Writing for Animals
This is a quick announcement to let you know that an article I wrote has been published at The No Kill Nation. The article is titled “Animals and Politics: A Look at the 2008 Election from an Animal Welfare Advocate’s Perspective.”
The article examines each of the presidential and vice presidential candidates’ positions on animal protection based on their voting records.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to discover and connect with a growing network of people working to end the brutal and unethical practice of destroying adoptable animal companions in shelters throughout the U.S. and the world.
Since then, one of my greatest ambitions as a writer has been to educate people about the No Kill movement. I believe that words have the power to change the world, one mind at a time. No Kill is a change that I’d like to help bring about.
To learn more about No Kill, check out these resources:
The No Kill Advocacy Center – A non-profit organization committed to educating and informing the public about the No Kill Movement and working to bring reform into animal shelters.
The No Kill Nation – An online community of caring people who are working toward the day when no savable animal is senselessly killed in an animal shelter.
Nathan Winograd: The leader and hero of the No Kill movement, author of Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America
Thanks!
Melissa Donovan is a website designer and copywriter. She writes fiction and poetry and is the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas.
Good for you, Melissa! Such a great cause. My dog and I are delighted. (Though, he’s never going to step foot into a shelter if I have anything to say about it!)
You go girl. You know what I think about the Humane Society policy.
I am working up an assumption of care document for my cat in case I can’t get home or should die suddenly. I have a provisional caretaker arranged who will interview perspective homes and select a follow-up guardian. At 10 years old she would not survive one day at a shelter, they probably wouldn’t even bother with an intake exam.
Excellent work, Melissa. I’m impressed with how you managed to twine together your passions for writing and animal welfare with a relevant political angle. It’s a shining example of putting your skills where your heart is. My dog Jack, who was a shelter pup on the “second chance” program here in Portland this time last year, thanks you too.
Melissa,
That was really a great article and I learned a lot. WOW on Sarah Palen. Tsk…Both of our dogs are rescued dogs and sometimes I just look at them and shutter to think that anyone would have harmed a hair on their precious heads.
You know, I guess I *forget* that there could possibly be another side to animal cruelty. IN my mind I sometimes am guilty of thinking that everyone MUST automatically love and care for animals and not want to hurt them. I know how ignorent that sounds, I get it intelectually, I just don’t take the time to think about it.
Good for you for choosing a platform for your words that brings this to the forefront of our minds.
@Deb (Punctuality), Thank you! I believe that our animals are part of our families and it’s our job to protect them and sometimes that means taking a stand
@Deb (gscottage), Even though the Humane Society and the ASPCA do a lot of great work to help animals, they both support shelter killing, mostly for political reasons from what I understand. The book I mentioned, Redemption, explores why they cling to the idea of killing as a solution and it’s both shocking and disturbing. I think it’s a good idea for everyone to name a guardian for their beloved pets.
@Bill, Thanks! I plan to write a lot more about the No Kill movement as it’s very near and dear to my heart, and a change that I think is essential in the way we shelter animals in the U.S. and elsewhere. I applaud and admire you for adopting a dog from a shelter. Many people are simply not comfortable with doing that, but it’s really a wonderful way to bring a new member into your family
@Wendi, Yes, Palin’s policies as they relate to animals are shocking. That might be the norm up in Alaska but it doesn’t make it right! I was actually very impressed by McCain’s voting record, and pleasantly surprised too. It’s unfathomable that anyone would harm animals, but for the people who are paid (by taxpayers) to protect animals to just kill them because they are not doing the hard work of finding homes is simply unacceptable. Luckily, I live in a community where the public shelter doesn’t destroy animals, but if I did you can bet the city council would be getting piles of letters from me!
Melissa,
I totally agree with Obama’s statement about animals “how we treat animals is how we treat eachother.” We are ANIMALS! And sometimes we are strange animals. Anyway, I really don’t have a problem with hunting. I have met many extremely ethical hunters and I do believe that if you want to eat meat it probably is better to get it yourself than some huge mega farm operation that treats the animals horribly.
I enjoyed your article by the way. Very informative.
I think that all pets (cats and dogs anyway, hard to do with fish) should be neutered.
Ok, so that picture is just too much.
Nicely done!
I think this is a great movement and I’ll be looking into these sites when I have time to devote to them.
Thanks!
Melissa, that’s a great article. Thanks for putting it out in the world. I knew about Palin, but haven’t really looked at the other candidates stand on animal rights.
@Ellen, There is a quote by Ghandi that is quite similar to what Obama said. He talked about how you can judge the morality of a society by how it treats animals. It makes sense, because if animals are treated well, the people probably are too. I have a hard time with hunting but I’m not against it. One reason for this is because animals in the wild hunt — it’s part of the natural cycle and order of things. And yes, I know many hunters are extremely ethical. But I just cannot understand how they can do it.
It’s definitely responsible to spay/neuter animals, but if that happened to all of them, there would be no more
I know – that is unlikely to happen. Here’s an interesting fact, though: In communities where spay/neuter is mandatory by law, the shelter kill rates always increase. This is a law that was proposed in California last year and I spent weeks conducting heavy research so I could write an article about it and take a position. In short — it does not work the way you would expect. Kill rates go up dramatically. Here’s an article with some links if you want to learn more: http://fixaustin.blogspot.com/2008/01/mandatory-spayneuter-success-not.html.
@Erik, I know! Don’t you just want to adopt that gorgeous kitty?
@Matthew, I feel this is an extremely important movement. All around the world, people adore and cherish their pets, but we let our government kill millions of them. It’s just unfathomable! The responsibility really falls on the shoulders of shelter directors and animal control management. It’s incredibly sad.
@Lynn, Thanks for commenting! Writing this piece was definitely a lesson for me. I was pleasantly surprised at how McCain has voted but found Palin’s stance offensive. I realize that won’t turn away her base voters, but it says something for how she views animals, the environment, and conservation.
It took me a day to get around to reading due to kitty picture. I’m a dog person, so seeing the cat turned me off.
I jest! That was a very informative article. Needless to say, it’s not a topic or issue you hear at all on TV, well, politically anyway. And there’s already enough death in the world, let’s only do it when it’s necessary IF that.
On a more happier note, I saw this on the news last night and thought I’d share it with you. It was very inspiring to me and I’m glad there is such a thing as Puppies Behind Bars. Instead of talking about it, I’ll let you watch it. I never realized dogs can be used for much more than just seeing eye dogs. This makes me miss my old dog and I think it’s time I get a new one.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4505155n
@t. sterling, I never could understand why people say “I’m a dog person” or “a cat person.” I happen to be both
Yes, the No Kill movement doesn’t get a lot of press right now, but I think it will in due time. It’s still operating at the grass roots level but because of what its success could mean, I do believe it will reach widespread importance in the coming years. Thanks for reading the piece!
The video you shared is wonderful, a testament to the healing power and unconditional love of our animal friends.
GREAT JOB! I am not surprised at the outcome – well actually I am. Senator McCain did surprise me and I honor him on this point of animal welfare. I hope this article is being promoted to the larger channels for national coverage. SO PROUD OF YOU and what you stand for. Thanks
Hi, Melissa -
Thanks for writing about such an important issue. My former shelter dog, Riley, thanks you, too. Your article is great; I really learned a lot!
@Harmony, Thanks so much! I too hope this article is being promoted as I think it’s important. Even if people don’t vote on this single issue, those who care about animal welfare should at least be aware. Thanks!
@Rebecca, Thank you! And say hi to Riley for me
Congratulations Melissa. I like to see you keep up your work on behalf of animals because you are so passionate and educated on that topic.
Hi Melissa, This isn’t an issue I know very much about and I learned a lot from your piece. You’re right, it’s important to be aware. I agree with the above comment- you’re so passionate about it and that made it a pleasure to read. But it’s still a well-thought out and fact-based article.
@Jaden, Thanks! I am definitely passionate about animals. They are important to us!
@Greer, Thanks so much! I wanted to approach the topic fairly and without political bias, which was a wee bit of a challenge. I’m just glad that most of the candidates care about animals.
Thanks for that reply and link Melissa. That is a very bizarre statistic. I don’t understand it. And that bothers me!
I couldn’t hunt either. I had a friend teach me how to shoot a shotgun because I thought at one point in time I would go bird hunting. But I never did.
@Ellen, One of the inherent problems with mandatory spay/neuter is that pets are confiscated if they haven’t been spayed/neutered. People without a lot of money often can’t afford to get their pet sterilized, so they also cannot afford the fines, and animal control ends up taking the animal awau. This creates a larger shelter population – thus more animals end up getting destroyed.
Educational programs and those that offer discounted or free spay/neuter have proven to work much better and these will actually drive down the kill rate. Yes, it sounds like sort of a good idea at first, but the statistics show otherwise. Also, laws like these might force animals with health problems to undergo surgeries that could threaten their lives. It also creates greater fear and resentment toward animal control among the population.
So who supports these laws?
Breeders, for one, because it eliminates some of their competition. Also, many shelters because they see it as a quick and easy way to collect fines and therefore ramp up their revenue without the hard work of fundraising. Also, shelter workers see the worst of humanity’s relationship with animals and therefore have a very skewed view of people in general.
Redemption by Nathan Winograd talks about all of this in great detail.