A Publication of the San Francisco SPCA's Law & Advocacy Department Issue #8, Fall 2001 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Emergency Preparedness For Pets Feral Fix Program Updates Our mission is act as an advocate on behalf of animals and as an enforcer of their rights. To find about pending legislation affecting animals, search www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html Want to stay informed?? Subscribe to The Advocate — Now Available Online! The Advocate is a quarterly newsletter of the San Francisco SPCA's Law & Advocacy Department. If you would like to stay abreast on current topics such as feral cat issues, off-leash dog recreation, pets in rental housing, or animal legislation, sign up to receive the advocate online. Click here and be sure to include your e-mail address so we can add you to our mailing list. Including Pets in Your Estate Planning On Thursday, October 25, 2001, the SF/SPCA will provide a free presentation on how to best plan for your pets when setting up your will or trust. All are welcome to attend. The presentation will be held in Maddie's Adoption Center from 6:30 Ð 8:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Please contact Katy Volz at 415-554-3027 for more information. October 16th is National Feral Cat Day! The 1st Annual National Feral Cat Day is Tuesday, October 16, 2001 sponsored by Alley Cat Allies (ACA). The goal is to educate more people about reducing feral cat populations through the humane method of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). The SF/SPCA encourages other organizations to participate in this event by distributing information and talking to people about TNR or by providing a day of low-cost or free veterinary services to feral cats. We will be providing coffee and donuts during our Intake time slot (7:30 AM to 8:00 AM). Please join us. Feral Cat Video Series The 9Lives Humane Feral Cat Management Video Series tapes are finally completed. These 9 videos take you out into the field where caretakers trap, spay/neuter, release and feed feral cats. The tapes cover a wide range of topics including: how to humanely trap, set up shelters for your cats, properly maintain each colony, deal with legal issues, gain community support, establish feral fix days, care for newborn kittens, and much more. HOW TO ORDER YOURS: Call 415-554-3024 or download our order form. Individual tapes cost $9.95 per tape; $79.95 for the complete set, plus shipping and handling. Call for shipping rates.   . . . . . . . . . . . . .   The Advocate is a quarterly newsletter of The San Francisco SPCA's Law & Advocacy Department. The Law & Advocacy Department runs the Society's community programs including the Feral Cat Assistance Plan, providing free spay/neuter and subsidized medical care for San Francisco's feral cats; the Homeless Program, providing free life-saving medical care for the pets of the City's homeless people; and the Open Door Program, opening the doors of apartments and homes to renters with companion animals. Information on these and other programs is available on the internet at www.sfspca.org/Advocacy.html. The Advocate is published quarterly. All rights reserved. Contact Us Feral Cat Assistance: 415-554-3071 Open Door: 415-554-3098 Wildlife Helpline 415-554-3053 Email: advocacy@sfspca.org advocate archives: Fall 2001 Summer 2001 Spring 2001 MORE BROKEN PROMISES: GGNRA CLOSES LAND TO OFF-LEASH DOG RECREATION The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) continues its push to reduce off-leash dog recreation. In late August, the National Park Service (NPS) unexpectedly began enforcing a ban on off-leash dogs in the GGNRA. In doing so, the Park Service has reneged on its promise to delay enforcement until after appropriate public input through the official Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) process. The San Francisco SPCA, as well as other off-leash advocates, were assured there would be no changes in off-leash access until after the ANPR was complete. Despite such assurances, The SF/SPCA has received more than 20 phone calls about people being warned, ticketed and arrested for off-leash activity even before the ANPR process has begun. The National Park Service has even published a new brochure outlining dog rules in the GGNRA . Their new enforcement campaign clearly disallows dogs off-leash. However, GGNRA insists that this is an educational opportunity and that dogs are welcome ... on leash, that is. GGNRA's latest move is anything but educational. Not only does their brochure promote dogs on leash, but it also uses scare tactics and incorrect statements, such as "Leashed dogs are less likely to bite" to imply that off-leash dogs are a threat to public safety. The SF/SPCA is committed to working with the National Park Service on rational off-leash plans. However, we are concerned that the agency has no intention of honoring the private commitments it made to off-leash advocates. It appears that the Park Service has made a unilateral policy decision without adequate public comment or an ANPR. The latest Park Service actions preempt the ANPR process and violate the public's right to a fair hearing on the use of national parklands. The SF/SPCA is also extremely concerned about the negative impact ill-conceived off-leash regulations will have on San Francisco dogs. In an urban environment, most dog behavior problems can be traced to lack of exercise, and behavior problems often drive people to relinquish their dogs. Adequate off-leash recreation is a vital factor in the effort to keep dogs in loving homes. What you can do We need your assistance to halt these moves to implement off-leash restrictions in the GGNRA. Write your Supervisor. Also write to Senators Boxer and Feinstein; urge them to contact Gayle Norton and Frances Mainella to halt enforcement of off-leash restrictions and consider federal legislation that will protect off-leash dog recreation on GGNRA lands. Click here for sample letters. On the San Francisco city park front, the Recreation and Park Department is reviewing public comment on its proposed dog policy. Click here for information on The SF/SPCA's position and response to the proposal. Some opponents have framed the off-leash debate in misleading terms, suggesting that off-leash advocates are anti-children or anti-wildlife. At The SF/SPCA, we believe our parks are for everyone. The solution lies in compromise and accommodation. Everyone has to sit at the table and figure out how to coexist. There should be a place in our parks for all members of the community, including responsible caregivers with off-leash dogs under voice control. The San Francisco SPCA has thoroughly documented how off-leash recreation benefits dogs, their caregivers, and the community. We will continue to provide our expertise to all interested parties in an effort to forge an equitable park policy. However, we are deeply concerned that the National Park Service has already decided that off-leash dogs will have no place in the GGNRA. The question should not be whether there will be off-leash access, but how off-leash recreation can be accommodated in the GGNRA. The Park Service should honor its commitment to maintain the broad range of recreational opportunities that are appropriate and vital in urban parks. It is clear that we need to move more aggressively in halting enforcement until the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking has run its course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ back to top ]   FERAL FIX PROGRAM HITS MAJOR MILESTONE 10,000 Feral Cats Spayed or Neutered Since 1994 On August 28, 2001 Dr. David Stein neutered a two-month-old feral kitten called Tom at the San Francisco SPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic. The tiny feline was one of nine feral cats altered that day--and one of more than 2,000 altered in the past year--but Tom was special. He was the 10,000th cat altered since 1994, when the San Francisco SPCA's Feral Fix program began. Feral Fix is a vital component of The SF/SPCA's Feral Cat Assistance Program, a pioneering effort to curb the feral population and make life better for feral cats. Volunteer caregivers in dozens of San Francisco neighborhoods humanely trap feral cats and bring them to The SF/SPCA for free spay/neuter surgery. The cats are tested for disease, vaccinated and altered. When they recover from surgery, they are returned to their colony. Since the altered cats are no longer reproducing, the colonies gradually diminish in size. The SF/SPCA works with more than 60 Cat Assistance Team (CAT) volunteers. In addition to conducting Trap, Neuter, Return programs, CAT volunteers keep a watchful eye on feral colonies, providing the cats with food and water and monitoring their health and safety. They also tame feral kittens that are young enough to be socialized and adopted. "Tom the 10,000th" is one of those kittens destined for a loving home. He was brought to The SF/SPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic by Jane Casey, a CAT volunteer for more than five years. Casey has been caring for a feral colony that has decreased from 26 cats to about four in the past seven years. Occasionally there are new arrivals, and that's how Casey got involved with Tom. He was part of a litter of five kittens born to a new cat in the colony. Tom is now in the capable hands of Jennie Lee, another CAT volunteer, who is socializing him, along with two of his littermates. When they have outgrown their wild ways and are thoroughly socialized, the kittens will be made available for adoption. Dedicated volunteers like Casey and Lee exemplify The SF/SPCA's belief that all animals — including feral cats — deserve compassion and protection. Says Casey of her feral charges, "I feel very committed to them." Changes to the Feral Cat Assistance Program In an effort to increase efficiency, alleviate the burden on staff in our Spay/Neuter clinic, and reduce costs, the Law & Advocacy (L&A) Department along with Community Veterinary Services (CVS) have finalized some changes to the Feral Cat Assistance Program. Beginning September 4, 2001, spay/neuter surgery on socialized kittens of feral cats will be performed after surgery on adult ferals and public spay/neuter appointments are done for the day. As a result, socialized kittens of feral cats may not be neutered on a same-day basis. Additionally, several recent publications have reported on the reliability and cost-benefit of FELV/FIV testing. As a result, The SF/SPCA believes it is appropriate that these tests no longer be given to adult feral cats as part of the free services. Kittens who are being socialized or adopted out will be tested for FELV only. CVS recommends that these kittens come back in for FELV testing at the age of five to six months. This is not a cost covered by our program, but is something that should be told to the adopter. Copies of the aforementioned publications can be obtained by e-mailing advocacy@sfspca.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ back to top ]   Disaster Preparedness For Your Pets When disasterstrikes, being prepared can mean the difference in saving the lives of your pets. The following are a few precautions that should be considered when preparing your family's disaster plan. Identification: all pets should wear an ID tag; microchipping is also recommended. A portable disaster kit should be assembled to include the following: Food (usually a week's supply), portable water, food bowls, cat litter/pan, can opener. Leash & collar for each dog and a leash, harness and carrier for each cat. Health records (copies of up-to-date vaccinations), medications, pet first aid kit. Familiar toys, bedding, blankets Emergency telephone numbers: caretakers, veterinarians, boarding kennels, humane societies. Current photos of your pets in case they get lost. Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name of your veterinarian. The San Francisco SPCA offers a starter package for pet owners which includes a brochure on disaster preparedness for pets, temporary ID tag, and a wallet card with emergency pet instructions. Call 415-554-3050 for more information.