Recap of ORA's Nathan Winograd Event!

April 14, 2012, is a date that will be remembered by the animal advocates who attended ORA's Nathan Winograd lecture and workshop in Toronto. This important event for animals signaled the beginning of something wonderful: a coordinated action towards the implementation of No Kill policies in all pounds and shelters in Southern Ontario.

Claudia Vecchio and Nathan Winograd

How could a lecture be so significant? It is one thing to read Winograd’s books in the isolation of our own home. To collectively listen to the leader of the No Kill Movement talking about the many US communities that, with the determination of one person, or with the work of a few people, rose from a very bleak past in animal welfare to became model No Kill communities - is an entirely different matter! What began in the afternoon as a message of hope and perhaps a leap of faith progressed throughout the day to the strong persuasion that it can be done, that Toronto and Southern Ontario can become NO KILL in a short period of time.

The attendees defined the lecture as inspiring, energizing, amazing. Clearly there was such a positive energy in that room! And there were some emotional moments as well when Winograd showed us a long sequence of photos of animals, deaf, blind or with missing limbs, victims of accidents or of human abuse: all adopted! These are animals that in any pound or large shelter will be killed without hesitation, but with the proper community involvement they can all be saved. We know now that this can be done and we are determined together to make it happen.

Animals have the right to live. Cats, dogs, rabbits and other companion animals who end up in pounds and shelters through no fault of their own have the right to live, and people of this age are ready, not only to recognize this right, but also to concretely respect it. We will never talk again about pet overpopulation because it has been proven to us that there is no such problem. Cats, dogs, rabbits and other companion animals are killed by the thousands simply because of the complacency, laziness, ignorance, lack of compassion and lack of leadership of the pound managers. Therefore the problem is easily solvable. We need pound managers who are willing to succeed, willing to be “innovative,” willing to implement the 11 proven principles of the No Kill Equation; we need pounds managers who take their work seriously and who are capable to motivate staff and use their leadership to bring about change. Most importantly, we need pound managers who truly care for the animals. There are pounds mangers who are willing to change, have compassion for the animals, but just miss the knowledge. We can help them. But the ones who consider their position just a job must be replaced. Compassion for animals must be a prerequisite for being hired as a pound director.

What can we do to make this happen? Let us follow all of the precious information provided by Nathan Winograd in his books and review all of the material that can be found on the website of the No Kill Advocacy Center.

We need to do our own research to show the media and demonstrate to the politicians that No Kill is easily implementable and that, in fact, No Kill is not only ethically correct, it also has huge, positive financial effects on the community. Any animal saved from death and adopted out becomes a consumer for the fifteen years of his or her average life span, producing rippling positive financial effects on employment and tax revenues.

As Nathan Winograd said, "a community cannot afford NOT to be No Kill."

Claudia Vecchio
Volunteer Chairperson

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals

"For the love and respect of all animals."

Tel: 416-726-5762 Email: info@ora-animalsrescue.org

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