I was at a meeting with both leaders in and outside of the animal protection business, discussing strategies to place more pets in good homes and to foster responsible pet ownership, when one of the…

In 2004 a country music singer Gentry, of the group Montgomery Gentry, killed a bear during a canned hunt. A canned hunt is the practice of confining “wild” animals in a relatively small space, and,…

At least 33 greyhounds were found dead in their kennels at Ebro Greyhound Park in Florida. It appeared from their condition that they starved to death. Their trainer, Ronald Williams, has been charged with animal…

I speak often about the link between animal cruelty and violence against people, in that, it is the same act aimed at different victims. It is now known that serial killers commence their criminal careers…

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. It must also be understood that animals are intrinsically and intricately involved in this problem. Aside from being victims of violence themselves, pets are often used by the abuser…

There is such a thing in some restaurants, (I won’t mention names because the publicity is helping their business) as a “lobster zone crab claw “game. Like the classic claw game for plush prizes-this one…

I am very concerned about HR 5566, a law that would amend Title 18 of the United States Code, to “prohibit interstate commerce in animal crush videos”.  This new law is poised to replace the…

The City of Los Angeles is thinking of raising its pet limit law from three to five pets per household. It is spcaLA’s position that one abused pet in a home is one too many,…

Bloodless bullfighting has been legal in California since 1957 as long as it is “held in connection with religious celebrations or festivals.” (California Penal Code section 597m) Absent a religious connection-it is illegal, a misdemeanor…

Many people worried about the egg situation and salmonella are looking to “free range” and/or “free roaming” eggs as a solution. Unfortunately, they are not the panacea for concerns in the egg industry.

The latest trend I am seeing involves DNA testing for dogs. Some offer home kits so the curious can see what their dog really is. Some suggest that knowing the prominent breed in a pet…

Recently 7 out of 14 puppies, traveling in the cargo hold, died on an American Airlines flight from Tulsa to Chicago. Although the airlines will not release the source of the shipment, it doesn’t take…

Breed specific legislation is unenforceable, ineffective, absurd, and more about lazy legislators, enforcement agents, and insurance companies than public safety. It is most seen in attempts to ban pit bulls from the world, or most…

I am sure by now that you heard the story of the stressed pregnant dairy cow that was shot 11 times at the state fair when she escaped her confines. She and her calf did…

Against the landscape of the future of “don’t ask don’t tell” and the issue of same sex marriage surely headed to the United States Supreme Court- I have to sadly say – no matter the…

I have been watching a lot of coverage about the 6 month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti and it is awful. Nothing is happening. People are still living on the streets, roads are not…

It is so often that doing the right thing for another living thing helps us all. Or-good deeds can produce their own rewards.

What is the obsession of decorating live animals about? Painting turtle shells, and dyeing Easter chicks (illegal in California) are practices that have fallen out of style and/or been outlawed as cruel and wrong. After…

Heartworm – a disease potentially fatal to dogs and cats – is now a local problem as more and more cases have been contracted in our area. It is a worm that embeds in the…

The spill in the gulf is ripping my heart out. I stare for hours at the gusher video feeling alternately helpless and enraged. I watch as turtles, sharks, birds, marshlands, reptiles, fish, and mammals die…

While “to be or not to be” ranks as a great philosophical question for the ages – in my world, it is always answered “to be” by unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills. These opportunists are…

Not everyone with too many pets is a hoarder. Recently we have been asked to assist two elderly citizens whose raison d’etre was to care for neighborhood pets but felt they could no longer do…

The Fish & Game Commission, after a decade of asking, finally banned the importation of millions of live frogs and turtles for sale in live animal markets. Notwithstanding the animal cruelty issues, these non-native species find…

I can’t help thinking that it has become a trend to focus us on the evils of Wall Street so we don’t see the overspending, mismanagement and the wasting of assets brought about by our…

Just a thank you to spcaLA’s  individual and corporate constituents, particularly Pacific Park, Lax and the Coliseum for their “Go Blue for spcaLA” light support and celebrations.

The Supreme Court in U.S. v. Stevens struck down a federal statute that would criminalize certain depictions of animal cruelty. The genesis of this law was to prevent the distribution of crush videos, a genre…

As an extremely busy CEO who loves to read but has precious little down time, I use technology to help. Though a devout paper lover – the smell of a newly opened hard covered book…

This week a circus trainer in Pennsylvania was killed by an elephant. Another avoidable tragedy. In response to this news, my twitter friend, DrBuzziBoomBatz in essence said to leave the creatures alone and ban all…

A friend called me dumbfounded. She was speaking to a person who was planning a vacation, could not find a sitter for the family cats, and did not want to spend the funds to board…

The human animal bond runs strong and deep. Our pets are frequently considered part of the family, and, in many cases, the entire family. The concern of what happens if our pet survives us is…

The  California Department of Fish & Game (DFG) is proposing to expand Bear Hunting in several horrific ways. They want to increase the number of areas zoned for hunting, remove the limit on the number…

The concept of an animal abuse registry is to list those convicted of certain animal related felonies on a public website as is done with sex offenders. As animal abuse is a violent act, often…

Are we not over the need to use animals for our entertainment? How many animals must be unnaturally confined and tormented to perform tricks for our pleasure? How many families have to lose a loved…

spcaLA recently announced a pet food shortage as a casualty of the bleak economic climate and consequential  cutbacks in corporate donations across the board. This was particularly harsh as not only are there more animals…

The city of West Hollywood California is on the verge of banning dogs and cats from pet stores unless they come from shelters. Imagine if this were done nationally. Shelters would have more outlets to…

The California State Fish and Game Commission, at their FEBRUARY 3rd meeting, is proposing to ban the importation and/or sale of live frogs and turtles for human consumption .

The stark contrast of unemployment and homelessness on “Main Street” against the glut and excess in Hollywood is most pronounced during award seasons. It is, at this time, vendors compete with each other to give…

Arianna Huffington’s move your money idea is brilliant. It urges us to move funds from the “too big to fail” banks into community banks in an effort to stimulate local lending, job growth and neighborhood services. Stronger…

The real end to the pet overpopulation problem and its attending euthanasia rate can be brought about quite simply. By melding the laws of supply and demand with the practices of non profits, rapid change,…