Rockdale Animal Advocacy Group

ETC Georgia will be giving out more FREE wheat straw tomorrow between 2:00-4:00 at the trailer lot at corner of Polite Rd and Bill Rutledge in Winder (by Akins Ford) We want all dogs and all pets to be inside but unfortunately we know that is not the case. So if you cannot bring your pets inside on the freezing nights, please know if you are cold, so are they. Feel free to come by and get a bale or two or three, whatever you need and be sure to pack lot of straw inside to make them as comfortable as possible.

This is outside of our area, but wanted to share. The answer to feral cat overpopulation is TNR, not cruelty. TNR works. Please consider signing

Can you spare a minute to help Sarah Ricks? Save The Wagener Cats

Be Prepared to Help Pets in Hot Cars!

SB 31 (O.C.G.A. 35-1-7): The "Hot Car" Bill took effect July 1, 2019

But, what does that mean?
O.C.G.A. 35-1-7 protects Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies from liability when performing any duty at the scene of an emergency. If Law Enforcement Officers need to break a car window while saving a child or pet in hot car, they will be immune from civil liability.

What can I do if I see a pet or child in a hot car?
*Call 911
*Stay on the scene to give a statement and direct the Law Enforcement Officers to the vehicle
*BE PREPARED WITH A COPY OF O.C.G.A. 35-1-7

MANY OFFICERS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THIS RELATIVELY NEW LAW!

TAKE A SCREENSHOT of the information below
Or
PRINT A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL CODE and keep it in your wallet or car so you can show it to Police if they are hesitant to act.

§ 35-1-7. Liability of law enforcement officers performing duties at the scene of an emergency

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) "Emergency" means an occurrence involving, or appearing to involve, a clear and imminent danger or threat to life, health, or property, including, but not limited to, the rescuing of a person or pet from a locked vehicle when such person or pet remaining within such vehicle presents a clear and imminent danger to such person's or pet's life or health.
(2) "Law enforcement officer" means any peace officer who is employed by this state or any political subdivision thereof and who is required by the terms of his or her employment, whether by election or appointment, to give his or her full time to the preservation of public order or the protection of life and property or the prevention of crime. Such term shall include sheriffs and deputy sheriffs.
(3) "Pet" means any domesticated animal normally maintained in or near the household of its owner.
(b) A law enforcement officer shall not be liable at law for any action or actions done while performing any duty at the scene of an emergency except for gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or malfeasance.

Official code:
https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=a06f8c09-0c04-45aa-bb08-e469f84bfb86&config=00JAA1MDBlYzczZi1lYjFlLTQxMTgtYWE3OS02YTgyOGM2NWJlMDYKAFBvZENhdGFsb2feed0oM9qoQOMCSJFX5qkd&pddocfullpath=%2fshared%2fdocument%2fstatutes-legislation%2furn%3acontentItem%3a5YYC-7VF1-F30T-B2W0-00008-00&pdcontentcomponentid=234186&pdteaserkey=sr0&pditab=allpods&ecomp=f5w_kkk&earg=sr0&prid=8b5dc071-1f19-4d6b-8029-a6266c8da838

Thanks to Wendi Armstrong, who spoke in the public comments section of the Board of Commissioners meeting last night. The thanked them for the attention they have already given this matter, and also asked them if a vote has been taken on creating a task force, and, if not, why. They have not voted on it, saying that they have had a lot of other pressing issues, but promised some “concrete information” next week. She reminded them of our petition, and we provided another 40+ signatures to them last night. Thanks to everyone who braved the rain to attend and support us!

Rockdale Animal Advocacy Group and other citizens of Rockdale who care about animals were part of a public meeting last Wednesday initiated by BOC Chairman Oz Nesbitt. DeKalb County Commissioner, Jeff Rader and Susan Neugent, Advocates for DeKalb Animals and Head of DeKalb's Animal Task Force came. Shari Cahill of Silver Comet Animal Welfare Alliance attended as well as representatives from Planned Pethood, who discussed a possible Spay/Neuter relationship between their organization and the county. A lot of great topics were discussed. We received education on breed discrimination from veterinary staff, many expressed interest in volunteering at Animal Control (which is currently against their policy), the importance of spay/neuter, ways to get information out about the animals at Animal Control (they are now going to move forward with a “pet of the week” feature in the local paper), and many other topics. And several in attendance reminded Mr. Nesbitt a few times that there is a petition with over 500 signatures asking the Board to implement an independent task force to collaborate with animal control to look at their practices and what can be changed/improved.

I am so happy to feel heard by Mr. Nesbitt, who has already scheduled a second meeting to continue this discussion. While talking and listening will not change things for the animals, it was a great first step. I really appreciate the Board setting up this meeting, I appreciate the fact they made it at 530 pm so that people who work could attend ( regular BOC meetings are at 10 on weekdays), and appreciate Mr. Nesbitt hearing our ideas and concerns.

We all love animals and are concerned with the fate of homeless pets in our county. Georgia is among the 5 worst states in the country for animal welfare. Rockdale ranks 17th from the bottom of the 159 counties in the state.

The national average save rate is 76.6% and Georgia's is 71%. The 2018 Rockdale save rate is 48%. We can and should be doing better!

This sounds like a great idea...so many pets are displaced when their people have to move due to eviction. It can be hard to find a rental that allows pets, especially if you don’t have much time to work with. Paws Between Homes sounds like an organization that will be helping both people and pets. They have a page, check them out! A great way to prevent pets from being put down is to keep them out of shelters in the first place!

https://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/local/mynews/east-point/new-animal-care-non-profit-addresses-plight-of-displaced-pets/85-069eb2b2-36b9-4d24-a460-5d326a84f17d

No pet left behind | New animal care non-profit addresses plight of displaced pets Paws Between Homes provides 'safety net' for owners struggling with evictions and homelessness

We have a lot of new page "likes" recently, so we wanted to share our official objectives. We are a group of citizens, from all walks of life, who want to work together to improve outcomes for homeless pets in Rockdale County, Georgia. Our ultimate vision is to have a no kill/lifesaving shelter to benefit the people and pets of Rockdale County. Our objectives are:
1. Educate ourselves and others about current, fact based practices in animal welfare
2. Engage cordially and collaboratively with local government officials and Rockdale Animal Control Shelter personnel to find common ground.
3. Support and promote work toward instituting a Lifesaving Animal Shelter in Rockdale County according to the "No Kill Equation," which balances public safety, animal welfare, and fiscal responsibility. To learn more about the no kill equation, see www.nokilladvocacycenter.org .

Our current major project is requesting the County Board of Commissioners to appoint an Animal Shelter Task Force comprised of citizens, veterinary professionals, designated county employees, and representatives from local animal advocacy groups. To learn more about the petition, see our previous posts or send us a message.

We currently meet twice monthly. We invite new members. To inquire about meeting times and location, please send us a message.

Our members are happy to speak without charge to local civic and service organziations, local church groups, local school groups, and other interested organizations upon invitation to do so.

No Kill Advocacy Center A No Kill nation is within our reach

It’s do or die time with our petition! Please sign and get as many people as possible to sign THIS WEEK please! We will be presenting the petition at the next Board of Commissioners meeting.

https://www.change.org/p/rockdale-county-government-appoint-animal-shelter-lifesaving-task-force-to-protect-homeless-pets-in-rockdale-county?recruiter=670034012&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=6a9f94a0-e354-11e6-a00d-1fab6cd57125&share_bandit_exp=initial-19381119-en-US&share_bandit_var=v0&utm_content=fht-19381119-en-us%3Av2

Sign the Petition !Save the Lives of Homeless Pets in Rockdale County Georgia!

A couple of folks from our group went to a few parks in Conyers with our petition, and the response was very positive! Posting the link to the change.org petition, and if you’d like a paper one for you and your family or friends to sign, just send me a message and I’ll email you one.

https://www.change.org/p/rockdale-county-government-appoint-animal-shelter-lifesaving-task-force-to-protect-homeless-pets-in-rockdale-county?recruiter=670034012&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=6a9f94a0-e354-11e6-a00d-1fab6cd57125&share_bandit_exp=initial-19381119-en-US&share_bandit_var=v0&utm_content=fht-19381119-en-us%3Av2

The world’s platform for change Change.org is the world’s largest petition platform, using technology to empower more than 200 million users to create the change they want to see.

Don’t forget to sign our petition! Please share with your friends, especially if they live in Rockdale.

https://www.change.org/p/rockdale-county-government-appoint-animal-shelter-lifesaving-task-force-to-protect-homeless-pets-in-rockdale-county?recruiter=670034012&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=6a9f94a0-e354-11e6-a00d-1fab6cd57125&share_bandit_exp=initial-19381119-en-US&share_bandit_var=v0&utm_content=fht-19381119-en-us%3Av2

Sign the Petition !Save the Lives of Homeless Pets in Rockdale County Georgia!

This is about making a step to see if anything can be done differently. We are not against anti animal control, because animal control is just a reflection of our community’s standards and values. But, it is important to look at how things are done and see if they can be done better. Please sign and share with your friends.

https://www.change.org/p/rockdale-county-government-appoint-animal-shelter-lifesaving-task-force-to-protect-homeless-pets-in-rockdale-county?recruiter=670034012&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=6a9f94a0-e354-11e6-a00d-1fab6cd57125&share_bandit_exp=initial-19381119-en-US&share_bandit_var=v0&utm_content=fht-19381119-en-us%3Av2

Sign the Petition !Save the Lives of Homeless Pets in Rockdale County Georgia!

A great way to lower the kill rate of a shelter is to prevent unwanted animals from winding up there in the first place.

New Study: High-Intensity TNR Could Mean Over 30 Times Fewer Cat Deaths Visit ASPCApro.org for resources to help animal welfare professionals save more lives. Find the latest research and learn about unique training opportunities.

Here’s a state where breeders who don’t provide adequate care to animals are facing consequences

Dog breeders are on the decline in Nebraska as state inspections tighten Nebraska Department of Agriculture records show that half of the state’s commercial dog and cat breeders have left the business over the past seven years.

Rockdale has so many 4 legged babies right now...and they could use some cardboard boxes for kitties to curl up in

media2.giphy.com

“My husband had a sudden heart attack a few months ago. It was just a few blocks from here. They called me in to identify his body and then just let me walk right out onto 7th Avenue. I felt so lost. My friends were wonderful and supportive but eventually everyone moves on with their lives. I don’t have children. And I’m not a workaholic. So I was left with this intense loneliness and void. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. Then one day I started researching dogs that are good for grief and depression. And ‘poodle’ kept popping up. But when I went to the rescue fair, all the poodles were gone. There was this one old dog in the back that nobody was looking at. She was skin and bones. She was trembling and scared and mucus was running out of her eyes. She seemed so fragile. She reminded me of myself. I named her Grace because I think my husband sent her to me. She’s my first dog. She’s been pure joy. We spend all our time together. She’s gained her weight back. She comes with me to therapy. We’re getting better together.”

Good news!

BREAKING NEWS: The president has just signed the PACT Act into law! 🎉

We now have a federal anti-cruelty statute that will allow us to crack down on some of the worst and most malicious acts of animal cruelty, including crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating and impaling live animals and sexually exploiting them.

This is a historic day for animals and it could not have happened without YOU! 🙌🐾

Get educated about breed discrimination

https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2Fnewshour%2Fscience%2Fthe-woe-of-being-labelled-a-pit-bull

www.facebook.com

Everyone deserves a second chance!

So I want to tell you all a story. The red dog in this photo is Millie; she is a “pit bull” type dog that we rescued from Rockdale County AC. She is not an oldie, but from time to time, we will pull a dog from AC for an approved adopter. Millie was one of those dogs.
Everything went well in her new home for the first couple weeks. Then it turned out that she had some food aggression. That’s not unheard of. I’ve personally lived with a few food aggressive dogs, one very much so, so I worked with her adopter on training tips.
Then I got the call that Millie and her doggie sister had gotten into a big fight, and they were both injured. Oh no. 😩 I started preparing myself for Millie being returned. This was shortly after we had gone through an extreme aggression situation with another dog here, and I was not comfortable with bringing Millie back to the Home. I started contacting other rescues and people that I know. Would anyone take in a potentially dog aggressive pit bull? Nope, no, and nada. What were we going to do??
Then I heard from her adopter again. “I want to keep Millie. How can I help her?” 😱 WHAT?? We paid for a trainer to come to her house and work with her directly. We have a steady deal where Millie’s adopter can contact him at any time for help. WE STAND BY OUR DOGS. Millie took one step forward, two steps back. Things would be okay for a week, and then a bad fight again. Then slowly... it was one step forward, and only one step back...
Then this week, I got this photo of Millie, snuggling with her doggie sister. If you had told me this would happen a couple months ago, I would have said NO WAY. It’s only been possible because Millie’s adopter has been tireless and dedicated and understood that she made a lifetime commitment. I hope and pray that all of our dogs find homes that love them THIS much.
Millie still requires careful management. She will never be completely safe, or completely “easy”. I’ve lived that life, and it’s a hard commitment to keep. But her adopter is dedicated to providing her the best life possible, and that’s all we can ever ask. Keep moving forward, Millie!

These Dogs Show That Visual Identification Is Inaccurate No Matter the Label We looked at a variety of dogs and labels in South Carolina, what we found was as ridiculous as we thought it would be.

Not about Rockdale specifically, but about how Pennsylvania made some positive changes. Hopefully Georgia will follow suit

https://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/investigations/the-reveal/puppy-mill-investigation-pa-reform/85-ab9001a6-6ecd-4451-89ab-af1b314fb61b

Caged in Cruelty: Unlocking the door to reform After 1300 dogs were rescued from Ga. licensed breeders, The Reveal wanted solutions. Our investigation took us to the puppy mill capitol of the country.

Here’s a resource everyone needs to check out! Watch “Redemption,” viewable from their website!

https://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/

No Kill Advocacy Center A No Kill nation is within our reach

It’s National Pit Bull Awareness Day...these were my two fosters a couple of years ago. Pitbull type dogs are the most overbred and the most mistreated dog in the country. They are also extremely sweet, funny and loyal. And they need our help. Please foster, adopt or at the very least report abuse when you see it.

Senate has not scheduled a day to vote on this, but it passed the house. I hope this is another sign that times are changing in regard to how we view animals!

The House passes a bill that makes animal cruelty a federal felony https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/23/politics/house-passes-pact-act-trnd/index.html

The House passes a bill that makes animal cruelty a federal felony The House has unanimously passed a bill that makes animal cruelty a federal felony.

Hi all! If you have no room to adopt or foster, consider making a pledge to cover medical costs for a dog at animal control. Tara is heartworm positive, and Alice O’Neal contacted me earlier today asking for help. She has a rescue that’s interested, but Tara needs some more funds pledged. Pledging is a great way to help dogs make it out of AC!

It anyone is interested in learning what Rockdale Animal Advocacy Group is doing, you are welcome to attend our 2nd meeting, which will be Monday Oct 7 at 630 pm. Message me for the address, thanks!

A really interesting article about the progress that’s been made and the challenges that we still face...
https://www.damemagazine.com/2019/10/01/the-paradox-of-no-kill-animal-welfare-policies/

The Paradox of “No Kill” Animal Welfare Policies | Dame Magazine Julián Castro was the first presidential candidate to propose one this election season. But even the most ambitious no-kill legislation can’t tackle the…

Here’s a concrete way to help a local rescue group!
https://www.facebook.com/109810900964/posts/10156460663710965?sfns=mo

*UPDATE*
One of our shelter vans has reached the end of the road. 😩
We're getting closer to our $25,000 goal!!*
Thanks to your generous donations, we are $7,176 closer to our goal of $25,000 for a replacement shelter van! Can you help us keep the momentum going? We still need to raise $17,824 to get to our goal. Until, then, our pups are parked 😩 If you have not contributed to our shelter van effort, we hope you can now. If you can't donate but want to help, please share this post with your friends via social media, email, even NextDoor would be very helpful!

The van is completely broken down and unusable at this point. We rely on these vans to save lives - we use them to transport dogs from animal control, to surgery appointments, and to adoption events where they will hopefully find their forever homes. Can you help us get this show back on the road?

We need to raise $25,000 to purchase a replacement van, and we need your help to get there as soon as possible! Click the button below to make a donation towards a new vehicle, or visit our website at https://furkids.org/donation/. You can also mail a check to 2650 Pleasantdale Road, Suite 8, Atlanta, GA 30340. Thank you all so much!

Remember Me Thursday is coming up on September 26. How will you “shine a light” on the importance of adopting shelter pets?

https://youtu.be/f0-sB4Qxylc

What is Remember Me Thursday? Remember Me Thursday, which takes place on the fourth Thursday of every September, is an international social media awareness day that shines a light on the ...

Greetings! Rockdale Animal Advocacy Group is a collection of citizens who have one goal: improve the outcome of homeless pets in our county. We had our first meeting on September 6, 2019 and it was a great starting point to learn facts about our animal control system and share information about the no-kill movement.