poor counties and cities,

Schwarzenegger has asked the state Legislature to reverse the 1998

law, which makes adoption of wayward pets the first priority of

shelters instead of quickly putting them to death. The law is dubbed

the Hayden Act, after former Santa Monica state senator and activist

Tom Hayden.

 

" This is an issue that affects the care and protection of tens of

thousands of stray animals, and will inflict heartbreak on a lot of

owners and people in the animal adoption world, " Hayden said Thursday.

 

Few issues can incite animal lovers more than the abuse or killing of

pets. Los Angeles' animal services director, Jerry Greenwalt, retired

in April after protesters vandalized his house and spray-painted

" murderer " on his car. Claiming the city killed too many animals,

protesters also picketed the San Pedro home of Mayor James K. Hahn

(only to be targeted themselves by Hahn's neighbors, armed with squirt

guns.)

 

Many experienced politicians say it is best to either be an advocate

for animals or stay clear of the issue.

 

" There is no organized constituency of cats and dogs, but certainly

the pet owners of America will find this reprehensible, " said Barbara

O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and

Media at Cal State Sacramento.

 

" Cats and dogs are like mom and apple pie. Don't mess with the pets.

Most people prefer them to other people. "

 

Hahn, in fact, announced last year that the city would stop killing

animals by 2008, but Los Angeles continues to put to death cats, dogs

and other animals that are not adopted. The city handles more than

60,000 animals each year and kills about 34,000, or 54%. An estimated

600,000 dogs and cats are put to death each year statewide.

 

The Schwarzenegger administration said repealing the Hayden Act could

save local governments up to $14 million. As proposed, shelters would

be allowed to kill dogs and cats after holding them just 72 hours,

regardless of whether the shelters are open to the public during those

three days.

 

But animal rights activists believe cats and dogs should not be

sacrificed in an effort to save money amid the state's budget shortfall.

 

" It's sad they would put a price tag on the animals, " said Kathy

Riordan, a member of the Los Angeles Animal Services Commission and

daughter of Schwarzenegger advisor and former Mayor Richard Riordan.

 

Schwarzenegger has proposed a change in the law to allow birds,

hamsters, potbellied pigs, rabbits, snakes, turtles and other animals

that are not cats and dogs to be put to death immediately after

capture if the shelter favors that approach, animal rights groups

said. Currently, a minimum six-day window covers all animals, but the

protections for everything but cats and dogs would be eliminated under

the changes.

 

Schwarzenegger also would eliminate a requirement that people

convicted of animal cruelty be prohibited from owning a pet for three

years and be forced to pay for medical care for the animals they have

mistreated.

 

Shelters no longer would be required to search for owners who have

embedded microchips in their pets that store addresses and phone numbers.

--------------------