CROSSPOSTED!

-----Original Message-----
From: Responsible Pet Owners Alliance [mailto:TX-RPOA@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU]
On
Behalf Of Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 11:06 AM
To: TX-RPOA@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU
Subject: San Antonio, TX, animal ordinance vote to be Dec 6th

TX-RPOA E-News
From Responsible Pet Owners Alliance,
the reasonable voice regarding animal issues in Texas.
Responsible Pet Owners Alliance is an animal welfare organization,
not "animal rights" and, yes, there is a difference.
Permission granted to crosspost.

November 24, 2007
Permission to crosspost.

"Animal Rights" Activists have pulled out the big guns to get their
National legislative agenda passed in San Antonio, Texas. The Alamo City has been a prime target for many years.

Bad news. On November 20, the Quality of Life Committee unanimously
Passed the Chapter 5 Animal Ordinance Revision as written. At the present
time, the ordinance is scheduled for a FULL council vote Thursday, December
6th. At the committee meeting major changes were made to the Dangerous
Animals Section which aren't available yet on the city's website although we
Were told they would be. There has been no public hearing at any level on
This new verbiage.

If certain objectionable sections of the proposed revisions are removed,
San Antonio would have one of the best written ordinances in the country.
As written now, it is the "worst" anti-pet ordinance in the US. This
"Animal Rights Manifesto" will undoubtedly become their model ordinance to
Emulate elsewhere.

Nathan Winograd, founder of No Kill Advocacy Center, came to town and
Told the newspaper that laws can be counterproductive, resulting in the
Killing of more of the dogs and cats the laws were enacted to protect. So
Citizens for Pound Reform, Voice for Animals and other animal rights groups are now attacking not only RPOA, but also Winograd! Texas Humane Legislation Network attorney Don Feare and attorney Joel Hailey (local Voice for Animals member) are holding their own seminar next Wednesday to counter
Winograd's statements which is entitled "Spay-Neuter Laws In The No-Kill Plan: Successful Jurisdictions" - essentially hijacking the No Kill Equation
For their own purposes.

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance is the ONLY animal group in the city
supporting Winograd's No Kill Equation. It is a proven theory because
Winograd has done it! Citizens for Pound Reform (an animal rights
organization) calls RPOA "a pet owners' rights lobby which works to
defeat any government infringement on owners' rights to do as they choose with their companion animals, regardless of the consequences to those
animals, their offspring, or other city taxpayers." Yeah, right! RPOA has been in the trenches with our Pet Education, Assistance & Rescue Program for 16 years - while many of the local extremists were still in school! We've
tried for years to get existing ordinances enforced with limited
success.

Citizens for Pound Reform accuses RPOA of "scare tactics and distortion
Of the facts" - as though we're not aware of what has actually transpired
In Albuquerque, NM; Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; Los Angeles, CA; many other
California cities and on the CA state level. Facts are facts, not
distortions. However it IS scary.

Citizens for Pound Reform has launched a full scale campaign for
Ordinance passage. Animal rights activists dominated the Chapter 5 Animal
Ordinance Rewrite Committee and still dominate the Animal Care Services Advisory Board. They individually have the "ear" of the council person who
Nominated them to this board. Voice for Animals and Citizens for Pound Reform members are going to city hall this Thursday, November 29, to show their support for the ordinance. They have spent 3 years now laying the groundwork.

Out of town Texas Humane Legislation Network attorney, Don Feare and
Local Joel Hailey (Voice for Animals) are holding their own seminar to counter Winograd's statements Wednesday entitled "Spay-Neuter Laws In The
No-Kill Plan: Successful Jurisdictions."

RPOA has presented statistics, charts, facts and information identifying
Our local animal problems to all city officials for months now and still has
meetings scheduled with council members. We've given them the cities
that have developed successful programs following the No Kill Equation and
those that passed this animal rights type legislation which failed. We've had some encouraging meetings with council members already but hear the
mayor supports the revisions. And the ordinance just keeps rolling along as
is.

To support our efforts, go to our web site: www.responsiblepetowners.org
and click on the Action Alert! button near the bottom of the home page.
Links will come up which include: Today's Action Alert! It contains
All the information you'll need to help us. San Antonio animals will
definitely be glad you did. Out of state input is encouraged as tourism
is a major industry in San Antonio.

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
900 NE Loop 410 #311-D
San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone: (210) 822-6763
Website: www.responsiblepetowners.org
$15 Annual dues (January - December)
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e-mail rpoa@texas.net.