The Change.org petition hosting site is a fantastic resource for animal advocates seeking to draw widespread public attention to numerous animal issues.   Sometimes this is sufficient to bring about necessary change.

There are other very important animal needs, however, where the necessary change requires pro-active active involvement going well beyond the few seconds it takes to sign a petition. 

One especially critical need, for example, is the substantial reduction of avoidable shelter intake, globally, with particular emphasis on stopping irresponsible backyard breeding/”BYB’ing” in ‘local’ communities…everywhere!   (If you’re not already familiar with Stand Up for Dogs’ (SUFD) Change.org petitions describing the huge obstacles presented by the “Extended Pet Industry” (including the animal control and breeder professions – and the enormous influence of the $55.7 Billion/Yr. U.S. Industry), please skim petitions #1 and 2; also see petition #3 which calls for coordinated national ‘consumer action’.  The links to these petitions are at the end of this petition (please also consider signing and spreading those petitions widely as well, of course, as this petition encouraging joining our online community).

As an important adjunct to the Change.org platform, Stand Up for Dogs (‘SUFD’) therefore is actively considering establishing a centralized online community or “web portal” which will allow all of us to become a unified force for dogs not only in the U.S., but perhaps abroad as well.  (A web portal is a much more robust and powerful environment than the typical web site).  Collectively, “We are their Voice!”

A primary objective here is to assess how many of you will help beyond the signing of petitions, i.e. use the contemplated web portal to share ideas and help with the events/activities described further down the page.

If there is enough interest in using this resource, SUFD will subscribe to, configure and maintain the web portal described below.  As this involves SUFD’s significant financial and other support, we’re asking those who will help (i.e. your personal involvement only…we will never solicit funds) to please email the following information to our new SUFD email address, i.e. sufd_info@yahoo.com    (PLEASE NOTE:  the character between sufd and info@yahoo.com is an underscore):

1.  Your email address (the web portal optionally allows email addresses to be visible or hidden…please see below **).

(The designation of visible or hidden would be best addressed later when we’d hope you’d choose the ‘visible’ option if at all possible).

2.  State (or…if not in the U.S., your country and subdivision).

3.  City, town or other designation.

(Please be sure to include the geographic info. in 2. and 3. above as it will help us determine where help may be adequate and where more help may be needed).

We envision use of this portal for ‘consumer actions’ in support of reducing avoidable shelter intake and stopping backyard breeding/‘BYBing’.  These would be ‘fun-oriented’ social events organized to occur simultaneously in various parts of the country, i.e.: walkathons, ‘runs for dogs’, etc. (activities with which we’re all familiar).  These events could be bolstered by promotional items (tee shirts, mugs, posters, etc.)  perhaps sold ‘at cost’ to event participants, e.g. tee shirts with “Reduce Shelter Intake” on the front and “Reinvent Animal Control” on the back.   A national ‘Stand Up for Dogs’ holiday can be announced and spread on Facebook and on our and perhaps other web sites.

We’d urge you to just glance at four samples of web portal posts (from two other organizations) at www.standupfordogs.tumblr.com .  These are SUFD’s April 2, 2015 ‘blogs’ (actually just ‘screenshots” or pictures) and they appear near the top of this blog site, just below the April 15, 2015 blog. (** The April 15 blog provides additional information, including a discussion on ‘visible’ or ‘hidden’ email addresses and a clarification on “reducing avoidable shelter intake”).

Samples 1-3 are forum entries (Sample 3 is a particularly good example of forum categories, topics and posts).  Sample 4 (titled “NACA Affiliated State Associations”) shows how groups can be established by state (or issue/goal, e.g. Stopping BYB’ing, Reinventing Animal Control via a ‘Paradigm Shift’, etc.).

To move from one blog page to another, please see the very small-print ‘Next Page’ and ‘Previous Page’ arrows in the black band at the bottom of each page.

The 3 SUFD petitions referenced above are:

#1. https://www.change.org/p/matthew-bershadker-stop-contributing-to-unnecessary-shelter-intake-impoundment-and-killing-of-dogs-and-cats-far-better-proactively-support-4-major-humane-initiatives   ; (focuses on the ‘Extended Pet Industry’/’EPI’)

#2  https://www.change.org/petitions/kevin-johnson-re-municipal-animal-control-please-spotlight-need-for-paradigm-shift-in-animal-control-a-national-commitment-to-halt-irresponsible-backyard-breeding-of-dogs#   ; (focuses on the vested interests of municipal animal control directors in not reducing shelter intake…i.e. perpetuating intake workload -- that they so readily could positively impact -- to justify their staffing levels and budgets;   what a travesty to perpetuate avoidable impoundment and killing for these reasons!)

#3  https://www.change.org/p/dog-lovers-everywhere-dog-lovers-everywhere-1-join-together-in-national-boycott-of-all-dog-breeders-until-the-extended-pet-industry-itself-pro-actively-focuses-on-reducing-shelter-intake-2-seek-support-from-political-action-committees-for-animals-pac   (using the leverage of this “reverse economic multiplier effect” may well be the ONLY way to overcome the influence of this mammoth $55.7 Billion/Yr. U.S. Pet Industry.)

(As an important aside here, web portals and the interactive participation they facilitate might be invaluable to those advocating on behalf of all animals – endangered species, circus animals, zoo animals, farm animals, etc.   General Information can be obtained by searching ‘web portal hosting services’ on your browser).

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Stand Up for Dogs     www.standupfordogs.com

Please “like” us at:  https://www.facebook.com/standupfordogs

Follow our blogs at:  www.standupfordogs.tumblr.com

Contact us at:  sufd_info@yahoo.com