Guardian of the Month - 2006
December 2006 - IDA's Guardian of the Month for December ~ Tony La Russa
Baseball legend Tony La Russa is considered one of the greatest managers in the history of Major League Baseball. His team—the St. Louis Cardinals—won the World Series in October 2006, besting the Detroit Tigers four to one in the seven-game series. But when it comes to La Russa's other passion—rescuing animals—he's also in a league of his own.
In his long and storied career in sports, La Russa has set many records. For instance, he is ranked third for all-time career wins as a manager, and has been named Manager of the Year five times. Yet La Russa is also setting records with his Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), the organization he co-founded with his wife Elaine in 1991 to help dogs and cats find permanent homes and strengthen the bond between people and companion animals.
The 62-year-old La Russa is also a family man. He and Elaine have two daughters, Bianca and Devon, as well as four dogs and thirteen cats. Although La Russa always loved animals, he didn't have any growing up, so his first experience as a guardian was with Elaine's cat when the couple married over 30 years ago. It was another cat who ran onto the field during a 1990 game when La Russa managed the Oakland A’s that inspired the creation of ARF. La Russa coaxed the terrified cat into the dugout and later tried to place her in area shelters, but was told she would be euthanized. Unwilling to see her destroyed, the La Russas found a home for Evie themselves, and soon after started a new organization to help others like her.
That would be ARF, a state-of-the-art no-kill animal shelter in the San Francisco East Bay city of Walnut Creek. They mostly acquire cats and dogs from local shelters just before they are going to be euthanized, and can hold over 200 animals in their 37,000 square foot facility. Last year, ARF adopted out over 1,500 dogs and cats to caring families. They also spayed/neutered more than 1,700 animals at their clinic, helping to stem the tide of unwanted dogs and cats in Contra Costa County.
Spacious condos and apartments are the norm for the pampered pooches and kitties up for adoption at ARF. Cats who like solitude live in lofts, but larger "apartments" are available for those who prefer the company of feline friends. In this nurturing element, animals are more able to thrive and show potential guardians their true personalities. Plus, people really enjoy it. Maybe that's why there are 550 active ARF volunteers and over 140 foster families.
ARF also provides many unique forms of community outreach that benefit both animals and people. La Russa realized the importance of this connection when he read research about the physiological and emotional benefits people get from being around animals. ARF is therefore not only a place to adopt a new family member, but also where "animals rescue people." For example, ARF's innovative People Connect programs facilitate humans and animals helping one another. Here are a few examples:
- Teaching Loving Care (TLC) is a collaborative project between ARF and the Contra Costa County Probation and Mental Health Departments in which at-risk female teens foster abused and neglected animals as part of their treatment program.
- The Visiting Animal Program (VAP) supports seniors and other patients in acute care facilities by bringing temperament-qualified cats and dogs for visits.
- Camp ARF is a perfect summer experience for youth grades 1 through 12 who love animals. Camp ARF includes humane education, animal-themed games and crafts, and plenty of play time with cats and dogs.
Even though he is on the road during the baseball season, La Russa still manages to do fundraising and make appearances to benefit ARF. His many famous friends—which include some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and politics—are always willing to lend the animals a hand.
La Russa is also a vegetarian on ethical grounds. "I don't eat anything that had a mother," he has said, and supports efforts to bring more meat-free options to Busch Stadium. He is also against dog fighting, cockfighting, bull fighting, rodeos, circuses and sport hunting. Colleagues respect La Russa's tendency to speak his mind, even on the subject of animals, and he respects them by being non-judgmental. "There's a lot of good-natured kidding back and forth about how I hug trees and Bambi," La Russa once told the Chicago Tribune. "Guys will have their hunting magazines in the clubhouse and I'll walk by, tear 'em up and throw 'em in the trash. Guys will hide them from me. We have some fun with it."
IDA is honored to name Tony La Russa as our Guardian of the Month for December. His life and work serve as an excellent example that everyone—especially sports fans and professional athletes—can learn from. Just as he has led the Cardinals to victory time and time again, he will continue working to make sure animals get the respect they deserve. Tony La Russa is, without a doubt, a real MVP for the animals.
November 2006 - IDA's Guardian of the Month ~ Ann Allen
Ann Allen of Tiburon, California has always been involved in rescuing and caring for animals. During the many years she volunteered and worked as Adoption Coordinator for the local shelter she learned about the cat and dog overpopulation crisis in the in the U.S. She particularly became aware of the tragedy of adult cats - how "throwaway" they are viewed as through no fault of their own, and how frightened and confused they are when abandoned.
So it is no surprise this one-time Pan Am flight attendant abandoned her successful career in real estate to volunteer full time to help these unwanted animals. Ann started the Marin Cat Connection ten years ago to address the homeless cat problem in Marin. Marin Cat Connection is dedicated to cat rescue, adoption and education. Additionally Ann and the organization of 40 volunteers very actively support trap, neuter, and return (TNR) for adult feral cats. Allen rescues feral kittens, which are brought into the adoption program to be fostered and socialized. The group successfully adopts out an estimated 250 cats and kittens each year and has another 125 plus spayed and neutered. Since one female cat and her offspring alone can produce as many as 420,000 cats in just seven years, every cat Ann's group spays or neuters means thousands of cats that won't reproduce.
Marin Cat Connection's success is even more remarkable considering the group does not operate out of a shelter. Instead, Ann relies on the kindness of the group's dedicated volunteers who help trap cats using humane traps, foster orphaned kittens, and socialize shy or feral kittens. The group showcases animals available for adoption each week at the local Petco. When she's not answering the dozens of phone calls the group receives about cat sightings or from people in the area seeking advice, Ann can be found trapping cats in the middle of the night, bottle-feeding abandoned kittens around the clock, or educating local residents about the importance of spaying and neutering animal companions to curb the homelessness problem.
Ann’s tenacity and dedication is so desperately needed in a day and age when animals are regarded as mere property. "We are a very disposable society when it comes to animals," she recently told the Marin Independent Journal. "It is heartbreaking because of the sad reality of what happens to these cats. But I feel very good about finding homes. We're making it better - and that's good."
IDA is honored to name Ann our Guardian of the Month for November, and is grateful for all that she continues to do for animals. If you live in the Marin County area and are interested in volunteering with the Marin Cat Connection, fostering animals, or adopting, please visit www.marincatconnection.org.
October 2006 - IDA's Guardian of the Month ~ Carol Alban
IDA's Guardian of the Month for October is flutist and composer Carol Alban. A San Francisco Bay Area resident, Carol has been generously promoting IDA by playing benefit concerts that raise money in support of our campaigns to help animals. Carol is a classically trained musician who began playing piano and flute at the age of nine, and studied under many accomplished classical musicians while pursuing her degree at San Francisco State University. She has played flute on a variety of CDs and recorded three albums featuring her own compositions. Visit Carol's MySpace page to hear some of her music.
Carol and friends played their first benefit concert for IDA on Sunday, August 27th. The performance took place in Oakland's Piedmont neighborhood at the Chapel of the Chimes, a beautiful building filled with skylights, stone-carved archways and stained-glass windows. The recital was well attended. After IDA founder and President Dr. Elliot Katz gave a brief talk about IDA's mission, listeners were treated to a program of stirring compositions about animals with names such as "Cry of the Seals," "Elephant Recess" and "Song of the Whale." Afterwards, people enjoyed free vegan snacks from Trader Joe's and cookies from Sun Flour Baking Company while socializing and watching IDA's new short documentary about exotic birds, Wild Beauty Betrayed.
A cat lover and rescuer since childhood, Carol's most recent cat is a nine-year-old rescue named Toni (a.k.a. Princess Antonia). Several months before being introduced to Toni, Carol had lost her 21-year-old cat Lucy after a long battle with kidney disease. "Lucy was such a wonderful cat. I got her as an eight-week old kitten from the San Francisco SPCA when I was a teenager, so I practically grew up with her," Carol said. "There was a big hole in my heart after she died."
After Lucy passed away last year, a neighbor who knew about the "vacancy" begged Carol to foster a shy flea-ridden cat, Toni, whose guardian had just been moved to a hospice. "He said I was her only hope, so I agreed to house her 'temporarily,' but it soon became permanent," Carol notes. The neighbor took Toni to visit her previous guardian in the hospice several times before she died. Toni loves music and often "oversees" flute lessons. "She loves the sound of the flute and my students just adore her! Sometimes during flute lessons she'll lay down on her back and put all four paws up in the air with a look of bliss on her face." Today, Toni is thriving and flea-free. "We've been together for a year and a half," says Carol, "and I really couldn't imagine life without her now!"
IDA greatly appreciates that Carol, a longtime vegan, is using her musical talents to support animals. We are also pleased to announce that Carol has agreed to play another benefit concert for IDA in November at the Chapel of the Chimes, which will feature Dylan Snodgrass on piano and members of the Bay Area Chamber Symphony. If you are in the Bay Area, please join us at this live performance to support IDA's campaigns for animals.
What: IDA benefit concert featuring Carol Alban and friends
When: Saturday, November 4th at 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland (get directions)
Admission is a suggested donation of $10 - $20 with all proceeds donated towards IDA's campaigns to help animals.
IDA is honored to name Carol our Guardian of the Month for October, and is grateful for all that she continues to do for animals.
September 2006 - IDA's Guardian of the Month ~ Marcy Schaaf
IDA is pleased to recognize our Guardian of the Month for September, Marcy Schaaf, for her outstanding efforts on behalf of animals. Marcy is founder and director of SaveABunny, one of the largest, most active regional groups in the country dedicated to rabbit rescue. This all-volunteer non-profit organization based in Mill Valley, Calif. rescues over 250 rabbits a year from euthanasia and coordinates with many San Francisco Bay Area shelters to find homes for these abandoned animals.
Even when she was a toddler, Marcy had a strong affinity for animals. As a young girl, she spent hours each day with the "stray" cats who had been abandoned by their guardians on the country club golf course. A tiny white kitten she named Kivvy was her first "rescue," and he remained a close companion throughout Marcy's teens. However, looking back at that time, Marcy recalls that, "Even though I always loved animals, I still didn't quite 'get it' about animals other than cats and dogs. My graduation gift was a fur coat and my favorite meal was veal."
Marcy pursued professional advancement through higher education, earning a business degree from George Washington University and then studying marketing and organizational change and development in graduate school. After graduation, she spent two decades working in pharmaceutical sales, advertising and marketing in Washington D.C., New York, London, Germany, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and San Jose. Marcy started to "get it" while living in Manhattan, becoming a vegetarian and yoga instructor. Yet, as a professional businessperson, she tried to appear "normal" to her colleagues at the Fortune 100 Company where she worked while still speaking out for animals.
In 1997, facing a life-threatening health crisis, Marcy re-evaluated her life and priorities, and chose to leave the corporate world to focus on helping animals and creating artwork. "I am actually very grateful for my 20 years of experience in Corporate America," says Marcy, "because it provided me with the training and strategic insights I need to effectively help animals." 
Today, Marcy is a professional exhibiting mosaic artist, but finds it difficult to create as much art as she would like because she devotes so much of her time and energy to running SaveABunny.
Before founding SaveABunny, Marcy was a dedicated volunteer with San Francisco Animal Care and Control and the House Rabbit Society (HRS), fostering many homeless rabbits to learn all about their care and behavior. She started SaveABunny as a licensed chapter of HRS, and is now taking the organization through the process of becoming a separate 501(c)3 non-profit. Volunteer-run and funded entirely by donations, SaveABunny assists with community outreach, public education and rabbit rescue efforts all over the Bay Area. Marcy is particularly proud of the close partnerships she has built with diverse groups and people, including the Girl Scouts and staff at animal shelters. These collaborations raise rabbits' quality of life at shelters and increase their adoptability.
SaveABunny is one of the only resources in the Bay Area for injured and abused companion rabbits needing medical attention -- whether they have broken limbs, misaligned teeth or life-threatening injuries. One of SaveABunny's most famous rescues is Phoenix, a rabbit who received national news coverage after being tortured with cigarette burns and then soaked in lighter fluid and set on fire by a Vallejo teenager. Phoenix miraculously survived second and third degree burns and is recovering nicely at SaveABunny's shelter.
Why does Marcy make saving rabbits her special mission? "My heart goes out to the underdog, and in the case of companion animals, rabbits are the underdog," explains Marcy. "Most shelters devote the bulk of their resources to cats and dogs, and too often aren't able to provide the special care and attention that rabbits need. Plus, rabbits are the only companion animals in the U.S. that are killed for their meat and fur. These sweet, wonderful and loving creatures deserve so much better than that, and they need all the help they can get."
IDA is honored to name Marcy Schaaf our Guardian of the Month for September, and is grateful for all that she continues to do for animals.
What You Can Do:
- Visit www.saveabunny.com to learn more about SaveABunny.
- View a 10-minute video segment about SaveABunny that recently aired on The View from the Bay, a news show on ABC-7 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Read the article Marcy wrote for the Marin Independent Journal.
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area:
- Adopt a rabbit. Rabbits are intelligent, playful and affectionate (especially after being spayed or neutered), and bond with their human guardians for life. They generally get along well with most other species, including cats and dogs (supervised introductions work best). Rabbits who are kept indoors and properly cared for can live for seven to ten years. Like cats, they can be litterbox-trained, so it's safe to let them roam around the house once it's been rabbit-proofed.
- Foster a rabbit or two until a permanent home can be found. Short term (one to two months) fostering helps alleviate overcrowding in shelters. Longer term (three to six months) foster homes are also needed for rabbits who have been abused and need gentle, patient guardians to help them heal and trust again.
- Volunteer with SaveABunny. Opportunities range from caring for rabbits and working with potential adopters to doing community outreach and providing administrative or technical assistance.
August 2006 - IDA's Guardian of the Month ~ Mike McCoy
IDA is proud to honor our Guardian of the Month for August, Mike McCoy, a veterinarian, 
conservationist and long-time animal advocate who recently convinced the city of Imperial Beach (pop. 28,000) to pass an ordinance recognizing citizens as the "owner/guardian" of their animal companions.
Dr. McCoy (no relation to "Bones" from the original Star Trek TV series) said his motivations for promoting the Guardian Campaign were born from personal and professional experience. "As a practicing veterinarian for almost 40 years, I've seen people do horrible things to animals -- abuse, neglect and abandonment are all too common," said McCoy. "Perhaps these are the extremes, but their very occurrence suggests we need to find ways of changing people's minds so they will treat animals with respect. Language is a great tool to start with, so I initiated a guardian campaign in my city to raise society's awareness of issues affecting animals."
"The character of a person, community, state and nation can be judged by the way they treat their animal citizens, both domestic and wild," McCoy continued. "I therefore want to take this opportunity to thank the city council, city staff, the special citizens of Imperial Beach and the staff at In Defense of Animals for making it possible to incorporate owner/guardian into our new Animal Ordinance. With this simple change in wording, Imperial Beach and its citizens will become a leader in making a better society."
McCoy's successful guardian effort is one in a very long line of accomplishments for animals and their habitats comprising an illustrious activist career that spans nearly four decades. After earning his veterinary degree in 1970, McCoy interned at the San Diego Zoo. During that time, he co-founded (with the San Diego Sierra Club) Project Wildlife, a rehabilitation center for injured wild animals, and did all of the veterinary work while getting his colleagues on board. Meanwhile, he also helped pass a moratorium in California on mountain lion hunting to stop sport hunters and ranchers from indiscriminately killing these majestic apex predators, conducting research that included tracking the wild cats with radio collars in Big Sur, Calif.
In 1973, McCoy was a member of a team that worked to formulate a new plan to more humanely manage the Yellowstone Bison Herd. The animals were being targeted for eradication because the bison had caught brucellosis from grazing cattle, and ranchers feared that uninfected cattle would contract the disease from bison. The management plan sought to minimize the indiscriminate killing of the animals. (Researchers are uncertain whether bison can pass brucellosis back to cattle.) McCoy then spent several years as head veterinarian at the Henry Doorley Zoo in Omaha, Neb. In 1976, he went into private practice as an associate with another vet at the Imperial Beach Pet Hospital, then bought the business in 1990.
All throughout his professional career, McCoy has been devoted to environmental conservation, playing an instrumental role in establishing the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is one of only 22 sites in the U.S. designated a "Wetland of International Importance" under the Ramsar Convention. Wetlands—where rivers meet the sea—are ecologically critical areas and home to many endangered animals, including birds, fish and amphibians. In recognition of his achievements, McCoy was accorded the Teddy Roosevelt National Conservation Award in 1990, and (with his wife Patricia, an Imperial Beach City Councilmember) the National Wetlands Award in 1998.
A resident of San Diego County, Dr. McCoy has also spent many years serving on the County's Animal Control Committee (1978-88), Fish and Wildlife Commission (1988-96) and Parks Committee (1988 to present). These bodies make important County-level decisions about how wild and domestic animal populations will be handled -- whether humanely or inhumanely -- as well as land-use and resource management issues. In collaboration with professional veterinary associations, McCoy has consistently raised the County's standards for the protection, health and welfare of animals, especially in making affordable spay/neuter and vaccination clinics available to reduce animal companion overpopulation.
Going along with his strong commitment to animal welfare and environmentalism, Dr. McCoy is also a vegetarian. He experienced the horrors of factory farming firsthand as a young veterinary student at Colorado State University, where one of the school's large animal rotations was in a feedlot and meat packing plant. Here McCoy saw "animals treated like commodities, crowded together in filthy conditions with no regard for their well being as sentient creatures, their lives a sheer hell from birth to death."
In everything he did, McCoy continued to gain valuable life experiences that expanded his consciousness and compassion, leading towards great inner changes. His interest in animals and environmentalism continued to intensify, and within a few years, he started meditating, an experience that enhanced his appreciation of the inherent value of all life forms. "The way you treat the land and other living creatures is ultimately the way you treat yourself," stated McCoy. "Meat represents an immense amount of suffering for animals and the environment, yet those who eat it don't seem to make this connection. I think it is of the greatest importance for people not to block out their awareness of the devastating impact that dietary choices have on their health, the animals and the Earth. Personally, taking part in activities that respect the web of life -- like vegetarian eating, organic gardening and recycling—gives me a strong sense of fulfillment and spiritual connectedness with the millions of species that share this planet."
In addition to Mike and Patricia, the McCoy family includes a couple of four-legged members. Dinky May, a 14-year-old Chihuahua/Pomeranian cross who loves going for long walks, "has no idea that she is tiny," McCoy claims, "because she has such a valiant heart. People often think she is a miniature German shepherd!" Then there is Millie, a stray tabby cat who adopted the McCoys several months ago and has since made herself quite at home. Both are very fortunate to have such caring guardians.
IDA is proud to honor Mike McCoy for his dedicated efforts to save animals and their habitats.
July 2006 - Guardian of the Month ~California Assemblymember Lloyd Levine
July's Guardian of the Month, California Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) was 
elected in 2002 to represent 400,000 residents in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. The author of many important bills to help animals in the state, this 37-year-old legislator is fast becoming one of state politics' most powerful voices for animal protection, standing up for the interests of California's wild and domestic animals. From homeless cats and dogs to elephants in zoos, this compassionate legislator speaks for the voiceless and vulnerable by introducing and supporting important bills aimed at ending abuse and cruelty.
Levine's most impressive bill for animals so far is probably his Elephant Protection Act (AB 3027), which sought to radically improve the treatment of elephants in California's zoos and circuses. The bill would have required all zoos in the state to provide a minimum of five acres for up to three elephants, with another half acre provided for each additional elephant. All circuses would have had to provide hundreds of square feet—both indoor and out—for their elephants, and the use of bullhooks and chains would have been outlawed.
Gita's death in June also prompted Assemblymember Levine to action. He responded by sending a letter to the California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez requesting the formation of an Assembly Select Committee on Animal Welfare with Levine as Chair. In a statement, he said,
"The purpose of the Committee would be to investigate, highlight and understand what the state can do to move away from the often unnecessary exploitation of animals in California." The Committee would have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents and to place witnesses under oath. This would be an especially powerful tool in the investigation of the care Gita received in her final days, a crusade in which IDA has taken a leading role (visit www.helpelephants.com for details).
In addition to his many campaigns to benefit California residents - from education and the environment to health and fitness - Levine has introduced numerous bills to improve the lot of animals in the state:
AB 2513: Humane Control of Dog and Cat Overpopulation
This bill would require all independent breeders and sellers in California to report their income and pay taxes on their profits, two requirements from which they are currently exempt. This would combat animal companion overpopulation by regulating the sale of unsterilized cats and dogs and put government checks on irresponsible breeders and sellers. This could save millions of animals' lives and save California taxpayers tens of millions of dollars a year which are now used to collect, house, euthanize and dispose of unwanted animals.
ACR 113: Spay Day USA
This bill, passed in 2005, declares the last Tuesday in February every year to be Spay Day USA throughout California. Spay Day USA is a national campaign of the Doris Day Animal League (www.ddaf.org/spayday) to provide affordable spay and neuter services for low-income guardians. The campaign aims at sterilizing at least 155,000 cats and dogs a year.
AB 1118: Animal Welfare License Plates
This bill would authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles to sell illustrated special interest license plates, with revenue funding spay and neuter programs, animal adoptions and the maintenance and expansion of animal shelters. At least 20 other states have already raised millions of dollars by selling such plates, helping to reduce overpopulation and provide better care for homeless animals.
AB 1428: Cloned & Genetically Modified Pets
This bill would prohibit the sale and transfer of cloned or genetically modified animals as companions within California. Scientists and veterinarians have denounced the commercial sale of stylized animal companions, which may pose unforeseen consumer safety and public health risks. Cloned and genetically modified animals also suffer abnormally high rates of miscarriage, early death, deformity, disease and other serious medical conditions. Many are stillborn at birth or are born with missing limbs and organs. AB 1428 would hold irresponsible companies who sell cloned animals without any government oversight accountable to consumers and society.
IDA is proud to honor Assemblymember Levine for his dedication to California's animals and their guardians. Please join us in supporting his efforts on behalf of the state's animals.
What You Can Do:
- California residents: Send a letter to encourage Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez to approve the Committee's creation. You can also contact him by phone, email or postal mail:
The Honorable Fabian Núñez
Assembly Speaker
California State Legislature
State Capital, Room 219
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: (213) 620-4646
Assemblymember.Nunez@assembly.ca.gov
- Read Assemblyman Levine's op-ed about captive elephants in the L.A. Daily News.
- learn more about Assemblyman Lloyd Levine by visiting his homepage.
June 2006 - Guardian of the Month ~ Siglinda Scarpa
Entering Siglinda Scarpa's kitchen is like walking into a cottage in Tuscany. 
You are greeted first by amazing aromas emanating from the cast-iron stove, which occupies a central place in the house. Siglinda's gorgeous terra cotta pots -- made by Siglinda using ancient Italian firing methods -- adorn the stove. Her ethereal porcelain sculptures and paintings add to the comforting earthy atmosphere.
And everywhere you look are cats -- napping in the traditional stone bread baking racks, curled up in baskets scattered throughout the house -- each with an Italian name. They fit naturally with the décor of the cottage, works of art unto themselves. At the center of it all is Siglinda, famed potter and sculptor, gourmet Tuscan cook, animal rescuer extraordinaire, and now IDA's Guardian of the Month for June.
Siglinda strongly supports IDA's guardian campaign, urging people to "Be kind to the animals. They are not less than we are. They have the same feelings, the same rights." In addition to her cats, many other animals make their home at Goathouse Gallery and Gardens, Siglinda's 15-acre property in Pittsboro, North Carolina. The residents include goats, turkeys, guinea hens, chickens, geese and five dogs. Siglinda says her heart breaks at the thought of dogs and cats being euthanized in shelters. She often takes the most unadoptable dogs from local shelters, the ones whose time is up, fosters them and finds loving homes through her extensive network of artists, art patrons and friends.
Her other rescues include a one-ton bull that Siglinda rescued from a slaughterhouse when he was only a few days old (she scooped him up in her arms and drove off in her car). Named Fiordaliso -- the Italian name for the bachelor's button flower -- the bull now lives at a sanctuary for farmed animals in North Carolina. As a calf, he lived at Siglinda's, where he was best friends with one of her dogs. The two animals would play ball together. Being faster than the bull, Siglinda's dog would run off, fetch the ball and bring it back to Fiordaliso. The two whiled away the hours lying in the grass -- the dog sprawled across the bull's back, chewing on his horn. To this day, when Siglinda visits Fiordaliso, he runs to her and rubs his giant head against her.
Siglinda had animal friends as a young girl growing up in Piemonte, at the foot of the mountains in Northern Italy. Her first cat was Mucci, a sick tabby. Each day, the six-year old Siglinda would wrap Mucci in a blanket, put him in the basket of her bicycle and take him to the veterinarian. Sadly, Mucci didn't live long, but because of him Siglinda's love for animals has.
She proudly relates how cats in small Tuscan villages are taken care of by the community. They are free to visit different houses, and when one gets sick, the village gets together to decide who will take him or her to the veterinarian. Siglinda points out that in Rome, all cats are considered citizens and have as much right to live in the city as people. Siglinda financially supports a cat sanctuary that is maintained among the ruins of ancient Rome.
Siglinda is also an accomplished vegetarian cook. This month she will host "Cucinando Col Cuore," (Cooking from the Heart), a gourmet dinner to benefit local animal rescue groups at her gallery and gardens. She will host 85 people a night, serving a gourmet Tuscan dinner cooked in her famous cooking pots and served on handmade plates. The banquet has been sold out for months, but $10 raffle tickets are being sold that will give the winner a free week's stay at Siglinda's Tuscan villa. Siglinda is also selling a cooking DVD in which she prepares an amazing vegetarian feast, and is giving all proceeds to local animal rescue groups. More information about the raffle, DVD and Siglinda's acclaimed art can be found at www.siglindascarpa.com.
May 2006 - Guardian of the Month ~ Bruce Zeman
IDA is proud to name Bruce Zeman our Guardian of the Month for May in recognition of his efforts to 
spread a message of compassion for animals in his community. A strong proponent of IDA's Guardian Campaign, Zeman actively works to improve animals' status for the betterment of society.
Zeman started advocating for animals as president of his building's Tenant's Association when he sued a former landlord on behalf of himself and 20 other families to defend their right to live with their companion animals. As a result, Bruce's dachshund, Nathan, got to live with the Zeman family, and all of the other families got to keep their companion animals in their homes.
Soon after the victory, Zeman was inspired to spearhead the effort to get guardian language incorporated into the city ordinances of his hometown of Wanaque, New Jersey. "During the dispute, I discovered that animals are regarded as little more than property in New Jersey," he said. His successful bid to codify guardian language in Wanaque ultimately made it the first Guardian City in the Garden State, and the change became known as "Nathan's Law" in honor of his canine friend. On the day the City Council unanimously voted to amend the ordinance (May 10th, 2004), Zeman stated, "I came to Wanaque because it is a good place to raise my family, and Nathan is part of my family." His sentiment expressed how most Americans feel about the relationship they share with their beloved animal companions.
As a member of the Wanaque Borough Schools Board of Education, Zeman is a highly respected member of his community and sees imparting positive values to youth as a top priority. To meet that goal, he gives humane education presentations at schools to teach children about treating animals with compassion and respect. Accompanied by his affable friend Nathan, Zeman emphasizes that kindness to animals makes us better people and strengthens our communities. To help children understand why cruelty to animals is wrong, he draws on the students' personal experiences by comparing animal abusers to puffed-up school bullies who target smaller children to make themselves feel powerful. Even the youngest children, he says, can help animals by reporting animal abuse to an adult or by fostering or adopting animals from shelters.
As a hardworking animal advocate, Zeman is an inspiration to anyone seeking to better the world through concern for those who need our care and protection. IDA is happy to honor Zeman by making him our Guardian of the Month for May.
Read an article about Bruce's humane education program in the Bergen County Record.
Bruce honored with Doris Day Animal League's Animal Kingdom Kindred Spirit Award
What You Can Do:
Help your community become the next Guardian City, and you could be a future Guardian of the Month. Visit www.guardiancampaign.com to learn more about how you can get involved.
If you know someone who is an outstanding animal guardian, nominate them for IDA's Guardian of the Month by writing to guardiannomination@idausa.org and telling us about their efforts to help animals.
April 2006 - Guardian of the Month ~ Catherine Moran
When Catherine Moran, Executive Administrator of Pet Planet, discovered IDA's Guardian Campaign, she was excited about the parallels between Guardianship and the company's mission. At the time, she was writing a brochure to help employees educate customers about the responsibilities involved in acquiring a new animal companion and to explain why Pet Planet doesn't sell animals. "When I read about IDA's Guardian Campaign," she says, "I realized that Guardianship encompassed everything we do as a company, from choosing not to sell animals to proper nutrition, training and daycare. I approached Pet Planet's owners with the idea of promoting the campaign in Alberta, and they wholeheartedly supported it."
Pet Planet is a one-of-a-kind business dedicated to promoting the physical and mental health of animal companions. Founded in Canada in 1996, Pet Planet has eleven retail supply stores, nine grooming salons, a full-service kennel resort for dogs, a canine training academy and a doggie daycare center. Their focus is on educating the public about caring for animals and helping to reduce the number of animals in shelters. Consistent with the principles of the Guardian Campaign, they strongly encourage people to adopt from humane organizations and rescue groups.
Moran started out at Pet Planet as a groomer, but now manages all of their marketing -from advertising to educational materials - and spearheads the company's community involvement programs, which include donations to non-profit organizations and in-store adoption events. In her role as Pet Planet's Executive Administrator, she is working hard to get Alberta, a Canadian province of 3.2 million people, to officially incorporate Guardian language into its by-laws. While her colleague Lisa Devlin focuses on technical aspects like penning the petition and strategizing the best way to convince City Council members to support the change, Moran's job is to get Alberta's citizens on board by demonstrating how Guardianship improves both animals' and peoples' lives. To do this, she has designed and placed ads in area newspapers and magazines reminding people that animals are not mere objects to be owned, but living beings who require care and love. She hopes the ads will create a groundswell of public support for the Guardian Campaign so that legislators will approve the official language change when the time comes.
In addition, Moran has created other unique Guardian Campaign materials, including attractive green wristbands imprinted with the words "Embrace Guardianship" that allow people to display their support for animal-friendly values. She also designed wallet-sized Guardian Emergency Cards to alert emergency personnel in the event of accident that the individual has animal companions at home that require attention. One side of the card indicates contact information for caretakers, while the Guardian promise is printed on the other as a daily reminder to do right by our animal friends. Pet Planet gives these items out in their stores, as well as at trade shows and neighborhood dog parks. Moran also writes and edits Pet Planet's quarterly newsletter, The Guardian, which was named after and inspired by IDA’s Guardian Campaign. Building on the concept of Guardianship, the newsletter is chock full of information on meeting the physical, mental and emotional needs of animal companions and everyday actions that can help prevent animal suffering in our society.
In addition to working at Pet Planet, Moran volunteers as the Administrator for the Kali's Wish Cancer Foundation (www.kaliswish.com), a non-profit fundraising organization dedicated to eliminating cancer in animal companions. Moran's Golden Retriever, Casey, was best friends with Kali, the dog for whom the Foundation is named. Moran lost Casey to bone cancer two years after Kali died, and hopes that the Foundation's work can help save animals from this devastating disease in the future. Today, Moran spends lots of time with her "purebred barn cat" Dusty and two dogs, Cody and Rocky (a Boston Terrier mix who she helped rescue in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and adopted on her birthday).
Being involved in IDA's Guardian Campaign has also convinced Moran to make some important life changes. "Veganism is something I have embraced along with the Guardian Campaign, and while I have thought about it for many years, I never actually committed to living it until I became involved with Guardianship," she says. "The Guardian Campaign challenges all of us to change not just how we act towards our animal companions, but more importantly how we think about them. Similarly, it has made me reconsider how I think about other animals as well, including those raised for food. I decided that making the change gradually was best for me personally. Inspired by the (Farm Animal Reform Movement's) 'Meatout Mondays' newsletter, I have added a meat-free day each month, and look forward to kicking meat, dairy and eggs entirely by June 1st, 2006."
IDA is gratified to Catherine Moran for everything she does for animals and for promoting Guardianship in her community. We feel confident that with Moran and everyone else at Pet Planet behind the campaign, the citizens of Alberta, Canada will officially be called Guardians in no time.
What You Can Do:
- Help your community become the next Guardian City, and you could be a future Guardian of the Month. Visit www.guardiancampaign.com to learn more about how you can get involved.
- If you know someone who is an outstanding animal guardian, nominate them for IDA's Guardian of the Month by writing to guardiannomination@idausa.org and telling us about their efforts to help animals.
February 2006 - Guardian of the Month ~ Karen Smith
The animals of Bloomington, Indiana have a true friend in Karen Smith, IDA's February Guardian of the Month. IDA is proud to honor Ms. Smith's compassionate commitment to animals, which has made her community the latest Guardian City, an official first in the State of Indiana.
"I've been a member of IDA for several years, and I've always thought of animals as sentient beings who deserve our respect and care," Smith explained. "The Guardian campaign fits in very well with my own personal feelings." Smith was inspired to act when she read about IDA's goal of getting at least one Guardian City in every state. She contacted IDA's office and asked for a Guardian pack, and then gave serious thought to her plan of action. "I thought that an individual probably would not be in as strong a position as an animal-welfare group to make such a recommendation," she said. So she contacted an umbrella group in Bloomington that works with a variety of organizations dealing with different aspects of animal care and welfare.
The timing was fortuitous. Bloomington was in the process of updating its animal code, so Guardian language was added to the draft. Even so, Smith doesn't see her work as being finished yet. She's planning to send letters reminding people and groups in the community involved in animal care about the change in the city's code and encouraging them to make Guardian language part of their everyday vocabulary.
In addition to continuing to work on IDA's Guardian Campaign, Smith is the loving guardian of a gerbil named Josh, and volunteers frequently at a wildlife rehabilitation center. She enjoys working directly with the injured and orphaned animals (including fawns, birds, raptors, coyotes and foxes) by helping with intake, feeding and cleaning, administering medication and just about anything else that needs to be done. We are grateful to Smith for making Bloomington the nation's 14th Guardian City, in addition to the State of Rhode Island and Marin County, California.
What You Can Do:
IDA has declared February to be Responsible Animal Guardian Month, and encourages everyone to celebrate the rewarding cross-species relationships that enrich our lives and help us live more compassionately. Here are some ideas for some ways to take action:
- Help your community become the next Guardian City. Visit www.guardiancampaign.com to learn more about IDA's Guardian Campaign and how you can get involved.
- If your family member, friend, neighbor or colleague is an outstanding animal guardian, nominate them for IDA's Guardian of the Month. To nominate someone, please write to guardiannomination@idausa.org telling us about their efforts to help animals.
- Download IDA's Responsible Animal Guardian Month flyer and post it at your workplace or in coffee shops, health food stores and any place with a bulletin board.
- Request Guardian Campaign brochures from IDA and send them out with a letter or note to those in the media who still use the term "owner." E-mail Anne@idausa.org to request yours today.
January 2006 - Guardian of the Month ~ Dr. George Cattiny
Dedicated Veterinarian Embodies His Profession's Oath to Protect Animal Health and Relieve Suffering
Before allowing veterinarians to treat patients, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) requires that every prospective practitioner take an oath to protect animal health and relieve animal suffering. Few veterinary physicians have taken this solemn oath as close to their hearts as Dr. George Cattiny of Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.
As part of his veterinary practice, this good doctor runs a no-kill shelter funded out of his own pocket. Meanwhile, he has made it his mission to convince the Borough of Pompton Lakes to build a full-fledged, no-kill shelter for all the homeless animals in the area who need loving care. Dr. Cattiny is also a strong proponent of IDA's Guardian Campaign, and has actively supported it in the Guardian City of Wanaque, N.J. When Bruce Zeman first sought to make Wanaque a "Guardian City", Dr. Cattiny was the only veterinarian courageous enough to offer assistance in support of the effort.In a great victory for animal companions, "Nathan's Law," was unanimously passed by the Wanaque Mayor and Council on May 10, 2004.
For Zeman, it would mark the second time Dr. Cattiny would come to his aid, at a time when he needed it most. One year earlier, Dr. Cattiny's medical expertise saved the life of Zeman's dachshund, Nathan, for whom the ordinance is named. Nathan had suffered a catastrophic spinal injury, and was rushed to Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital, partially paralyzed. Dr. Cattiny immediately began aggressive treatment of the injury, and was able to stabilize him. Nathan would ultimately need reconstructive spinal surgery, but Dr. Cattiny's quick thinking and expertise saved his life. "At a time when Nathan needed him the most, Dr. Cattiny was there for him," says Zeman. "His care and compassion made all of the difference in Nathan's recovery.To my family, this man is a hero."
When the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA) led an effort to overturn Nathan's Law a year later, Bruce again enlisted Dr. Cattiny's help. In a poignant example of his compassion for animals, Dr. Cattiny came straight to the hearing after performing surgery. Still wearing his surgical scrubs, he spoke eloquently to the city council about the importance of being a guardian. Dr. Cattiny's comments were particularly significant, as they came directly from a noted medical professional and prominent member of the community. Those comments, along with overwhelming community support for Nathan's Law, convinced the council to leave the ordinance intact.
Dr. Cattiny believes so strongly in the power of "guardian" language that he has agreed to become a national Spokesperson for IDA's Guardian Campaign. IDA is excited to begin our partnership with this compassionate and dedicated veterinary practitioner who has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing the status of animal companions in our society. We are proud to name Dr. George Cattiny our Guardian of the Month for January, and look forward to a fruitful partnership that will benefit our animal friends.
What You Can Do:
- Help your community become the next Guardian City by working with your elected leaders to incorporate "guardian" language into city ordinances, charters, by-laws and other official documents. Visit the Guardian Cities page and check whether your city is there. If not, you can make a huge difference for the animals in your community by becoming one of IDA's Guardian Angels. To get involved, contact IDA Campaign Coordinator Anjee Lang at anjee@idausa.org or (415) 388-9641 ext. 219. She will send you a Guardian Pack to get you started, and is also available to personally guide you through every stage of the process. To learn more about the campaign and how you can help, please visit guardiancampaign.com.
- Pet Planet - a chain of full-service animal companion specialty stores in Canada offering retail products, grooming, a resort and day spa, training, day care and nutrition counseling - has generously produced attractive green wristbands to promote IDA's Guardian Campaign. The bracelets are imprinted with the words "Embrace Guardianship," and are a great way for people to show their support for animal-compassionate guardian values. To get your free guardian bracelet from IDA, visit www.idausa.org/pp_bracelet_frame.html.
- Download IDA's Responsible Animal Guardian Month flyer and post it at your workplace or in coffee shops, health food stores and anyplace with a bulletin board.