cats rights

JUNE 2021I started this petition after learning our Los Angeles County Animal Pounds were closed to the public. I went to go adopt MIMI (seen in this picture) when I learned this 15 year old doll face was dumped by her owner. I drove 8 miles in traffic at 3 in the afternoon to save her. When I arrived, they turned me away. I assumed it was because of Covid, but the staff corrected me. They told me it was just the way they wanted to do it from now on. Instead of allowing the public in the animal pound to see the animals, Los Angeles County residents would have to find an animal they wanted to adopt on the Internet and then schedule an appointment to see ONLY that animal. I asked them if they were joking. They told me no. In that moment, I knew I was about to wage war against their new policy but first I had to get Mimi out. I did get Mimi out but the next day, I showed back up to the pound with a sign in hand. "Open The Shelters" it read. A few employees secretly gave me a thumbs up. One employee asked me if I needed water. After seeing that, I knew I had the support to the pound staff.  I also knew I had to dig in and that this fight was going to take everything I had. With a little over 20,000 signatures, we've got their attention. My goal is 100,000 signatures and a fully re-opened Los Angeles County shelter system. Over the last two years, I've realized that Los Angeles County Animal Pounds have zero oversight. The Director Marcia Mayeda can simply close down the shelters and she is accountable to NO ONE. Help me make Los Angeles County Shelters accountable to the people who fund it. I'm committed to use this petition to make REAL CHANGE. Please help me help them. Sign today.UPDATE JANUARY 2023Los Angeles County Animal Pounds continue to turn away adopters who show up during morning office hours without appointments. I've been successful in getting the pounds to open during the afternoon hours but we all know that's not enough. Meanwhile, they are killing our community homeless animals left and right. Over the last 6 months, our pounds have welcomed more than 12,000 animals. Sadly, more than 4500 of those animals were killed by staff members. We demand all 7 animal pounds return to their pre-pandemic kennel hours. The only way we are going to get them to fully re-open is with your signature and support. We've got them to partially re-open but now we've got to push those doors wide open.Update on Mimi who inspired this petition...Mimi lived with us for 6 months until she passed away from cancer. We did everything we could to save her live including flying her to Las Vegas to receive immunotherapy treatment. In honor of Mimi, please sign this petition so more lives can be saved.Share this petition www.OpenTheShelters.comPlease email and/or call and let our Los Angeles County Supervisors know you want OPEN ACCESS to ALL LOS ANGELES COUNTY ANIMAL POUNDS as it was before Covid hit.LA COUNTYDistrict Onefirstdistrict@bos.lacounty.govPhone: (213) 974-4111Supervisor Hilda L. SolisDeputy for Animal Care and Control District One is Tammy Omoto-FriasDistrict TwoSupervisor Holly J. MitchellHollyJMitchell@bos.lacounty.gov213-974-2222District ThreeSupervisor Lindsey P. Horvath ThirdDistrict@bos.lacounty.govDistrict FourSupervisor Janice Hahn(213) 974-4444 FourthDistrict@bos.lacounty.govDeputy for Animal Care and Control District One is Kelly CrossDistrict FiveSupervisor Kathryn Barger(213) 974-5555Kathryn@bos.lacounty.govCONTACT THE POUNDS:Care Center Contact EmailsAgoura: agoura@animalcare.lacounty.govBaldwin Park: baldwinpark@animalcare.lacounty.govCarson: carson@animalcare.lacounty.govCastaic: castaic@animalcare.lacounty.govDowney: downeyctaip@animalcare.lacounty.govLancaster: acclancaster@animalcare.lacounty.govPalmdale: palmdale@animalcare.lacounty.gov

Recent studies show that declawing can significantly increase the risk of long-term adverse effects on feline physical and emotional health, including chronic neuropathic pain, biting, and an increased likelihood of house-soiling. Here’s what you should know if you’re considering this procedure for your cat. Declawing is an emotional, controversial, and divisive topic. Some people consider it an option to prevent destructive damage in the home and protection from potential scratches. Others consider the elective procedure inhumane, unethical mutilation that should be performed only to treat true medical conditions, such as nail bed cancer. Pain and adverse behaviorThe term “declaw” may sound straightforward, yet it misrepresents the extent of the surgical procedure. “Declawing is also known as onychectomy or partial digital amputation,” says Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP. “The surgery is actually amputation of the cat’s third toe or finger bone. Cats’ nails are different than those of humans in that they are actually part of the bone. A comparison in human terms would be cutting off a person’s finger at the last joint of each finger.” Whether by scalpel, laser, or guillotine method, the procedure isn’t without risk or complications, nor is it pain free, Dr. Scherk says. Studies show declawed cats often experience pain from remaining bone fragments; nail regrowth; reluctance to move or play; lameness; and chronic pain. All of those factors result in the following negative effects: Reduced quality of life from chronic pain.Significantly higher odds of back pain due to change in gait kinetics.Greater likelihood of excessive grooming and fur chewing (barbering).Greater likelihood of aggression than non-declawed cats; that aggression is appreciably higher in declawed cats with bone remnants.“Being in chronic pain understandably results in less positive interactions and lower acceptance of handling for some individuals,” Dr. Scherk says. In one study, 63 percent of declawed cats had residual bone fragments, and those cats were 10 times more likely to eliminate outside the litter box. “Whether that is because the litter hurts the hidden damaged nerves or for other reasons isn’t known,” says Dr. Scherk. “We do know, at the very least, that cats experience pain directly where the nerves were severed.” Currently, 39 countries have enacted legislation prohibiting medically unnecessary declawing. In January 2019, Labrador and Newfoundland join two other Canadian provinces, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, in banning declawing. In the U.S., it is illegal in eight cities in California and in Denver, Colorado, New York. Read more: https://fearfreehappyhomes.com/keep-those-claws-why-cats-need-them/ Cats also  need their claws for the following purposes: Hunting: Cats are natural hunters. Their retractable claws provide them with traction while running and help them catch and hold onto their prey. If you watch the way your cat plays with its toys, you can see that while your indoor cat doesn’t need to hunt for its next meal, the practice of hunting and chasing is still an instinctual part of your cat’s behaviour. Stretching: Being able to grip items, like your carpet, allows your cat to twist and stretch the full length of its body, which is not only a good form of exercise, but it’s also a great source of enjoyment for your cat. Climbing: A cat’s claws are curved to help climb up trees and other surfaces to get to safety. For indoor cats, their claws allow them to grip items such as cat trees or furniture, so they don’t fall or slip. Leaving their scent: When cats scratch an item, they leave behind a special scent produced from glands on their paws. This allows a cat to leave its signature behind as a message to other cats. Protecting themselves: A cat’s claws act as a method of self-defence when faced with a predator. While indoor cats have little need to defend themselves, their claws still offer the security of knowing they have a form of protection. Cats also use their claws to communicate certain messages, for example swatting to communicate the need for distance. Balance: When a cat is declawed, it’s not at all like clipping nails. Declawing is amputating the claw and related bone and muscle tissue. Without their claws, cats often have trouble balancing Please help us end the barbaric declawing of cats. Outlaw the torture, in Pennsylvania.

Currently our animals shelters are open by appointment only. The appointment process is slow and unorganized. The hours appointments are allowed are making it very difficult for people to see the animals. Meanwhile animals are being killed for no other reason than people can’t see them to adopt them. Please help us save these poor animals by making ocas open their doors to everyone.  Thank you!!

Right now, according to PetFinder.com's great search tool, there are 127,350+ kittens & cats in their registered shelters in our country.  We, as citizens of The United States of America have failed these little animals.  Cats should be watched for outside, picked up, saved, adopted, cared for, vaccinated, spayed and neutered.  There's no excuse for our ignoring, shunning, being complacent, nor for cats to be mercilessly abused, tortured, slaughtered, chopped up to feed man-eaters.....wolves, lions, etc in captivity, which would be just as pleased to eat us and our children.   (These large animals are brutally beaten too, and that's another tragedy.) LOOK, WE in America, imported small kitty cats for pets, we vowed to love and care for them as our own, here in "God's Country" and we absolutely must do something right now, as our civic duty, our humane contribution to God's creatures, our demonstration of America's ethics, our behavior for our children to emulate.  We must make sure cats and dogs are taken care lovingly, ethically, humanely, as members, dependents of our counties, our communities.  Sign this petition, yes, but then, go.  Go adopt cats, dogs, rabbits, etc and get them out of present or future danger.  Especially cats.  Just because they don't bark or whine loudly is NOT any excuse for them to be dismissed, devalued now as Food.  For man-eaters, Even for some People's Food!!!  (Yes, there are Races who Eat Kittycats......alive?) WE know that cats are the pets who make a home cozy.  WE decided to have many colors, many breeds here, and yet, we are still breeding, while many purebreds and adorable mixes are waiting in shelters ...  or Worse.  We know kitties teach our children how to care for quiet little dependents, how to be gentle, how to feed, water, love a small living being.  Cats are smart, sweet, personable, affectionate, cuddly, precious little critters, proof of Our Creator's gentleness and sense of humor, certainly.  Bless their hearts.  They certainly wouldn't be homeless, dirty, scrawny, stinky if they could help it.  Thank God for the hardworking angels at the shelters. ....But,.. But when we haven't done enough, the numbers are too high and these precious little animals are discarded, martyred, tortured; emotionally, mentally, physically killed, as if they didn't really matter, sometimes en masse, for horrific uses of their bodies, fur, heads.  Who, in their right mind, would approve of such hideous acts?!   Dear God.  It's time to do something about ALL the atrocities in this Country of ours.  Most of us realize our Country isn't the idealic Promised Land it's supposed to be.  Well,  it's time to recognize, maybe even renovate our Reasons for being a United States, a proud country worth fighting for, worth preserving, worth raising and maintaining our standards for.  Sign, please, then do something about it.  And keep doing something about it.  Make it a family project, with your children, grandchildren.  Then, always remember that your Furry Children deserve the same mercy at every age, stage, physical condition   your dear little Great- Grandmother deserves.