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Meeting Notes |
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30 people attended.
Molly Hoffmann started the meeting by discussing the purpose of LAA. She announced the Mission Statement, which is:
Lincoln Animal Ambassadors promotes enriching our community through progressive thinking, education, awareness and public support. We are committed to improving the lives of animals and alleviating cruelty in Lincoln and the surrounding area.
Molly stressed the need for commitment and, “being in it for the long haul”. She also suggested that LAA might be a venue for people to get involved w/o direct commitment to rescue work.
LAA plans to continue meeting with City Council members and offer suggestions and solutions. Support petition (Mission Statement) forms were circulated. One member suggested posting the petition at Petsmart/Co and other animal related businesses.
Dennis Matthias talked about feral cats. He explained that these cats are not adoptable so when picked up and transported to CHS, they are killed. Cathouse supports and is building support for Trap-Neuter-Return. There are ~75,000 feral cats in Lincoln. They are mostly healthy. Wants ordinance to have AC officially involved in TNR. The goal is health and welfare of cats and eventual reduction of population. Cathouse prefers a simple, uncluttered ordinance.
In order to sponsor a feral cat colony, a group must: Locate a suitable colony. Capture the cats for neuter spay. (Cathouse has grant for TNR). Return the cats to their colony. (~24 hours) Provide ongoing shelter if necessary Check for access to food and water daily
There was general discussion of helping people take care of their pets... food bank... assistance for elderly... behavior assistance... networking... website... There was a suggestion to include the County Board in mailings, meetings...
Several members expressed concerns about CHS not working with rescue and not being willing to take advantage of (and build) available resources. Several embers defended CHS. Stephanie Novak reminded the group that “we are all on the same team”. Molly said that it is appropriate to ask questions... “It’s not about finger pointing; it’s about getting better services for the animals”.
Scott, from IG rescue, reminded everyone to keep an eye on animal related bills that will be heard by the Legislature during the current session.
The meeting adjourned at 2040. |
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