Monday, March 31, 2008

Where's Dave? Director of HSUS NRRO

Here is the latest from Dave Pauli, Director of the The Humane Society of of the US Northern Regional Rockies Office

"Hello artist friends: I have been spending my last two weeks glued to my computers. With a few short day trips thrown in. Primarily I have been working on upcoming trips to the Philippines; Denver; Sacramento; DC and Florida. So much to do... so little time.

But first a response to one of your members (Hi Carol) who asked if i was working on any starving horse issues.

And that is a definite YES. Most recently this week I have been working on two large horse herds in Montana. Both herds contain between 100 and 200 horses, and both herds have had some horses die, allegedly from starvation. We have had conversations with one herd owner who is being very cooperative and is both trying to downsize his herd and also to employ some birth control measures. The other herd situation just broke yesterday so we are still gathering information.

On April 11-13 we will be co teaching a horse cruelty workshop in Helena, MT with students coming from four states. As of yesterday about 40 people were signed up to learn about horse care and body scoring and investigation. I will be taking our equine rescue trailer up there along with our equine rescue equipment ( a glide and two slip sheets) that we purchased partially with donations from the AHAT fund you folks donate to!
This equipment will allow us to move downed large animals and to do ice rescues or mud rescues on livestock. Then on April 16-19 we will be back in SD darting those 125 sanctuary horses to contracept them and take the ease of high hay costs and too many foals away from the sanctuary.Add to that another half dozen small horse situations and complaints and we have indeed been spending a lot of time on Equine Issues.

And though we are nearing the end of most of the legislative sessions... I still have active bills in AK (felony cruelty and animal fighting) and CO (farm animal protection) that both have passed one chamber but now have hearings in the opposite chamber. If we win on these two bills we will have had a record session with fourteen major bills won ( including two bad bills defeated) --- a quite spectacular YEAR!

I also just shipped my equipment to Manilla, Philippines this week. I will be there April 28 - May 8th doing a " train the trainer " event with animal control officers and veterinarians. I will be teaching in the field capture methods and examining their current protocols. I am trying to give them alternatives to some of the bad techniques that they recognize they might be using. It will be some intense and challenging days... but also worth it because I know it will positively impact the way much of this country will handle their stray dogs.

The rest of my close travel will be to give disaster training(CA) or legislative lobby training (FL) and then beginning a crazy travel period from April 8 to August 8..... neither you nor I will really know where I will rest my head at night..as I will be spending equal time living out of my truck and airports. But it will mostly be hands on animal projects which i will enjoy much more that the months of legislative travel and emailing that I am close to surviving for yet another year.

Like Carol's question about horses... feel free to fire me questions about specific issues, or species or concerns. For example , I have been spending a lot of time on Yellowstone Bison the past two months but have not even mentioned it in this Blog. This is because there is no good news to report. Every effort to protect bison, require humane handling or other wise improve the situation has failed. It is depressing , yet realistic that we lose routinely on some issues like Bison and Wolves. But the battles are just part of the journey and I am happy to write about our efforts IF I hear from you that there is interest.

So for now...you keep doing what you are doing and I will keep trying to report on where my animal passions take me. May spring time bring you the opportunity to enjoy nature at its finest. Two parting thoughts...
If you hear of people who see baby wildlife that they think is orphaned... tell them to wait and watch...mama is probably nearby and will come claim the fledgling, fawn, bunny or baby. We say IF You Care ---Leave Them There ! ( unless it is obvious the baby is hurt, ill kempt or in the jaws of a predator) And remember "Animals in Disasters --- Don't Leave Home Without Them!!! Chao , Dave"




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