Sunday, February 18, 2007

Patriotic A**holery


I was born and raised in Camarillo, a small suburban town 50 miles north of L.A. once known as the home of the state mental institution, now more famous for its giant outdoor outlet mall. (Shopping trumps mental illness.) It is also the home of the Ventura County animal shelter, which I've posted about in the past because they always seem to have really nice dogs - a lot of them.

Well, apparently, the city doesn't think too much of its homeless animals because they like to hold their annual fourth of July fireworks extravaganza right next to the shelter, as if the dogs aren't stressed out enough as it is. Thanks, Camarillo!

There are a lot of other places to shoot off explosives in town. I mean, really. You wouldn't set off fireworks next to an orphanage or, for that matter, a mental hospital - it's a no-brainer. So why are the shelter dogs subjected to such an obviously traumatic event when their very existence is already fraught with an incredible amount of stress? I'm struggling right now with the absurdity of the whole idea.

You can sign an action alert petition protesting the fireworks site HERE, and you can also shoot off an email or make a phone call expressing your dissatisfaction to several people:

Jan McDonald, Camarillo mayor
805.388.5307 (general phone line)


Camarillo City Council
council@ci.camarillo.ca.us
805.388.5307

Kathy Long, County of Ventura Supervisor
kathy.long@ventura.org
805.654.2276

Joe Howry, Editor in Chief, Ventura County Star
jhowry@venturacountystar.com

Activism works! Make your opinion known.

cartoon by Steve Greenberg, published in the Ventura County Star, 7.4.06

2 comments:

Hunter the honorary poodle said...

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

And low and behold we may not have changed the world but we did change the minds of the Somis, Pleasant Valley, Camarillo Lions Club and the minds of Mayor Jan McDonalnd and the rest of the Camarillo City Council.

On the evening of Valentine's Day 2007 they had a change of heart. A change of heart that they swore had nothing to do with electronic or other media coverage -- which was referred to by one council member as a "low blow". They also insisted that petitions, and letters from "outsiders" didn't matter. You see even though "outsiders" support their Outlet Center they don't care that "outsiders" don't like that they terrorize innocent cats and dogs.

After 20 years of setting off community Fourth of July Fireworks within 400 years of already terrorized stray and abandoned cats and dogs, and after a discussion that they insisted was four years long. City Council decided, to approve funding for community fireworks in 2007 IF the fireworks were relocated.

http://www.PoodleClubSoCal.com/fireworks

Hunter the honorary poodle said...

http://californiapoodlerescue.blogspot.com/

Several other really great "causes" floating around at the moment. First is Winston's story at the link above AND please take a look at http://www.Poodles.tv/ah

Thanking you in advance,

Marie Bennett
marieis@bigplanet.com
Cell: 1 805 901 8696
http://www.youcan2.com