April 22nd,2012 The Citizens’Pet Responsibility Committee,or PRC,is a no-nonsense name for a group of volunteers devoted to animal welfare. Three years ago,co-founders Angela Zumwalt and Pam Partis came up with the brilliant idea of enlisting the help of schoolchildren to get their point across. The result has been a popular curriculum adopted by every Moore County public school,as well as three private schools,a devoted band of volunteers,and,most recently,the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service. Read more from fayobserver.com |  |
February 5th,2012 The word ‘compassion’has a Latin origin and literally means ‘suffering with’. Involving sharing the discomfort, pain and distress of other people and animals,compassion can really hurt.Compassion fatigue is an emotional and spiritual fatigue or exhaustion that takes over a person and causes a decline in his or her ability to experience joy or to feel and care for others. Compassion fatigue can be experienced by caretakers of people as well as animals. Facing a number of crisis &victories,day after day,you can experience a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows. Experiencing chronic suffering of animals,toxic circumstances,and the sometimes abusive acts of owners can leave you detached,numb,powerless and angry. Whatever your role –animal rescue work,sheltering work,animal control work,political advocacy work,volunteer,employee,supervisor,administrator,board member,your compassion for animals can drain your emotionally. Compassion Fatigue—The Cost of Caring
A video of how caregivers cope
Compassion Fatigue SymptomsCompassion fatigue is a type of burnout. Whether you are a paid professional,a volunteer—or both—the symptoms are similar: - Free-floating anger or misplaced anger
- Increased irritability
- Substance abuse,including food,alcohol,drugs
- Blaming “them” (whoever they are)
- Chronic tardiness
- Depression,hopelessness
- Obsessive worry that you aren’t doing enough;irrationally high self-expectation
- Diminished joy toward persons/activities that used to bring you happiness
- Diminished sense of personal accomplishment
- Low self-esteem
- Workaholism
- Diminished balance between empathy and objectivity
- Hypertension
- Exhaustion (physical and emotional)
- Frequent headaches
- Gastrointestinal complaints
- Insomnia,sleep disturbances
- Frequent vague illnesses
Source:Health Leader
Compassion Fatigue ResourcesBook:Compassion Fatigue in the Animal-Care Community
Article:“Dealing with Compassion Fatigue (animals)”
Article:Balancing Service and Self Care
Video:Compassion Fatigue:The Value of saying NO!
website:Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project | |
May 26th,2011 | Animal welfare activists and some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing for stronger penalties for animal abuse and more regulation of commercial breeders,are at odds with some of the most powerful organizations in the state. |  |
March 11th,2011 | Created in 2005,this underfunded program has generated significant positive change for the animals of North Carolina and the shelters caring for them. The Animal Welfare Section: | | | | - Inspects shelters,boarding kennels,pet stores and large rescue groups to ensure the safety of the animals and workers within them
- Provides on line inspection reports of above listed facilities available to the general public for review at their leisure
- Inspects euthanasia processes and euthanasia technicians each year to ensure that they meet the requirements of the AWA
- Provides shelters and county officials with options for correcting deficiencies that fit within the county budget and assists in finding resources for repairs and training
- Handles hundreds of animal welfare complaints from the general public annually regarding shelters,pet stores and animal rescues
- Acts as resource for shelters and animal control agencies throughout North Carolina and provides valuable information sharing between agencies
- Has found countless deficiencies in shelter structures across the state resulting is shelter renovations that have drastically improved the lives of NC shelter animals
- Provides oversight of euthanasia procedures
- Inspectors promote Spay/Neuter through education of both the public and local governments
- Provides community outreach to remove the stigma associated with animals shelters
- Has been responsible for uncovering puppy mills,animal cruelty cases and unscrupulous “rescues”
|  | | | Why should you oppose this proposal?
If the Animal Welfare Section is eliminated there will be no oversight of animal shelters,boarding facilities,pet stores or large rescue groups. Over 320,000 animals enter NC shelters annually. Our shelters are in crisis due to pet overpopulation and budget cuts. Elimination of this section would be a devastating blow to the animals and the men and women who are caring for them. | | | | Who would be impacted by this proposal?
The elimination of the Animal Welfare Section cuts less than $400,000 from the Department’s $61 million budget. The Animal Welfare Section has been under funded since the inception of the program in 2005. Even grossly underfunded,the Section positively impacts over 320,000 shelter animals annually,hundreds of animal welfare workers across the state,and animal facilities in 100 counties. | | | | | |
January 30th,2011 The North Carolina General Assembly convened this past Wednesday for the 2011 session. Legislators were moving offices and had friends and family there to help. This is a great time to send a friendly hello to your legislator before things get cranked up. One very notable new legislator is Senator Rabon,District 8 (Brunswick,Columbus and Pender) who is a veterinarian! It is incredibly exciting to have a veterinarian in our legislature and we can look forward to the Senator’s input on our animal welfare bills. If you are in District 8 please give a very warm welcome to Senator Rabon! Humane Lobby Day is April 12! Please join us for a day of citizen lobby,special guests and awards! This year we will try something a bit different. North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare and the Humane Society of the United States would like to celebrate Animal Control Officers and Animal Shelter Directors. We want to hear from you! Tell us about an Animal Control Officer and a Shelter Director that you feel does wonderful things for the animals in their communities. We are especially interested in those that are doing things that relate to changing policy and supporting legislation. These items can include forming local coalitions with animal advocates,keeping local officials and state officials informed of animal welfare issues in the community,educating the general public,or assisting in creating new policy to help animals. Winners will be announced at Humane Lobby Day on April 12! Do not miss this special event! Please email your suggestions to:Kalboum@hsus.org | 
Dena Cohen
NCVAW Vice President
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November 30th,2010 The North Carolina State Director of The Humane Society of the United States invites animal advocates to discuss current issues affecting animals,as well as what you can do to improve the lives of animals in the Burke County community. We will discuss the role of sheltering staff,county commissioners,legislators,Department of Agriculture,law enforcement and animal advocates,in the local animal welfare community. Date:Wednesday,December 8,2010
Time:6:30 PM –9:00 PM
Address: Burke County Ag Extension Building
130 Ammons Drive
Morganton,NC 28655 RSVP today to lend your voice for animals and make a difference in Burke County! November 9th,2010 | The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is conducting a study of companion-animal welfare,and the public will have the opportunity to provide input. If you cannot attend any of the meetings please email a letter.
Click the banner below to sent an email to Dr. Lee Hunter director of the Dept. of Agriculture Animal Welfare Section. It only takes 30 second to fill it out.
Thank you! |  | | [bannergarden id="1"] |
May 6th,2010 Special Guests Rescue Ink!| Date: | Saturday,May 8,2010 | | Time: | 11:00am –5:00pm | | Location: | |
Click here for more information! |  |
February 2nd,2010 Join the North Carolina Director of The Humane Society of the United States at one of four upcoming Lobby 101 seminars —Feb. 6 in Lumberton,Feb. 10 in Elizabeth City,Feb. 16 in Charlotte and Feb. 22 in Asheville. Click on the links for details and to R.S.V.P. |
