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WEB-SITE LAST UPDATED 8/7/10 Most people don't follow politics closely and
are unaware of what their elected officals' positions are as they relate to animal issues.
This website is designed
to provide Nevada registered voters with this information and what can be done to help the animals of Nevada.
Participation is the key to
change!
PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOTE and YOUR VOICE
COUNT FOR ANIMALS. JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO RECEIVE ACTION ALERTS AND INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP.
WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON... 1. Henderson Spay/Neuter Ordinance
- UPDATE: PASSED! tHANK YOU HENDERSON CITY COUNCIL! THIS ORDINANCE PASSED ON 8/3/10. It will go into effect in
120 days. If you own a dog or cat, over the age of 4 mos. in the Cities of Mesquite, City of North Las Vegas, City
of Las Vegas, Clark County or Henderson: SPAY OR NEUTER - IT'S THE LAW. If you have questions, please contact
your local animal control agency. For Low Cost spay/neuter see info on links page. 2. 2011
Legislative Session - Animal Welfare priorities - we are currently working on language for proposed bills
in the next legislative session. One of the issues we'd like to address is strengthening Nevada's Animal Cruelty Laws.
NOTE: we are following the case of Arthur Mattox, who is charged with animal cruelty for allegedly
shooting his neighbors cat with a high powered BB gun, paralyzing it, and causing it suffering and ultimately death by euthanasia.
The first hearing is schedule for June 23, 2010, at 1pm in LV Municipal Court. We plan on attending along
with other animal welfare advocates to ensure justice is served in this case. ***Please email us if
you'd like to get contact info for the judge and/or city attorney in this case to ensure justice is served. UPDATE: ADDITIONAL
CHARGES WERE ADDED FOR THIS HORRIFIC CRIME. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE CALLS AND DEMANDED JUSTICE FOR THIS CAT.
THE NEXT COURT DATE FOR Arthur Mattox IS DECEMBER 7, 2010. Check back for further updates. 3.
Educating and informing is ongoing. Please remember that change starts at home. Please
make sure your pets (and friends/family members' pets) are spayed and neutered. Killing over 31,000 cats and dogs each
year in Southern NV is TRAGIC and unacceptable. We MUST do better! We CAN do better! 4.
Wild Horse & Burro Roundup Moratorium: PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET
INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE. PUT WILD HORSES IN THE SUBJECT LINE. The current BLM plan is unsustainable and unreliable.
In Nevada, wild horses are being rounded up and maintained for life - at taxpayer expense- and Nevadans should demand that
it STOP. What BLM has done and continues to do, even under new leadership, makes no sense and isn't justified.
Politics is driving the management of Nevada's wild horses and burros and it MUST STOP NOW. We met with Senator Reid's
Legislative Director and other senior staff to call for an immediate halt to the roundups and address the concerns and direction
from Congress and the findings of a 2008 GAO report. Here is an excerpt of the follow up letter based on the meeting,
dated 1-15-10, sent to Dayle Lewis, Legislative Director for Nevada Senator Harry Reid : "
Excerpts from the GAO report, highlights page: “BLM has not provided specific
formal guidance…Without clear guidance BLM cannot ensure that the factors considered in future AML revisions will be
consistent across HMA’s…The extent to which BLM has actually met AML depends on the accuracy of BLM’s
population counts.” GAO recommendations included: “BLM establish a formal policy for setting
AML, develop alternatives for long-term holding facilities, and initiate a discussion with Congress and
other stakeholders on how best to comply with the act, as amended.” The
full report raises even more concerns. Also referenced in the meeting were comments from the US House
of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, announcement dated October 7, 2009, titled: Rahall,
Grijalva Welcome Interior’s Renewed Attention to Wild Horse & Burro Program.http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=600&Itemid=70 Excerpts
from Announcement: "For far too long, wild horses and burros have been treated like a nuisance and subjected
to long-term storage and slaughter - a problem documented in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation
and addressed by the ROAM Act…Years of attempts by BLM to shoe-horn these magnificent animals into ever-shrinking territory
has manufactured an overcrowding problem. Restoring horses and burros to the acreage from which they
have been needlessly removed is critical said Chairman Rahall. “I look forward to continuing
these efforts to forge common ground among advocates, as we work together to find permanent solutions to range management
to protect and preserve our wild horses and ensure their continued presence on our nation's public lands," said Chairman
Grijalva. “A 2008 report by the GAO, requested by Chairman Rahall, identified a number
of deficiencies plaguing the BLM wild horse and burro program… These strategies would relieve
the agency from having to round up the horses and care for them in long-term holding facilities. “ As
we discussed in the meeting, BLM gets a vote of NO CONFIDENCE. Leadership may have changed but BLM’s
actions have not! We STRONGLY URGE Senator Reid to END THIS INJUSTICE and call for an IMMEDIATE
MORATORIUM on the roundups until the deficiencies in the GAO report are addressed, directives from Congress are followed,
a dialogue is started with stakeholders on how best to comply with the act, and an independent census is done to determine
reliable population counts. Time is of the essence, 212 wild horses have been gathered since we
met Tuesday, 1/12/10. No more time for excuses. Voters in Nevada become more
incensed with each horse gathered. We eagerly await to see if our NV Senator has the Courage and Leadership
to RIGHT this WRONG. end of letter excerpt .
When I spoke to Senator Reid at a recent event, he suggested I speak with a former trusted staffer named Jerry Reynoldson.
So, I spoke to Mr. Reynoldson and he has been staunchly against the roundups for some time due to the BLM's lack of a long-term,
sustainable plan. Watch interviews from a channel 8 special http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11285225 and see Mr. Reynoldson's opinion for yourself.
other wild horse info links: http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12934143 You have until September 4 to submit your comments to the BLM regarding future roundups. You can mail or
email those comments: BLM Ely District Office
HC 33 Box 33500
Ely, NV 89301
attn: Mary D'Aversa
Schell
Field Manager or by e-mail to EagleCCMTE@blm.gov.
"We
are concerned by the inability of your agency to acknowledge these disturbing outcomes, change what seems to be deeply flawed
policy, and better manage the gathers so as to prevent the unnecessary suffering and death of these federally protected animals."
an excerpt of a letter signed by 54 members of Congress to the BLM. click link above to read full letter.
RECENT
VICTORIES FOR ANIMALS! City of Henderson passed mandatory spay/neuter
and adopted language from AB 15 which will require posting of applicable sterilization requirements in public parks, veterinarian
offices, and to be disclosed in writing to purchasers by pet stores.
You may remember seeing stories on ch. 13 and ch.
3 with video showing little puppies crammed in cages sweltering in the summer heat. Click here to see ch. 13 story:
http://www.ktnv.com/global/story.asp?s=10997253&ClientType=Printable Click these links to see video on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOTD69bhLNM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSg29MZLdbk&NR=1 WE'RE GLAD TO REPORT: NLV CITY COUNCIL PASSED ORDINANCE TO REGULATE SALE OF ANIMALS AT SWAP MEET, WITH ENCOURAGEMENT
THAT A FULL BAN IS STILL POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE. We're thankful no animals will be sold under 55 degress or over 85
degrees. Please email us or report to NLV Animal Control if you witness a violation of temperature restrictions.
We're celebrating the recent passage of regulated
spay/neuter in the City of Las Vegas and Clark County! There is now some uniformity across much of the Las Vegas
Valley. Thank you to everyone who worked on this and turned out to support these ordinances and a HUGE thanks to the
elected officials who had the courage to take a chance on a new direction and strategy in the fight against pet overpopulation. We
euthanized 31,000+ unwanted pets last year in Southern Nevada - nearly enough to fill every seat in SAM BOYD STADIUM.
Please lead by example and spay & neuter your pets and remind your friends, family, co-workers, and the lady in line at
grocery store, to SPAY & NEUTER - IT'S THE LAW! Affordable spay & neuter is available. See links page for more
info.
KITTEN SEASON is HERE! Please remind family, friends, neighbors and co-workers
to BE RESPONSIBLE and spay & neuter their cats - ESPECIALLY if they are outdoor cats. There are leash laws
for Cats and they are not supposed to run at-large. Thousands of homeless kittens grow up feral roaming our streets.
Many are euthanized at the shelter because there
are simply not enough homes for adoption. The only answer is to prevent the litters in the first place. It's the
only way...neuter & spay. And now... it's the law.
WE DID IT!!! AB 15 is now a law!
It will become effective on October 1, 2009. Click on the link below for more information on the bill. A BIG thank you to everyone who took time to contact legislators or show up in person to support
AB 15 and the other other animal welfare bills in the 2009 Legislature. And, thank you to all the legislators who voted
for these animal welfare bills. These bills will make a positive difference in the lives of companion animals. IMPORTANT
UPDATE! with the passage of regulated spay/neuter in CLV and Clark County, notice of applicable
sterilization requirements with now be required in 3 jurdictions! It only applied to NLV when the bill was passed. Yeah!!!
After May, please notify us if your vet office or public park does not have the new sterilization laws posted.
Also, if you know anyone buying from a pet store, they must notify the purchaser in writing of the applicable sterilization
laws, in addition to other information that must be provided by state law to the purchaser. This only applies to the
City of North Las, City of Las Vegas, and Clark County. As we cherish these victories we now
set our sights on the 2011 legislative session. Together, we can accomplish so much for the sake of animals. Please
join us in the fight. If you know anyone who may interested in helping, please have them contact us by email and join
our email list. http://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/AB/AB15.pdf Assembly Bill 15 requires: "notice of any sterilization requirements
for dogs and cats required by local ordinance to be posted in a public park and the office
of each licensed veterinarian; requiring a retailer or dealer who
sells a dog or cat to disclose to the purchaser any sterilization requirements for the
animal required by local ordinance; and providing other matters properly relating thereto"
Like
many folks, I consider my dogs as treasured members of my family. Sadly, there are others who consider them a source of income
or just a piece of property that are disposable when no longer needed or wanted. In Southern Nevada alone, we kill more
than 30,000 dogs and cats each year and in some cases bury them in landfills like trash. The time has come for us to
find a morally acceptable and fiscally responsible way to stop the killing. This bill is a START, so please seize this opportunity
to stand with us and support this much needed CHANGE. EVERY VOICE COUNTS!
Thank you in advance for your participation
on behalf of animals.
Gina Greisen, President
Nevada Voters For Animals
MORE GOOD NEWS!!! 2 more
animal welfare laws were passed in 2009. AB
199 (Revises provisions relating to fights between animals-This bill prohibits a person from owning, ossessing,
keeping, training, promoting or purchasing an animal with the intent to use it to fight another animal or from selling
an animal knowing that it is intended to be used to fight another animal.) SB 132 (anti-tethering bill - so dogs don't live their lives on the
end of a chain. Here's the link for more info: http://www.animallawcoalition.com/tethering-penning/article/674
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