Alert   3/27/08   Our New Look

 

This is our new version of an alert, done with a new color – green - and a different type style. We have done this purposely to make clear that this alert is from VAW (Virginians for Animal Welfare) rather than from VVAW (Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare).

 

While both groups attempt to make change for Virginia’s companion animals, here is the way we distinguish the two groups.

 

VAW gathers information and conducts research. With that research, VAW provides education and consciousness-raising on issues.

 

For instance, information about Court Watch is information for you – with the goal of having you understand better the court system and how it impacts companion animals, and what you can do to as a result of knowing more. Court Watch, broadly viewed, is education, so it is sent out under the VAW banner.

 

How does VAW lead to VVAW?

 

At this time, still using Court Watch as the VAW example, we don’t know whether lessons learned from Court Watch (research and education) will end up in proposed legislation, but it might.

 

If so, it will be then that VVAW promotes and defends new legislation, or provides the ammunition for working toward more rigorous enforcement of existing laws.

 

Because VVAW is tied to success in Virginia’s General Assembly, we anticipate that most VVAW alerts (the kind you are used to seeing) will come out from December to early February, that being the time of activity of the General Assembly.

 

We will be sending out the next alert shortly which will deal with the Court Watch program for April, and so it will be in the new style as it “educates” rather than advocating the passage of a particular law.

 

Lillian Clancy and Don Marro