Take Action
Homeward Trails believes in making the world a better place for all animals. And there are many, many ways to do this. The best place to start is often in our own backyards. And so we will be bringing you information on issues impacting animals in our areas that need your voice! Sometimes a phone call or an e-mail will suffice. Other times your presence may be needed at a protest or at a meeting with elected officials.
No matter the issue, a single person can make a difference – so we hope you will join us to help end suffering of animals and to create a more humane, passionate world for our furry friends.
Please consider taking action on these pressing issues:
Homeward Trails Partner CHASE needs your support!
CHASE will be holding An Evening for (and with) the Animals at Café Caturra on Sunday, July 21 at from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at 2931 South Glebe Road, Arlington, VA.
- Please join us to raise funds for the programs of CHASE
- Bring your dog and enjoy the outdoor patio
- Enjoy fantastic food & drink specials while mingling with other local animal lovers
- Learn about ways you can get involved with helping homeless animals
CHASE is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of, and providing support for, animal welfare initiatives. CHASE is committed to making a positive impact on communities by reducing the overpopulation of cats and dogs and decreasing animal suffering through compassionate care.
A message from our friends at the ASPCA:
Congress is considering the Safegaurd American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, which would prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and ban their export abroad for that purpose.
Will you take a moment today to call your federal legislators in Congress to urge them to support the SAFE Act?
Terrified foxes are rounded up from the wild, caged and then let go to be mauled by dogs in an enclosed area all in the name of human recreation. (photo courtesy of HSUS)
We are thrilled to report that the issue of fox penning in Virginia is gaining momentum. We hope to soon see this practice be abolished in Virginia. Fox penning is a canned hunt of foxes that usually results in the inhumane death of foxes and often injury to the dogs involved. Foxes are trapped in the wild and then placed into fenced areas (pens) where dozens of dogs are then set loose to hunt them down and tear them apart. Unlike in the wild, the foxes cannot escape to safety because they are penned in.
Animal advocates in Virginia have been successful in getting this issue to recently pass the full Senate! And your continued support is still needed! Recently, some of us attended the Humane Society sponsored Humane Lobby Day in Richmond to meet with our elected officials and encourage them to keep this effort moving forward. And it worked!
Please visit the below links to learn more about the case and what easy steps you can take to voice your opinion!
Stay tuned for detailed information and steps you can take on this issue. Homeward Trails is working with local animal advocates and our local elected officials to pass measures that will restrict the number of hours dogs can be kept outdoors on chains. Life on a chain is no life for an animal. You can help bring change in your community!!
Sodapop was rescued by Homeward Trails after life on a chain resulted in a severely embedded collar. Sodapop required surgery to address the badly infected wound on his neck.
Susie spent four years living on a chain enduring freezing nights, hot summer days, flea and tick infestation and heartworm before being rescued by Homeward Trails.
Stay tuned for detailed information and steps you can take on this issue. Homeward Trails is working with local animal advocates to prevent inhumane pet stores from opening in our area as well as cracking down on those already operating.
Puppy mills confine dogs in small, unsanitary and unsafe cages where they are overbred for years. Their misery creates puppies that are sold in pet stores. Many suffer from genetic health issues and well as severe behavioral issues.
After a Maryland incident where a pit bull dog attacked a young boy causing life-threatening injuries and a lawsuit brought forth by the parents of the boy, the Court of Appeals ruled that because of the “aggressive and vicious nature and its capability to inflect serious and sometimes fatal injuries,” Pit Bull dogs and cross-bred pit bulls are now categorized as “inherently dangerous.” A ruling on a motion to reconsider limited the decision only to pit bulls, and not mixes. But this ruling still means increased liability for landlords and owners of such dogs even in cases where the dog has no known history of aggression, resulting in landlords not being able to allow tenants to have these dogs and forcing pit bull owners to have many fewer options for rental housing in Maryland. It also could mean home owners insurance companies dropping customers who have Pit Bulls, and possibly Pit Bull mixes and other types of dogs. Finally, it also poses great barriers to anyone else owning or serving dogs that even resemble Pit Bulls, due to the significant liability that comes with the breed now. Because a dog is a Pit Bull he is now labeled “inherently dangerous”. It is quite simply, outright breed discrimination.
Thanks to animal advocates, progress has been made on this ruling but the issue is not resolved. Input from Maryland residents is still very much needed to prevent this outright discrimination against the Pit Bull breed. Please visit the below links to learn more about the case and what easy steps you can take to voice your opinion!
