Slate of Pro Companion Animal Welfare Candidates
Share this post on Twitter: rt @seprr GA Voters and Animal Lovers! Use this Slate of Pro Companion Animal Welfare Candidates http://ow.ly/32Mv3 #gapolitics #petrescue
Short list: Print and take to the polls: http://ow.ly/32Nvp
Caveat: SEPRR is a Special Interest Group. Therefore, we have a narrow focus of what qualifies one candidate versus another.
If the candidate has actively expressed or demonstrated positive support of companion animal welfare in Georgia, then they are recommended as a candidate worthy of your vote.
Conversely, if a candidate has actively opposed companion animal welfare initiatives and have to worked to maintain the deplorable status quo in Georgia's animal shelters, then they are NOT recommended as a candidate worthy of your vote.
This slate is non-partisan. This does not address any other issue beyond the promotion of improved circumstances for the management of companion animals in the State of Georgia generally referred to as Companion Animal Welfare Reform (CAWR). We do not take up the issues of livestock, wildlife, or any other issue that does not directly relate to well-being of animals commonly held as pets that end up in Animal Control, primarily, Cats and Dogs. We seek to end the need to euthanize Companion Animals once and for all, our ultimate goal at SEPRR. We currently focus on Georgia, since that is where our volunteers reside and where we have lobbying access.
If you are in another state, please contact SEPRR about how you can promote your own slate for your state: socialmedia@sepetrescue.org
Check your local Georgia Representatives and Senators to view how they voted on HB788, the Anti-Gassing Bill.
Georgia Senators
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/votes/sv0941.htm
Georgia Representatives
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/votes/hv0972.htm
Slate of Pro Companion Animal Welfare Candidates:
Pro-CAWR = ✓ Anti-CAWR = ☢
All qualified Candidates are listed on the Georgia Secretary of State site:
http://qual.sos.ga.gov/QualifyingSearchResults.asp?RaceID=5
Department of Agriculture - The most important race for direct impact on CAWR issues. All three candidates have issued written statements expressing overall support of Companion Animal Welfare Reform (CAWR) issues. Some have gone further to describe their intentions and plans, as well as remarks about the SEPRR 3 Year Spay and Neuter Petition. (Candidate statements are below)
NOTE/CORRECTION: There are two "J Powell's" in Georgia Politics. SEPRR incorrectly stated that Powell for Agriculture was against CAWR.
☢J Powell from Camilla GA, per GVAW.ORG, voted AGAINST the Anti-Gassing Bill. This is NOT the Dept of Agriculture candidate.
✓JB Powell, from Richmond County GA, Augusta suburbs expressed his views and overall support of CAWR issues. JB Powell is decidedly PRO-CAWR
Whatever your choice tomorrow, the good news is that ALL of these candidates are interested in improving the state of Companion Animals in Georgia.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
✓ Kevin Cherry Libertarian Candidate for Commissioner Of Agriculture
CherryforAgriculture@Gmail.com
770-380-6682
http://www.CherryForAgriculture.Com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kevin-Cherry/117976951561031
✓ JB Powell, Democratic Candidate for Commissioner Of Agriculture
228 Church Street
Blythe, GA 30805
678-819-2110
http://www.facebook.com/pages/JB-Powell/126583210714950
http://WWW.VoteJBPowell.com
✓ Gary Black, Republican Candidate Commissioner Of Agriculture
P.O. Box 1700
Commerce, GA 30529
706-614-6737
http://votegaryblack.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gary-Black-for-Agriculture-Commissioner-of-Georgia/156665951025971
GOVERNOR
✓ Roy E. Barnes (D)
|Former Governor who initiated the Spay Neuter Vehicle Tag Program to raise funds for low-cost spay neuter.
P.O. Box 5238
Marietta, GA 30061
roy@roy2010.com
http://www.roy2010.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roy-Barnes/101795948037
LT. GOVERNOR
✓ Carol Porter (D)
PO Box 54009
Atlanta, GA 30308
carol@carolporter4ga.com
Occupation: general manager courier herald publishing co.
Rescue: She is actively involved in hands-on rescuing, fostering, and promoting issues with her newspaper network, Herald Publishing Co.
http://www.facebook.com/carolporter4ga
http://www.carolporter4ga.com
Responses from the Dept of Agriculture candidates to SEPRR's candidate inquiry:
from Kevin Cherry to Bryan Grant date Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 6:28 PM
subject Re: Special Interest Group Inquiry to the Candidate
Dear Mr Grant, I do support your initiative on Spay and Neuter and Animal Control reform. I would be glad to sign a statement to that end, or you can send me an email with a statement specific to the issue for me to endorse. I am fully aware of the need for more and better reporting regarding animal care facilities to keep taxpayers and concerned citizens updated on their tax and charitable donations.,
Please consider me as ready to do what I can to help.
Yours,
Kevin Cherry
Libertarian Candidate for Commissioner Of Agriculture
CherryforAgriculture@Gmail.com
www.CherryForAgriculture.Com
770-380-6682
from JB For AG to bgrant@sepetrescue.org
date Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 4:53 PM
subject RE: Special Interest Group Inquiry to the Candidate
Bryan,
Thank you for contacting me on this important issue. I want you to know that I do support the ideas you are pushing for. I do think that data collecting on this (and many other issues) should be implemented. Collecting data will give us a better understanding of where we stand on this issue. As far as your subsequent proposals, I'll be honest with you, these are going to be tough to implement in our current budgetary climate, as they will require some up front capital to get moving. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but we will first have to perform a thorough cost-benefit and accounting analysis of all the divisions and programs within the Department of Agriculture. Upon our findings we can get a clearer picture of our budget and how it is spent, and can then prioritize our programs. Animal protection is important to me, but I will need you and your group's help to go to the General Assembly to appropriate possible additional funding, as well as advocate for possible legislation, for some of these proposals. In sum, I do support the general idea that we can get a better handle on our animal control facilities, and better manage them, but I will need the support of groups like yours, along with other groups like veterinarians, to affect change down the road. I hope this answers your question, and I hope that I have won your support. Thanks again for your excellent question on an important issue.
JB
JB Powell for Commissioner of Agriculture
228 Church Street
Blythe, GA 30805
WWW.VoteJBPowell.com
678-819-2110
from Chris Benson date Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 9:39 PM
subject Please VOTE for Gary Black for Georgia's Commissioner of Agriculture.
To the animal lovers of Georgia:
If Gary Black is elected Georgia's next Commissioner of Agriculture this Tuesday, Georgia's animal welfare community will begin a bright new relationship with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Pending Gary Black's election, I have accepted a position to serve on his administration's Strategic Planning Team, representing Georgia's animal welfare community.
In partnership with two other incredibly experienced and respected animal advocates whose names have not yet been announced, we will be responsible for formulating new policy for the Animal Protection Section of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. As Gary Black's advisors / policy strategists for animal welfare, our "team of three" has open-door access to Gary Black to improve the welfare of Georgia's animals, and we will be highly-accessible to the animal advocates of Georgia's animal welfare community.
We will be reaching out to animal advocacy leaders and animal welfare organizations throughout Georgia, creating new lines of communication, and soliciting input and feedback on a variety of animal welfare issues and initiatives. Some will be asked to serve as volunteers on committees that will drive and support specific animal advocacy issues.
If Gary Black becomes our next Commissioner of Agriculture this Tuesday, the future of animal welfare in Georgia will become much brighter. There will be genuine hope for the animals of Georgia. Only your VOTE this Tuesday can make this happen!
Please VOTE for Gary Black for Georgia's Commissioner of Agriculture.
Feel free to forward and cross-post to Georgia's animal lovers.
Thank you,
Chris Benson
chris@chrisbenson.com
http://chrisbenson.com/animals
++++++++++++++
SEPRR's letter to the Candidates:
Our organization, The South East Pet Rescue Railroad, serves animal rescue non-profits with a social media based communications platform. We help Rescues Rescue.
SEPRR focuses exclusively on the issue of assisting rescues use social media and lobbying to improve Animal Control management in Georgia's animal shelters.
We would like to ask the candidate to review our initiative for Spay and Neuter and Animal Control reform.
Our Open Record requests have revealed that the Dept of Agriculture currently does not track any data from any of the animal controls they regulate.
Specifically, we would like to know if would be interested in creating a policy that all regulated animal controls must report monthly operational statistics to the Dept of Agriculture, including operational expenses, euthanasia rates, methods used, staffing qualifications and training and inspection intervals.
If is generally supportive of this initiative, we would request that he write something to that effect, perhaps even an actual endorsement. If he is willing to pursue a policy change and require periodic reporting from state regulated animal control facilities, we would be very willing to support his candidacy based upon that alone. In return, our organization could promote his supportive message to a very large Georgia audience.
Karen Handel and Mary Norwood have both written supportive statements about this general effort. We hope you will also view our efforts favorably!
We hope this effort will not only save over 100,000 adaptable pets in Georgia's shelters within 24 months, reducing animal control volume by 40%, but save Georgia tax payers around $60m-$70m a year in related expenses. Read more here: http://ht.ly/2fDGN
That would be really something to crow about!
All the best!
--
Bryan "Beau" Grant, Director
SE Pet Rescue Railroad
