On September 22, 2001, Three Dog Bakery sponsored a mayoral forum and invited all the
candidates to attend. Photos and selected quotes are below.
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How do you plan to control the city's pet overpopulation problem?
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Jim Baca spokeswoman Bobbi Baca: We're trying to get back to more pet owner
responsibility. The city is working with Animal Humane (Association) to make sure pets
adopted from the city are spayed and neutered. [Editor's note: Bobbi Baca brought her two beagles,
Athena and Beagle.]
Bobbi Baca addressing the crowd
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Martin Chavez spokesman Bruce Perlman: Emphasis has to be on education. People have
to understand the importance of pets in our lives. Children need to understand what the
role is of spay and neutering and the importance of not breeding out of control. We need to
spend more time reforming the system.
Bruce Perlman fields a question
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Rick Homans: Public education has to be done at a level we've never seen in the
city before. We're not dealing with the cause of overpopulation in our community. We spend
$4,000 out of a $4 million (Animal Services Division) budget on spay and neuter programs.
Much more money has to be spent at the front end. [Editor's note: Rick Homans brought his
mutt, Lucky.]
Rick Homans explains his position
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James Lewis: Education is the key. We have to look at Animal Control folks and see
are they doing what they're supposed to do. We need someone specially assigned in the
Mayor's Office. We need to have an advocate who's going to be there and understand what's
going on.
Bob Schwartz: If this city can offer you a rebate for your toilets, then we can
offer a rebate for spaying and neutering your pets. There needs to be an incentive to get
people to spay and neuter their pets. We need billboards to explain the overpopulation
problem and we need to get to the people who think it's fun to breed for kicks. [Editor's
note: Bob Schwartz brought his big bulldog-terrier mix, Harley.]
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Bob Schwartz discusses his plans
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What animal welfare laws should be kept, thrown out, instituted?
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Bob Schwartz: I helped write the dog fighting law in the early 80s. I'm the only
prosecutor who's tried someone under that law. ... I will have police officers assigned to
a Blood Sport Unit, which will be assigned to Animal [Services Division] to investigate
fighting. Keep in mind, people who hurt animals have no problem hurting us too. If we don't
put a priority on animal cruelty, what does that say about us?
James Lewis: We can go get laws and ordinances, but we have to couple this with
education and community. We need to put a think tank together and make sure we invite
groups in and share with us what the ordinances are.
Rick Homans: Dog and cock fighting is disturbing to me. It leads to an unsafe
community. We need to see animals as a heart, a soul, more than a number. I see them as a
personality, another being.
Martin Chavez spokesman Bruce Perlman: More laws are not really the answer.
Enforcing the laws is another thing. More laws won't make people better pet owners. It's
about education. We can't educate people as long as we have Animal Services lost in
government. If animals are a priority for us, then people who enforce the laws should be a
priority for us. They should get paid better so there is less turnover. It's time to give
priority to Animal Services and its employees.
Jim Baca spokeswoman Bobbi Baca: Mayor Baca went to the Legislature and tried to
get a stronger animal abuse law. It's now a felony instead of a misdemeanor to abuse an
animal.
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