Let’s stop the killing, Tallahassee I can’t remember exactly how old I was when I discovered that not all the animals at shelters found homes, but I was probably a teenager. My parents, both ardent protectors of animals, shielded my from that disturbing news for as long as they could. The thought of puppies, kittens and cats being killed causes my soul to ache. There must be a better solution. When we were on a family vacation out west, we toured Best Friends in Angel Canyon, Utah. Seeing the no-kill sanctuary was a life-changing experience for me. They have Dogtown, Cat World and Marshall’s Piggy Paradise. There are habitats for bunnies, horses and birds. I decided then and there that when I retired and looked for somewhere to settle down, this would be it. I would volunteer on their staff. But what if I don’t have to go that far? Why can’t we have a no-kill sanctuary in Tallahassee? We have plenty of people in this town working day-in and day-out to help animals. Most of them do it while holding down full-time jobs. Others have devoted their retirements to doing what they can individually or with nonprofits. What if we all pool our energies and work toward this goal? Jack Cory thinks we can — and should. I agree. Cory’s group, Tallahassee Pets Alive, is working toward that goal. He shares that the No-Kill Animal Shelter Movement has already reduced the killing of pets in shelters serving more than 500 cities across the nation. The methods are cost-effective. He’s urging city and county leaders to give it a chance in our city, too. “Communities like Austin, Texas, Charlottesville, Va., Reno, Nev., Marquette, Mich., Ithaca, N.Y., big and small, urban and rural, larger than Tallahassee and Leon County and smaller have no-kill shelters,” Cory said. “They save 90 percent or more of the pets that come to them. The Tallahassee Leon County Animal Shelter continues to kill over 40 percent of the animals that enter their facility.” You can learn more about no-kill shelters Oct. 25 when the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts Torchlight Program Screening Series and Tallahassee Pets Alive present “Redemption,” a film by Nathan Winograd. The one-hour film will be followed by a one-hour presentation by Winograd on how all animal lovers can reform their local shelters and bring no-kill to their communities. I’ll be there and hope to see you, too. Let’s do this, Tallahassee. Utah is too far away. I want to be closer to the South in my retirement. IF YOU GO What: “Redemption” screening When: 4-6 p.m. Oct. 25 Where: The FSU Askew Student Life Cinema Theater, 942 Learning Way on the FSU campus Cost: $5, free for FSU students and faculty with valid FSU ID. Purchase tickets at eventbrite Visit: tallahasseepetsalive.org
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:59:35 +0000
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