Yes, the earth will start to spin backwards. High-Five to the 5 supervisors who voted in favor of the AAC, the Animal Advisory Committee: Corey Stewart, John Stirrup, Maureen Caddigan, John Jenkins, and Frank Principi. The purpose of the AAC is to advise, provide input to the county animal shelter, and to reduce the number of animals that are euthanized.
Manassas News and Messenger states:
The Animal Advisory Committee will advise supervisors on shelter policies, “increase community outreach [and] seek outside grant funding for animal welfare initiatives,” according to the enabling resolution. Its creation was pushed for roughly a year-and-a-half by the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Stewart added 2 caveats, in the form of amendments, before the voting took place. The first was that the AAC would have no say over animals not in the shelter and the second was they could not ask for money outside the $1000 provided by the police department who is responsible for the shelter and animal control.
The AAC will be comprised of 13 members. The SPCA has provided support for this much needed change in the county. The SPCA has been known for generations to have the best interest of animals at heart.
Good for the supervisors who voted yes. More PW citizens need to have input when it comes to the animal shelter. Hopefully they will be able put policies in place to keep animals alive and out of shelters. Congratulations to Stewart, Stirrup, Caddigan, Jenkins, and Principi for a job well done.
Now pick yourselves up off the floor. I know you didn’t think I was capable of typing those words.
I am not shocked, MH. You aren’t as unreasonable as some people like to make you out to be. 🙂
I, too, am thankful for the decision.
I sent all five a thank you not yesterday!
“note” not “not” !!!
I’m glad that some people in our county are so focused on easing the suffering of animals. But when we have budget shortfalls that has led to HUMAN suffering, including our seniors and our troubled youth, I have to wonder where the priorities lie for some of these folks.
I hope the animal rights squawkers are happy with this. It only costs us $1000 apparently. Let’s hope that’s how it stays. I’ll be disappointed if it balloons into a 5 figure deal.
“animal rights squawkers” ? The members on the SPCA are volunteering their time. 1,000 dollars seems like pittance to invest if the partnership will result in higher adoption rates, more community involvement, and comprehensive education of spay an nuetering pets. In the end, I would imagine this new committee will SAVE the county money in less animals in the shelter that we have to either pay to feed or pay to kill.
Usually SPCA people have all sorts of contacts with various rescue groups also. They make it their business to have animals rescued rather than euthanized. They are also in touch with the animal foster care people.
If this county cannot spend $1000 on animals then it isn’t a county where I want to live. It’s a start. The supervisors had to put a cap on it for now. Times are tight. This was a good move and one that should not be political.
I agree. A thousand bucks is not a lot and it gives the committiee an official standing it would not have if it was just the SPCA.
Yep, I liked this one too!
Well, being an advocate for the rights of slow mice and all.
Just don’t end up in the shelter, slow!
If they get grants and do fund raising, perhaps that will bridge the gap. Not sure what the $1000 even goes for.
I guess animals are low on the let’s argue totem pole.
Odd… anyone remember this (which by the way, today this would be considered in poor taste – by some, just imagine if this was done about someone else…): http://chzorro.deviantart.com/art/Dark-Ages-of-PWC-Page-2-93828047