Animal lobbyist wins 2 of 3 in legislative session

By Tom Searls, Staff writer
Charleston Gazzette

Now over the age of 70, Sylvia Shaffer continues to spend her “golden years” fighting for animals.

That’s the reason she was at the state Capitol almost every day of the just ended 60-day legislative session. And she surprised herself and others in the state’s animal-loving community.

“That was a stunner,” Shaffer said of getting two of three bills she lobbied for passed. “[Legislators] must feel sorry for me.”

The major piece of legislation would require humane societies and animal shelters to spay or neuter the animals before allowing them to be adopted. If the animal has not been spayed or neutered prior to adoption, the groups must require a $50 deposit that is returnable to the new owners when they prove the animal has had the surgery.

“It has to decrease the number of animals,” said Donna Clark, executive director of the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Society. “This state has way too many animals.”

Clark took over the county’s animal shelter following the long term of Shaffer. From that post, both saw the problem of shelters allowing animals to be adopted without being spayed or neutered, then people bringing puppies or kittens back to the shelter.

The county took in 9,396 animals in the last fiscal year, with about 40 percent of those either being lost animals returned to owners, or from other counties. “It has gone up every year,” Clark said.

The new law, which will take effect in July 2006, should help reduce the numbers coming in, said Shaffer.

The problem is not new, but getting support to fight the problem has been difficult. “That’s something shelters have known a long time needs to be done,” Shaffer said.

The state has between 25 and 30 shelters, though some are barely more than fenced-in areas, Clark said.

“I think they’re going to have to have time to get everything in place,” she said.

But the new law makes such programs mandatory. “This will make it a misdemeanor and they’ll have to enforce it,” Shaffer noted.

It was a long, hard fight for Shaffer, who thought going into the legislative session she’d be lucky to get the bill heard. The bill (HB2078) has been around for five years.

News about several animal cruelty incidents in West Virginia during the session helped spur support, she believes. In the Eastern Panhandle a dog was found tied to railroad tracks, while in Kanawha County a dog was found beaten and strapped to a steering wheel.

“I know the Legislature got a lot of e-mails and I think that is one the things that helped,” Shaffer said.

Intervening with juveniles who have harmed animals was also a goal she had. Passed late in the session, the bill (SB588) increases criminal penalties for cruelty to animals and allows judges to require offenders to complete an anger-management class.

What Shaffer sees as more important is creation of the Animal Cruelty Early Intervention Program. That program, when established in the Division of Juvenile Justice, is to be “designed to develop skills and supports within families and to resolve problems related to the juveniles who have engaged in animal cruelty.”

“Every serial killer known started with animals,” Shaffer said.

The legislation allows a judge to order a juvenile and family members to undergo counseling or medical care, along with welfare, educational and social programs related to stopping animal cruelty.

Shaffer points to studies showing links between juvenile animal cruelty and adult violence to people. “Most of it starts as a juvenile, then these juveniles then go on to murder people,” Shaffer said.

She did lose one bill. SB226 would have mandated that humane officers report domestic violence incidents they witness, and other crimes.

To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5192.