Dear FVA members, friends & readers, again we share with you our FVA meet-up events! We now have 4630 signed up as ‘interested’ in our group & activities. As you can see, we continue to have a variety of opportunities for you to become involved. WHERE ARE YOU? Please join our Meet-Up, please sign up for events that interest you, then PLEASE attend the events and help the animals! (If for some reason you find that you are unable to attend, please be kind enough to change your RSVP. This will help us to better know what attendance to expect at our events and plan appropriately.)
4/1/23 FVA Workday at Little Cat Rescue, Inc. - Approximately 10 volunteers helped with cat care among other activities including cleaning off the roof. Great job team!
FVA in the Community /Tablings:
1/5, 2/2, 3/2 - Vegan Support Groups, Open Forums, held virtually via Zoom. Join great discussions with some regular attendees and new ones each time. No pressure to chat, but we always like everyone to introduce themselves. Join our hosts, Kim Gronemeyer, Psy.D., Myriam Parham, RD, CDCES & Cathy Unruh, Journalist, Author & Animal Advocate
2/11 - Bark in the Park FVA table, Al Lopez Park – Chris Lichfoldt, Ted Ellquist, Jacinda Shapiro
2/25 – FVA’s 28th Annual Have A Heart for the Animals Awards Dinner Fundraiser, Solid Rock Community School. Speaker Panel, Charles Rumph, Farmacy Vegan Kitchen & Bakery, Thalia Tatham, House of Vegano, Annette Wrubleski, Laughing Pig Sanctuary, Kurtis Marsh, Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue, Moderator, Shannon Blair, Local Activist.
3/6– Will Tuttle, Ph.D., with Madeleine Tuttle presented a lecture on Food as Medicine and Healthy Living at Loving Hut in Tampa. This World Peace Diet presentation by Dr. Tuttle provided teachings on healthy living for us, for the animals and our Earth. This event included Madeleine’s visionary paintings. Attendees included TrevorChin, Kim Gronemeyer, Laura Weiss, Myriam Parham, Brittany Livingston, Susannah Spences, Laura Pennington & Ron Grey, Florence Marsan, and Ann Chin.
3/11 – St Pete Community Festival, Campbell Park, hosted by King Charter School, FVA table, Susannah & Spencer Sherman, Laura Weiss, Ted Ellquist, Trevor Chin
3/23 – TBVF Volunteer and Committees Meeting, Loving Hut
3/25 – Al Lopez Park Cleanup - Tom Bird, Suzanne House, Ted Ellquist, Laura Pennington, Ron Grey, Dani & Brent Hall, and newest attendees Sara & Teegs. THANKs to all!!
Al Lopez Park Year-Round Feral Cats feeding, trapping for medical care &/or sterilizations. Coordinated by Tom Bird, volunteers take turns once a week making sure the cats are fed. Thanks to Tom, Suzanne House, Ron Gray, Laura Pennington, Leslie Pandolfo, Amy Anderson, Gustavo Delavilla & Kenny Echezabal for doing this 365 days a year total dedication!
Media & Other Activities:
1/19 – Hillsborough County Commissioners agreed to consider an ordinance, at the 2/1 hearing, that is similar to the one passed in Pasco County on 10/11/22 that banned the retail sale of rabbits. Renee Rivard, Anne Marie Cancio, Suzanne House & Myriam Parham were among those who spoke at this hearing.
1/31 - Manatee County Retail sale of Puppy mill dogs hearing, Commissioners repealed puppy mill dog sales ban – Laura Weiss spoke
2/1– Hillsborough County Commissioners final hearing, Voted and PASSED ordinance to ban rabbit sales - speakers; Anne Marie Cancio, Suzanne House, Renee Rivard, Myriam Parham, Nina Perino, Kurtis Marsh (Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue) Thanks to all others who have attended several meetings which culminated in this successful campaign!
2/21 – Fox News Interviewed Brittany Livingston & Trevor Chin on to discuss SB 932, a new Florida Senate state bill filed on 2/17/23 by Senator Lauren Book, that would; fine owners for letting their dogs ride in their laps or stick their heads out the window, address Cosmetic testing, Declawing of Cats, Retail Sale of Rabbits and create an online registry of people convicted of animal abuse.
2/28 – Pinellas County Commissioners Hearing, Renee Rivard led team of speakers to ask for a ban of the retail sales of rabbits like the ones passed in Pasco & Hillsborough counties. Other speakers, Anne Marie Cancio, Suzanne House, Myriam Parham, Nina Perino, Laura Pennington. So far, our work is cut on with this county. More hearings to come, PLEASE help us by sending emails, zooming in or attending to speak!
3/6 – FVA $1000 REWARD is being offered for the recent mutilation and killing of a cat in Oldsmar on Valentine’s Day!
The reward is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit(s) who cut a feral cat in half. The cat’s lower body, severed below its front legs and head was left in on a doorstep on Dartmouth. The other half of the body is missing. Seems the person who found it might be a TNVR person and perhaps the perpetrator wanted to send them a message. Oldsmar police is not investigating further claiming it was a coyote - but the cut was clean. No debris from the kill, clean, meaning not a coyote or Raptor.
The area is between Park St and Exeter, but the cat’s territory is a good two city blocks! He was a very clever, feral cat. This is a heinous crime; Oldsmar has a community police unit across from City Hall. People in the area are reporting missing pets!
Please call the Hillsborough County Animal Control Services at 813-744-5660 to report information, Crime Line at 1-800-873-TIPS or to FVA at 727-656-8368 or fvaonline@yahoo.com
3/21/23 - HSUS Lobby Day in Tallahassee. Myriam Parham, Melissa Zepeda and Laura Pennington went to Tallahassee to meet with state legislators to discuss current state bills we are hoping will pass this year before the legislative session ends this year on 5/5.
3/28 - Pinellas County Commissioners Hearing, 2pm, Round two in educating the Commissioners on Banning the Retail Sale of Rabbits. Pinellas County Court House, 5th Floor Assembly Room, 315 Court Street, Clearwater FL. Please email, Zoom or attend to help move this forward as we did in Pasco & Hillsborough Counties. Your voice REALLY can and does make a difference!
FVA sends donations to local shelters - Sanctuary Monthly Donations:
Jan - Lady Bug Farm Sanctuary - $200
Feb – Little Cats Rescue - $200
FVA Demos for the Animals:
1/14, 2/4 & 3/25 – Demos, Go Vegan! - at St. Pete Saturday Morning Market organized by Hussein Mourtada
In addition to the events above, some of the monthly activities held at several local vegan restaurants may be on hold. Please check our calendar or call the restaurant to check their schedules. In the meantime, PLEASE support vegan restaurants during this critical time. Order Take out!!! Please check our FVA calendar to join us at these events so we can get to know each other. We hope to see you soon!- Myriam Parham