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The Humane Exchange

Getting It Done Humanely

Posted November 19, 2009

I had lunch the other day with an old college friend I hadn’t seen in years. We opted for Chinese food, and the meal came with the obligatory fortune cookies on a tray with the meal tab. I rarely eat the cookies, but always crack them open to read my fortune.

Besides my “lucky numbers” on the back (Powerball, here I come!), the front of the slip of paper said: “The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next.”

That got me thinking about how American Humane, founded more than a century ago, has achieved hundreds of milestones in improving the welfare of both children and animals over its more than 13 decades of existence. Now those advances are today’s common sense and are the widely accepted approaches to preventing child or animal abuse, even though they probably seemed “out there” and utterly utopian in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

And it made me think even more about just how American Humane achieved those milestones.

Generally and historically, American Humane has not been an in-your-face, threatening or bullying organization. We were -- and are -- a thoughtful, reasoned, solutions-oriented organization. Instead of simply casting aspersions and blame, we look for ways to create a more humane world through education, persuasion and collaboration, and by generating real engagement with everyone involved, whether they are in agriculture, the sheltering community, the child welfare system or even Hollywood.

Some of our biggest advances in changing humane attitudes and practices have come from working cooperatively with and through other organizations to achieve true, long-lasting and positive change in animal welfare and child well-being. That progress did not come by way of the tactics that some more extreme groups use today -- namely blatant publicity stunts, boycotts, reputation trashing, threats and intimidation, or through legislation or regulation that forces change but does not offer effective or achievable solutions.

American Humane, as one of the tenured and historic leaders of the humane movement in the U.S. (along with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), has created and led the humane agenda in this country and has produced significant results, notching major successes long before many organizations even existed with their deep pockets and sometimes hidden agendas.

And we’ll keep it that way, moving ahead in collaboration with other stakeholders, steadily improving the lot of children and animals alike over time -- without all the polarization, name-calling and bluster.

We know it’s more effective in the long run because we’ve been here for the long run -- and we’ve seen it happen.

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Will Children Benefit From Health Care Reform?

Posted November 12, 2009

I first heard Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Founder and President Marian Wright Edelman speak several years ago while I was with the American Red Cross. I remember thinking, “I would follow that woman anywhere.”

Animal Shelters: Under Fire -- and Underappreciated

Posted November 5, 2009

Our Red Star Animal Emergency Services™ team responded to a request last week that was a first for us. The Shelby County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office was preparing to execute a search warrant of the City of Memphis Animal Shelter, and needed our help caring for the pets involved. The warrant had been issued after a concerned citizen accused shelter workers of negligence and abuse.

Should Parents and Kids Be Scared of Halloween?

Posted October 29, 2009

Each year, when Halloween comes around and the news media start running scary stories about the dangers of trick-or-treating, I find myself wondering if times were safer in years past. Are there really more dangers lurking in the shadows now than there were in the “good old days”?

Have Pets, Will Move

Posted October 22, 2009

In recent weeks, I’ve noticed more “For Sale” signs around the community. With the current economic situation still affecting many people, I asked Dena Fitzgerald of our Animal Protection Division staff to be a guest blogger and discuss moving with pets.

Is it Natural to Be Nice?

Posted October 15, 2009

Two weeks ago, I wrote about selfishness and selflessness, and received a lot of comments. In that blog, I wondered what makes some people act selfishly and inconsiderately, while others act with generosity, empathy and compassion. I just read an article by Christine Kenneally that discusses some fascinating observations on empathy and compassion in animals -- and relates it to humans.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Posted October 8, 2009

I recently read an article about an unusual case involving neighbors in Michigan -- a case I first saw as a bureaucracy gone wild. It involved a mother, Lisa Snyder, who was warned by the state to stop running an unregistered day-care operation. Was this mom running an illegal business? No. She was simply being a good friend and neighbor by routinely watching several neighbors’ kids as they waited for the school bus. The bus stop is right in front of her house.

What Makes Us Selfish or Selfless?

Posted October 1, 2009

As I was walking in Washington, D.C., last week, I passed a woman who dropped a crumpled piece of paper on the ground. It may have fallen by accident, but then I saw her look at it lying there -- and continue walking away.

Should Fighting Dogs Be Given a Fighting Chance?

Posted September 24, 2009

You may have heard about the nation’s largest dogfighting bust, which took place this summer in eight states, including Missouri. Because of American Humane’s current involvement with the case, I asked Katenna Jones, animal behaviorist and humane educator for American Humane’s Office of Humane Education, to be this week’s guest blogger.

Business or Pleasure? Tennessee Walking Horse Show Qualifies for Both

Posted September 17, 2009

I spent Labor Day weekend in my home state of Tennessee -- Shelbyville, to be exact, home of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which is the most prestigious horse show of its kind. The amazing -- and controversial -- horses it celebrates were the reason for my attendance, both in my official capacity representing American Humane, and as an appreciative spectator.

Hard Times Hitting -- and Hurting -- Animal Shelters

Posted September 10, 2009

I’ve been hearing lately that the recession is over, or almost over, or will be over by the end of the year. Apparently nobody knows for sure, but one thing is certain: Millions of Americans have lost businesses, jobs and homes -- or are on the brink of doing so. Times are still tough, and it’s not only humans who have been hit hard by the economic downturn.

A Furry Friend to Lean On

Posted September 3, 2009

Imagine the fear and shame of a child who has been sexually abused by a trusted adult, perhaps even a parent, and who must now undergo a physical exam by another adult to collect evidence. Or the terror of an abused child who has to sit on the witness stand in a courtroom and re-live the horrific details of the abuse in order to testify not only in front of a judge and jury, but with the perpetrator sitting in plain sight.

Looking Out for Livestock

Posted August 27, 2009

I finally got around to seeing the film Food, Inc. It certainly serves up a lot of food for thought. I grew up on a farm, so some of the film’s images of animals being mistreated hit me hard. On the whole, the film seems to suggest that all animal products (meat, eggs, dairy, etc.) are produced on huge farms that resemble factories more than they do the pleasant and often-used image of cows grazing in an open field.

“No-Kill” Isn’t That Simple

Posted August 20, 2009

Rachael Ray has begun the “Mutt Madness Awards Program,” a giveaway which her website says is to “help the good guys” -- the “most deserving charitable organizations in America, which have demonstrated exceptional commitment to pet rescue, rehabilitation or adoption.” She is limiting the contest to “no-kill” organizations.

Are Children No Different From a Litter of Puppies?

Posted August 13, 2009

In a recent story on the Today Show about the possibility of “Octomom” Nadya Suleman doing a reality show featuring her and her 14 children, Paul Petersen, former child star of The Donna Reed Show, said, “I want you to consider these octuplets as a litter of puppies. Because if they were a litter of puppies, the American Humane Association would have an animal control officer there in a second. Our priorities have been flip-flopped somehow.”