Furry Friday

Marc Peralta from Best Friends Animal Society is back to discuss large-scale lifesaving for animal welfare. Jill Fritz from The Humane Society is here to talk about how we can stop wildlife killing contests. Furry Friday is brought to you by our sponsor, Castor & Pollux. As the leader and maker of America’s #1 organic pet food, Castor & Pollux has set a new standard with the most comprehensive portfolio of purposeful pet food. We have a great show today, so stick around!

Marc Peralta - Best Friends Animal Society

Marc Peralta is the Senior Director of National Mission Advancement for Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends is a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. In addition to running lifesaving programs in partnership with nearly 3,000 animal welfare groups, Best Friends has regional centers across the country. They operate the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals. Prior to joining Best Friends, Marc served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as interim CEO for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Large scale lifesaving really is referring to life saving in the largest cities in the country. Take a state like Texas and you will find larger shelters that take in thousands of animals and compare them to other states like Rhode Island. Texas and other big states take in even 100 or more animals a week. Marc Peralta says in states like Rhode Island, their capacities are very small so their intake is simply lower. Dallas Animal Services takes in more than 30,000 animals each year — making it one of the largest municipal shelters in the nation. While many people might be intimidated by such a large volume of animals, the director and staff at Dallas Animal Services (DAS) continue to push for lifesaving success. After a tragic accident, Dallas made changes and was able to get their save rate above 90 percent.

No Kill Los Angeles

Led by Best Friends Animal Society, the NKLA (No Kill Los Angeles) initiative is poised to serve as a model for how the entire nation can become no-kill. No pet should ever be having to die in a shelter again simply because they do not have a home. When Best Friends launched the No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initiative in 2012, only 56% of the dogs and cats in the city’s shelters were making it out alive. The hard work of so many, including the entire NKLA Coalition, Mayor Garcetti, Los Angeles Animal Services, their fabulous local community and devoted volunteers paid off. They are thrilled to announce a sustained save rate of 90.49% for 2020.

Jill Fritz

Jill Fritz is a Senior Director in the Wildlife Protection department at the Humane Society of the United States, focused on ending trophy hunting and wildlife killing contests in the U.S. She joined the Humane Society of the United States in 2006 and has served as a state director in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, working on issues as diverse as ending the most inhumane and extreme farm animal confinement practices, providing training in emergency animal sheltering and disaster response, and strengthen- ing state laws that address animal cruelty and animal fighting. In 2014, Jill helped to lead the “Keep Michigan Wolves Protected” ballot campaign, in which the state’s voters successfully over-turned two laws authorizing the trophy hunting and recreational trapping of wolves.

How To Stop Wildlife Killing Contests

While contests like dogfighting and cockfighting have been condemned in the U.S. as barbaric and cruel, wildlife killing contests still happen regularly. Wildlife killing contests are organized events where people gather to kill animals. They are typically given cash prizes, and animals have point systems. These animals include coyotes, bobcats, foxes, deer, boar, and even wolves in some states. The people doing these hunting contests use lures tha...