Maddie's Fund press release re: AB 1634

Maddie's Fund is an extraordinary foundation established by PeopleSoft and Workday Founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl, in 1999 "to revolutionize the status and wellbeing of companion animals." Through Maddie's Fund --- named for their beloved Miniature Schnauzer --- the Duffields have spent $54 million to save dog and cat lives. You can read about some of the Fund's most recent accomplishments in the annual report, posted here.

An Itchmo forums reader posted the following on June 19th:

ASSEMBLY BILL 1634 WILL DENY CALIFORNIA PETS MADDIE’S FUND GRANTS

Release Date: 15 June 2007

Maddie’s Fund President, Richard Avanzino, has confirmed today that if CA AB 1634 passes into law, no community in the state will be able to benefit from Maddie’s Fund grants.

The California-based Maddie’s Fund, founded by People Soft guru David Duffield and guided by Richard Avanzino, the visionary former president of the San Francisco SPCA, awards millions of dollars through multi-year grants to animal welfare coalitions to end killing of healthy and treatable shelter animals at no cost to taxpayers. Since its founding in 1999, the Fund has gifted over 54 million dollars to humane organizations in 22 states, including an estimated 19 million dollars to California-based charities, educational institutions and animal shelters. Thousands of lives have been saved thanks to Maddie’s Fund grants.

Avanzino clearly addresses the Maddie’s Fund policy on funding government mandates in his statement, “Maddie’s Fund does NOT provide funding for government programs, including state and local animal care and control mandates. This policy applies to mandatory spay/neuter laws, as well as to other requirements imposed by federal, state, and local legislation.” As a government mandated spay/neuter law, CA AB1634 will effectively deny California communities Maddie’s Fund grants.

California’s pets have benefited tremendously from Maddie’s Fund community grants.

* Over 7.9 million dollars in funds to the CVMA Feral Cat Altering Program since 2001. This program subsidized the altering of over 100,000 cats who might otherwise have been destroyed.

* Almost 500 thousand dollars to a collaborative project in Lodi which lowered euthanasia rates over 46% in two years.

* Supplied almost 1 million dollars to found the UC Davis shelter Medicine Program, the first such program in the nation for training veterinarians in the complexities of animal shelter medicine.

These innovative programs are just a few examples of Maddie’s Fund grants in California. The loss of future funds to finance such wonderful and effective programs will be a serious blow indeed.

For months, opponents of Assembly Bill 1634 have been crying out that the unintended consequences of passage of such an overreaching law could be disastrous for animals in the state. The loss of Maddie’s Fund to California will be catastrophic.

To learn more about Maddie’s Fund, their mission, and the programs they have funded, please visit their website at http://www.maddiesfund.org/.

I can't speak to the accuracy of everything in the Itchmo crosspost, but the basic message --- that the passage of AB 1634 will mean the loss of millions of dollars in Maddie's Fund grants --- does appear to be true.

A news release on the Maddie site states:

Maddie's Fund® Response to Internet
Post

A release circulating on the internet states that if AB 1634 becomes law, no California community will be able to benefit from Maddie's Fund grants. If AB 1634 does pass, it could impact Maddie's® support of spay/neuter programs in California. Since our inception, Maddie's Fund has had a policy of not funding government mandated programs. As stated on our website, "This policy applies to mandatory spay/neuter laws, as well as to other requirements imposed by federal, state and local legislation."

From Maddie’s® Policy on Funding Government Programs and Mandates:

Maddie's Fund® does not provide funding for government programs, including state and local animal care and control mandates. This policy applies to mandatory spay/neuter laws, as well as to other requirements imposed by federal, state and local legislation. Reasons for this policy include:

* Maddie’s Fund is committed to supporting volunteerism and encouraging local philanthropy on behalf of animals.

* Maddie’s Fund believes in local solutions for local problems and supports the right of every community to determine its own path.

* Maddie’s Fund feels strongly that accountability is essential to saving more animal lives.

You can read the rest of this excellent policy statement here, and please visit the Maddie's Fund website to learn more about projects and programs that save the lives of shelter animals.