FNN SPECIAL REPURRT: The No Kill Animal Shelter Revolution 4

Good evening, Felinity Assembled, for anyone who missed the start of this series, you can read it here.

Tonite, in Toronto, Canada, author, and activist on behalf of Animals, Nathan J. Winograd, makes his first appearance in that fair city, to promote the cause of No Kill Shelters, and to promote his 2 important books on the subject.

Last month, the Organization for the Rescue of Animals, sent out word of this event, and even invited Daddy Kiril to attend, which he, sadly, could not afford to do ( An Invite, A Compliment, A Challenge, and A Choice ).

The Press Release, in part, read as follows:

THOUSANDS OF LIVES DESTROYED EVERY YEAR IN TORONTO AND THROUGHOUT THE GTA.

Cats and dogs are killed every year by the thousands in pounds in Toronto and throughout the Greater Toronto Area. An alleged over-population is usually the justification invoked for high killing of companion animals in our city and in other parts of North America.

In reaction to these tragic situations, the no kill movement has grown by leaps and bounds throughout North America and advocates have been successful in envisioning life saving methods that, where implemented, have brought the rate of euthanasia down to less than 10%.

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals is proud to host on April 14, 2012, for the first time in Toronto, a conference on “Building a No-Kill Community” with Nathan Winograd, the leader of the no-kill movement in the US. Nathan Winograd, a graduate of Stanford Law School, a former criminal prosecutor and attorney, held a variety of leadership positions including director of operations for the San Francisco SPCA and executive director of the Tompkins County SPCA, two of the most successful shelters in the nation. Designated number 8 amongst the “Top 15 Thinkers and Writers in 2011” by Forbes magazine, Nathan Winograd has transformed, almost overnight, high kill pounds in San Francisco, New York and even in rural America into practically no kill facilities (with less than 10% rate of euthanasia).

With some goodwill, the same results can be achieved in Toronto.

“This is a huge event that could bring many positive benefits for pound animals across the GTA,” says Claudia Vecchio, the founder and chair of ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals.

“The Toronto Humane Society board members will attend, as well as some Toronto city councillors, animal advocates and generally animal caring people who wants to know more about how to make our city pounds implement tax-saving, ethical and alternatives measures to the ongoing repugnant and unnecessary killing of thousands of defenseless cats and dogs."

As you can see there will be no naps, and snoozes, in Toronto, this evening. :-D

So who are the ORA, and Mr. Winograd?

Founded in 2002 ORA is 100% volunteer based, and promotes the humane treatment of all animals and the preservation of Wildlife.

ORA works for the well-being and protection of all animals, & are devoted to protect their rights and interests, they have found themselves largely involved with the rescue of members of Felinity Assembled.

In this field, ORA is committed mainly:

1. To campaigning for and financing spaying and neutering in order to curb pet over-population.

2. To locating suitable permanent homes for tamed feral cats, for stray cats and for cats abandoned by their owners.

3. Toward the preservation of the Canadian wildlife, endangered by urban sprawling. ORA is working:
A. To acquire large acreages of forested land in different sensitive areas of Ontario to be preserved as permanent sanctuaries for the indigenous fauna.

4. To solicit donations of private land in any area of Ontario to create oases where the wildlife can live peacefully and protected.

ORA in Latin means "pray", and their Credo explains what this means to them, and more.

So, what do they do for Toronto area Cats?

1. "Out of love for cats, we think all cats should be neutered and spayed to avoid new births. We are also committed to procuring the best life possible for all existing cats, domestic, stray or feral. One of our main activities is to rescue stray and feral cats and to take in cats surrendered by their owners and to find good adoptive homes for them."

2. "Cats that are not suitable for adoption, either because they are too old or they need constant medical attention, are kept in our "residential shelter" that now counts 22 permanent occupants. We have a strict no-kill policy. We do not believe that we have any right to terminate a life, just because the cat is sick. All curable sickness and controllable health problems are treated."

3. They even have also started a program of rescuing older or medically challenged cats from pounds that euthanize non adoptable cats.

As you can see, from just this much, a No Kill Shelter IS doable.

Among the other cool things they do, are a Foster Parent Program, & a variation on the Human "Neighborhood Watch" Program, but for Cats!

With the "Neighborhood Cat Watch" Humans get to know Cats roaming their neighborhood, & watch for any stray or abandoned cat. Humans take charge to spay or neuter these strays and to either release them back in the streets, if feral and untamable, or to adopt them out.

The Canadian version Green Papers are raised by the people living in the same neighborhood, & ORA provides guidance, & sterilizations performed at discounted rates, & help in prospecting for foster and permanent adoptive homes and for fundraising.

They even have a newsletter, Facebook, and Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIN, accounts, as well as an active, outspoken, blog begun in early 2011.

You can explore their main website, and all that it offers, here.

Nathan J. Winograd is currently the Director of the National No Kill Advocacy Center, an International Advocate for Animal Welfare, an Author, & Blogger.

As his website Bio explains: "He has spoken nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, has written animal protection legislation at the state and national level, has created successful No Kill programs in both urban and rural communities, and has consulted with a wide range of animal protection groups including some of the largest and best known in the nation."

He is on Facebook, & Twitter, & began his current blog in 2009, and this seminar in Toronto is apparently part of a 4 year old, and counting, "World Tour", & has been called “a prerequisite for animal lovers, rescue groups and organizations that are serious about changing their communities to No Kill.”

He also has been involved in a No Kill Webinar Series.

We have barely begun to explore his astonishing blog ourselves, but to say that it is info packed, and very outspoken, would be a major understatement!

The ground he has covered exposes "The Truth" about PETA, the Humane Society of the United States, Best Friends, and the ASPCA.

Needless to say those organizations are not falling all over themselves to give him a chin scritch, or a few belly rubs. :-D

Daddy says that many caring Humans find it hard, at first, to believe that organizations they have long supported, and trusted, to help save animals, would believe, and do, the things Mr. Winograd, and others expose.

One page of his site has a Virtual Shelter Tour, discussing what many traditional shelters are like, and even has a graphic video of animals being gassed, and tossed in a dumpster!

"Humane euthanasia” ??? For some reason Quicktime wouldn't show the video for us, but the audio was disturbing enough, trust me.

In this section of his website are other videos just as disturbing, and an audio that is appaling to hear, of comments made by an expert on "Euthanasia", at the biggest national shelter conference, just 6 years ago, who goes to great pains to actully deny that killing is what is being done in shelters!

She expresses her hatred of the No Kill Movement, and uses a whole host of euphemisms for "Killing" to describe what shelters do to the animals in their care!

Mr. Winograd writes about all this, and more, saying, among other things, that "To this day, animal shelters continue to ignore their own culpability in the killing, while professing to lament it as entirely the fault of the public’s failure to spay/neuter or to make lifetime commitments to their animals."

All I can say is...explore his website, and explore his blog, and its related links, and share them with your Human.

In the coming days we will be covering related websites, and organizations, some of which are linked via Mr. Winograd's site, so stay tuned.

Next Up = FNN SPECIAL REPURRT: The No Kill Animal Shelter Revolution 5