Update: The board dropped the issue on Wednesday October 10th!
Rhonda Parker (AVRAL Chair) reported from Montgomery just now: An amazing success for animal advocates – ASBVME dropped the issue, will not proceed with any changes/regulations re: spay/neuter clinics. Huge force of AVRAL members turned out, spoke before the board and had an obvious tremendous impact upon the board. Television/media on the scene – filming and interviewing attendees. THANK YOU AVRAL MEMBERS for driving from far and near, and speaking out for the great need for low-cost spay/neuter clinics in Alabama. You did it!!
From Mark Nelson (Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic):
“Everything we were fighting for was worth it, it is a great day for animal welfare in the state of Alabama. We could not have asked for a better outcome. The board heard from the public and we look forward to working with the board in the future.”
Why would I delay the Sunday Discussion post to a Tuesday? I delayed it to make a great video for this post. Watch the video below!
If you have not heard the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners has a meeting on Wednesday October 10th. The meeting is about the fate of four low-cost spay and neuter clinics in Alabama. This vote would have never happened if HB 156; the spay/neuter clinic protection act passed the legislature during the last session but that never happened thanks to the State Vet Board, along with a group of Auburn veterinarians who formed ALVPOA as well as Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard. Why would this board shut down these low-cost spay and neuter clinics? These clinics have not had any issues of abuse or neglect. And they provide a wonderful service to the State of Alabama to keep excess animals out of shelters.
There is only one word to describe this situation and its GREED! Yes the ASBVME just can’t have enough of that paper with the green ink on it. Dr. Robert Pitman who is the board president and is a vet in Athens, AL said this, and yes it shows he wants to be greedy.
These spay/neuter clinics claim to have performed 80,000 procedures over the last 2-3 years. This number is highly suspect but whatever number is correct, the legal veterinary community has seen a significant decrease over the same period. These clinics are not offering services that are not already being offered and they are not supporting communities the way other veterinarians are supporting the community — through tax dollars.”
What Dr. Robert Pitman forgot to mention is this. He also owns the Athens Dog Pound and he receives $300,000 a year to run the Athens Dog Pound which is a kill shelter. So he gets paid to shelter the animals and also for putting the animals to sleep. The shelter is only open on weekdays and was not open on the weekends until pressure from the public forced the shelter to be open on Saturday mornings. I hate it when you can tell someone has the greedy look in their eyes. Dr. Pitman was agianst HB 156 because he said HB156 would allow any non-profit to run a clinic – including “volunteer fire departments, wild turkey federations, bingo clubs, etc.” Really, that is what he said! Maybe these vets should be concerned of what happens at some shelters in Alabama. This picture was taken at the Bibb County Animal Shelter after the cat room was cleaned by hosing out the concrete room as the terrified cats huddled in a corner. This photo is very hard to look at!
So the bottom line is the ASBVME is dead set on closing down these low-cost spay and neuter clinics on October 10th. These clinics have done over 100,000 low-cost operations which helps to reduce the pet population. And these clinics even provide transportation for the animals so people don’t have to spend gas money. These clinics are a great asset to the State of Alabama. 3 to 4 million cats and dogs are humanely killed at shelters across the nation each year. And in 2011, roughly 700 Huntsville city cats and dogs were killed and approximately 1,928 Madison County cats and dogs were killed — a total of about 2,628 in 2011. This tax-funded killing costs about $200 per pet which includes boarding and other costs compared to the lower cost of spaying and neutering, according to Dr. Joy Baird, veterinary at the North Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic in Huntsville. And yes; Alabama and Mississippi have the highest animal kill rates in the nation.
Luckily there is a non-profit group in Alabama who is talking about animal welfare. The Alabama Voters for Responsible Animal Legislation or AVRAL is gaining many new members and they plan to be in Montgomery on October 10 in full force! And they want people to write a letter to the state vet board, asking them why they feel the need to pass unnecessary regulation on low-cost spay/neuter clinics that will have only one outcome: more animals die. I am writing a letter which includes a link to this post and video. And if you want to write a letter send the letter to these two addresses.
Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
c/o: Tammy Wallace
8 Commerce Street; Suite 910
Montgomery, AL. 36130-5330
Send copy to:
Mark Nelson
Alabama Spay/Neuter
2721 Crestwood Blvd.
Irondale, AL. 35210
The best thing you can do to help animal welfare in Alabama is to join AVRAL. Go to http://www.alabamavotesforanimals.org/ to learn more about AVRAL. WE need to stop these crazy politicians! Even though I have Asperger’s Syndrome I have enough common sense to know these Alabama politicians are corrupt! And yes I do talk about corrupt Alabama politicians here on Geek Alabama. Maybe that’s why I am still unemployed right now. Many state politicians run small businesses and have friends who run businesses. But face it; having corrupt politicians in Alabama gives me plenty to talk about here on Geek Alabama. Keep being corrupt Alabama; because I love talking about you!
Here is my letter I have sent out: (You can use this letter if you want)
My name is Nathan Young and I run the blog named Geek Alabama. I am against the vote which would result of the closing of four low-cost spay and neuter clinics across Alabama on Wednesday October 10th. The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners will do great harm to the animals of Alabama if they vote to close these clinics down. I want to keep these low-cost spay and neuter clinics open because they provide families with low-income a way to spay and neuter their pets. Alabama has a severe pet overpopulation on its hands and closing down these low-cost spay and neuter clinics will force more animals to be put to sleep in overcrowded shelters.
3 to 4 million cats and dogs are humanely killed at shelters across the nation each year. And in 2011, roughly 700 Huntsville city cats and dogs were killed and approximately 1,928 Madison County cats and dogs were killed — a total of about 2,628 in 2011. This tax-funded killing costs about $200 per pet which includes boarding and other costs compared to the lower cost of spaying and neutering, according to Dr. Joy Baird, veterinary at the North Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic in Huntsville. These low-cost clinics have done over 100,000 low-cost operations which helps to reduce the pet population in Alabama.
Geek Alabama talks about the culture and events in the State of Alabama. We also talk about and cover events in NE Alabama/NW Georgia. Geek Alabama also talks about current topics and topics that carries a geeky/technology tone to it. Geek Alabama also talks about politics and it will be talking about this meeting on Wednesday October 10th. Please do the right thing and keep the low-cost spay and neuter clinics open in Alabama.
Visit the post and video talking about this issue at: http://geekalabama.com/2012/10/02/sunday-discussion-shutting-down-spay-and-neuter-clinics/
Yours Truly:
Nathan Young
geekalabama.com
Related articles
- Animal Rights In Alabama (geekalabama.com)
- Proposed Alabama vet board rule could close spay/neuter clinics (gallery) (al.com)
- Alabama low-cost spay neuter clinics may close if state veterinary board amends by-laws (al.com)
- Low-Income Animal Spay/Neuter Clinic Faces Possible Shutdown (whnt.com)
Categories: Discussion Talk Stuff, Pets And Animals Stuff
TY Geek Alabama for speaking out for the abandoned, helpless animals in Alabama, and for those who will die today in animal control system because they were born from unaltered pets, whose owners could not pay the fees at vet clinics. The low cost spay/neuter clinics are the only option for disadvantaged owners and their innocent pets in Alabama.
Yes it is! The low-cost spay and neuter clinics are the only way for low income people to spay and neuter their pets. In fact I wish there were low-cost vets to provide services at low cost to people with little money. This issue is all about GREED! And it needs to stop! Thanks for commenting!