Furball Fun!

Sam I Am with his finished portrait.

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has been a huge part of my life over the past 5 years or so since I started giving my free time to their volunteer program. As an open-admission shelter, the staff and volunteers of this shelter set out to become a No Kill organization, and happily have achieved just that over the past 6 years, with 90% or more (usually more) of the animals in their care finding a forever family or being placed into a local, no kill rescue organization. 

Of course, saving these lives isn't free and while WCRAS does receive government funding for the basic care of these animals, it is imperative that additional funds are raised in order to continue as a No Kill shelter. The Wilco Furball is an annual fundraiser which brings in thousands of dollars to help animals like Sam I Am, pictured above!

Sam's painting up on stage
to be auctioned off. 

This year, my lovely friend Misty and Community Outreach Coordinator for WCRAS asked if I would join the furball team and showcase a live painting of Sam during the event. This painting was then auctioned off at the end of the night and every dime raised was given to the shelter. Sam was an amazing sport and loved all of the attention he received, including a special monogrammed cozy bed to snooze on during the event. 

In addition to the live painting, the shelter offered a silent auction as well as a live auction and included a wonderful video showcasing some of their amazing work. It has been an honor to be part of such a beautiful, life-saving organization and I am thrilled that Sam's painting was able to raise hundreds of dollars to help these wonderful shelter pets! 

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner |  Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Something So Simple Can Change the World for Shelter Dogs....

Each month, the Williamson County Regional Animal
Shelter posts their save rate statistics. Since 2010,
each month, more than 90% of the animals in
their care have found their happy endings. 

Working within the Animal Shelter system has brought both tears of happiness and sadness. Sadness because those animals are each amazing in their own way and seeing them pining for the loss of their former families, scared being locked in a kennel for the first time after living their lives on the streets or simply unknowing because they have grown up at the shelter since they were overlooked as a puppy. Of course, living in a city that cares so much for the animals has brought a tremendous amount of happiness as well. I have watched Austin transform from a city that killed nearly 50% of the animals at our city shelter to becoming one of the safest cities in the country for stray animals.

I personally volunteer for a rural shelter, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter in Georgetown, TX, just north of Austin. Even after moving to South Austin earlier this year, I am dedicated to continuing my volunteer work with this shelter. I have also watched them transform from a typical county shelter to a No Kill open admission shelter. Open admission means that we take in any animal within our jurisdiction, regardless of the situation. This means we don't close our doors when we are full, we don't turn away strays and put them back out on the streets. We don't hide numbers or transfer animals to kill shelters to meet our quota. We step up and when the shelter kennels are full, we work with other local rescue organizations, we reach out to foster families and we host huge adoption events (like the Just One Day adoption event last month) to get the animals out of our shelter alive and healthy. Simply, we find them homes.

Unfortunately, it can take awhile for some animals to find homes, those are the animals we get to know and fall deeply in love with on a personal level. Of course, as much as every volunteer and staff member would like to, we can't simply take them all home ourselves. So, while they are in our care and waiting, we want to make their time comforting and make them feel as loved as we possibly can.

This video really struck me. What a beautiful sight to see - each shelter dog feeling comfort and finding a safe spot to call their own. It brought me to tears!

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Grace the Pit Bull was saved by a local rescue, Love-A-Bull.
Order your Grace Tote Bag for only $14.99 here >>

PETA Talks About the D..

PETA talks about the D, but fails to recognize that they are the real dicks here. 

I don't eat or harm animals, but I also don't support PETA. I have a huge problem with misreporting and hype just to promote an agenda.

PETA claims that eating chicken can
make your kid's dick small. 

PETA is an organization that has murdered thousands of animals in their Virginia 'shelter' (in fact, the numbers reported each year regularly show that they kill 78% - 95% of the domestic pets they get their hands on). 

Their latest shock ad claims that eating chicken while pregnant directly correlates with the penis size of your child. I had a laughing WTF moment when I first saw this and immediately thought it was an article from The Onion. When I realized that this was indeed a real article by the crazies who run the PETA marketing, I had to look into it a little more. The study in which PETA obtained their information is incredibly boring, but if you would like to read it for yourself, see here. Basically, what it comes down to is this: the study found that with a huge intake of phthalates, which are chemicals found in paint - and also chicken skin, some penises had a girth decrease of 0.0003cm and a length decrease of 0.059cm. Pretty irrelevant to me, and is an especially ridiculous reach because the study doesn't even mention poultry. Plus, the last time I checked, we measure the D in inches not centimeters. If you are worried about a fraction of a cm, I think there is a different issue going on in your bedroom.

Does size matter? 

In 2012, I personally fostered and adopted out more animals than an organization that took in close to $30 million in donations. Something is definitely wrong there. 

PETA has been caught dumping the bodies of healthy animals - including a mother cat and her kittens and healthy puppies (my heart breaks every time I think of it). Some of these animals were identified by a Veterinarian's office as animals that PETA picked up and promised to find loving homes for. It was discovered soon after that PETA employees had murdered (although, they will call it euthanized) those animals in their van and dumped the bodies before they ever arrived to the shelter. These animals were never input into their system, therefore their statistics were not accounted for. How many more animals were silently murdered in a van by this so-called 'animal rights' organization? 

Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA has been quoted as saying, "The animals… got the gift of euthanasia, and to them it was the best gift they’ve ever had. How dare you pretend to help animals and turn your back on those who want an exit from an uncaring world!" 

In October of 2014, PETA employees were caught on camera luring a little girl's pet Chihuahua (named Maya) from her front porch. Maya was a healthy, friendly dog and they killed her less than 24 hours later. 

PETA claims they euthanize animals because they are unwanted - I guarantee Maya's owners wanted her - in fact, they sued PETA later because of the trauma the whole ordeal caused their family. I can also guarantee that finding a home for a 6 month old Dalmatian puppy (one of the animals that was tossed in the dumpster) would not be hard at all. These two dogs are just examples of the countless, wonderful animals PETA has killed. 

What can you do? Don't support PETA - it's as simple as that. Don't fall for the lies. Don't join in and sing their praises because they 'Do so much good for promoting Veganism and stopping the slaughter of farm animals". Do that yourself by choosing to eat meat-free yourself and encourage your friends to do the same. Send your donations and offer your support to small, local rescues and shelters. Support organizations like Farm Sanctuary, who promote a Vegan lifestyle, but back it up by saving the lives of animals. If you don't know where to start - I am happy to offer some suggestions on amazing charities that could use some love!  So, is it okay to eat chicken? I don't think so. I am a firm believer that you can live a happy life without harming animals for food. I love chickens, they are beautiful, intelligent little creatures that do not deserve to die for a meal. I do hate liars, though, and feel that compassion for animals is a choice that one should make because they care for other beings on this earth, not because they are bullied by fear. I have many friends that eat meat and that is their choice. I do love when people have an open mind and heart and choose Tofu protein over Chicken. Tomorrow, I will share some of my favorite meat-free recipes in hopes that my meat-eating supporters will choose a veggie meal this week! No bullying, just delicious, tasty plant-based food!

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist www.petstudioart.com Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Learn more at www.whypetaeuthanizes.org

No chickens were harmed in the making of
our Chicken tote - in fact, Rachel, the chicken
featured was a rescued hen who lives her life
with a lovely flock of her own!
Order your Rachel the Chicken tote here >>

Dramatic Makeovers for Shelter Pets!

This week has been full of awesome rescue stories, including working with a new shelter (well, new to me - they have been around for quite some time) that recently has undergone some dramatic changes. The most dramatic change being a new, wonderful and dedicated shelter director.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting several of the volunteers at the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area and working with them to improve their overall online presence by photographing 70 of their adoptable pets. While the shelter staff still has a long journey ahead of them to reach No Kill status, the overall save rate has climbed significantly over the past few months, particularly with dog adoptions.

While I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the shelter, the friendliness of the staff and the charm of the volunteers, I did want to put my focus on helping improve the overall online presence of the shelter. When it comes to adoption profiles online, nothing is more important than a great photo. Often, the very first impression a potential adopter, volunteer or foster family has of an organization is their website. Unfortunately, most shelter's don't have the time or resources to ensure that every pet gets a great photo, which is why volunteers are so incredibly important. Offering my help in networking these pups was such a fun project and I love knowing that just a few hours of my life really could be the difference between life and death for these sweet pets.

If you see any pets that you fall in love with (and I don't know how you can resist these sweet faces), please visit the shelter at www.hsnba.com to learn more about their adoption policies!

Charlie - possibly the most dramatic Before/After photo I have ever seen! From blur to dog - we can't wait to see this sweetie get adopted! 

Scrappy

Hydron

Bellatrix - this sweetie was abandoned in a bathroom when her former family moved out. She wasn't found until the landlord went into the property nearly a week later. Bellatrix has gained weight, but is still a little shocked going from the bathroom to the shelter. This sweet girl really deserves a loving family that can give her safety and security. 

Deon

Sally - that smile makes my heart melt! This girl is ridiculously adorable!

Camus - Camus was ADOPTED shortly after we did his photos! Yay!

Domino is a stunningly gorgeous and sweet kitty!

Judge Judy

Ronald - this boy is stunningly handsome!

Mosquito

Twinkle

Cuddlez

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

Follow Pet Studio Art on Instagram. 

Why don't you adopt that foster pet?

I hear the phrase 'foster failure' often and it makes me smile knowing that a family opened up their home to a shelter or rescue pet and then fell so head over heels in love they had to adopt him/her! I think it's a wonderful ending to that pet's story and it is never a bad thing to hear the words 'foster failure'. 

Prada looking gorgeous on the green couch!

For me, however, I don't foresee that phrase coming up anytime soon (I won't dismiss it altogether, because who knows what the future holds). Yesterday, I posted about Prada, my sweet foster mother that went back to the shelter to go up for adoption. I had a few people express concern regarding that blog, questioning why I didn't simply adopt her 'if I loved her so much'. 

I gave Prada a chance to find her forever family BECAUSE I love her so much. I would love to make Prada my own and offer her the life I know she deserves. I fell in love with her charming personality, she very quickly became part of my life and as hard as it was, saying goodbye was always in the plan. 

My husband and I have four pets of our own; Holly, Cody, Jazz and Izze Belle. My four pets are always my priority and adding an additional pet in my home is just not an option. We have a routine, my pets deserve my full attention and adding in a fifth is not something my husband or I want right now. We have had foster pets at our house many times over the last few years and the dynamic always shifts dramatically between our pets. I hate seeing my own little ones stressed out, so when I opened my new studio, we decided that we would have foster pets at the studio only. Our personal pets are happy with the arrangement.

So far, studio fosters have been a perfect compromise. We are able to foster litters of kittens, which gets them away from the shelter environment where we can socialize them, offer them a safe space, away from illnesses they may catch at the shelter and let them grow up in a semi-homelike environment. When we brought in Prada and her babies, the plan never changed. I did, however, become much more attached to Prada than I usually do to my fosters. That doesn't mean I should adopt her immediately, it just means that I love her and saying goodbye was tough. If I thought for even a second that Prada would not find a wonderful home, I would have kept her as a long-term foster at my studio. I do have faith that my shelter will step up for her and I have seen first-hand how wonderful the families that adopt our shelter pets truly are. Saying goodbye was a gift for Prada, she deserves a home with a family that can give her love.

By fostering Prada and her babies, I opened up a kennel at the shelter so another cat could be saved. By bringing her little family here, I saved 8 lives. That's nothing to feel bad about and I don't feel bad for even a second putting Prada up for adoption. I am sad and I miss her, but there is never even a little piece of regret or doubt that fostering is an amazing gift. I look at it as a gift to Prada as well as a gift to myself. Prada was special and I will always love her. I also know that her next family will love her to pieces as well!

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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What can we learn from Annie?

Annie during my holiday photo shoot for Christmas 2012.

Annie's shelter and rescue history is a long one, but one that really shows how a dedicated community can achieve No Kill. With many shelters, Annie would not have been provided more than a week to wait for her forever family, let alone a few months, which eventually turned into a few years with one of the shelter's partner rescue organizations. Annie is a testament to the No Kill Equation and how following steps to achieve No Kill really does save lives.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some information on how Austin became a No Kill city and how important that success is for the entire nation. Austin has become a symbol of hope for shelter pets everywhere and while I think it is so important to share the success that Austin Pets Alive has had over the past 6 years as they transformed the city of Austin, it is equally as important to share the successes of other counties and organizations. Georgetown Animal Outreach is one of those inspirational organizations and while they aren't in the main spotlight quite like Austin Pets Alive is, they work just as hard and their group of volunteers is one that I have come to love and admire.

Annie, a Dogo Argentino (a breed generally grouped into the Pit Bull category) mix entered our county facility, The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter several years ago. Luckily for Annie, our county shelter is striving to be No Kill and Annie was given a chance to be shown for adoption. Unluckily for Annie, she just didn't adjust or show well in the shelter, as is the case with many wonderful dogs. While the staff at WCRAS loved her, the limited staff wasn't able to really dedicate the time Annie needed and finally, after spending months in the shelter with no interested adopters, she was given a break and rescued from her shelter kennel by the wonderful volunteers of Georgetown Animal Outreach. 

Annie getting a belly rub at one of our adoption events!

Much like Austin Pets Alive began, GAO is an organization that is run on the support of foster homes. This year alone, GAO has pulled 4 cats and 22 dogs from our city shelter, however, one of those dogs was pregnant when she was pulled and had a huge litter of 12 puppies, so let's say they pulled 34 dogs! In addition to their work physically rescuing dogs from the shelter, they have also taken in several owner surrenders before they were dropped off at the shelter, ultimately keeping another pregnant mom from having a litter at the shelter. 

Annie was fortunate enough to be one of the dogs that GAO had a space for and quickly became a volunteer favorite with her charming tiny bark and her incredibly sweet personality. I initially met Annie while I was hosting an adoption event in Round Rock, TX. She reminded me so much of my own sweet Holly, I of course came to love her as much as the GAO volunteers did. 

While everyone wanted to see Annie in her forever home, we all knew she was safe and loved with GAO. Annie had everything she needed while she waited for that perfect family and finally, just a couple of weeks ago, her dreams came true and Annie was adopted into a wonderful family with another pup that looks like her long lost cousin! From the photos her family has shared, it seems that Annie is right at home and we are all thrilled to see her there!

With rescue partnerships, volunteer involvement, foster programs and a shelter director that truly cares, The Williamson County Regional Shelter has makes a difference in the lives of thousands of animals and their new families every year! 

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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Dear PETA...

So, it seems as though PETA hasn't gotten over our discussion yesterday, and that works out just fine for me. I don't mind having an excuse to educate true life-saving programs at any time of day, so educating (against) the largest animal 'rights' organization in the world is just fine with me. 

You can read yesterday's conversation in the previous blog entry. When I woke up this morning, PETA had armed me with plenty of new information for a whole new blog post today! Thanks, PETA, now I don't have to worry about writer's block this morning!

I woke up to these two comments on my twitter feed from PETA:

(1) @petstudioart: We've seen "no-kill" do more harm for animals than open admission.http://www.peta.org/issues/no-kill-label-slowly-killing-animals.aspx
http://www.peta.org/features/turned-away-a-closer-look-at-no-kill.aspx

(2) @petstudioart: It's great that you are so passionate about animals but we've seen different results than you.

Let me address both of these comments before I start on the links that PETA sent over. 

Comment (1) I truly believe that PETA has seen more bad because that's what they are looking for. They love to point out other's flaws, while ignoring their own. I am part of the shelter-killing solution and I want to share with you all of the amazing things that happen when you embrace 'no-kill'.  (Scroll down and I talk about the links in depth.)

Comment (2) - Yes, PETA sees different results because they choose to see different results. I can't quite figure out why they fight 'no kill' so hard, but at this point, I can only conclude that it's a personal issue. To that, I say 'GET OVER IT' to PETA. Your stubbornness is literally murdering thousands of animals. You are killing the very beings that your mission claims to protect. How is killing animals not cruel? 

Now, to the links shared by PETA: I will not speak for other communities on this list, but having a personal knowledge (which PETA apparently does not) of the Austin and Georgetown Animal Welfare scene, I can attest to this comment mentioned in PETA's blog:

November 23, 2012/Georgetown, Texas: The Austin American-Statesman reported that two years after becoming a "no-kill" facility, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter's intake "has increased by 500 to 600 animals a year." The shelter "is so full that it doubles up dogs in its 79 kennels." A shelter official told the paper that there has been an increase in the number of strays and animals surrendered by owners. The number of surrendered animals increased 64 percent from 2010 to 2012.

PETA is correct in noting the changes in surrendered animals as well as the increase in intake. However, what they purposefully have left out is that while intake has increased, outtake has also increased. Our adoption programs have increased and our community involvement has hugely increased. 

During the month of November 2012, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter reports show 673 animals at the shelter during that time-frame. 

• 59 animals were euthanized at the Williamson County Regional Shelter, however the reason behind each euthanasia is noted, with severe medical cases being the number one reason for humane euthanasia at WCRAS in November 2012. Of the remaining animals
• 27 animals died at the shelter, a majority of those being very young kittens and puppies.
• 31 animals were cats that were brought in for Trap/Neuter/Return.
• 131 animals were transferred out to other humane rescue organizations (WCRAS does NOT transfer to other kill shelters, WCRAS partners are all amazing local rescue organizations.)
• 64 animals were returned to their owner after they were brought in to WCRAS.
• 340 animals were adopted.
• The remaining animals remained in the shelter through December as they waited for their forever families to find them. Rest assured that they waited comfortably, with food, water and plenty of cuddly blankets to keep them warm through the winter months. I personally help clean the cat kennels and photograph our kitties and can attest to the care that these animals are given.

Vernalla. Saved by WCRAS, 2013

FACT: The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter saved 87.22% of all of the animals in the care during November, 2012.

If you clicked on the above article link that was mentioned by PETA, you will see that I was interviewed for that article. I can personally note that only a fraction of my quote was taken (as most media outlets do) and that the article was intended to bring in more community involvement. Nowhere in the article does it say that WCRAS euthanized more animals. Nowhere in the article did it say that we were giving up. The article mentions a stressful month, yes, but even a stressful month doesn't excuse killing. A stressful month means we work that much harder, which we did and we were able to find homes for hundreds of animals.

Let me also note that during the entire year of 2012, PETA only found homes for 19 animals.

I personally fostered and found homes for 38 animals in 2012.

Based on my conversation with PETA reps via twitter this week, I also don't believe that PETA knows the difference between the types of no-kill shelters. They are constantly commenting that pets are turned away or warehoused in these shelters. This kind of mis-information shared by PETA is why many animal lovers believe that no-kill is not a positive alternative to shelter killing. To all of the animal lovers out there, let me clear up some ideas that you might have regarding these issues. 

There are three main types of animal rescue organizations:

Open Admission Shelter:An open admission shelter is usually a government run facility that accepts all animals regardless of their situation. Generally, these are the organizations which stray animals, animals impounded by animal control entities and all owner surrenders are taken to.  The average shelter in the united states has between a 50% - 60% save rate. 

A true 'No Kill' Shelter, according to the No Kill Advocacy Center is an open admission shelter that implements programs of the No Kill Equation to reach an overall save rate of 90%-95% or higher. This includes all animals that are euthanized due to medical or behavioral reasons.

Limited Admission Shelter:

Limited admission shelters are often those shelters that call themselves 'No Kill'. However, due to their limited space or funding, these shelters often only accept animals when they have the space or the resources to accommodate new animals. No Kill limited admission shelters often take animals pulled from other open admission shelters and many do no accept owner surrenders, or have a long waiting list for owner surrenders. 

Rescue Group:

Rescue Groups are typically all volunteer based organizations which rely on a network of Foster homes. These foster homes take in the animals from the Rescue Group's adoption program and care for them as if they are their own until the animal finds a forever home. Rescue Groups rely heavily on their foster families to care for their rescue pets until a forever home is found.

This sweet little ferret was rescued &
adopted to a wonderful family by The
Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.

In my conversation with PETA, they continually refer to shelters that turn away animals. This shows that they are looking primarily at limited admission shelters. An open-admission shelter cannot turn away an animal in need, which is why being a no-kill open admission shelter is especially impressive. The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is an open-admission shelter that continually saves 85%+ of all the pets in their care. I'm not saying that it's easy, but being a volunteer for a shelter that works as hard as they do is incredibly rewarding and I am honored to work beside people who truly are animal advocates. 

PETA often states that no-kill shelters are hoarding animals. If 90% of the animals are leaving the shelter alive... how is a shelter hoarding? Basic math can tell you that this is not the case. Sure, there are months where the shelters fill up and run out of room, and yes, those are the months when dogs are doubled up and housed in kennels together. (Honestly, I think our dogs prefer it that way - life in a kennel is lonely and I know that I would prefer the company). Does that mean the shelter is constantly hoarding? Absolutely not. What it means is that the shelter is willing to try a new temporary situation for the animals while they continue to fight to find the pets a family. I have never seen an overcrowded kennel at the shelter. The dogs are always able to comfortably stretch and roll around. 

In addition to the many things PETA ignores when pointing the finger at other rescue organizations, they continue to ignore or own up to their own flaws. What about your 'shelter'? 

PETA killed 90% of the animals that they got their hands on last year. Wouldn't an organization as large as PETA with so much funding be able to provide medical care to sick or injured animals?

PETA states that no kill shelters have to turn away animals due to lack of space. What about the empty kennels at your 'shelter'? Why haven't you opened those spaces up to the many animals that are turned away? Why do you encourage other shelters to continue killing animals in the face of life-saving alternatives?

There are many shelters around the country that are embracing The No Kill Equation and those shelters that implement these proven programs are seeing huge increases in their life-saving efforts. We still have a long way to go, but No Kill progress is made every single day. Take a look at the awesome 'Just One Day' campaign by Animal Ark and The No Kill Advocacy Center. This program is reaching out to shelters across the country and helping them realize that No Kill starts with a simple change. Just one day of No Kill can be the push that shelter directors need to make a change. By looking at the Just One Day Pledge map, you can see how many shelters have made or want to make a commitment to life-saving. Isn't that inspiring? I have made a commitment to saving lives and regardless of how much PETA argues or tries to twist the truth, I know in my heart that killing animals is wrong.

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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A Right to Life???

If you have ever wondered what the word hypocrisy means, just take a look at PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (as they like to call themselves). The word ethical apparently means something different to PETA than it does to me because I personally don't think murder is ethical. 

Last night PETA made yet another hypocritical comment (via twitter) and it definitely evoked a response from me. Of course, I am against clubbing seal cubs and I NEVER want to see an animal tortured, but PETA argues against killing some animals while they themselves inject poison into the veins of thousands.

PETA: FACT: About 95% of harp seals killed in Canada's commercial seal slaughet are btwn 1 - 3 1/2 mos old. [link]

Pet Studio Art: @peta how old were the 1647 dogs and cats that you killed in 2012???

PETA: @petstudioart Sadly, open admissions shelters euthanize far more animals every year as a result of the overpopulation crisis.

Pet Studio Art: @peta While that may be true in some situations, true #nokill open admission shelters are saving upwards of 90% of the animals in their care

PETA: @petstudioart If a shelter was truly open admission, wouldn't it take every animal in a public shelter?Pet Studio Art: @peta In Austin, we are saving 90%+ of the homeless pets as a direct result of embracing the #nokill equation.

Pet Studio Art: @peta AND, even if others kill... does that make it right for you to kill? What happened to the 'ethical' piece? How is murder 'ethical'?

Pet Studio Art: @peta Yes. Austin's open admission shelter takes in ANY animals in the city. Williamson County, just north of Austin does so as well.

PETA: @petstudioart For every animal at a "no-kill" shelter, many more remain at public shelters, which don't have the luxury of no kill.

Pet Studio Art: @peta Both of the #nokill shelters that I mentioned are public, open admission shelters.

You can continue to follow the conversation - or join in on our twitter page.
Another shocking comment: "We [PETA] do not advocate right to life for animals." -Ingrid Newkirk, Founder of People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). 

Yes, she seriously said that. Well, she wrote it on a postcard that she sent to Nathan Winograd back in 1994. (Take a look at the postcard for yourself!). The sad thing is, for those of us that have been involved in animal welfare for any descent amount of time, this is not a surprising quote. Sadly, for the millions of animal lovers that are not directly involved in Animal Welfare, the PETA name still holds the illusion that the organization truly loves animals. 

I won't lie; 10 years ago, I would have had pictures of fuzzy puppies in my head when the name PETA came up. When it comes to marketing, PETA has their act together, but truly, that's all it is... an act! Last year, of the 1843 animals taken in by PETA only 19 were adopted out. Of the remaining animals, 130 were transferred to other animal organizations and 1647 of them were killed by PETA's own employees. That equals a death rate of 89.4% of all animals that PETA got their hands on in 2012. 

So, the PETA supporters may step in and argue that some of these animals may truly have been suffering or had zero quality of life. I am a supporter of truly HUMANE euthanasia. Absolutely I am. I don't believe that any animal should suffer if there is no cure in site and I do believe that a truly dangerous animal that cannot be rehabilitated should be humanely euthanized. BUT, with that being said, even typical U.S. animal shelters that do the bare minimum for their animals are able adopt out around 40% - 50% of the animals they take in. Shelters around the country that are stepping up to become true No Kill shelters are saving upwards of 90% of the animals in their care. So, how was PETA, one of the largest animal related organizations in the world, only able to save 19 animals last year? ...

Then, there are the anti-fur promotions and the pro-vegan promotions. I agree with both of these issues and I still don't like PETA. I agree that wearing fur is supporting a disgusting industry where animals are tortured then skinned alive. I agree that going Vegan or Vegetarian will help end the sad and terrible practices of slaughterhouses and help save the lives of innocent animals. I also believe that killing healthy and adoptable animals is wrong. I believe that using donor money to end the lives of over 29,000 pets in the last 14-15 years is unacceptable. 

PETA may be the most hypocritical organization around. They spend millions of dollars talking about ending the cruel practices of animal abusers, yet they advocate death for the animals that come out of abuse situations. They support ending slaughterhouses, yet they run a slaughterhouse in Virginia; the animals they routinely kill are dogs and cats vs cows and pigs.

So, why do people support PETA still? Because they just don't know. PETA runs impactful advertising campaigns like the "I would rather go naked than wear fur" campaign. Of course, I would rather go naked than wear fur... but I would also rather go naked than support the killing machine known as PETA! 

PETA's Killing Statistics since 2005:

2012: Took in 1843 animals. Killed 1647

2011: Took in 1992 animals. Killed 1911
2010: Took in 2345 animals. Killed 2200

2009: Took in 2366 animals. Killed 2301
2008: Took in 2216 animals. Killed 2124

2007: Took in 1997 animals. Killed 1815

2006: Took in 3061 animals. Killed 2981
2005: Took in 2165 animals. Killed 1946

Stephanie Conrad
Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

Follow Pet Studio Art on Facebook & Twitter. 

Need more info on PETA:
www.petakillsanimals.com

7977 Steps Forward

There is a well known saying; "One step forward and two steps back". I am sure that you have heard the phrase. Luckily, when it comes to Austin Animal Welfare, we have steered clear of this phrase since the adoption of our city's "No Kill" Plan in 2010. We may take steps back every now and again. In my opinion, moving the Animal Shelter away from it's former location at Town Lake was a step back for the animals, but generally speaking, in Austin, we have been in a pretty constant forward motion over the last couple of years.

Unfortunately, it's looking like the Austin Animal Advisory Committee is about to put the breaks on our forward motion and possibly start pushing our amazing progress backwards. 

At the Austin Animal Advisory meeting this month (December 12th, 2012) an ordinance draft was brought into the room which would propose a mandatory registration and spay/neuter ordinance of all pet dog and cats in the Austin metro area. 

It sounds harmless enough, you pay a fee to register your pet and if your pet ends up at the shelter, you get a phone-call. WRONG! This ordinance has more power than most people realize and my heart breaks at the thought of the destruction this document could do to our animal welfare system. 

First and foremost, I must state that I am 100% for No Kill (learn about the No Kill Equation). I credit the amazing individuals within the Austin Community for introducing me to the life-saving alternatives and for mentoring me and opening my eyes to the amazing things that can happen when a community comes together.  Over the past 4 years, I like to say that Austin has moved 7977 steps forward. (In 2008, Town Lake Animal Center was the last place that 9946 animals called 'home' before they were killed in our city shelter. In 2011, that number was reduced to  1969 animals that were killed in our city shelter. I don't condone the deaths of all of those 1969, but a 7977 reduction in the number of pet's euthanized is not something to ignore. Especially considering that of the 1969 put to death, a number of those were true euthanasia cases.) 

I often hear that registering your pet brings the same benefits as registering your car. That's not true at all. Despite the obvious reasons (dogs aren't cars, duh), mandatory pet registration and spay / neuter laws are a death sentence for many, many well-taken care of pets within our community (not to mention that you will incur a class-C misdemeanor if you don't comply).

Just a few years ago, a bottle baby kitten would have
been killed immediately upon entering our city shelter.
Today, because of programs like the Austin Pets Alive
Bottle Baby ward, kittens like this little one are given a
chance at life.

Over the past few years, Austin has been a united front in the battle against unnecessary shelter killing. The city shelter has been working with the community to promote adoption, increase return to owner situations and of course the shelter has opened up their doors to the many rescue organizations that are voluntarily stepping up to pull animals from the kill-list. Without these welcoming programs, Austin could easily move back to the 2008 statistics and kill 50% of the animals walking through their doors. These mandatory laws change things and rather than working with the public, Animal Control employees that were once so willing to help bring Fido home when the gate was accidentally left open are now leading Fido into a concrete kennel because his owner couldn't afford to spay/neuter him.

Mandatory Registration and Spay/Neuter laws have proven ineffective in every community in which they have been implemented. In Los Angeles, CA, Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws were implemented in 2008. Looking at the Dog Statistics in particular, intake increased by nearly 5000 in the first year that the ordinance was passed. That number increased to nearly 6000 additional dogs in 2009, nearly 8000 additional dogs in 2010 and nearly 10,000 additional dogs in 2012 (this is an increase in numbers from 2007, before the ordinance was passed). Along with the increase in animals, the kill-rate has also increased within the Los Angeles Shelter. 

As you can imagine, the costs for housing the additional animals, as well as the costs for enforcing these laws is a huge burden on the city. So, why would any successful No-Kill Community want to bring these ineffective and costly laws to our own community? I personally would not want even a dime of my tax-payer money to be used for ordinances such as these! 

In addition to the financial, fatal (for the animals) and emotional (for the responsible pet parents that lose their pets) toll that this ordinance could take on our city, there is also the underlying threat of future issues. In Sikeston, MO, after responsible pet owners registered their pets with the city, the city passed a breed discriminatory ordinance. As you can see in this video, the city started rounding up Pit Bull type dogs that had never caused an issue, but that had been registered in compliance with the city ordinance. I would like to think that Austin would never implement a breed-discriminatory law, but when laws like mandatory spay/neuter are brought about, there is no guarantee that more irrelevant laws will not continue to creep into our lives. 

Spaying and neutering pets is a sensitive issue and mandating with laws is certainly not going to encourage better decisions. In fact, many pet owners may simply choose not to spay/neuter. There are hundreds of thousands of amazing pet parents that do not spay/neuter their pets, for multiple reasons. I personally advocate voluntary spay/neuter. I have paid money from my own pocket to help out a neighbor when they needed to have their pet altered. Without my help, they truly could not afford the surgery. Does that make them a bad pet parent? Absolutely not! This little pooch is spoiled rotten and rivals my pets in the number of toys and treats he sees. However, if this law was mandatory, my neighbor may have lost her pet due to city ordinance. Or, if she chose to steer clear of the city, her pup may have lacked routine veterinary care for fear of 'getting caught'. Ordinances like these may scare people away from Veterinary clinics and routine pet care. I don't believe that a widespread disease epidemic is going to occur, but I do think that routine care is in the best interest of our community's pets.

Low-cost and readily available Veterinary care, including low-cost Spay/Neuter is absolutely key to improving the animal welfare situation in any city. Education and encouraging pet owners to make the decision to spay/neuter results in more positive outcomes as well as keeping pets where they belong... right at home, where they are loved!

So, what can you do to stop this ordinance? Email the City Council (click here) and let them know that you do not support this ordinance and that you would encourage research into the issue. Not only does this effect your tax-dollars, but this truly effects our entire community (and the communities that look to us as leaders in the No Kill Movement).

Stephanie Conrad

Pet Studio Art | Owner | Artist
www.petstudioart.com

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