4/15/07

VVAW met at 11:10 am on Sunday, 4/15/07, at the Rockwood Park Nature Center in Richmond, VA.

In attendance:  * denotes member of Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare Board of Directors

Francesca (Fancy) Allen

Mary Archer

Judy Brown

Terrie Buczek

*Lillian Clancy

John Compton

Renee’ Deutermann     

Denise Flora

Kasey Hammond

Catherine Harold

Sharon Hepner

Lisa Hetrick

Jessica Kirwin

Cindy Leggett

*Don Marro

Donna Pinnix

Caroline Stalker

Jessica Stovall

*Pat Weakland

Samantha Whitesides

The meeting covered a narrow range of topics.  Its focus was on creating groups to work together on issues important as consensus priorities, to define what had to be done to increase visibility, to make changes locally, then to pass along this approach (model) to other jurisdictions.

Four groups were formed:

1.   communications/materials to inform about VVAW

2.   My Space

3.   tethering ordinance/education/legislation

4.   breeders (group not completely defined)

Details follow:

Lillian Clancy brought the meeting to order.  Each person introduced themselves with a brief description of their background, identified the two major priorities each has for animal welfare, then indicated what focus they would like to have in making change legislatively. 

1.  frequent problems

The most frequently mentioned problems were gas chambers, spay/neuter, humane education, and animal abuse.

The most frequently mentioned focus for legislative change was tethering and overpopulation

2.  myths  

Don Marro spoke of myths that engender complacency.  He mentioned the myth that pounds are only for animals too old or too ill to remain in a home, or that animals that will be quickly re-homed.  The reality is one pet is killed every four minutes in Virginia, and that half the pets entering custodial facilities never leave.

Donna Pinnix spoke of her success in having a “macho message” including Nascar celebrities to say that spay/neuter is OK.

Don says myths must be dispelled, and the best places to do so are at gathering places like churches, schools, athletic events, and businesses.

3.   how and where to confront myths and gain audience

Jessica Stovall suggested the Board of Supervisors.

Jessica Kirwin suggested talking to students and attending festivals to spread the word.

Donna Pinnix suggested doing a YouTube campaign.

John Compton suggested being active at the State Fair and other widely attended events such as Strawberry Hills.

Catherine Harold proposed distributing pamphlets at events.

Jessica Stovall would like to see signage about VVAW issues on billboards and busses.

Don suggested asking people with visible yards to allow signs – the equivalent of small billboards – to be displayed on their property.

Fancy Allen suggested asking printers for donations of the materials needed for such projects.

Mary Archer wants to know what the message will be.

4.   VVAW license plates

Jessica Kirwin proposed to get the signatures required on a petition to apply for a VVAW license plate.

John Compton thought sample plates could be available for various events.

Don wondered if the DMV would allow these special plates to be sold other than through conventional DMV offices.

5.   Taking Action for Animals

Jessica Kirwin discussed Taking Action for Animals, a workshop to be held in Washington DC July 28-30, 2007.  She described two days of conference over the weekend followed by a day – Monday, 7/30 – of lobbying.  Jessica offered to contribute $500 of the $1,000 needed to have a booth.  She feels this would be a very good place to get the word out about VVAW. 

Don said if $900 can be raised, we will provide the remaining $100.

6.   My Space  

John would like to establish a group on My Space. 

After discussion, John, Jessica Kirwin and Mary Archer volunteered to serve as moderators.

7.   tethering

Cindy Leggett has much information from her work with DogsDeserveBetter (DDB).

Jessica Stovall would like to work on tethering but is the only one in Dinwiddie County involved in VVAW and doesn’t want to work alone.  She also becomes quite emotional when discussing such issues and knows this may be counter-productive.  Cindy said she has the same difficulty.

Don suggested developing a script and sticking to that script.

Cindy has many signatures of people who oppose tethering.

Don asked if the signatures were by specific districts of the Board of Supervisors.  It is far more persuasive for a supervisor to see signatures arranged so it plainly shows those who are constituents, and Don encouraged that signatures be gathered on that basis.

Cindy will put a package together to include tethering programs from other places, graphics from her DDB website, and talking points and rebuttal to tethering.

8.   plan - template  

Next the group talked of how to move forward with a plan and steps that would be a template for action for virtually every issue VVAW promotes.

Cindy has not been successful in trying to work with the ACOs in her county (Chesterfield) regarding tethering.

Pat Weakland suggested she go to the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator and get a place on the agenda for Board of supervisor meetings.

Kasey Hammond described making a presentation to the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors two years ago, needing to be scheduled ahead of the meeting and allowed only two minutes to speak.

Don encouraged contact with the “AA” for the Board of Supervisors, with the County Administrator, with the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and to find the person on the Board with the longest service and/or the “institutional memory”, and work all these “gatekeepers”.

Lillian Clancy suggested working with incumbents or challengers when the Board is up for re-election.

Don suggested meeting with individual Supervisors prior to a general meeting of the Board.  Ask each Supervisor for objections prior to that meeting.  Listen to the objections and then develop rebuttal to overcome them.

9.   tethering ordinance

Cindy would not include any age limit because enforcement would be difficult for an ACO.  She would ask a maximum of 12 continuous hours of tethering since many people cannot afford fences, must work, and are unable to leave the dog in the house safely until the work day is over.

Don suggested that Supervisors be individually asked what will pass, and then determine whether the local membership can live with that.

10.  coverage

Pat recommended getting to know reporters.

Don said a newspaper story (some form of education) about the issue well ahead of any Board of Supervisors meeting would be ideal.  Create a defined public need for the ordinance - make it in the public interest – and then do what you can to ensure the reporters writing the stories in the first place are at the Board meetings when the ordinance comes up for consideration.

Jessica Kirwin would like a very well written piece that could talk to the issue and appear in Style Weekly, a publication she described as very widely read.

Don asked those proposing the change to see who sets the moral tone for the community – who influences.  He suggested reading Tipping Point and working sources that produce critical mass.  He suggested churches would be such places.

Terrie Buczek said she is aware of some articles from church sources that will be helpful.

Don encouraged (before going to the Board of Supervisors) making all who oppose the ordinance appear from another century or another planet.  Have the children deliver the message.

11.   more discussion

Jessica Stovall reiterated her wish to have billboards.  She was encouraged to explore what is involved and to ask the billboard firms themselves to donate space, or ask other companies to underwrite.

Donna said her car magnet sign about low cost spay/neuter always provokes questions and an opportunity to educate.  She carries brochures in her car so she can deliver a message to the person with the question.

12.   Café Press

Someone suggested using Café Press, and someone further suggested that the goal is to make people passionate about the issue.

13.   how to get breeders on board

Pat described the effort he made to have both breeders and pet stores defined as “releasing agencies” in the same way pounds, shelters, and rescues are defined.  This would then require breeders and pet stores to spay/neuter their dogs and cats prior to “releasing” them, just as pounds, shelters and rescues are required.

Discussion followed about how to accommodate breeders by building in number of litters, goal of breeder and so forth, to gain support. 

It was generally agreed not all breeders do what they say they do, and the idea of having breed-specific rescue groups is an indicia that breeders lack bona fides they profess having.  Don noted that the breeder association (VFDC&B) opposes ANY change in the law that would effect breeders.

Samantha Whitesides feels it is counterproductive to accommodate breeders at all. 

Fancy said one could go from breed club to breed club, asking for help in controlling the number of dogs of their breed which end up homeless.  She feels that there are some breeders who may want to help.

Lillian asked if a breeding prohibition could be done by a single jurisdiction, rather than taking on the whole state, and Don said that was possible.

14.   conclusion

The meeting concluded by establishing groups to work on communications, moderating of My Space, tethering, and “slowing the flow” by looking at a “releasing agencies” bill for the 2008 session of the General Assembly.

Don asked for a meeting in 6 weeks to review the plan and all agreed.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:10.