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Keys to the blog: I’ze taking ‘em back
By Gina Spadafori
August 4, 2008
Don’t think I didn’t notice Christie’s announced intention of changing the blog logo while I was out of town. Ha!
Be a cold day in you-know-where when you’ll ever see a Deerhound hold your car keys, much less get it in one shot. Thank, McKenzie, for showing off. Retrievers rule.
Anyway … while I was gone …
Lassie Get Help has been busy commenting on the banning of dogs and cats from public spaces in Riyadh. It really is discouraging to think we’ll ever find common ground with the extremists of any culture who prefer women covered up and marginalized and pets banned. Good luck with that, because we’ll need it. Fortunately, the voices of moderation always give hope.
***
Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty K writes about the gap between haves and have nots, when it comes to pet care. For those who have or can borrow the money, veterinary care has never been better. But many well-loved pets never see a vet at all, because their owners cannot afford even basic care.
***
Forced spay-neuter is working so well in Los Angeles to help pets (costs and killing are both up, yo!) that the city shelter now wants to mandate cat licensing, to give people yet another reason to dump a pet. No-kill flamethrower Nathan Winograd goes ballistic:
Over the last couple of years, Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) has seen skyrocketing rates of illness, skyrocketing rates of animal dying in their kennels, skyrocketing rates of animals stolen and/or missing, and skyrocketing rates of killing. In fact, a No Kill Los Angeles is nowhere in sight and will never be until that system is turned upside down and the union environment that protects shirkers and prevents innovation is terminated like so many of the animals currently are.
But you wouldn’t know this if you read the press releases or the facile promises that the light at the end of the tunnel is just around the corner.
[...] The current plan: register cats. Forget underperforming employees, forget lack of systematic policies, forget accountability, forget a true and comprehensive commitment to the programs and services of the No Kill Equation, “cat licensing” will solve the problems.
More Interwebs linkages as I find them. I’m still shaking off the road dust.
By the way, I’m kidding about Christie. She always has keys to the blog. It’s a relief to know I can disappear for the better part of three days and find great stuff to read here when I get back (and no comments that haven’t been cleared or liberated from the spam filter). Keith did the same thing over on the DogCars.com side, managing to keep up even while moving. I never opened my laptop, and didn’t worry.
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I’m sure licensing cats will be a big money draw for them, not. What are they going to do, knock on doors? They just ran a news story here about the city making it easier and quicker to license dogs. They feel only about 20% are licensed. We can now do it online and there’s a 10 day turn around. Something tells me a licensing crackdown is around the corner, lol!~ Luckily, licensing fees here are cheap (even for intact animals, iirc).
Comment by straybaby — August 4, 2008 @ 2:18 pm
The problem I have with licensing is the way it enables limit laws. And - of course - if you live in an area with mandated yearly rabies vaccination, licensing ties into that too.
If only licensing was about - and ONLY about - funding shelters and a well-run Animal Control Department. Of course, these days, I’m not even crazy about helping to fund what often passes for “competence” in both of those areas.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — August 4, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
Awwww, Gina! I missed you, but I’m glad you know you can trust me with
your babythe blog!Comment by Christie Keith — August 4, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Glad to hear it, but isn’t McKutie adorable? Comment? Comment?
Comment by Gina Spadafori — August 4, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
McKutie is just that . . . CUTE! I won’t let Dot see the pic. Last thing I need is her bringing me the keys.
Pat, I’m not current on licensing because of the Rabies issue. I think Dot is “old enough” now that I can get the wavier, and will. Her shelter papers have her older than she is, so I have an out now. Most folks around me walk dogs that have tags on their collars and whether they are current or not doesn’t seem to be an issue. Tags show some level of responsibility, I’m guessing.
Limit laws don’t apply here, but if they started requiring cats to be licensed in more places, I would be screwed. I generally try and follow those laws, but if I was over by a senior feral or 2, I might consider trying to get around it depending on the situation. Anyone who visits me would never know I had the 2 ferals unless they looked under a bed or in a closet ;)
Comment by straybaby — August 4, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
for you central and west coast folks, Letterman had a JRT Dock Diving, (23’6”!) not sure if there were other dogs, just was flippin’ the channels :) Ooops, he said they had time for one more after the break, so I guess I missed other dogs
Comment by straybaby — August 4, 2008 @ 8:57 pm
Gina – I have always enjoyed the pictures of your companions, but the photo of McKenzie is brilliant. No wonder she has your heart – that face is priceless.
Comment by CarolPW — August 4, 2008 @ 9:33 pm
Gina, I hope McKenzie doesn’t know how to open doors with those keys and let all your animals loose—hahaha, just kidding.
Even for a cat lover, McKenzie is sooooo cute.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — August 5, 2008 @ 5:58 am
That Christie — she is just not trustworthy … ;)
Comment by KT — August 5, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
Instigator.
Comment by Christie Keith — August 5, 2008 @ 7:32 pm