Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

FRIDAY AUGUST 6 2004

7:00 P.M. UPDATE

Here's a disturbing email

From: In Defense of Animals

To: TwinkieperkyEbby@msn.com

Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 1:01 PM

Subject: IDA Condemns Cruel Poisoning of 50,000 Stray Dogs Prior To Olympic Games; Calls for Olympic Athletes To Speak Out Against Mass Poisoning

In Defense of Animals strongly condemns the deliberate and inhumane poisoning of thousands of homeless dogs in the city of Athens. Estimates suggest approximately 80% of the 30,000 to 50,000 stray and homeless dogs in the streets of Athens have been poisoned in the past year in an effort to 'clean up' the streets prior to the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games on August 13. Starving dogs have been given food laced with rat poison which often leads to a slow and excruciating death that sometimes takes days.  

"Killing animals is not an Olympic sport," said Elliot Katz, DVM, Founder of the national animal advocacy organization, In Defense of Animals based in Mill Valley, Calif., "and Athens cannot be allowed to continue acting as if it is. The methods of population control currently being used in Greece are simply not acceptable. Poisoning thousands of homeless dogs prior to the Olympic Games flies in the face of everything the Olympics games are supposed to be about. It tarnishes the otherwise positive appeal of the event. We urge compassionate athletes, and concerned  individuals everywhere, to avoid Greece as a travel destination and to actively speak out until this abhorrent practice is abandoned."

Disturbing video taken by Welfare for Animals Global/Welfare for Animals Greece, a New York City advocacy and lobby group, is available showing the gruesome methods being utilized to kill dogs in the city.

How primitive so many humans still are!

Email about health insurance for dogs

Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 19:17:11 -0700 (PDT)

From: Erda Hillmann

Subject: Suggestion for your Newsletter

To: straydog@straydog.org

I have pet insurance for each of my two dogs, who are two years old and always have been healthy. The insurance is for unexpected costs, not for routine check-ups. Costs for two dogs is about $250 per year.
 
What about a suggestion that a contributor pay the premium for one dog for one year?
 
Erda Hillmann

That's an idea, Erda!

     We'll look into it to see just what it covers. For all 80 of our dogs our total premium would be $10,000, but if it covered a lot of our current vet expenses, we'd be saving a lot. And your suggestion to ask our contributors to sponsor the health insurance premium for just one dog each might work. We'll pursue this further.

We'll have a list of all our pending surgeries Sunday