| It's Unanimous! |
Sacramento City Council
passes ordinance relating
to the treatment of animals
performing in traveling
commercial animal exhibitions
Elephant rides were a featured attraction during 2009 when the Cole Bros. Circus played Cal Expo in Sacramento. | On Tuesday, July 20, 2010, the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance which will require operators of commercial animal exhibitions to acquire a permit from the City which will include, but not be limited to, the following information: the number of days and hours of operation; the number and types of animals maintained; and proof of insurance coverage required by the City's risk manager.
 The ordinance includes a prohibition of cruel and inhumane treatment of animals and allows the Animal Care Services Manager the authority, at all times during the permit period, to inspect any commercial animal exhibition to insure proper and humane treatment of all wild and domestic animals.
After 26 years of frustration and disappointment, PAWS founders, Pat Derby and Ed Stewart, joined a group of their colleagues from Born Free, PETA, IDA, Action For Animals, Sacramento SPCA, Active Environments, Dr. Mel Richardson and many local animal advocates in support of council member Sandy Sheedy's long overdue ordinance. Ed Stewart commented that the pioneer group had been appearing before the City Council since the days when "we all still had brown and blond hair." The older campaigners were joined by an inspirational group of young animal advocates who spoke eloquently in defense of the ordinance.
Please join PAWS in thanking council member Sheedy, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and all other council members for passing this important ordinance.
For email addresses and phone and fax numbers for Mayor Johnson and all Sacramento City Council members, click here.
To view the entire ordinance, in PDF format, click here.
To view the 30-minute city council session, including Ed Stewart's presentation, click on this link. Once on the page, use the "jump to" menu on the left-hand side of your screen and scroll to #18. Click on #18 to view.
|
If you have a friend, family member, neighbor or a co-worker who might be interested in hearing about PAWS, the animals in our care, our sanctuaries, and the work we do, please use the "FORWARD EMAIL" link below to send them this copy of PAWS' E-News. If you forward this email without using the "FORWARD EMAIL" link, photo links and formatting may be lost. Add PAWS to your FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter or other favorite social networking sites. Go E-Viral for PAWS!
