Tonight I truly get to say I was a part of the revolution for shelter animals that is taking place in Australia.
SBS Insight filmed in Sydney and I was enormously flattered to be offered the opportunity to speak on behalf of our movement and the homeless pets who will lose their lives unnecessarily in our nations shelters. This is hugely significant, mainstream media, which is so often beyond our reach.
And rather than ‘the big guys’ dominating the conversation to suit their own agenda, high kill shelters were tonight on the ropes. Gone was the rhetoric about ‘overpopulation’ being the reason they kill. Gone was the cover of ‘irresponsible people‘ to explain away poor performance. Instead they were faced with a room asking the tough questions and when confronted with their own failings they could only muster the weakest of rebuttals;
“We tried working with rescue, but they never called us back.”
“Animal advocates are simply being too aggressive”
“We don’t like the term ‘No Kill'”
“We offer all kinds of other programs”
Nobody was buying what they were selling.
Tiny, ‘insignificant’ animal shelters and rescue groups were the heroes tonight. The guys who could show how on a proverbial oily rag, they can and do save lives.
Is it easy work? Of course not. It’s the hardest of work, with enormous obstacles each and every day. But these new champions stepping up to run rescues and shelters who have reclaimed their mission to protect pets are the future of sheltering.
And I was very glad to be there to see the shake up begin.
SBS Insight will be shown this Tuesday 25th September. Be sure to tune in.
whhhhhooooooot way to go. I hope it airs without being chopped up. So pround of you Shel. I hope this is now not a one of but many more media outlets to pick up the true story.
Sounds fantastic cant wait until the screening.
May I ask who attended and which groups & paradigms were represented?
I do not want to see any “shelters” animals do not belong in shelters and pounds…they belong in rescue groups with foster carers..and I believe that is the way of the future not these money guzzling white elephants with massive infrastructure and highly paid overheads.
I help a group called “Little Paws Rescue Association”.
They are in Capalaba Brisbane, they rescue Cats and Kittens, they are all volunteers, and have a “No Kill’.,
Mission Statement, they are inundated with Mothers and ,
their Kittens, on their behalf, i am astounded by their,
devotion, their duty of care, and their love for the,
many Animals they foster , these are the People who run,
only on donations, usually from the Foster care givers.