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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
“Promoting the welfare of animals” is the heart
of why the Alabama Humane Federation exists. If you are reading this you
are likely involved in animal welfare as an animal services specialist, with
a municipal or non-profit shelter organization, a private rescue group, in
veterinary medicine, as a rehabilitator, in law enforcement or just as a
concerned citizen who cares about the welfare of animals in Alabama.
AHF exists as a valuable resource for all of us in
the field as we network with each other and work to educate the public and
our legislators. The days of the ‘dog catcher’ and ‘pound’ are long behind
us as the public expects us to be the animal experts and also rightfully
expects higher standards for those animals that come into our care.
Membership in AHF can help both those new to animal
welfare work and the seasoned professional stay abreast of trends in Alabama
as they relate to animal cruelty, animal care and upkeep, laws, training,
adoption ideas, etc. Membership helps your voice be heard while providing
you a valuable source for information and networking.
While we all wish that everyone would simply ‘do
right’ by the animals in their care, life just doesn’t seem to work that
way. As Alabama’s population continues to grow, the need for state-level
laws addressing animal welfare concerns also increases. AHF has been very
successful in the past few years either directly or indirectly (assisting
other agencies) passing needed legislation like the Pet Protection Act which
allows for felony prosecution of certain types of cruelty to dogs or cats;
the “Hog-Canine Fighting” law outlawing the blood sport of hog-dog fighting;
the “Spay-Neuter Law” mandating the spay or neuter of ‘shelter/rescue
adopted’ dogs and cats; and others. These successes only happened after
much grass-roots effort by our members and concerned individuals and
required an incredible amount of fortitude and patience. To stay on top of our
legislative activity, please check back on our website for updates.
AHF’s success depends on our membership! We need
everyone’s ideas and input not only for this legislative session, but the
future. Attendance at our quarterly meetings is also vital so the full
membership can decide our direction and activities. We also ask our
members to tell others about our work and invite them to join and make their
voices heard.
I want to thank our membership and all those
concerned with animal welfare in Alabama. By working together and getting
involved we can make a difference and improve the lives of both animals and
people throughout our great state. So join us as we work to help those who
can’t speak for themselves!
Rea Cord
President |
