tampa eighth most humane
JoelThe Humane Society did some research on America’s 25 largest metropolitan areas to determine which areas are the most humane to animals.
The Humane Index ranked the cities in each of twelve categories. Tampa ranked fairly well on the Humane Index, tying Baltimore for 8th place; that puts us ahead of our nearest neighbors Atlanta (#11) and Miami (#20).
Categorically, Tampa Bay fared best in:
- citizen advocacy (#4)
- lack of fur shops (#3 - I know what you’re thinking: although admittedly more fashion-centric, warmer Miami ranked #17)
- number of establishments supporting the boycott of Canadian seafood due to seal clubbing (a mouthful, #3)
Some areas of concern:
- Cage-free egg options (#24)
- Pet store “puppies in windows” (#22)
- Government support for humane laws (#18)
On that last account, here’s how our current local congresspeople fared on the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s Scorecard of the 109th Congress:
- Ginny Brown-Waite - 28 out of 100
- Adam Putnam - 14
- C.W. Bill Young - 70
- Mel Martinez - 40
- Bill Nelson - 80
Places like the Humane Society of Tampa Bay - which in 2006 ran on over 12,000 volunteer hours - help foster a humane environment for animals with or without legislative assistance.
There are countless things you can do to keep Tampa Bay humane - volunteer, adopt a pet, donate money, report animal neglect or abuse. At the very least we can congratulate all those who’ve worked so hard to keep Tampa Bay humane - it’s nice to have a measure of pride in your city for something.
I’ll thank my coworker/HSTB volunteer in person tomorrow; for all those I won’t see tomorrow, I’ll take this opportunity to say good work!
Tags: ranks, tampa
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May 2nd, 2007 at 2:11 pm
No big surprise with opie …. kinda a shocker that mel is …. over 30.
I often trash the County-counter-part of these folks but my encounters with the humane society have been nonexistent.
While Tampa doesn’t strike me as particularly humane, I like to think that you and others are committing humane-ness towards our beloved fur friends and feathered and otherwise friends.
Be kind to your web-footed friends — a duck may be somebody’s mother.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Hmm .. have to kind of doubt the rankings here … sorry, but when you move to Denver, they virtually issue you a pet. Dog parks everywhere, everything is pet-friendly, apartments welcome pets, and the Dumb Friends League is the nation’s largest pet shelter/adoption agency (we got two cats. heck, if you’re getting one, might as well get two) … and I never thought of Tampa Bay’s gated communities as “pet friendly” while it’s considered so common it’s expected that your dog is allowed inside any store in Denver …
Anyway, just sayin’
Probably hurt by the number of fur stores. Fur is murder … realy comfortable, warm, murder