Website on Dallas' Proposed Animal Friendly Ordinance

May 17, 2008

PERMISSION GIVEN TO CROSS POST AND FORWARD TO ALL FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS AND CO-WORKERS WHO WANT TO SEE COMPANION ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION END. ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ******** Dear Dallas City Resident: According to the book "One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter," an animal is put down every 9 seconds in a US shelter. Are you OK with this? If the City of Dallas made changes to its animal ordinances that reduced the number of animals being killed at taxpayer expense in our shelters, and improved public health and safety on our streets, would you

support those changes? If you do nothing else, take a minute to sign our petition now at http://dallasanimal advocates. wordpress. com/. ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED IS ON THIS SITE! To find out more before you sign, read on. The City of Dallas Animal Shelter Commission has recently proposed several changes to the City's animal ordinances, the most significant of which is Mandatory Spay/Neuter with Breeder Registration. Many people maintain that the decision to sterilize a pet should be left to the owner. Well that approach has left Dallas facing a pet overpopulation crisis. Last year, 26,979

dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens were put down in City of Dallas shelters, while another 13,000+ strays or abandoned animals were found dead in the streets. Our city shelters are overcrowded and unable to keep up with the flow of animals abandoned or surrendered to Dallas Animal Services every day. We have tried to address this issue with voluntary programs. We've educated people about the benefits of spay/neuter; we've offered free spay/neuter services; we've even tried to pay people to spay or neuter their pets. Clearly these measures have not been enough. The rampant breeding cycle continues and the City of Dallas is forced to use its limited resources dealing with growing numbers of excess pets every year. The issue is bigger than the huge number of animals dying, though

that is unacceptable. Sanitation, public health and even the environment are impacted. Large numbers of stray animals defecate freely in the streets and raid garbage dumpsters for food. They can spread diseases and - as a result of abuse or because they're simply starving - may be aggressive, increasing the risk of injury to the public. Animals that die in the street or are put down in the shelters require transportation by the City's sanitation department – to the local landfill, where they become food for scavengers. Animals that have been put down retain enough sodium pentobarbital in their bodies to kill the wildlife that feed on them. This is a problem that needs to be fixed, however we need your help urgently. Please let the City Council know that you support these proposed changes - fewer unwanted animals on our street and in our shelters will reduce risk to the public and save lives.

Here are some ways you can have an impact on this important issue: · Get educated about the proposed changes and why they should be passed. Metroplex Animal Coalition and Companions For Life have joined together to create Dallas Animal Advocates, an online resource for information, statistics, talking points, links, updates, and more. · Sign the petition we will be sending to the Mayor and the City Council - our goal is 10,000 signatures by mid-June, so please ask your friends and family to sign the petition as well. · Write a letter to the Editor of the Dallas Morning News expressing your outrage at the existing situation and calling for

change. · Call, email or write to the Mayor and other Council Members, supporting the new ordinances. Complete contact information is available at Dallas Animal Advocates · Speak at City Council meetings to really get your point across. Visit our Dallas Animal Advocates blog – leave comments or forward on to a friend; link to it from your blog or website. This is not the time to stand by and watch as our City continues to be overwhelmed by a growing deluge of unwanted pets - anyone who

lives or works in Dallas can be part of the solution. Think you don't have time to take action? We challenge you to take less than one minute to sign the petition – every signature counts! Thank you for your efforts on behalf of Dallas' animals! Elaine Munch, President Metroplex Animal Coalition Lorrin Maughan Companions for Life