Emergency! Call Today to Stop Giveaway of Dallas Zoo Animals

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Emergency Request: Whether or not you live in Dallas, please email and telephone Dallas City Council Tuesday and Wednesay (August 12) morning and strongly, but politely object to the giveaway of ALL Dallas Zoo animals to the Dallas Zoological Society (DZS).

 

Talking Points:

-- The Dallas Zoo animals are the property of the Citizens of Dallas and we are not being asked for our opinion, nor offered any compensation for the taking of our property.

-- This will not even save Dallas money, which is the way the Dallas Morning News is presenting it. Dallas is going to pay DZS $337,000,000.00 for a long term 25 year contract and give ALL the animals in the Dallas Zoo to them, with little to no oversight.

-- The Animals in the Zoo will not receive proper oversight under the proposed contract that is being voted on by Dallas City Council on Wednesday. There is little to no protection in the proposed agreement for them.

 

This is not a good deal for the citizens of Dallas and it is definitely not a good deal for the animals, who have no one but you and me to speak for them. Please advocate for the animals today!

 

Telephone Numbers for Dallas City Council:

http://www.dallascityhall.com/government/government.html

 

Email All Dallas City Council Members at One Time: http://www.ci.dallas.tx.us/forms/mcc/MCC_Mail_Form.htm

 

Thank you for your immediate attention to this emergent matter.

Margaret Morin, Concerned Citizens for Jenny (and Gypsy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dallas City Council To Hand Over Dallas Zoo Management And Animals to Zoological Society Make A Phone Call Now to Request Oversight and Animal Welfare Guarantees According to news reports, the Dallas City Council is set to turn over management of the Dallas Zoo and "ownership" of the animals to the Dallas Zoological Society. While economic realities are propelling the transfer, the deal is being rushed through without proper vetting and with no guarantees to protect animal welfare or citizen access to information.

 

This item is on the City Council agenda for THIS WEDNESDAY, so it is urgent that we make our voices heard today! Please take five minutes now to make a quick phone call or two. And, if you can, please attend the City Council meeting and speak up.

 

What: Dallas City Council meeting - on the agenda is the privitazation of the Dallas Zoo

When: Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 9 a.m.

Where: Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas, Texas 75201

Please contact the City Council today to request that the following important oversight and animal welfare provisions are included in any deal to privatize management of the zoo:

 

City must retain "ownership" of animals.

Public access to zoo information and records must continue

Zoo oversight committee that includes representatives from animal welfare organizations must be created.

See below for talking points about why these provisions are important. Then call and e-mail the city council, today, and please emphasize these three points.

Talking Points On Dallas Zoo Privatization According to news reports, the Dallas City Council is set to vote soon on a proposed Dallas Zoo Management Agreement. Little information is available on this major venture, except for a power point presentation by the Dallas Zoological Society (DZS).

 

This deal appears to have been worked out behind closed doors during City Council's July hiatus. Not surprisingly, it's a sweetheart deal for the zoological society, but not in the best interest of the citizens of Dallas. The city of Dallas will be "giving away the store" - personal property, the animal collection, use of a revenue-generating facility and an unspecified sum in city dedicated funds. The value of this giveaway is not quantified in the presentation.

 

In exchange the city is getting a modest reduction in the amount of funding it commits to the zoo, but will still be required to pay $11 million to $14 million per year to run the facility. And it will be locked into this contract for a term of 25 years.

 

Most importantly the city will be giving up oversight, accountability, transparency and its ability to set policy for this public institution. It's a bad deal for the taxpayers unless the following provisions to guarantee animal welfare, proper zoo oversight and continued public access to zoo information are added to any zoo management agreement:

 

1. The city should retain "ownership" of the animals at the zoo.

(Note: IDA does not accept the concept of "ownership" of animals, preferring to characterize people as "guardians" instead, but for purposes of this discussion we use the legal term "ownership.")

In a power point presentation delivered at a City Council briefing last week, the Dallas Zoological Society (DZS) falsely claimed that it must own the animals in order to maintain accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In fact, many cities - including Kansas City, Jacksonville, Florida, and San Francisco - retain ownership of the animals at the zoo while contracting with private zoological societies for management. These zoos have retained AZA accreditation under this arrangement.

 

The City of Dallas has a moral and legal obligation to ensure the well-being of the animals at its zoo. By relinquishing ownership, the City is giving up control over their care, their living conditions and their ultimate disposition (i.e., how and where they are sold or otherwise disposed of by the zoo).

The City of Dallas must maintain "ownership" of the animal collection, just as it intends to maintain ownership of the land and the physical exhibits at the zoo. This will allow the city to ensure that animal welfare is a priority at the Dallas Zoo.

2. The City must guarantee continued public access to zoo information and records.

Privatization of zoo management and ownership of the animal collection removes access to information now guaranteed by the Texas Public Information Act. This will prevent citizens from accessing information about zoo animal care, finances and other operations. Citizens will still be responsible for contributing up to $14 million per year for zoo operations.

Public access to records has been critical in holding the zoo accountable for its care and treatment of animals, among other issues. Limiting access to these records would seriously impede the citizen's right to know about operations of this public entity. Other cities - including Seattle and San Francisco - that have privatized zoo management have guaranteed the public ongoing access to zoo information.

 

The City Council must include in any deal a requirement that the DZS provide the public with the same access to information as was required when the zoo was a public entity, i.e. a provision requiring public access to zoo information regarding animal care, operations, financial management, etc.

3 The City must establish a Zoo Oversight Committee with animal welfare representation The proposal turns the management and operation of the Dallas Zoo entirely over to the DZS Board of Directors, even though the city will continue to fund the zoo. The citizens of Dallas and their elected representatives are left out of this equation. Zoological society board members are often chosen for their ability to make financial contributions. But wealth does not qualify individuals to run a zoo, nor does it ensure that the citizens’ wishes or animal welfare considerations will be represented in the operation of this public entity.

 

The city must maintain oversight over zoo operations, particularly since it will be contributing nearly $14 million a year for over 20 years. The City Council should establish a zoo oversight committee that includes members of the City Council (or designated representative), members of the Park and Recreation Board, and representatives from animal welfare organizations. The committee should have regular meetings and the zoo should be required to regularly provide information about zoo operations and finances, including animal acquisitions, disposition proposals, and identification of long and short-term goals for facility and animal management and capitol improvement.

 

 

In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa. In Defense of Animals is a registered 501©3 non-profit organization. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All donations to IDA are tax-deductible. In Defense of Animals3010 Kerner, San Rafael, CA 94901Tel. (415) 448-0048 Fax (415) 454-1031idainfo