What is the truth about Piglet – Part 2

Part 1 was done as a note on my Facebook page.  Due to the nature and length of this update, I am posting Part 2 on my blog.  Part 1 gives the basic background of Piglet’s story.  As noted in Part 1, there have been NO official (from the shelter itself) updates on Piglet since August 7.

On August 7^th, Justice for Lennox posted he had spoken with the shelter’s public relations person on the 6^th.  [posted as a comment on Piglet’s picture posted August 3^rd on Justice for Lennox]

Supporters of Piglet began contacting Mr. Welsh to express their appreciation of the shelter’s efforts to give Piglet a chance. 

After this, there were no further updates.  There were plenty of questions, especially ones asking if anyone had heard anything from the shelter.  No one had.

On Wednesday, August 22, Sienna Rose posted a picture of Piglet on Save Wicca with the following caption:

To say some of us were stunned would be an understatement.  The last we had heard, the shelter was open to options and accepting proposals from qualified rescues, sanctuaries and individuals.  All proposals would be given consideration.  A number of individuals, including Justice for Lennox – who runs The Heart of Leo  Animal Sanctuary – had been trying unsuccessfully for two weeks to communicate with someone at the shelter by phone or email.

Some are wondering if there was a campaign of sorts to ensure Piglet’s death.  One name kept popping up on posts that were copied/pasted from elsewhere.  I know of only one (1) direct communication with a page by this person, which occurred on August 4:

The full size image is available at: http://www.heartofleo.org/fry1.jpg

On August 9, the following status was posted on Scooby’s Doghouse:

[from] Tracy Fry We have heard back from Riverside. Nothing is going to happen this week, presumably, I just wanted to keep you in the loop that there is still currently a “do NOT euthanize” order by the director. Please I ask you again, stop emailing them. They are still receiving mass emails everyday, and they are unable to effectively do their business having to sift through them all ♥

I did not think to take a screen shot at the time as I had no reason to do so, and it is not available on Scooby’s page at this moment (presumably a Facebook issue since her posts jump from August 21 to June 26 on her timeline), but I did copy/paste it on Piglet’s picture of August 3 on Justice for Lennox:

On August 17, yet another copy/paste of a Tracy Fry post appeared on Piglet’s picture:

No one was able to confirm the information given in this post.  Once again, attempts to speak to someone at the shelter were unsuccessful.

Tracy Fry is an anomaly.  Her personal profile only became active on August 15, 2012 -- at least by what Facebook is showing on her timeline.  She joined Facebook on April 27, 2007.  Her timeline show no posts before 2011: between April 4 and October 15, 2011 she answered 4 questions in polls, and on December 21, 2011 she updated her cover picture.  In 2012, she changed her cover picture on 3 occasions (March 12, April 4, and June 29), and on July 11, she commented on a link concerning Lennox. 

There is no information other than gender in her “about” tab.  She does not like any pages, or has opted not to show them.  In the posts showing on her timeline, not a single one contains a reference to the sanctuary she says she is a part of (see the Heart of Leo screenshot above).  Very little of what is posted has anything to do with animal advocacy, and only from the broad perspective.

Sienna Rose, who posted the death notice of Piglet on Save Wicca, is also an anomaly.  She joined Facebook on August 17, 2010, but her timeline shows even less than Tracy’s does.  It shows no activity prior to June 4, 2012.  While the pages she likes do show, none were liked prior to 2012, and none seem to be a sanctuary.  She has made only two posts (both links) – July 28 and August 17.

There is discrepancy with Tracy’s communication with Heart of Leo concerns John Walsh of the Riverside shelter.  First Tracy calls him the director:

When Mark Watson of Heart of Leo corrects her, she continues with the discrepancy:

Two independent sources name Robert Miller as the director.  The first is a news article from 2010, which happens to mention both men: http://www.pe.com/local-news/politics/politics-headlines-index/20101112-riverside-county-animal-services-to-cut-15-employees.ece

The second is the Riverside County Community Health Agency page which lists all the county animal services information: http://www.rivcocha.org/svcsdir1.html

You may also notice in the screenshot above that Tracy declines to give any information at all about her sanctuary.  Since this was a private communication with an administrator of a 501(c)(3) sanctuary who was trying to help Piglet, there was no reason why she could not have given her sanctuary’s name.  Mark would have respected privacy wishes and not disclosed that information. 

Between August 1 and the announcement of Piglet’s death, Tracy was posting frequently, especially to Save Wicca, for people to stop emailing the shelter.

I just checked all the posts by other people during the month of August on Save Wicca, and not a single one of Tracy’s posts are there.  They have all been removed.

As near as anyone can tell, Tracy has not made a single post since mid-August.  The last reference I know of is the screenshot above of a copy/paste of a Tracy Fry message on Piglet’s August 3 picture. 

There are far too many questions about Tracy Fry for any of us to feel comfortable, and leaving us wondering if this was indeed a ploy to keep Piglet from being saved by a reputable rescue or sanctuary.

Who is Tracy Fry?  What is the name of her so-called sanctuary?  Why has she disappeared off of Facebook?  Where is her proof of anything she posted?  Why have all of her posts disappeared from Save Wicca?

Why, for two weeks, did anyone at the shelter not respond to emails and calls about Piglet – including those from an administrator of a 501(c)(3) sanctuary?   

To be continued …

Stop the Killing – Another Brick in NYC ACC’s Wall

I make no attempt at hiding my dislike (to put it mildly) of New York City’s Animal Care & Control.  I’ve written a number of posts concerning the problems there, as well as No Kill New York’s fight to bring change to the NYC ACC.

A few days ago, I learned about a new problem – one that earns the ACC, it’s director Julie Bank, the remainder of the Executive Staff, the Board of Directors, the Mayor’s Alliance, and the Mayor (they are ALL responsible for what goes on there), yet another brick in their Wall of Shame.

This is Gloria.  I first heard her story at YesBiscuit!  Gloria was abandoned at an ASPCA mobile clinic in Queens, presumably in late December 2011.  The ASPCA brought her to the pound.  She arrived at NYC ACC on 12-29-2011 and was examined (presumably by a veterinarian) on that day.  She had a second veterinary exam on 1-15-12, when she was placed on the kill list for having a cold.  After being rescued by Pets Alive, a vet exam revealed she had a severely broken leg that had to be amputated after being left untreated during her 3 week stay at NYC ACC.

As word spread, animal lovers and activists cried foul loud and clear.  They demanded an investigation of ASPCA’s role in the incident.  It was unthinkable they would have turned an injured animal over to the ACC without basic treatment or informing ACC of the problem.

On Friday, the Pets Alive Blog posted an update, including the news that the ASPCA investigated the incident, realized they had made a mistake by following the then current protocols to the letter, rewrote the protocols to insure this type of incident will not happen again, and apologized. 

Here is the press statement that is being released by the ASPCA in response to Gloria:

The ASPCA has conducted an internal investigation into why Gloria, a stray cat with a broken leg who was abandoned in front of one of the ASPCA’s mobile spay/neuter vehicles, was transferred to NYC AC&C.

Our staff followed our regular procedure of sending stray animals left with us to NYC AC&C since that is where people who have lost their pets go to look for them.  At the time Gloria was admitted to AC&C, we notified its staff that Gloria had a broken leg and needed treatment.

The bottom line is that we failed Gloria, and we are grateful that Pets Alive saved her. Our strict adherence to regular procedure was clearly contrary to our mission in this case, and we deeply regret that we did not alter protocol to treat Gloria immediately instead of relying on AC&C to do so. We are implementing new procedures to prevent this from happening again.

We thank Pets Alive for stepping up to provide Gloria with the surgery and care she needed. The ASPCA is awarding a grant to Pets Alive to fund the cost of Gloria’s surgery, medical care, and convalescence and to continue its work saving more animals.

Notice the sentence in bold and underlined (my emphasis).  NYC ACC was told Gloria needed medical treatment, and they did absolutely nothing.  Her broken leg was not noted during her TWO (2) medical evaluations.  They let her suffer for 3 weeks, and then put her on the kill list after she caught a cold (very typical for any animal who spends more than a day or two at the ACC).

As John Sibley notes in his blog post, the ASPCA made a mistake (which they’ve since addressed) while the ACC demonstrated total incompetency. Like John, I have issues with the ASPCA, but appreciate their coming clean about what happened with Gloria.  It’s encouraging to see there are still at least a few people there who care.  Sadly, I doubt the ACC will investigate the incident, take any action, or even make any comments.  That just isn’t their style.

The links below are other posts I’ve made about NYC ACC, as well as two other blogs that write about the ACC. 

Please like and follow No Kill New York's page on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/NoKill.NY -   to keep up with ongoing efforts to bring about change. Be sure to read their 44 days of action plans in the Notes Section. Some are informational, and give food for thought and/or links for reading. Some ask you to send an email, fax or letter.  I have some letters you can copy/paste in the notes section on my Facebook page (just please be sure to do a quick edit to change state name and otherwise personalize it a bit).

If you are horrified and/or appalled by what is happening at NYC ACC, then please take action. It only takes a few minutes per action plan.

Stop the Killing – Wall of Shame: NYC ACC

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/09/stop-killing-wall-of-shame-nyc-acc.html

Stop the Killing – Why Everyone Should Join the Battle for No Kill New York

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/stop-killing-why-everyone-should-join.html

The Battle for No Kill New York Has Begun

http://www.facebook.com/notes/no-kill-new-york/the-battle-for-no-kill-new-york-has-begun/281504478534222

Stop the Killing – Speak Out

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/stop-killing-speak-out.html

Why I Am Fighting Against NYC ACC

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-i-am-fighting-against-nyc-acc.html

My Letters re: Reforming NYC ACC

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=169668866450381

In Dogs We Trust (John Sibley’s blog, which has articles about the ACC)

http://johnsibley.com/

Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC) Blog - Everything you ever wanted to know about the AC&C, but were afraid to ask.

http://shelterreform.org/blog1/

I Love New York(ers)
http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=8201

NYC reader Anne Davis recently exchanged pleasantries with the Mayor’s Alliance and shared in yesterday’s Open Thread [on the YesBiscuit blog].  I wanted to bring it up to make sure everyone sees it.  I think it gives valuable insight into some of the reasons why the NYC pound needlessly kills healthy/treatable pets.  Everything that follows is from Ms. Davis’ comment:

http://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/bringing-up-from-the-comments-6/

Stop the Killing – Why Everyone Should Join the Battle for No Kill New York

Today is Day 21 in the Battle for No Kill New York.  I’ve been participating since Day 1.  In addition to sending emails, I’ve been sharing each day’s action plan on my Facebook page.  I continue to post each night’s kill lists, and give updates on the statuses of the dogs. 

Last night while cooking dinner, a thought popped into my head.  Everyone – and I mean everyone – should be participating.  It doesn’t matter what state you live in.  It doesn’t matter if you will never be able to visit New York City.  It does matter whether or not you join the battle. 

NYC ACC is probably the worst shelter in the country.  The killing happens 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  At least 10,000 companion animals are killed each year.  That’s an average of 27 per day.  The director, executive staff, and employees are uncaring.  City officials and the ASPCA worked to defeat Oreo’s Law and pass Intro 655. 

‎"How will things change unless we make waves? How will we end the killing? How will we stop the abuse unless we expose it?" - Nathan J. Winograd, Courage & Cowardice in the Fight for a No Kill Nation

If we all join together and fight to reform NYC ACC, we will make a huge wave.  If you saw the movie Deep Impact, you probably remember the massive tidal wave washing over New York City (along with a sizeable portion of the east coast).  This is what we need to accomplish, and it will take all of us to do it.  We need to bury New York City and state officials under a massive wave of protests and demand for change.

So why should you join the fight?

If we can take down the very broken and out of control NYC ACC, then we can take down any other kill shelter in this country.

By participating, we gain experience.

By participating, we see what works and what doesn’t.

By participating, we gain a blueprint to use in other fights.

We should not look at this fight as being solely about New York.  We should look at it as just one of the battles we will encounter in our fight to save the shelter animals of our nation.  

To win the war, we all need to fight each and every battle.

The Battle for No Kill New York Has Begun

http://www.facebook.com/notes/no-kill-new-york/the-battle-for-no-kill-new-york-has-begun/281504478534222

Stop the Killing – Speak Out

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/stop-killing-speak-out.html

Why I Am Fighting Against NYC ACC

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-i-am-fighting-against-nyc-acc.html

Why I Am Fighting Against NYC ACC

I live in Alabama, about 900 miles away (as the crow flies) from New York City.  So why in the heck do I care about what goes on in the ACC?

Pure and simple – it’s a slaughter by an uncaring director who lies, and uncaring, poorly trained employees.  NYC ACC is one of, if not the, worst shelters in our nation.  No one – not any one of us – should find it acceptable. 

A few weeks ago, I began posting the To Be Destroyed album for dogs each evening.  Then I added the one for cats, and finally I added status updates for the dogs to my postings.

I post the albums hoping my readers will share them.  Once the kill lists come out, there is a window of 10 to 12 hours in which to find these cats and dogs adoption or rescue.  It should not have to come down to this last ditch effort to save lives, but it does because ACC doesn’t market or advertise the animals to try and get them adopted. 

I post the status updates to help show the number of kills versus the number of saves, as well as showing which animals did not die that night but are returned to the hellhole to await death on another night.

I post articles, as well as my own blog posts.

Now that The Battle for No Kill New York has begun, I post each day’s call to action. 

The Battle for No Kill New York Has Begun

http://www.facebook.com/notes/no-kill-new-york/the-battle-for-no-kill-new-york-has-begun/281504478534222

The Battle for No Kill New York - Day 2 - Demand the Resignation of Julie Bank

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=282013205150016

The Battle for No Kill New York - Day 3 - Calling Out the Board of Mis-Directors

http://www.facebook.com/notes/no-kill-new-york/the-battle-for-no-kill-new-york-day-3-calling-out-the-board-of-mis-directors/282465618438108

I do all of this to raise awareness.  I do it hoping it will make my readers angry enough to do something. 

I joined the fight because I am horrified and disgusted by the deplorable conditions and happenings at ACC.  I joined because I am angry.  I joined because my voice, even from 900 miles away, is needed to help bring about reform.

I don’t have to live in NYC, or even New York State, to have an impact.  I am a potential tourist who might spend money in the city for food, hotel, and more.  But because of ACC, I’ll be damned if I will ever set foot in NYC while the slaughter continues.  I will never visit NYC, or New York State, until there is reform.

No Kill New York needs you to join the fight too – the more people who protest, the more difficult it is for city officials to ignore us.  It only takes a few minutes to write and send an email, slightly longer for a letter because of the envelope and needing to put it in the mailbox.

Please join the fight. EVERYONE is needed to make this happen. There are NO excuses.  Everyone can take a few minutes to write a letter or email.

Links:

Petition: Reform the NYC ACC Now

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/reform-the-nyc-acc-now/

Sadness! Another Life Is Silenced before It Is Time!

http://www.bhrescue.com/?p=2614

Stop the Slaughter

http://stoptheslaughteratnycacc.yolasite.com/

Urgent Death Row Dogs

http://www.urgentdeathrowdogs.org

Stop the Killing – Wall of Shame: NYC ACC

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/09/stop-killing-wall-of-shame-nyc-acc.html

Stop the Killing – Speak Out

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/stop-killing-speak-out.html

Stop the Killing - Battle for No Kill New York Has Begun

I make no secret of how I feel about NYC ACC and what goes on there.  I alternate between disgust, horror and sadness – and ultimately seethe with anger.

A week ago, I put the ACC on a “wall of shame”, outlining a list of problems as well as giving a list of informational links. 

On October 4^th, No Kill New York launched their campaign to prepare for to prepare for 2012: The Year of No Kill New York.  This plan is 90 days of action to influence anyone who has a say in how New York City manages its homeless, lost or injured animals.

I don’t know what all the actions will be, but I do know at least some of it is simply writing letters or emails to city officials. 

If there is to be reform at the ACC, we need as many people as possible to join the fight.  Even if you do not live in New York City or state, you can participate by helping to spread the word and by writing emails or letters.

The campaign kicked off with the explanatory note The Battle for No Kill New York Has Begun.  It gives a brief overview of the plan, who will be targeted, and how to sign up for action alerts, as well as NKNY’s mission statement. 

If you want to receive the alerts to know how you can help, email nokill-newyork@optonline.net

Please join the fight. EVERYONE is needed to make this happen. There are NO excuses.  Everyone can take a few minutes to write a letter or email.

Links:

Petition: Reform the NYC ACC Now

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/reform-the-nyc-acc-now/

Sadness! Another Life Is Silenced before It Is Time!

http://www.bhrescue.com/?p=2614

Stop the Slaughter

http://stoptheslaughteratnycacc.yolasite.com/

Urgent Death Row Dogs

http://www.urgentdeathrowdogs.org

Stop the Killing – Wall of Shame: NYC ACC

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/09/stop-killing-wall-of-shame-nyc-acc.html

Stop the Killing – Speak Out

http://angelpawanimaladvocacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/stop-killing-speak-out.html

Stop the Killing – Speak Out

‎"How will things change unless we make waves? How will we end the killing? How will we stop the abuse unless we expose it?" - Nathan J. Winograd

In his most recent blog post, Courage & Cowardice in the Fight for a No Kill Nation, Winograd talks about his experiences with those who wish to remain anonymous. 

While he did not put it into words, the underlying message is there - this is a war to reform our country’s shelter system and stop the killing of millions of companion animals, and, as unfortunate as it is, there will be casualties, primarily the animals we so desperately want to save.  We will lose some in order to save millions more

I hate the thought of losing more animals because of petty retaliation by shelters.  I hate that shelters use them as pawns to force people to shut up.  I hate that shelters manipulate people by yanking on their heartstrings.  But I hate the killing of millions of cats and dogs every year even more.  In shelter reform, there are only two choices – remain silent and watch the killings continue, or speak out knowing some will be lost in the effort to reform our shelter system.

Either choice will weigh heavy on our hearts.  Animals will die in shelters no matter which choice we make. 

Throughout history, those who have protested injustice have had to make the choice to be silent or to speak out.  They accepted the risks as the price of bringing justice and righting wrongs.  Millions have died, been incarcerated, been ostracized, been attacked, been injured, had their homes destroyed … all because of speaking out.

These people accepted the consequences of the American Civil Rights Movement, the fight to end Apartheid in South Africa, the attempt to derail Hitler’s genocide of Jews, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 where as many as 800 (perhaps more) protestors were killed in a single night, and many other social movements.

The difference here is that NO PERSON is in danger of being killed, jailed, etc because of speaking out against what is wrong at the shelters.  Volunteers may be dismissed.  Shelter employees may be fired.  Rescues may be banned from pulling.  Some may be called names or have their name dragged through the mud.  All of which are favorite tactics by the opposition of social movements when people dare to speak. But these retaliations do not kill or physically harm us.

We need the people in the know – the volunteers, shelter employees and rescues – to speak out for the animals.  Without this insider knowledge, protests against shelters become a he said – she said scenario.  The proof provided by insiders is invaluable in bringing about change.

BUT …

Every person who is an animal lover, and/or cares about what goes on in our nation’s shelters, and/or hates all the killing, and/or is aware of animal welfare issues, needs to speak out too.

Every day in my Facebook newsfeed, I see comments on posts, articles, and pictures complaining about what is happening.  Sometimes it’s about the shelters; sometimes it’s about abuse, neglect or cruelty.  They complain or otherwise voice their opinion, but my questions to these people are …

Did YOU do something?  Do you do ANYTHING?

Do you sign petitions?  Do you write your state senator(s) and representative(s) about animal welfare issues?  Do you write your city/town and county officials?  Do you write letters to the editor of a newspaper?  Do you speak out against the wrongs and speak up for the animals in any way? 

How many of you who read my post Wall of Shame: NYC ACC used the link to the contact form to speak out against the shelter and for the animals?  The link was right there – just click it to go to the form page.  The form is set up to send to every official who needs to be aware of what is happening at the ACC – no need to find email addresses.  You didn’t have to do the research into what is wrong – I provided a list and links.  All you had to do was type a note. 

If we remain silent, the animals will continue to be the ones who suffer and die.  We must face the truth of what is going on in our country and speak out.  We must bring awareness to those who have no idea what is happening.  We must act and exercise our right to inform our local, state and national leaders that we want change.  We must take every opportunity to speak out against injustice towards animals.

By not acting, we allow ‘the opposition’ to continue.  By not speaking out or taking action, we give tacit approval of what they do.  By remaining silent, we give them the power.    

We must tell the truth and speak out no matter our fears, no matter how much it hurts. 

Stop the Killing – Wall of Shame: NYC ACC

Every day, 7 days a week, New York City Animal Care & Control creates a nightly "kill list".   The only days a list is not created are those when the next day is a holiday, or because of major weather conditions, and the shelter will be closed.

In my watching of the kill lists, I've seen animals just days old and seniors of 12+ years. Animals killed because of a runny nose, a slight cough, a single sneeze. Animals killed because they didn't do well on their evaluation, mostly due to the stress and fear being in this shelter causes - especially those surrendered by the only family they've ever known.

NYCACC’s qualifications for the Wall of Shame:

·         Phone number is not listed

·         No one answers the phone – “keep trying” is the mantra

·         Must be a local adopter to put a hold on an animal

·         Must be a pre-approved New Hope rescue organization

·         Fired a New Hope department employee because she cared too much

·         Only about 20 percent of the dogs at AC&C are viewable for adoption at any given time

·         Failure to take detailed information about animals from owner surrenders

·         Rating system that gives ACC the power to deny an animal a chance at life

·         A director who tries to cover her incompetence and the issues with smokescreens and lies

·         Killing animals that have a rescue hold

·         Deplorable conditions including dogs wallowing in their own waste; bed sheets soaked and soiled; cages caked with filth; cat food mixed with kitty litter

·         Employees and volunteers threatened with termination if they make negative comments about the organization

·         A breeding ground for disease – a cold or kennel cough is a death warrant

·         Animals labeled as diseased or “bad” to justify killing them

·         Perfectly healthy and adoptable animals are killed

·         Failure to advertise and market animals for adoption

·         Volunteers terminated for speaking out

·         Suspended all new rescues that were recently approved

·         Animals do not receive needed medical care or medicine

·         Volunteers are asked to pay for the privilege and check their constitutional rights at the door

·         Fired an extremely dedicated volunteer who gave more than 750 hours of his time to help scared dogs open up plus countless hours at home writing about and advocating for them

Need another reason?  Take a look at this picture and read the note.

If you are as horrified, disgusted and angry as I am about NYCACC, use this contact form to send an email blast to the Mayor, NYC AC&C, City Council, etc.  

Please keep your comments polite and respectful.  Remember that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.  Not to mention that ‘impolite’ (to put it mildly) messages are often discarded and may actually cause them to not take us seriously.

Please help spread the word about NYCACC.  Change will not happen without awareness, and it will not happen without our speaking out.

Links:

What really happens at NYCACC

Petition has expired, but provides good info and links

Why is one shelter trying so hard to shut out the public?

Posting of each night's kill list:

http://www.facebook.com/Urgentdeathrowdogs (dogs)

http://www.facebook.com/PetsOnDeathRow (cats)

Just HOW Hard Can We Make it to Save a Dog’s Life?

The S*** Has Hit the Fan for NYC’s ACC

Why remove the Mayor/DOH from control over the AC&C?

THE HIDDEN DOGS OF THE NYC ACC

Cashing In, Killing More, and Erasing Laws - Response To This Weeks Press Release

Urgent's Response to ACC's New Placement Process

ACC Warning About Social Media... Should We be Honored Or Offended?!??!

New York City pound neglects, kills animals

NYCACC to Volunteers: Pay Up & Shut Up

Doggie death row - Insiders condemn shelter

Shelter Reform Action Committee's analysis on the 2011 audit of ACC

Why Am I Here and What Am I Going to Do About It - Part 2

An email I received last week has caused me to do some thinking.

What is my mission? 

This is the biggie.  Without a mission, I can end up running in circles and drifting aimlessly.  I can't do it all - no one can - and I shouldn't try. 

The header of my blog states: Education - Information - Awareness

These 3 things are my mission - to bring awareness of issues regarding companion animals; to provide information; and to educate.

In addition to sharing news articles, various blogs, and Facebook postings, I want to really make people aware of what is happening with companion animals.  The Stop the Killing series on my blog is a part of that.  It's unfortunate, but sometimes you have to smack people upside the head with graphic pictures and facts that are horrifying. 

Information covers a lot of territory, ranging from awareness to local resources to contacting officials and more.  I want to have and make available a wide range of information for people who need or want it.

Education, well, that's another large territory.  So much of what I post is educational in some way.  When you make someone aware of something, you are, in effect, educating them about it.  But that's not all I want to do.  If you read parts 2 and 3 (Causes and Solutions) of my blog series, you know I listed a number of educational issues.  This is the type of education I want to do.

While working on my most recent blog post, I realized outreach programs are part of what I want to do.  Not necessarily starting or running them myself, but to advocate for them and try to help them come into being.

Reading through what I have written so far, I realize it's all extremely broad in scope, perhaps too much for one person.  I started this note yesterday morning, saved it, went about my day, came back to it, edited a little bit, saved and went about my day, went back to it and saved, went to bed, and now here I am back at it again this morning.

Why?  Looking through my newsfeed throughout the day, I am bombarded with pictures and stories of Pit Bulls in shelters, in rescue, in foster, in the temporary care of a Good Samaritan, who were shot, cities considering BSL against them, over 2 dozen killed in Memphis in a single day, the poor bait dogs like Sissy, dog fighting busts involving them, the inhumanely starved like Rocco and Patrick, and even one killed by his owner because she apparently decided to not work to re-home him.  These pictures and stories flow through my newsfeed like a bleeding wound that cannot be stopped on a daily basis. 

My heart aches to see them posted by pages like Urgent Part 2, or by crossposters.  My heart aches when I read their stories of abuse or neglect, or being bounced around and never knowing what a loving home is like.  My heart aches when I read about bait dogs like Sissy.  I have to constantly remind myself that I can't take them - the Cocoa's, Deja's, Monte's, China Doll's, Angel's, Axle's, and too many more to remember and list – because I can’t take them, not even one, at this time.

Don't get me wrong, I shed tears and say prayers for all the other animals too.  But the Pit Bulls really touch me in a way I can't explain.  Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been against prejudice and racism in all its forms, and Pit Bulls are certainly on the receiving end of this in our society.  In Sister Act II, Whoopi's character told one of her students "If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl." 

I am always thinking about Pit Bulls, so it follows that this is where my focus should lay.  It doesn't mean I will ignore all the others, because I won't.  A lot of what I want to do applies to all companion animals.  A lot of the information, both for awareness and education, applies to all.  So it won't matter if I'm talking in general or specific terms, you can apply it to your pets, the animals you work with or rescue, and/or the animals you share and crosspost.

For months now, I’ve had a dream of a sanctuary where the Pit Bulls found on the streets or are in a shelter can live while they wait for their forever homes.  I am not a non-profit (at least not yet – I am seriously considering it) and I cannot swing it financially on my own, but it’s something that a single day does not go by without me thinking about it.

Sometimes you have to follow your heart.  I’ve started slowly, even hesitantly, taking “baby steps” as I waded into the world of animal advocacy.  As I’ve learned, I’ve grown, and I’ve kept following my heart to try to help companion animals in some way.  Since early June when I met Simba, my heart has cried out for the Pit Bulls more and more, louder and louder.  I can’t ignore it any longer.

So now I need to research; write out ideas, plans and drafts; to work out my “battle plan” for what I want to accomplish.  If I want to make my dream a reality, I will have to do even more planning and work, including becoming a non-profit.

In the meantime, I will continue to post on APAA as I always have.  I plan on sharing my “journey” as is appropriate.  I hope you understand and will continue to support me.

Thank you to all the advocates who like APAA, and to those who simply visit, read and share.  Each of you help the animals in your own way, and it takes all of us together to make a difference.