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Over the past few weeks I’ve read a couple stories indicating a possibly growing new trend: humans locking themselves in animal shelters to raise awareness for pet safety and rights. In the first, a woman lived in a small, cramped space for a week, live streaming the whole thing online. The point was to raise awareness for the conditions under which dogs are often forced to live in puppy mills and similar facilities.
Then at the beginning of the month, according to the Miami Herald, a man moved into a dog run (a kennel) for a weekend to promote an adoption event, and support for pet-friendly legislation. Michael Rosenberg spent the weekend in the kennels of the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter, while they were holding a discounted adoption event. His hope was to be the last being left in the shelter.
While Rosenberg might not have quite accomplished that, he definitely got people talking. And that’s something else Rosenberg wanted. He wanted to encourage people to vote yes on the Pets Trust issue on the area’s local November 6 ballot. On it, the community is being polled as to whether or not they’d agree to spend a little more to support homeless animals in the area, reducing the euthanasia rate at the shelter (raising its no-kill rate to 90%).
A vote “yes” on the ballot won’t immediately effect change. Local officials are just using it as a way to determine whether or not there is public support for a small raise in taxes to further support the shelter. Actual decisions and action-taking would then be made by the county commission.
I hope that Rosenberg is able to encourage his fellow citizens to vote yes to help the animals. I certainly would, but then I wouldn’t need to hear about a stunt like Rosenberg’s in order to do so. I also really think it’s interesting that there seems to be a trend of late to pull such stunts in order to save the animals.
I like the nature of the acts; most animal activists get the reputation, to the wider world, of being shrill, crazy people who attack others for eating meat and wearing fur (thanks for making things worse, PETA). But instead, people like Rosenberg and the aforementioned woman are inconveniencing themselves, placing themselves in the position of the pets they’re trying to save, to draw attention to the animals’ plight.
It’s really cool, smart, and brave. I don’t think I’d lock myself in a cramped space for a week or even a kennel for a weekend. I really admire those who do. Even if they don’t meet their grandest goals, they’re made headlines, called attention to animals that are suffering or are in need. Let’s hope this new brand of activism takes over the other, aggressive kind.
Related Articles:
Mall Pet Stores: The Beginning of The End
Glam Shots for Shelter Animals
*(The above image by superfem is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)