“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” –Lao Tzu
Humane Lobby Day, Tallahassee, March 22, 2017.
–by Laura Bass
Lobby Day was held on March 22 in Tallahassee. Kate MacFall, the Florida State Director of the Humane Society of the United States, and Cary Theil, the Executive Director for Grey2K USA, hosted the event. Several very important bills were discussed including the Florida Black Bear Habitat Restoration Act; the Ban on the Shark Fin Trade; Greyhound Decoupling; and Outlawing Anabolic Steroids in Dog Racing. The Greyhound Decoupling bill was
Phoenix, the Greyhound, in the press conference with owner Stephanie. Photograph by Laura Bass.
exhausted. If only I could just turn off the constant disturbance of thoughts and images in my mind and sit in the peaceful quietness of “not knowing.” This, howev- er, is not possible. The mind and the heart are connected. Once there is awareness, compassion ensues. It’s the compassion that keeps animal advocates engaged and active in maintaining their fight for ani- mals.
B A utopian world, where animals are
no longer abused or suffering at the hands of humans, seems impossibly out of reach. As a consequence, advocates need to remind ourselves of each accomplishment. It is crucial to acknowledge the many steps that have been taken to help animals, and the successes that have been brought about by being committed to the cause. Accept any win as a win for the animals. Recently, on a trip to our state’s capi-
tol in Tallahassee, I sat in a room filled with people who stand up for animals every
38 THE NEW BARKER
EING AN ANIMAL ADVO- CATE often leaves me feeling extremely overwhelmed and
day. Members of humane organizations, rescue groups and individuals who simply want to give animals a voice and give sup- port to laws that help them. On this day, people came from all parts of the state. Most had never met, but each brought with them a motivation, a determination, and a hopefulness. Each had their own reasons for being there, but all came together in the commonality of lobbying for pro-animal legislation. Each year, the Humane Society of the
United States hosts its “Humane Lobby Day” in states across the country. These events are opportunities for animal advo- cates to talk with their state legislators about passing laws that protect animals. Very simply, our legislators won’t know what’s important to their constituents unless we speak up and tell them. Anyone who wants to be a voice for animals can participate. Attendees are briefed on cur- rent legislation, then meet face to face with legislators from their District to lobby on behalf of these bills. This year, The Florida Humane
a fairly new bill when I attended my first Lobby Day back in 2012. Currently, Florida law requires gaming facilities to have Greyhound racing in order to have other types of gambling like poker. These facilities are losing $30 million a year on dog racing, but they have profitable poker rooms. Under current law, these facilities must continue to race dogs or lose their poker rooms. The Decoupling bill would eliminate the mandate for dog racing. This bill has passed committees nine times over the years, but despite widespread support, it hasn't been passed into law. The good news is, Greyhound rac-
ing is a vanishing industry. The bad news is, there are still 19 operating tracks in the United States. 12 of those are in Florida. Formed in 2001, GREY2K USA is the largest Greyhound protection organization in the world. As a non-prof- it organization, Grey2K works to pass stronger Greyhound protection laws and end the cruelty of dog racing on both national and international levels. They also promote the rescue and adoption of Greyhounds across the globe. According to Grey2K USA, every three days a Greyhound dies on a Florida race track. Greyhounds continue to endure lives in confinement and are regularly subjected to serious injuries. Although the Decoupling bill con-
tinues to be held up in the entangled legislative process—now being tied to current gaming bills by both the House and Senate—other related bills are moving forward.
www.TheNewBarker.com
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