WHEN: Saturday, October 29th 1.30pm sharp (until around 4pm)
WHERE: Grand Parade Plaza, Cork City
Our friends at ARAN who, like the ACS, have been tirelessly campaigning for better and more humane animal welfare legislation are asking for our help. They have issued a call to Arms to ALL people who truly care about the shocking state of animal welfare in our country. They NEED YOU. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Come along to their event and show that YOU care. An hour or two of YOUR TIME CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE ! Help us to build a world in which there are no more "Harry's". Harry would be subject to the 1986 "Control of Dogs" Act. In essence, what this Act says is this: If your dog gets into my field and I think he has annoyed my lifestock I can put a bullet in his head and there is nothing YOU can do about it.
From the ACS Editor:
The 1986 (and 1911) Acts say nothing about the "Duty of Care" to an animal. Neither do they talk about the need for owners to provide proper food, fresh water, and shelter and/or care for the animal. But...It provides for the ability to legaly kill the dog by a pound after 5 days if he cannot be identified.
Want to know another Irish shame ? last year the then Minister for the Environment got the Dog Breeding Establishments Act thru the Dail (Parliament for those outside Ireland), against considerable opposition. Wonderful I hear you say. NO, NOT REALLY, the ACT was NEVER SIGNED INTO LAW.Another example of the way animals are viewed by our government. Even this very watered down Act would be better than what we have now, which is exactly nothing !
A quick search on the internet will show you that all genuine shelters are bursting at the seams and are unable to cope with the horrendous influx of animals. And if you think the situation for dogs is bad, think again, for cats there is nothing at all ! No five days... no grace, no nothing ! Oops, not true.. there is always DEATH.
Simple provisions in decent legislation could alter all that. Mandatory microchipping would allow a lost pet to be speedy re-united with its owners and would save the councils a huge amount of money in not having to provide places for the found dogs. And that is just one small example.
Below follows an extract of their (ARAN's) appeal and request for help.See their website for full details.
"The coming days and weeks are vital for the new legislation currently in draft. It's vital that we get this legislation discussed and enacted into LAW. This is why we desperately need you to set aside just a couple of hours to join caring ARAN supporters for a special, peaceful vigil in Cork City Centre, to remind our leaders that we, the people of Ireland are watching and fed up with the unending stream of excuses why we still have the 1911 Act on our statute book. The lively vigil will be led by a giant 'dog', banners and signs will be provided, so just bring yourself and anyone you can recruit to join you. "
PLEASE MARK YOUR DIARIES NOW AND SET ASIDE JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS on that Saturday, IT'S THE LEAST WE CAN DO FOR THE ANIMALS!
It's on a Saturday so we're hoping that people who work during the week, and generally can't make weekday events - will be able to attend.
From the ACS editor: To our readers outside the Republic of Ireland we extend an apology. Due to the urgent nature of this "Call to Arms" we have not been able to edit out your email addresses. No, we do not expect you to hop on a plane or ferry and visit Cork City Centre. But we want you to know that there are people who care and care passionately about the fate and future of all animals who share this planet with us. We believe that as a compassionate human being YOU need to know that we will leave no stone unturned until we have no more Harry's.
As the saying goes: For evil to triumph, it is only necessary for good people to remain silent. Please Remember this: If YOU remain silent, you have lost your right to speak on their behalf.
As we said before many a time... ohhh and ahhh... on Facebook does not save lives. Concerted ACTION DOES. Will we see you there ? Or are you staying comfortably by the fire and say oh... if only I had known, if it wasn't raining, the car has no petrol, the relatives are coming, I have to change the babies nappy... or any of 2011 other excuses ?
PLEASE REMEMBER THESE WORDS, from our most heralded national poet, before you decide you cannot be bothered:
"Our worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them, that is the essence of inhumanity"
George Bernard Shaw