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No More Homeless Pets Forum
May 17, 2005 Statewide Spay/Neuter, Step by Step |
Sharon Secovich
Targeted spay/neuter programs are proven to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and save taxpayer dollars. But where do you start? Sharon Secovich of Spay Maine will share her experiences and answer your questions about launching a statewide, publicly funded spay/neuter program.
Introduction from Sharon Secovich:
Everyone who works in animal welfare knows there are more cats and dogs than homes available to take care of them. As a result, millions of animals are killed each year. As evidenced by the thousands of shelters that practice "euthanasia", the millions of donors who contribute money to shelters that "euthanize", and the animal control agencies that also "euthanize" or contract to have it performed for them, this killing of healthy adoptable animals is considered accepted public policy in this country.I believe that pet overpopulation, their relinquishment to animal shelters, and the subsequent "euthanization" of these animals are preventable problems with a rational solution (killing being an irrational solution). In addition to being supported by both relinquishment studies and economic studies of issues surrounding pet overpopulation, this belief is also supported by the experience of the states of New Jersey and New Hampshire, which implemented low-income, low-cost spay/neuter programs in 1984 and 1994, respectively.
In July 2004, Maine also implemented a state-funded, low-income spay/neuter program. The inception of this program was spearheaded by Spay Maine, comprised of a small group of individuals who successfully tapped into the goodwill and support of the state's many shelters and rescue groups to convince the state that it was time to follow the example of New Jersey and New Hampshire. Spay Maine did this with literally no money and little legislative experience. If we did it here in Maine, you can do it in your state, too!
Questions
Where do we start, and what will it take?
How do we know if we've done all we can?
But, will this work in every state...especially my state?
Fixing a flawed, existing system
Determining eligibility for patients and clients!
When the "state next door" is the problem
Where to start with information gathering
How about a line item for donations on tax forms?
Anti-breeding legislation is unpopular
How did you get started?
Where do we start, and what will it take?
Question from Marte:
Where to start is the biggest question... and how to do it when most volunteers work full time at 9 to 5 jobs. How many people, working part-time, do you think are needed to pull this off?Response from Sharon Secovich:
The bad news is there is no step-by-step "cookie cutter" approach because each state is different. I don't think that what we did here in Maine would necessarily work in a state in another region of the country. In fact, we thought we would just follow what the folks in New Hampshire did but we found, as we moved along in the process, and it is a process, that the powers that be in Maine were more receptive to the idea than those in New Hampshire were (of course New Hampshire had already paved the way with a successful program).The good news is you are ready to get started! Spay Maine started with one woman (and it wasn't me) who saw no reason why Maine couldn't do what New Hampshire did. And she didn't know how to go about making this a reality either.
I can, however, tell you five things that you will undoubtedly need to do no matter where you are located:
- Find a few "key" people to do most of the leg work
You don't need many so called "key" people. We did it with just three working on it part time, and then later with just two people working on it part time. The number of people isn't that important. Your key people should, however, be committed to making this happen, should work well together, and should have a sense of humor for when the going gets tough. Our key people met in the evening, sent lots of emails, made a lot of telephone calls, and missed a couple days of work to be at legislative hearings, etc. Your key people will be the ones to gather the facts, organize the effort, and build a coalition of your second group of people.
- Build a coalition of stakeholders
This second group of people is just as important, if not more so, than your key people. This group already exists and more than likely already agrees with your cause. This group is comprised of the stakeholders in your state's animal welfare community. These stakeholders are the true "key" to your success and are comprised of shelter staff and volunteers, rescue groups, veterinarians, animal control officers, etc. These are the people who know first hand that there are too many animals and too few homes. You will call on these people to make that 30-second phone call to their legislator's message line, to write a letter to the editor, or to show up and testify at the hearing for your bill. You should compile a list (phone and email) of these people and make it easy for them to help you. For instance, instead of just asking them to call their legislator, provide the names and phone numbers of their legislators and provide some key talking points.
- Gather and present the facts
Before you can convince any government agency of the merits of your program you must prove to them that there is a need for the program and that the program can work. Anecdotal evidence is nice, but policy makers like numbers and charts and graphs. They also want to know that you have done your homework and that they can believe what you are saying. You will be educating them (and don't forget that they work for you). Spay Maine gathered data from shelters across the state, contacted New Hampshire and New Jersey for their data, and conducted research in all of the usual places for additional information to bolster our cause.
- Get the veterinarians on your side
Peter Marsh, who spearheaded New Hampshire's program, told us this over and over again, and he is right. Without the veterinarians you will not have a program. In fact, this may be a good place to start. Speak to the President of you state's Veterinary Medical Association. Our Maine Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) told us early on that it would support a low-income spay/neuter program provided that it had input into the final design of the program. The MVMA provided support to us throughout the whole process and now it is very proud of the work it does for our spay/neuter program.
- Be prepared to change direction and don't give up
Much of the direction you take will be determined as you go along so be flexible. Don't get discouraged and don't be surprised when opposition arises from those you thought would support you and visa versa.
And please don't give up; the animals need this!
How do we know if we've done all we can?
Question from Claudia:
I know this is last minute, but just tomorrow the Joint Ways & Means Committee in our state legislature is going to be including our task force's statewide bill to create a Pet Sterilization Fund from dog license fees in a work session (with about 100 other bills)! The bill would be a take-off on what Maine and New Hampshire have accomplished.If the bill makes it out of the work session it will continue on its path to becoming law. If it doesn't, the bill will be "dead" and it will be 2 years before we can try again.
Several weeks ago we dropped off fact sheets, a draft of the bill, and info packets, in person, at the offices of every member of the Joint Ways & Means Committee. We've contacted champions of the bill in the legislature and asked them to contact the Committee members today urging them to support the bill. We've sent an alert to the bill's support e-list group, asking them to do the same. We plan to phone the Committee members today ourselves and ask for their support tomorrow. Is there anything else we can do today to help the bill get passed out of Committee tomorrow, or have we explored all options? Any ideas would be appreciated!
Response from Sharon Secovich:
It sounds like you have got things under control! I am not sure how the political process works in your state but if you can attend the work session(s), do so. Also, from here on out, don't leave anything up to chance. If someone "in the know" tells you that you don't have to go to a particular hearing or work session because "it's done a deal," go anyway. We found that nothing was done until it was actually done. Had we listened to some of this "sage" advice, we would have been done.Another thing you should think about is always asking the people on your e-list to let you know that they have contacted their legislators. This way you can keep track of how many people are actually making those calls and, if you find that not enough are calling, you can contact these people personally to ask them to make that call.
While a "quick" phone call on your part to your supporters is a lot of work, it is not half as much work as starting again in two years will be. Additionally, a lot of unwanted animals will be born and killed over those two years. This will also allow you to write a quick note or e-mail to them expressing your appreciation.
Comment from Karen:
As a legislative staffer, I can attest that our senators are just bombarded with letters and phone calls. The MOST effective phone call/letter is from their own constituents. I would strongly suggest you get their own people to contact them. Also, if it fails this year, please talk to some of the more powerful lobbyist in your state and see what it would cost to hire them to get the bill passed. I would bet some of your lobbyists are pet owners. It never hurts to ask for a freebie or a very discounted rate to represent you.Lastly, never underestimate the strength of staff. Get to know the staff on that committee. Spend a few $$, and take them to lunch. Ask for their advice.
Remember to always be honest, have all of your facts ready, do not put too many words on a page when preparing handouts, and have answers to any and all questions that you think may and MAY NOT be asked.
It is hard, but try to take emotions out of this game.
Another something, bake dog bones and give one to each legislator with a little note from XXX group and please support Bill # 000. Hope some of this helps!
But, will this work in every state...especially my state?
Question from Crystal:
Thank you for participating in the Forum! I'm glad to see that Maine has a targeted and state-funded spay-neuter program. This same kind of program appears to have worked wonders to reduce euthanasia in New Hampshire, as well.How can such a program be adapted to work in states that are large, diverse, and/or poor? My own state of California, for instance, has the wealthy coastal counties where pet guardian commitment to spay/neuter and not letting animals roam is so universal that puppies and kittens are imported from poorer shelters, and senior animals stand an excellent chance at being placed. (San Francisco under the aegis of Richard Avanzino really pioneered the whole no-kill movement and has a stellar spay-neuter program.) Then we have the impoverished interior and rural counties, where euthanasia is high and commitment to spay/neuter and confinement is low, as well as cultural attitudes towards animals (especially cats) that upscale coastal counties do not have to deal with.
As you can see, California is huge, and diverse, and our state government is really strapped for funds as well! How do spay/neuter programs in states like Maine and New Hampshire translate to states like California? Thank you!
Response from Sharon Secovich:
Thank you too, Crystal! It is interesting to Maine that the problems you list as impediments to a spay/neuter program for California are almost the exact same problems we face here in Maine. We have our wealthier southern and coastal communities and our less affluent northern and interior communities. Our government is also strapped for funds, and we rank 38th in annual average pay (California ranks 5th) and 34th in personal income (California ranks 9th). The shelters in our more affluent counties import dogs from our less affluent counties and from out of state but our cat over-population problem is statewide. And while we are the second least diverse state in the country, believe Maine we have our differing attitudes toward animals, many of which are not very enlightened or ethical (i.e. we are one of the few states where "hunters" can kill bear by putting garbage out then waiting around to shoot them when they come to eat it).As far as being strapped for cash; Maine's spay/neuter program does not get any money from the General Fund. Last year, the first year of our program, we were "given" $1.00 of the dog licensing fee for a total of $100,000. I put quotes around the word "given" because Spay Maine was instrumental in passing the legislation that increased our dog licensing fees. This provided increased funding to our state's Animal Welfare Program as well, which also doesn't get any General Fund money.
In addition, Spay Maine assisted in legislation that placed the "Companion Animal Sterilization Fund" check-off on Maine's income tax forms, allowing Mainer's to donate directly to the spay/neuter program when they do their taxes. Maine even went "Hollywood" by inviting actress Loretta Swit (a.k.a. Hot Lips) to come to Maine to testify for this legislation in front of our Taxation Committee, which by the way, she most graciously did (Spay Maine paid her costs). This year, Spay Maine found additional funding by submitting legislation that would, among other things, place a $25 fee on each unaltered dog or cat sold by a pet store or breeder (another idea stolen from New Hampshire). Don't reinvent the wheel.
I guess what I am trying to say is, it is all relative. Your battle is obviously much larger and much more daunting than ours. In addition, it will cost more, and it will likely take you longer to achieve success. You will definitely need more than a few "key" people to spearhead your effort. And, because of your greater cultural diversity I think you will need a larger educational component to your program. But you also have more human and financial resources to tap into and just think how many more animals you will save!
Fixing a flawed, existing system
Question from Carol:
I live in North Carolina and our state has a program through our "I Care" license plate funding. However, this money is only available to city and county governments. They have to spend the money and then apply for reimbursement.Many counties (including the one I live in) do not want to take the chance that they won't get reimbursed, so they don't even try. Currently almost 90% of the pets entering the county-run shelter in my county are being euthanized. Are there any steps concerned animal owners can take to either convince their county or city government to seek these funds, or convince the state to make these funds available to animal humane organizations that are anxious to attack the problem? North Carolina doesn't need to set up a fund; they just need to make the one they already have work!
Response from Sharon Secovich:
At last, an easy question to answer... if not to do! As I mentioned in yesterday's answers, government administrators and policy makers like facts and numbers. If I were in your situation I would start gathering them. I would find out how much money is collected through the license plate program and who is getting it. I would find out if any counties who apply for this money do not receive it and why. In other words, does your county have good reason to be worried about reimbursement?I presume someone is getting the money. I would find out if the programs that this money does fund are working, and if so, how much money and how many animals are being saved because of them. I would find out how much money your county spends on rounding up, sheltering, and euthanizing animals and then figure out how much the county could save by allowing shelters to implement a spay/neuter program and applying for reimbursement. NH has data that shows it saves $3 for every $1 spent on the program.
You should gather all of the information you can surrounding this funding. It is out there and you, as a taxpayer, are entitled to see it. Once you gather the facts you will have the data you need to either convince the county to seek these funds or to convince the state to make them available directly to your shelter.
Another thing you should do is make it as easy as possible for your county (or shelter) to go after the money. Figure out the process, or better yet, actually do the paperwork for them! They are likely very busy and animal welfare is not at the top of their priorities. Spay Maine made it easier for the Maine's Animal Welfare Program (AWP) to implement the spay/neuter program by actually writing the rules under which the program would be administered, by designing the agreements between the state and the veterinarians and the state and the clients, and by designing the vouchers (all modeled after New Hampshire's). One of our members even designed the logo that the state uses for the program. We also participated in negotiations with the veterinarians over their fees and the hiring of the person who does the actual day-to-day administration of the spay/neuter program. The director of our state AWP appreciated the fact that we made her job easier, and we have gained her trust and confidence as a result of it.
By now you are probably asking yourself why you should do all the work when state employees get paid to do this stuff. The sad fact of the matter is; animal welfare is not high on the priority list. If you want this to happen you have to make it happen. The key is to make a compelling argument as to why your county should go after this money and make it as easy possible for then to do so.
The license plate fund is essentially "free money" that people are giving to the state by choice... how often does that happen? If I was a taxpayer in a county that was not taking advantage of this money, I would not be pleased. Your county is essentially saying "no thanks we don't have a problem and we don't need the money" when you, and everybody else, know that they do. Your job is to prove it to them even if you have to do it yourself. Believe Maine the reward in saved lives will make it all worth it.
My mantra is "Nothing good is ever easy." Thank you for caring!
Determining eligibility for patients and clients!
Questions from Chris & Marte:
I have tried to follow closely the details with the state funded spay/neuter programs. There seems to be one group that is always left out of these programs, feral cats. State programs seem to declare feral cats ineligible so when people go out and trap ferals they cannot bring them in to the state sponsored clinics.Does anyone know if there is a state funded program that includes ferals in a spay/neuter program? If not what are the hurdles that must be cleared?
Also, can you tell us how Maine determines eligibility (is there a dollar figure)? Low-income means different things to different people! We see people who are decidedly more well off than others who still tell us they, "Can't afford to have the dog spaded." That word drives Maine nuts!
Response from Sharon Secovich:
I do not personally know of any state funded program for ferals. I do not think that we would have been successful getting a program in Maine had we included ferals. Believe me, as a member of a feral cat rescue group (Friends of Feral Felines) I would love to see ferals included. They are a difficult bunch no matter which way you look at them. I think that the problem with ferals is that they are technically "un-owned". The state run programs, while they help the animals, have a higher measure of social acceptance because they also help poor people receive a service that they could not otherwise afford.That being said, however, I don't think ferals are entirely left out of the programs. Feral cats originate from unwanted, "owned" cats. With a decrease in the birth of unwanted cats there should also be a decrease in the stray and feral cat population. In fact, this was one of our talking points when were trying to convince the powers that be of the merits of our program.
As far as eligibility, Maine (and New Hampshire) is very straightforward with its income eligibility requirements. To be eligible a person must be at least 18 years old, be a resident of the state, and be a recipient of or be eligible for one of the following state programs:
- Food Stamps
- Woman Infants and Children (WIC)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Supplemental Security Income
- Social Security Disability (SSD)
- Maine Care (Medicaid)
Maine is very inclusive in its state aid programs with approximately 1/3 of its population receiving state aid. In fact, Maine Care allows people with income up to 200% of the federal poverty level to be eligible for certain programs. It also includes folks who are relatively well off and can afford everything except some special expensive medications they might be on. When we were helping the state write the rules for our program we tried to figure out how to exclude or "carve out" some of these folks who were receiving Maine Care but who probably could afford to spay/neuter their own pets. However, the state Attorney General's Office advised us that we could not legally do this.
So, while some people, who can afford to pay, potentially take advantage of our program, we also made sure that people who were "eligible" for, but were not necessarily receiving state aid, be eligible for our program. We figured that there are some folks who, for whatever reason, will not apply for state aid for themselves, but may do so for their pet. One thing to keep in mind, the onus of determining eligibility should not fall on your veterinarians.
Spay USA's website, http://www.spayusa.org, has both Maine's and New Hampshire's rules and other pertinent information about their programs.
Comment from Laura:
Massachusetts now has a special spay/neuter license plate, which benefits 501(c)(3) humane organizations and municipal shelters through a grant program, and it does not discriminate against feral cats! Several of the volunteers who worked for 10 years to get the legislation through were feral cat people. I don't believe they had to justify this to anyone. It's just a spay/neuter fund, contributions by license-plate buyers are voluntary, and it's not tax-supported. We had around $100,000 to distribute, this first year. See http://www.massanimalcoalition.org for more information.Comment from Sandra:
I wanted to respond to the question about including feral cats in any state funded spay/neuter program. Illinois has been aggressively pursuing inclusion of feral cats in its proposed state funded spay/neuter program. As of today, both the house and senate version of the bill have passed one go-around. Each version is now in the "other's" hands, i.e., the senate version is in the house, and the house version is in the senate. Since only one version needs to pass, the focus is now on passing HB315. We are hopeful and excited about this bill.For a look at the full version, see: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=50&GA=94&DocTypeId=HB&DocNum=315&GAID=8&LegID=14542&SpecSess=&Session.
If you can't get there from this link, use the link to the Illinois General Assembly: http://www.ilga.gov, then search for HB315.
When the "state next door" is the problem
Question from Susan:
Our breed rescue takes in most of our dogs from a neighboring state that has very poor spay/neuter rates and severely overcrowded shelters. I'd like to work there to help educate and/or work with a group to provide spay/neuter services, but don't know where to start!Can any of this week's ideas be used by animal advocates in neighboring states?
Response from Sharon Secovich:
The issues surrounding this question interest Maine because just last week I was asked to chair a subcommittee tasked with examining dog importation into Maine. A few of our shelters import dogs from shelters down South. In addition, it is starting to become a "cottage industry" with some individuals (I don't mean the shelters) importing dogs from out of state and selling them to make a quick buck, not necessarily to make a sound rescue. Legislators have asked us, on several occasions, why the state should fund a spay/neuter program if dogs are being imported into the state. If you plan on trying to get your state to start a program, be prepared for this question.I think you are asking what you can do to influence what is happening (or not happening) in your neighboring states. I have no real specifics for you except to suggest that you find people in the neighboring state who are like-minded and help them work through the process of implementing their own spay/neuter program. A place you could start is the shelter(s) that your rescue group receives dogs from. Work with that particular shelter to help them solve their problem.
The shelter I volunteer with imports dogs from Tennessee through its "Paws across America" program. The shelter tacks on an additional dollar amount to its adoption fee, which it then sends back to the originating shelter to help fund a sterilization program for them. People are willing to pay this extra fee once they know why it is being charged. Your breed rescue group could do something similar and work collaboratively with the originating shelter on the problem. Believe me, the staff and volunteers of the over-crowded shelter do not want to euthanize adoptable animals. I am sure they would appreciate your help.
An interesting side note, when Spay Maine was in its data gathering phase, I called New Hampshire's Spay/Neuter Program Administrator. When I explained to her who I was and what we were trying to do, she told Maine that she couldn't wait for Maine to get its own program because she was tired of turning Mainer's down when they called her for vouchers!
Where to start with information gathering
Question from Sarah:
How does one go about finding or gathering the necessary facts that are recommended to make a strong argument for a statewide spay/neuter program? Where do we look, who do we want to ask, and how do we find information about programs in other states? Is there a website with any of this info on it? If some of us knew where to start looking, it would make it easier to get started.Response from Sharon Secovich:
I think that you could make a strong argument for a statewide spay/neuter program with just two sets of data/facts:1. Data that shows that your state has a companion animal over-population program.
To get data of this type you can go to a representative selection of your state's animal shelters and ask for their intake/euthanasia data for the past several years. In some states shelters are independent/non-profit organizations and may be reluctant to share this information. You will have to convince them that it is in their best interest to provide you with this data and you will have to assure them that you will not use their name when you present the data. Depending on the state you are from, this may or may not be easy.
When I first started I sent out surveys. Of the 18 shelters who received my surveys, a total of five responded: two sent data; one said it was no longer in business and no longer had any records; two said they would respond but never did; and the rest did not even respond. As a result of actually receiving data from only two shelters (11% response rate) I obtained shelter data, for the years 1997 through 2001, complied by the Maine Federation of Humane Societies. Your state may also have an organization like this; I know the New England States do.
Your state may also require animal shelters to report this information to whichever governmental agency oversees/permits animal shelters. In this case this is public information and you can ask the overseeing agency for the data. In other states the shelters are run by the county or some other public entity, in which case I would think you would also be entitled to this information.
When you compile and present this data, I caution you not to use the names of the shelters from which you have data unless you have permission to do so.
2. Data that shows that this problem can be solved with a spay/neuter program.
Spay Maine relied heavily upon the information from New Hampshire's spay/neuter program to convince the policy makers in Maine that it could be done here too. Maine's, New Hampshire's and New Jersey's state web sites can provide you the text of their respective spay/neuter laws and the agency if not actual person you can contact for additional information.
There is an also a limited number of scientific papers that can bolster your arguments for a spay/neuter program. Most of them talk about the fact that unaltered animals are more likely to be relinquished to a shelter than altered animals and the reason given for not altering these animals is cost. These papers can be found through your local librarian. Also, universities with veterinary programs such as Tufts University (www.tufts.edu), which also offers a masters degree in Animal Welfare Policy, have web sites that contain data or can direct to data that you can use. The Best Friends' website has a link to local programs including Maine's and New Hampshire's (http://www.bestfriends.com/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary/snindex.cfm). The Spay USA web site (www.spayusa.org) also has some information generated by Spay ME. The Internet is the best place to start.
One thing I learned from our process is don't be afraid to ask. Government employees are public servants, and it is their job to answer your questions. Others who provide their names and numbers to Internet sites do so because they want to help you. Those who work in animal shelters and other aspects of animal welfare also want to solve the problem as much as you do; they might just need a leader to get things going.
How about a line item for donations on tax forms?
Question from Margaret:
Thank you for such a great topic. I started a very small spay/neuter project in my county a couple of years ago. It has grown to include cats from 5 counties, and we spend every penny we get on the surgeries.Our problem is that we're in a very rural area and we have many, many farms with 20 to 40 cats on them. Many of these farmers do not qualify for food stamps, Medicaid, etc., that you describe as criteria for being eligible for low-cost spays and neuters. However, these are the very people we need to target for large-scale spaying and neutering around here. Further, even if these farmers did qualify for low-cost spaying or neutering, there are many of them that would not pay the $200 - $400 ($10 per cat) to fix their 20 to 40 barn cats. Many of these farmers won't even buy cat food (they feed them surplus milk from their dairy cows). I've often heard people state that the "problem takes care of itself" every few years when groups of unvaccinated cats get distemper and are killed off. Other farmers don't hesitate to shoot the cats when the population gets out of control. These are people who won't spend a dime on health care for the animals; so low-cost spay/neuter simply won't work for them.
Therefore, this rural area needs a more aggressive program than even the low-cost spay/neuter surgeries. The spay/neuter project I started pays the entire cost of the surgery. We have several qualifying veterinary clinics, and most of them give us a 10% discount. We've spayed or neutered about 270 cats so far. A very small number, I know, but we work as we get funds available. We've been working on our 501(c)(3) status for over a year now and hope to have it very soon, so we can apply for more grants.
Do you have any ideas for us so that we can get the most animals spayed and neutered, while not excluding those who absolutely won't pay a cent for the surgeries? I think the line item for donations on the Maine Income Tax Form is fantastic. Was that difficult to get approved?
Response from Sharon Secovich:
I don't have any ideas for you except maybe to work toward a mobile spay neuter clinic. Unfortunately money is at the root of most of our problems, or should I say solutions. I also volunteer with a feral cat rescue group that faces the exact same issues as your group except that in addition to farm cats we also have wharf cats. We are also 10 years further along in the process than you are. Once you do receive your 501(c)(3) status, it should be easier for you get donations, but don't expect them to come quickly or easily. Grants are hard to come by and will never be as big as you would like. We started by raising money through the usual yard sales and bake sales just to raise a few hundred dollars and spay a few cats. As we grew we had to spend more time raising money, administering a web site, worrying about legalities, etc. Now we raise a lot more than we ever thought we would and still it is never enough. In fact, even our state run spay/neuter program ran through its $100,000 budget in less than six weeks last August and will not have more money until this fiscal year which starts in July. This year it will have more money because of the tax check-off box, but it still won't be enough.The check-off box is a great idea but Spay Maine did not think it up! We did, however, help make sure it happened. I will have to be honest with you, in retrospect, from Spay Maine's perspective anyway, it was not difficult to get approved. This is because it had a "champion" in the legislature that worked hard on it. Our then Speaker of the House, Representative Colwell helped immensely with this bill and it would likely not have happened if it were not for him.
This is not to say Spay Maine didn't work hard to help get it passed. Spay Maine helped pack the hearing room with animal welfare advocates from across the state, we made sure we had a diverse array of stakeholders to testify for the bill, and we also made sure people called their legislators to ask them to vote for the bill. In addition, it was also suggested to us that having a celebrity testify for the bill might be good idea. We didn't know any celebrities but you would be surprised at the response you get if you just ask. A Spay Maine member got on the Internet, found some animal welfare organizations that already had affiliations with celebrities, and started making phone calls. She asked Loretta Swit from M.A.S.H. to fly out from California to testify for us and Ms. Swit said she would.
This was a big deal in a state like Maine who's only resident celebrity is Stephen King, and it brought us a lot of media attention that we might not otherwise have realized. We even got an invitation to bring Ms. Swit to meet the Governor in his office, and he invited us back on the day he signed the bill into law. These are things we never dreamed of happening. Believe me, I never, in a million years, thought that I would be riding in a car from Portland, Maine, up to the state house to meet the Governor, with Hot Lips Houlihan riding shotgun.
I think that if I were you and I was doing it from scratch, I would get on the internet and make a few phone calls and find out what are the rules surrounding tax check-offs on my state's tax form. It is my understanding that some states have requirements, some of which are monetary, that your program may or may not meet. If you think you could qualify I would also find out the steps you need to take to introduce such legislation in your state. Your state probably has guidance on this that it can provide you. Then start grass roots organizing. You already started a spay/neuter group so you already know how to do this.
And please don't underestimate yourself. You have spayed/neutered 270 cats. This is not "A very small number." We are all familiar with the cat pyramid; you have saved tens of thousands lives by preventing the birth of tens of thousands of unwanted kittens. Visualize what tens of thousands of dead kittens and cats look like and you will realize the magnitude of what you have accomplished so far. If you continue with your journey, who knows who may be riding shotgun in your car!
Anti-breeding legislation is unpopular
Question from Tom:
The City of Austin, Texas has an informal Animal Advisory Committee that has recently drafted a sterilization ordinance proposal that is of course meeting quite the resistance. I know this forum is about statewide, but perhaps we can branch off to talk about it at the municipal level.As would be expected, breeders and fanciers are opposed to any sort of sterilization ordinance. The current draft implements a yearly intact fee as well as a per litter breeder fee. In addition there is a schedule of fines that would apply when a dog or cat is impounded and the owner is found to be in violation. Owners would get one strike, where they would have the option of reclaiming their animal, paying the impound/reclaim fee, intact license, and a fine. If somehow there were a second offense then the city would require sterilization in addition to fines or the animal would need to be surrendered to the city.
The big fight is on the breeder fee. Breeders would pay the annual intact fee and then a proposed $500 per litter. As you can guess, that is a point of contention.
At the end of the last public input meeting the committee voted to send the current draft to city council to try and get a sponsor who would then introduce it at council. I would expect the face of the proposal to change quite a bit before council would ever vote. In Austin there are 3 public meetings on anything that will go before council for a vote.
As a rescuer, I am very interested in this issue. How do we begin to gather examples of successful cities (and states)? Many of the people opposed to the proposal spoke on and on about how this has not worked in other cities, but there were no real examples. Any suggestions on where to start would be great.
Response from Sharon Secovich:
I bet that the opposition has no examples of failure in other cities because there are none, or if there are, they are not publicized. I also think you are correct in your pursuit of examples of successes. If you have examples of successes and the opposition has no examples of failures, guess who will have the credibility!I would start with the Internet. I just "Googled" on "Breeder Ordinances" and got 19,000 hits. The first hit talked about ordinances in New York City and Los Angeles. Once you find out where there are ordinances, contact those cities or towns and talk directly to the people in the know. Don't rely on the Internet for all of your facts.
The second hit was a website that is against animal ordinances. Breeder and kennel club websites will also be in opposition to this type of ordinance. These are good websites to go to find the arguments your opponents will use. Educate yourself on opposition arguments and have a response for each one, backed up with data, if possible.
In addition, every state has a website, and I suspect they all must have their laws on-line. With a little effort you can find out which states have laws, download them, and use them to work with the City Council on amending the currently proposed ordinance.
Another thing you could do is to propose that the reputable breeders, rescuers and City Council work together to come up with ordinances that everyone could live with. Perhaps $500 per litter is too much, and $25 per puppy would be fairer, because some breeds have two puppies and others have six or eight.
Or you could tack on a fee that the buyer pays if he buys an unaltered animal. This would allow the breeder to "blame" the city for the fee.
In addition the ordinance could require that the breeder give the buyer a one page informational sheet of pamphlet that explains the purpose of the fee, your city's companion animal overpopulation problem, and the importance of spaying/neutering. A reputable breeder should embrace the opportunity to help solve the problem. This will also make it easier for rescue groups and breeders to collaborate in the future. Reputable breeders don't like the bad rap they get from puppy mill breeders and rescue groups have greater things to do than hassling reputable breeders.
How did you get started?
Question from Judy:
How did Spay Maine get started? I, and a small group of others, are pushing & fighting relentlessly to change things for the better for animals in Roswell. The city's animal control facility used to be one of the worst of its type, almost unbelievable.By putting tremendous pressure on our City Council and gaining the support of the local press, things are changing. With the help of a tiny non-profit, we have applied for a grant for a spay/neuter program and have brought the SNAP (Spay & Neuter Assistance Program) mobile van to the city 2 years in a row.
However, we still have a long way to go. Any push in the right direction is welcome.
Response from Sharon Secovich:
In telling you how Spay Maine started in some detail, I hope you will be able to take something useful away to help your cause.Spay Maine started very simply, with an idea; and it wasn't even an original idea. Several years ago, one of our co-founders, Susan Hall, heard Peter Marsh of Solutions to Overpopulation of Pets (STOP) speak at a conference about New Hampshire's statewide spay/neuter program. Sue wondered why no one in Maine was working toward a similar program. Approximately a year later she heard Peter Marsh speak again and again Sue wondered. Only, this time instead of wondering why no one in Maine was working toward a similar program, she wondered if she could.
Sue scheduled meetings at several locations in different parts of the state. She invited all of the animal welfare advocates she knew and she called shelters and rescue groups to let them know about the meetings and the goals. We met at animal shelters, homes, and restaurants. Approximately 6 -12 people showed up at each of these meetings and from that, three of us, including Sue, took the lead.
In retrospect, I think these meetings were very important for two reasons; 1) Sue found two cohorts to help her take the lead; and 2) she found like-minded "followers". Leaders need good followers in order to be good leaders. These are the people who bought into the idea but didn't necessarily have as much time to help. These people let their associates/friends/relatives/etc. know what we were trying to do.
Before long we had an email list of almost 300 like-minded people. We did not use this list to chitchat back and forth because we didn't want a Spay Maine email to be viewed as spam. We used this list sparingly and only when we needed discrete and important tasks done that required a lot of people to do. These are things like calling legislators, taking a day off from work so we could pack a hearing room or writing a letter to an editor. We made it easy for these people to help by providing the names and numbers of the legislators they should call or editors they should write to and directions to the hearing room where they were needed. We also used this list to keep people informed of our progress after key events. I think every one appreciated the fact that we kept emails to a minimum and that they had discrete yet concrete and meaningful things that they could do to help.
In addition to this email list we also called people personally. For instance, for a hearing, we would call specific people and ask them to testify. These folks liked to be asked directly and this gave us knowledge of how many people would be testifying. At one point we needed to help raise $1,200 in a couple of days. We called people on our list and asked for $100 dollar donations. Several shelter directors, rescue groups, and individuals made commitments of $100 or more because they knew it would only help them in the long run. This is the only money Spay Maine ever raised and it was to get the check-off on our tax form.
I think if you grow your network (Best Friends knows this trick!) you will have more influence and with that comes changes. People who are too busy to do as much as you and your cohorts are doing will be more than happy to help you with discrete tasks if you make it easy for them, use them sparingly, and thank them afterwards.
