I’m so glad I didn’t
go to Tijuana when I was in San Diego!!
From: media-advisors-bounces@mickaboo.org
[mailto:media-advisors-bounces@mickaboo.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Young
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 7:13 PM
To: Mickaboo media advisor team
Subject: Re: [Media-advisors] Fwd: Alternatives to the Ban Meeting
And here's a breadcrumb in the trail to Tony Silva
On Fri, Aug 6, 2010 at 7:01 PM, Vincent J. Hrovat <1217@vhrovat.org> wrote:
The Petco judgment is quite juicy, thanks. I’d been
unable to find that and wondered what happened. I also wonder how well
that’s enforced (sneer).
Central Pet sounds like it does the same thing for the
pet stores that McKesson does for the retailers with pharmacies: gives them a
single point of contact for dozens or even hundreds of vendors. I would very
much like to find out how live animals are fit into this scheme.
(The bourbon being served here tonight is Blanton’s
single barrel.)
--VH
From: media-advisors-bounces@mickaboo.org
[mailto:media-advisors-bounces@mickaboo.org]
On Behalf Of Elizabeth Young
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 6:45 PM
To: Mickaboo media advisor team
Subject: [Media-advisors] Fwd: Alternatives to the Ban Meeting
I'm
back and yes, I do need a bourbon. Make it a double.
My
notes are incomplete because sometimes I was just too dumbstruck to keep
writing. I'm going to share those bits that I did get down that I think
bear follow up.
Vinny's
reconnaissance on Central Pet is exactly the sort of outcome I hope will come
from these notes as even typing them is perpetuating great feelings of
ickiness.
Jonathan-
I invite and encourage you to correct me where I misstate.
Yes-
it is Central Pet and Rick works closely with them, says they're the biggest
distributor in the country and yes, he did offer that he was sure they'd
welcome us and yes, I think we should take him up on that offer.
Teresa's
idea which you will likely hear more about from the Commission is called
SPARC (Small Pet Adoption Rescue Coalition). She advocates for a
"separation of church and state" meaning that to have pet sellers
involved in the Coalition would be a conflict of interest. Thinks that
rescues, shelters, ACCs and vets should be the determiners of
the education and certification process and that pet sellers should agree
to only sell to SPARC certified customers. Rick would be happy
to sell to SPARC certified customers in addition to his
regulars. (He's been working with birds since 1969 and I would say that
his pride is very wounded that Mickaboo does not have more respect for his bird
prowess.) Sally is very interested in this and really likes it because it is a
compromise and neither side gets everything they want (rescues don't get the
ban, sellers have to sell to the certified). It would be an improvement
over current situation. The way this would help with breeding is that it
would reduce supply.
I
offered my hope that SF will pass the ban and become a Sanctuary City that
rehomes unwanted pets rather than continues to breed and euthanize them.
We
all agree that education is the key and I raised the issue that education is
only as good as it is meaningful- handing out a flyer isn't enough and it is
only working if you are seeing attrition- potential customers walking away
saying, Oh, I didn't know that! I asked what percentage of customers pet sellers
are willing to lose to weed out irresponsible pet buyers but it went
unanswered.
Jonathan
recounted his experience where a bird buyer unhappy with his previous purchase
swapped for another bird and was sent home with no more education but hearty
guarantees of future success and a quick forgetting of the cockatiel he had
returned. Rick, who loves to edutain with anecdotes, rushed to dismiss it as an
example that the world isn't perfect.
Rick
thinks adoption fairs at his store would solve everything. (He considers
them education while I consider them PR.) Marcy would place rescue rabbits
in pet stores IF they weren't selling unaltered animals. Mickaboo never spoke
to the adoption fair issue at all. I got the feeling that Teresa's
"separation of church and state" (pet sellers and rescuers) and the
conflict of interest inherent in pet selling made sense to a majority of the
folks there.
Pet
sellers feel very pleased with their practices and don't perceive
themselves to be a part of the problem. I pointed out that there is a
problem and Mickaboo and all the other rescues are the evidence of that
problem. All us rescue folks, including SFACC, agreed that we would LOVE
to be put out of business. I encouraged the pet sellers, who were
bragging about the rehoming they do, to do more. I suggested Rick post a
sign saying that he is willing to rehome unwanted birds. He didn't seem
to like the idea.
IMPORTANT
REALIZATION: SFACC separates birds out and so when, as today, Kat
quoted that "20 parrots came into ACC in 2009" they are leaving out
the "51 parakeets" and "2 budgerigars" and and and!
She and I agreed that those categories need attention and that they need to get
help from experts. I'd LOVE to connect a Mickaboo
volunteer with Deputy Director Kat Brown to get help on that right away.
I see birds mislabled there all the time and that's another issue- confirming
species before labeling and then reporting numbers in ways that are
understood by all.
Kat
also really wants the numbers of animals sold from pet stores and they weren't
comfortable with that at all. Rick said, What's next, you want to see my
checkbook? And I said, Yes, in fact you offered to open your books for
comparison with Mickaboo and it's in the 7/8 SF ACWC meeting minutes. So
then I put out my hand until he shook it that we would open our books and share
with each other. I realize that I am not authorized to do any such thing
but, if you're interested, Rick shook in front of lots of witnesses. He is
scandalized that Mickaboo has taken in "$131K in donations".
Peter,
Dana Strome's husband, feels that the Florida sanctuary that he and Dana are
working with that is reintroducing parrots into the wild as well as the
Indonesian island that is being set aside for Moluccan's will be a big
help for the bird crisis that doesn't exist (my words). I asked for the name of
the project and the best he could offer was "Tony
Silva near Miami" and he said he'd have Dana get the name to me.
Marcy
took a stand of solidarity with Mickaboo saying that she wouldn't put her
rabbits in Rick's store (which she says she'd love to do) unless Mickaboo was
in support. She said, "I can't work with stores that are
contemptuous of rescue."
Kat
is going to email Rick the findings about PETCO that involve all the dead birds
in the freezer and so that should be available to us to if we want it.
Though it may be the same document which Maggie has shared with me and I'm
attaching here.
At
the 7/8 meeting, Rick said his vet was Alex Herman. His wife Ellen said
Dr. Galvin. Today, at the meeting, Rick said that his file was the
thickest one that his vet had in "his office" which
I took to mean Dr. Galvin's.
Jaime
(the guy that was in the Parrots of Telegraph Hill movie) and who used to have
a bird store in SF offered to do wing and nail clips for us and I told him that
we use avian vets and techs but are always looking for more help and
volunteers. His number is 516-0798.
Rick
has hired Singer Associates, Inc, Public Affairs & Corporate Communications
and his Account Manager Christy Seto was there. She didn't sit close
enough to kick him though so I'm not sure if he's getting his money's worth.
Who's coming to the 8/12 SF ACWC meeting?
On
Fri, Aug 6, 2010 at 4:26 PM, Elizabeth Y <adoptkings@gmail.com>
wrote:
I'm typing on my phone so will be brief-
-Teresa of Cavy rescue & Marcy of SaveABunny were both there and very
constructive.
-Jonathan and I were there repping for Mickaboo and birds
-Rick from Animal Co & his hired PR Singer Assoc. and Claudia from Basic
Bird in Berkeley and Jaime (used to own SF bird store) and Dana's (Wing
Foundation) husband Peter were there as well as Philip, Pam & Sally from SF
ACWC and Kat from SFACC.
Sellers want to host adoption fairs at their stores, don't feel themselves to
be a part of the problem at all. Feel Kaytee would welcome us into their
facilities (Pet Central headquartered in Walnut Creek).
Teresa suggests an education/certification program for pet buyers like getting
a license before buying a pet and stores agreeing to only sell to certified
buyers. Rick doesn't want constraint.
Marcy standing in solidarity with rescues, won't allow Rick to house her rescue
rabbits unless Mickaboo is in agreement.
All agree education is key, no one agrees on what that means. Pet sellers are
already doing education and see homeless animals as somebody else's problem (my
words).
Nothing decided, feel like I need a shower.
If I had to call it, I'd say Philip & Pam are leaning ban and Sally looking
for a compromise.
Elizabeth Y
www.RescueReport.org
--
Elizabeth
Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt.
www.RescueReport.org
www.MickaCoo.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0
--
Elizabeth
Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt.
www.RescueReport.org
www.MickaCoo.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0
--
Elizabeth
Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt.
www.RescueReport.org
www.MickaCoo.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0