Petition Tag - neglect

The Children's Trust Fund of Washington was established by the Legislature as a separate fund within the state treasury to receive public and private donations to support the work of programs whose mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect. These funds are administered by the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

This proposal asks that the Washington State Dept. of Licensing issue these special interest plates and that all net proceeds be deposited into the Children's Trust Fund. The cost of the plates will be $44.75 the first year and $30 for renewal years. The net to the Children's Trust Fund would be $28 per plate.

These dollars will then provide opportunities to fund primary prevention programs that will help Washington "Keep Kids Safe" from child abuse and neglect.

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Many dogs are forced to endure a life of neglect, isolation and terrible extreme temperatures. Their entire life they are commited to be chained, roped or otherwise tethered outdoors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An existence of despair, often , without benefit of adequate shelter. Barely given enough food or water, they are tied and forgotten. Tell the congressmen and women of this Commonwealth that you want a change dog laws to ban this terrible practice. Make it an enforceable crime for dog owners to "tie 'em and forget 'em". Thank you

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Children should NOT be "seen and not heard".

Children of Australia should be given a safe, secure and happy life, free from abuse neglect and fear, and furthermore, children have the right to be heard.

All information can be found at my website included:
http://members.tripod.com/DBsGURL/childrenfirst.html

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Reptiles should not be sold as pets. Keeping these animals exposes owners to salmonella infections and often results in the suffering and death of the reptile.

More and more people are buying reptiles as pets, causing both an increase in salmonella poisoning cases as well as a growing market for these wild animals, who frequently suffer and die due to incorrect handling and improper care.

Due to contact, both direct and indirect, with pet reptiles, 93,000 people in the United States are infected with salmonella each year, and thousands are hospitalized. Unfortunately children, ages 5 years and under, make up the majority of cases because of their developing immune systems. In fact, reptile-associated salmonellosis can be fatal. It is responsible for the death of 20 people each year and has caused several infant deaths in recent years.

Reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, and snakes, are non-domesticated animals, unlike other companion animals such as dogs and cats, requiring very special care. Frequently these animals are purchased and mistreated due to the new owner's unfamiliarity with a reptile's unique food and care requirements.

Reptiles sold as pets are both caught in the wild and raised in captive environments. While concerns with human health and animal welfare remain whether the animal is wild-caught or captive-bred, there is additional stress and suffering for the wild-caught animals who have to endure capture and transportation from their natural environments. Prohibiting the sale of reptiles as pets will help reduce occurrences of reptile-associated salmonellosis and allow the animals to live out their natural life-spans without the pain or distress brought about by the reptile trade.

History: Between 1970 and 1975 hatchling red-eared slider turtles were a popular pet for children in the US. During this time, 250,000 cases of reptile-associated salmonellosis in children and infants were reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to this, in 1975 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration enacted a ban on the sale of turtles with a shell of less than four inches in length. This led to a 77% decrease in the number of annual cases of reptile-associated salmonellosis reported to the CDC.

The number of pet reptiles in the U.S. is again increasing. According to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association 2000 survey on pet ownership, 3.9 million American households have one or more pet reptiles. This is a shocking 44% increase since 1998. Reptile-associated salmonellosis cases have risen along with the current pet reptile trend.

It is clear that current public education efforts and media attention on this issue have been ineffective in preventing this illness since the number of annual reptile-associated salmonellosis cases reported to the CDC have nearly doubled since 1995. In a 1999 public advisory the CDC stated that reptile-associated salmonellosis poses a "substantial health threat to humans."

In addition, reptiles are subject to serious abuse and neglect in the reptile trade. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of reptiles caught in the wild die within their first year of captivity due to mistreatment and neglect suffered during their capture and transport. Many reptiles, both wild-caught and capitive-bred, also perish at the hands of reptile owners who are unprepared to meet the specialized care requirements of these animals.

The sale of reptiles as pets should be banned in order to protect the American public, and in particular children, from reptile-associated salmonellosis. This action will also eliminate the needless animal suffering and mortality brought about by the reptile trade.

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a) The protection of California's most vulnerable citizens, its children, should be the most important objective of government.

b) Although providing an important public service, current programs designed to protect children often times do more harm than good. Far too many tragedies, including serious physical and emotional injury to children and the unnecessary destruction of families, have occurred in recent years. The system must be reformed to restore fundamental fairness and promote protection of children and preservation of families.

c)California law requires cases where a child has been removed from his or her family due to alleged abuse or neglect to be heard within 15 days in order to bring speedy resolution to the matter and to minimize trauma to the child. However, thousands of children are kept away from their families for months on end by unnecessary government delays, resulting in tremendous costs to parents and taxpayers. In many cases, other family members are willing and able to care for these children, yet the current system does not promote preservation of the family.

d) The right to a jury trial is fundamental in our system of government. However, under existing law, a child can be removed from the care of his or her parents based only on allegations of abuse or neglect without the government having to present evidence justifying removal to a judge and jury.

e)This system, designed by politicians to protect children, instead often results in delay, excessive costs, mistakes, and family break-ups. IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ABUSE AND NEGLECT, BUT IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE NOT WRONGFULLY REMOVED FROM THEIR PARENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

f) Abuse of the process is cloaked in secrecy because such juvenile proceedings are not open to the public.

g) Recently, several studies, grand jury investigations, and oversight hearings have brought these problems into clear focus. However, our elected representatives have failed to take action.

h) In order to protect the health and well-being of children, the people of the state of California hereby enact the Child and Family Protection Act to establish the right to a jury in juvenile dependency hearings, the right to a public hearing, the right to a speedy resolution and the promotion of family over government-sponsored care whenever possible.

If you would like more information or would like to assist in our efforts, please send an email to neff@cavalier-assoc.com.

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