Fashionista News on Fur-Free Fashions

Michael Kors, the luxury fashion brand and the designer, is going fur-free.

Gucci went fur-free last month. Armani and Ralph Lauren are already opting for innovation and shunning cruelty.

This is the humane economy in action.

#humaneeconomy 

Read more in Wayne's blog: https://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2017/12/breaking-news-fashion-icon-michael-kors-goes-fur-free.html 

Compassion Fatigue Workshop

Please share info about our upcoming event to all interested parties!

Our audience will be animal shelter control officers, animal care workers, vet staff, and rescue groups.

Hilary is a well-known and inspiring speaker!

Limited tickets available:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/compassion-fatigue-workshop-tickets-36812756947

Compassion Fatigue Workshop

We will hold a Compassion Fatigue Workshop in November.
The workshop will feature HSUS author and speaker Hilary Hager.
She has presented on the topic at HSUS Expo as well as small groups like ours.

For ticket information and full details please view our site:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/compassion-fatigue-workshop-tickets-36812756947

Compassion Fatigue Workshop 2017

July 4th and Your Animal Shelter

This will be a very busy week for animal shelters due to firework displays. It is a great time to do something kind for your community animal shelter!

Ideas:

1. Stop by with treats for staff and animals.
2. Post the shelter wishlist on your social media pages and ask friends and family to share it as well.
3. Ask what supplies are needed and do a local supply drive (include a donation bin at the pet store!"

One act of kindness can change a life. What will your act be? Tell us about it in the comments. 

Compassion Fatigue Conference - Save The Date!

Shelter friends, rescue friends, and vet tech friends!

Please put this event that I'm working on with our local HSUS team onto your calendars. 

On November 7 and 8, 2017, we will be bringing a special speaker to Chattanooga for a conference on Compassion Fatigue. 

Hilary Hager has been with the HSUS since 2011. She is a frequent author in Animal Sheltering magazine, and has a special interest in the area of compassion fatigue in animal care workers. 

You can read more about Hilary here: https://www.animalsheltering.org/authors/hilary-hagerhttps://www.animalsheltering.org/authors/hilary-hager

Right now, we are in the process of figuring out the numbers of people who might attend, and securing a location. Then we will work on possible local sponsors to help us with goodies and food. We have definitely secured Hilary for these dates, however, so I wanted to let you know and make sure you could go ahead and please "save the date". 

I think this is going to be a great couple of days of learning about a topic that is so near and dear to our hearts! 

SAVE THE DATE

Compassion Fatigue Conference

Featuring: Hilary Hager, HSUS 

November 7-8, 2017

Chattanooga, TN 

Location: TBA

Mary M Weber Marr

District Leader Volunteer
Tennessee Congressional District 3
  
humanesociety.org
 

Inez - Lost Dog in North Chattanooga

Chou Chou

One of my favorite internet pics is this cat photo that I saved years ago.

Detroit's New "Dangerous" Animal Ordinance

There's some good wording in this ordinance. There's also a reference sheet which is well written and concise.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/detroit-passes-new-ordinance-to-keep-potentially-dangerous-pets-from-roaming-streets

(screenshot of the news story)

There's also a printable, summarized reference sheet in PDF format:

https://media.clickondetroit.com/document_dev/2017/03/14/Dangerous%20Animal%20Fact%20Sheet_9125884_ver1.0.pdf


Some of our local laws haven't been revised in my lifetime, so I'm always interested in reading new versions of animal control rules and the plans for enforcing them fairly.

Bills, Bills, Bills

Help! 

I want to get these kinds of updates for our local, TN bills but I don't think you can? Does anyone know a way?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Congress.gov <noreply@congress.gov>
Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2017 at 8:51 AM
Subject: H.R.861 - Changes to Cosponsors
To: webermarr@gmail.com

H.R.861 - To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency. (115th Congress) has changes in

• Cosponsors

To cancel or manage your selections, go to Alerts.
Alerts Help

Sunday's Chattanooga Times Free Press Letters to the Editor page

From Sunday's Chattanooga Times Free Press

Letters to the Editor Page

03/05/2017

Oppose inhumane hunting in Alaska

I was outraged that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Resolution 69, authored by Alaska's Rep. Don Young.

This rule will overturn a federal rule years in the making, crafted by professional wildlife managers, aimed at stopping some of the most horrific hunting practices imaginable — killing wolf pups in the den, killing hibernating mother bears and cubs, scouting grizzly bears from aircraft and then shooting them after landing and trapping grizzly and black bears with steel-jawed, leg-hold traps and snares.

The resolution, endorsed by the NRA, Safari Club International and other trophy-hunting lobbyists, will allow these atrocities in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges — publicly owned land paid for at taxpayer expense.

Please call Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander and let them know their constituents do not support these activities on our federal public lands. Urge them to vote "no" on S.J. Res. 18.

Mary Marr, Hixson

Letters to the Editor per Trophy Hunting in AK

To the Editor:

I was outraged that the US House of Representatives, passed H.J. Resolution 69, authored by Alaska’s Rep. Don Young. It is the most cruel, heartless anti-wildlife maneuver I have seen in my lifetime.

This rule will overturn a Federal rule years in the making, crafted by professional wildlife managers, aimed at stopping some of the most horrific hunting practices imaginable including killing wolf pups in the den, killing hibernating mother bears and cubs, scouting grizzly bears from aircraft and then shooting them after landing, and trapping grizzly and black bears with steel-jawed leg hold traps and snares. These practices are inhumane and should remain illegal. 

This Resolution, endorsed by the NRA, Safari Club International and other trophy hunting lobbyists, will allow these atrocities Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuges—publicly owned land paid for at taxpayer expense. Wildlife watchers outnumber hunters by 5:1 in AK & spend five times more than hunters!

The Senate will soon vote on the companion joint resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 18. Please call Sens. Corker and Alexander, and let them know their constituents do not support these activities on our federal public lands. Urge them to vote “no” on S.J. Res. 18!

Mary Marr

Twitter Tweets Per the @USDA

🐦 Twitter peeps: will you copy and post one of these today:

.@USDA animal welfare records are taxpayer funded. Restore now. #noblackout

Animal abusers should not be protected @USDA. Restore all records now. #noblackout

.@USDA do not hide animal abusers and their cruel actions. Restore animal welfare records now. #noblackout

.<@yourlegislator’s TwitterHandle> please urge @USDA to restore all animal welfare records.#noblackout

Mary at the HSUS in Washington, DC last year

If you want to politely call the USDA today, let me know and I'll give you the number. 👌🏼

HSUS Takes Action to Challenge USDA's Removal of Abuse Records

We were so close to having our horse soring rules come to fruition, then last week a 'freeze' came out from the government, stating that all new rules would be reviewed first. A terrible blow to so many who have worked so hard to get this passed. Then, later in the week, word came out that the USDA (our partner in the recent horse soring campaign) had removed all records pertaining to animal welfare from their website. Needless to say, this has caused an uproar in our humane education and animal activism community.

I'm coming to the conclusion that we need to decide as a nation if we care about humane legislation or not. Why does it take years upon years, and then ridiculous setbacks, to simply create a society that doesn't abuse the most vulnerable? This is a terrible heartbreak for me and many others.

Do you feel the same? Please read on for ways to help.

HSUS Puppy Mill image

Today the HSUS sent a strongly worded notice to the USDA per their taking down all abuse records from their site last week.The notice outlines the ways in which the USDA's actions are in violation of our prior agreement. You can read the full notice here in PDF form (from the HSUS blog):

http://blog.humanesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-02-06-Notice-of-Violation_HSUS-v-USDA-No.-15-0197.pdf

Please share the link to the notice and help us keep the pressure up for these records to be returned to the public's view.

We also have a blog post that outlines the impact of these actions in easy to understand points:


http://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2017/02/hsus-challenges-usda-mass-removal-animal-welfare-records.html?credit=blog_post_020617_id8766

IF you are looking for ways to help, please sign the petition mentioned in the post and share these details with your network.

The petition link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/304/134/376/

I would like to publicly thank Laura J. Fox, counsel for HSUS, and also Kimberly D. Ockene, Senior Attorney for HSUS, for writing the notice and keeping us informed throughout the process. We have the best of the best taking this on, but we need support from citizens and animal activists.

To keep up with this situation, follow the HSUS on all social media. In addition to Wayne's blog linked above, you can find our TN Puppy Mill Awareness Task Force on Facebook.

Thank you. Any comments or feedback welcome, please post below.

Humane Lobby Day 2017

Met with our 26th district House Representative yesterday, Gerald McCormick, to ask for his support on this year's HSUS focus bill in TN: the commercial breeder act, a.k.a. the puppy mill bill.

We appreciate his taking the time to listen, ask questions, and support our efforts to make TN a more humane state!

P.S. I'm in the market for a good selfie-stick!

L-R:  The Honorable Gerald McCormick (TN), Maryann Davis, Mary Bowman, Mary Marr

In case you're unaware, there are currently unlicensed breeders in TN who are able to breed and sell puppies without any type of regulations. They get as little care as the breeder cares to provide and the breeder makes the money without paying taxes. This situation is wrong for the animal and also wrong for the unsuspecting consumer, who may be paying top dollar for a dog that may soon show signs of illness from unscrupulous breeding.

If you 'wish' someone would do something for these pets, comment below and I'll help you get started! There's things you can do from home, or out in the community, all you have to do is get started!

Update on the Horse Protection Amendments - It's Happening!

Last Fall, I took off work one day and drove to a hotel conference center in Murfreesboro to speak publicly for the passing of this new ruling against horse soring. Those of us speaking out against such horse abuse were actually in the minority that day, but across the nation we were the majority.

Today the ruling we wanted was passed. What a great day!

So happy to have been part of this historic day, now let's make it stick!

HSUS Blog: After years-long anti-soring campaign, USDA bans torture of walking horses

USDA Updated News Page

#BanTheBigLick #StopSoring

Related post: My Statement to the USDA

RIP Denzel

RIP Denzel

Another of the Vicktory dogs has died after an extended illness (lyme disease), in a place of love and comfort, as much as he would allow. Because of his past, he never was able to accept much human contact, but was still loved and cared for at the Best Friends sanctuary.

I follow Little Red, Cherry, and Handsome Dan on FB and Ray, who has also passed away. Layla, Mel, and Shadow also have sites online. There were 48 dogs in all, 22 went to Best Friends. Some could not be fully rehabilitated and adopted out, like Denzel, but their rescuers made a life for them anyway. For all of the ones who were saved, the effect on the humans who interacted with them was life-changing. If you've never watched the movie about them, The Champions, it is definitely a must-see for anyone involved in humane animal work.

I love the tag line from the movie, and quote it here in remembrance of Denzel, who could not allow much contact but was still loved and valued by the people who took the time to learn his story and how it shaped him.

"Fighting dogs rescued from Michael Vick's dog fighting ring change the lives of the people who risked everything to save them."

It is amazing to think of the ways their story has brought to light so much about the resiliency of dogs. It is inspiring to think of these "throw away dogs" having such an impact on their rescuers and other activists, even now, years later.

Bella Marr, Come Here Right This Minute!

Bella is fine, but she scared the crap out of me this morning. After breakfast, I usually don't let her go out again because sometimes she hides under the steps and won't let me get her when she knows I have to go to work. But this morning I let her out because I had given her just the smallest bite of steak on her regular food and she was barking like she might have to poo. Well, a few mins later she wouldn't come in when the others did. Usually I stay out there but I had to go back in for a minute. So, I go out and I'm calling and don't see her anywhere, and it is still dark out, then I go get Wm and he's out there, we both have flashlights, and there's no sign of her anywhere, not even in her usual hiding spots. 

I go all the way down the backyard hill to the woods and all around the back fence. I'm getting a little panicky. Finally, I crawl under the deck and she's there, OMG, she's way up under the corner where I can barely see her and certainly can't reach her. She's in like 6 inches of space. 

So, I get out, my nightgown is all dirty and leaves in my hair. Damnit! So, she won't come out. Wm goes inside, with one final, "I told you she was fine". I finally went in and got some turkey lunchmeat. I go out there, and I stick it in the tiny slot between the boards so she can smell it, and I can see her little black nose right there. Then I called Buster over and gave him some, and she finally came out.

AAAGHHH! 

We need to work on recall.