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AACA AHF Meeting Join us Thursday, 17 July 2008 at the Bass Pro Shop in
Prattville, Alabama for our next quarterly Alabama Animal Control
Association & Alabama Humane Federation Meeting |
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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. As we look to the upcoming 2008 legislative session we will re-visit some legislation such as the Dangerous Dog Act and introduce others. 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 |
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Questions or comments? Get in touch with us at:
reacord@alabamahumanefederation.org
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