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We have a problem.
The 75th Texas Legislature created the Animal Friendly license
plate
in 1997. I understand that it was quite an uphill battle. The intent
was to raise money to fund low cost or free spay and neuter programs
throughout Texas; to help stop the killing of unwanted animals across
our great state. $20 from the sale of each set is deposited in the
Animal Friendly account in the state treasury. However, the State may
disburse the money only after $500,000 has been credited to the account.
This goal must be met by September 2004 or all the money raised will
revert to the state's general fund. This means that before any grants
can be made, 25,000 sets of plates must be sold.
These plates have been available now for 2 years. As of last
Wednesday, November 17, 1999, a pitiful 7,513 sets were sold. At this
current rate of sales, it will be a very close call for this goal to
ever be met. And that's giving Texans 7 years to meet this seemingly
easy goal - 7 years!! We Texans should be ashamed of ourselves! We
should have met this undemanding goal within the first year! Does this
mean that in this State of 18 million people, there aren't 25,000 car
owners willing to spend 25 bucks for a set of license plates? That's
just over 1/10th of 1% of our population. Surely more than 1/10th of 1%
of our population care about animals? Maybe not. It sure looks like
Texans don't care.
What kind of message are we sending to our legislature with our
apathy? How much more difficult is it going to be to get
animal-friendly legislation passed in the future when our elected
officials see by our actions that Texans don't care about animals? On
the other hand, what message would be sent to our lawmakers if this goal
is achieved in 3 years instead of 7? Now THAT would make an impact with
our lawmakers when future animal-related bills come before them!!
More importantly, the sooner we reach that goal, the sooner money
can begin to be disbursed to fund spay/neuter programs. The sooner this
happens, the sooner we can can slow the cycle of death to unwanted
animals. (Did you know that in Texas there are animals euthanized by
shooting them in the head because a bullet is cheaper than an
injection?) And along with more spay/neuter programs comes higher
visibility of the issue. Higher visibility translates into increased
awareness. And the license plates themselves tell others that the
driver cares about animals. The plates themselves increase awareness.
We need to begin to end to this killing NOW - not in 7 years. And
judging from our pathetic 2 year history, sadly there is a chance that
it may never happen at all.
Each of us must do something to help stop the killing. It is simply
the right thing to do. Therefore, I am sending this email as a concerned
citizen to animal welfare organizations throughout Texas and across our
great nation in hopes that each of you can spread the word to buy these
plates.
Below is a link for the Application to order the tags from TxDOT. I
encourage each organization to send the Application to everyone on its
mailing list who resides in Texas. If you mail out a newsletter, you
can reprint the application. If you have a website, post something or
prominently link to a site that does. And for those of you who, over
the years, have been able to garner those ever-valuable media contacts,
I would hope that this issue is important enough to you to call in those
chips and try to get them to spread the word even further.
What else can you do personally? Post the applications at pet
supply stores and veterinarian's offices. Tell everyone you know. And,
for those of you who don't have these plates adorning your own cars,
SHAME ON YOU! Order them TODAY! And after you buy a set for your car,
keep a few applications in your glove box because you'll find that
people will compliment you on the plates frequently. When they do, hand
them an application.
There are so many compelling reasons to buy these plates. Won't you
please help to stop the killing?
I would like to thank each of you for being responsible human beings
and for helping to protect God's other creatures.
With best regards,
Terry A. Berger
Attorney at Law
LINKS:
Here is a link to the TxDOT Application for Animal Friendly License
Plates.
http://www.lubbocktax.com/forms/vtr-409.pdf
The telephone number for TxDOT Special Plates in Austin is (512)
374-5010.
Here is a link to artwork of the Animal Friendly plates. (Right
click on the image and then click on SAVE IMAGE AS. Then place the
image in a directory where you will later be able to find it.)
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tdotnews/advisory/anima200.gif
--
The question is not
"Can they reason?"
nor
"Can they talk?"
but
"Can they suffer?"
Jeremy Bentham
1748 - 1832
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