November 24, 2007
Permission to crosspost.

"Animal Rights" Activists have pulled out the big guns to get their national
legislative agenda passed in San Antonio, Texas. The Alamo City has been a
prime target for many years.

Bad news. On November 20, the Quality of Life Committee unanimously passed
the Chapter 5 Animal Ordinance Revision as written. At the present time,
the ordinance is scheduled for a FULL council vote Thursday, December 6th.
At the committee meeting major changes were made to the Dangerous Animals
Section which aren't available yet on the city's website although we were
told they would be. There has been no public hearing at any level on this
new verbiage.

If certain objectionable sections of the proposed revisions are removed, San
Antonio would have one of the best written ordinances in the country. As
written now, it is the "worst" anti-pet ordinance in the US. This "Animal
Rights Manifesto" will undoubtedly become their model ordinance to emulate
elsewhere.

Nathan Winograd, founder of No Kill Advocacy Center, came to town and told
the newspaper that laws can be counterproductive, resulting in the killing
of more of the dogs and cats the laws were enacted to protect. So Citizens
for Pound Reform, Voice for Animals and other animal rights groups are now
attacking not only RPOA, but also Winograd! Texas Humane Legislation
Network attorney Don Feare and attorney Joel Hailey (local Voice for Animals
member) are holding their own seminar next Wednesday to counter Winograd's
statements which is entitled "Spay-Neuter Laws In The No-Kill Plan:
Successful Jurisdictions" - essentially hijacking the No Kill Equation for
their own purposes.

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance is the ONLY animal group in the city
supporting Winograd's No Kill Equation. It is a proven theory because
Winograd has done it! Citizens for Pound Reform (an animal rights
organization) calls RPOA "a pet owners' rights lobby which works to defeat
any government infringement on owners' rights to do as they choose with
their companion animals, regardless of the consequences to those animals,
their offspring, or other city taxpayers." Yeah, right! RPOA has been in
the trenches with our Pet Education, Assistance & Rescue Program for 16
years - while many of the local extremists were still in school! We've
tried for years to get existing ordinances enforced with limited success.

Citizens for Pound Reform accuses RPOA of "scare tactics and distortion of
the facts" - as though we're not aware of what has actually transpired in
Albuquerque, NM; Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; Los Angeles, CA; many other
California cities and on the CA state level. Facts are facts, not
distortions. However it IS scary.

Citizens for Pound Reform has launched a full scale campaign for ordinance
passage. Animal rights activists dominated the Chapter 5 Animal Ordinance
Rewrite Committee and still dominate the Animal Care Services Advisory
Board. They individually have the "ear" of the council person who nominated
them to this board. Voice for Animals and Citizens for Pound Reform members
are going to city hall this Thursday, November 29, to show their support for
the ordinance. They have spent 3 years now laying the groundwork.

Out of town Texas Humane Legislation Network attorney, Don Feare and local
Joel Hailey (Voice for Animals) are holding their own seminar to counter
Winograd's statements Wednesday entitled "Spay-Neuter Laws In The No-Kill
Plan: Successful Jurisdictions."

RPOA has presented statistics, charts, facts and information identifying our
local animal problems to all city officials for months now and still has
meetings scheduled with council members. We've given them the cities that
have developed successful programs following the No Kill Equation and those
that passed this animal rights type legislation which failed. We've had
some encouraging meetings with council members already but hear the mayor
supports the revisions. And the ordinance just keeps rolling along as is.

To support our efforts, go to our web site: www.responsiblepetowners.org
and click on the Action Alert! button near the bottom of the home page.
Links will come up which include: Today's Action Alert! It contains all
the information you'll need to help us. San Antonio animals will
definitely be glad you did. Out of state input is encouraged as tourism
is a major industry in San Antonio.

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
900 NE Loop 410 #311-D
San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone: (210) 822-6763
Website: www.responsiblepetowners.org
$15 Annual dues (January - December)
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