Public Comment

Vote Yes on A1

By Dr. Joel Parrott, Veterinarian and Executive Director, Oakland Zoo
Thursday October 04, 2012 - 04:39:00 PM

The animals at the Oakland Zoo need your help! Vote YES on A1 to give Oakland Zoo animals the quality, humane care they deserve. 

Measure A1 cares for and meets the basic needs of Zoo animals, ensuring they are safe and that enclosures are well maintained. Voting Yes on A1 will provide animals the food, heating/cooling, and clean and fresh watering systems they need. 

Measure A1 allows the Zoo to continue to partner with wildlife conservation and animal rescue organizations, like in the real life story of one of our lions, Leonard, who is the mascot for Yes on A1. In 2000, a four-month old lion was rescued by the Houston SPCA and brought to the Oakland Zoo. He had been abused and deprived of food, care and shelter. Leonard the Lion now lives at the Oakland Zoo where he is lovingly cared for. However, he continues to suffer the after-effects of his early abuse and malnutrition. 

Yes on A1 helps care for animals like Leonard who are rescued from abuse, wounded in the wild or are retired circus animals, including lions, tigers and elephants. Yes on A1 ensures the Zoo has quality veterinarians and animal specialist to care for the unique needs of zoo animals, who live significantly longer in a zoo than they might in the wild. 

Additionally, Yes on A1 maintains the Zoo’s children educational programs and school field trips, and provides science and nature education to students who often have none because of budget cuts to Alameda County schools. 

As Sacramento continues to cut education, it’s more important than ever for local children and youth to have access to quality education programs that teach them about wildlife, science, and nature – in a way that just isn’t possible through books. Yes on A1 makes it possible to double the number of school children served by the Zoo at a time when local schools are cutting science programs and field trips. 

Don’t believe the misinformation being spread by desperate opponents who have repeatedly lost their case in court and at City Council. Measure A1 funds are guaranteed to be spent as promised to taxpayers with independent citizens’ oversight and annual audits. The A1 Expenditure Plan legally requires that all funds must be spent for quality humane animal care, basic animal needs, educational programs for children, and maintaining zoo affordability and visitor safety. 

Measure A1 is supported by hundreds of community, education and conservation leaders including Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Alameda County Democratic party, the Council of Alameda County Superintendents, Laura Maloney, Chief Operating Officer of the Humane Society of the United States, and Dr. Kim Carlson, President of the Alameda County Veterinary Medical Association – because at only $1 per month, YES on A1 is a small price to pay to protect Zoo educational programs and ensure animals receive the quality, humane care they need and deserve. 

Learn more about Measure A1 at www.ItsYourZoo.org. On November 6th, remember to vote Yes on A1!