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12:03 PM
1.Call to order and Roll Call
Present Commissioners: Sally Stephens, Andrea Brooks, Pam Hemphill, Philip Gerrie
Absent, Commissioners William Herndon – SF Police, Vicky Guldbech – ACC, Mara Weiss DVM, Christine Garcia, Laurie Kennedy-Routhier, Bob Palacio – Rec & Park
2. San Francisco Zoo Action item
Action to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors urging them to hold hearings about animal welfare issues at the SF Zoo. The Commission will recommend that the Board focus hearings on the need to: 1) Make animal welfare the priority 2.) Reform zoo managements, oversight, and accountability through the creation of a Board-appointed “Zoo Oversight commission” 3) Transition to a rescue zoo.
Comr. Stephens – Draft of letter and supporting pages are available at ACWC website. Changes were made in the regular ACWC meeting on March 13th, 2008. Do current copies, now circulated, reflect those changes?
2 Public Comment
Jennifer Blum – Animal Defenders International – Many animals in zoo are suffering from boredom, deprivation, and unhealthy conditions confined to insufficient enclosures.
Confinement is a travesty to many animals. Commission forced to only try to make their confined lives better. Animals enclosures should try to approximate natural conditions. Supports action to Supervisors.
Bill Hamilton – Animal Defenders International – Animal welfare should be the zoo’s highest priority. Further zoo plans to improve human amenities should come second. Zoo animals from warm climates should be in heated indoor enclosures. Such confinement is inhumane. Current zoo management care more about profit, attendance, and public relations than animal welfare. Commission’s letter to Supervisors is good first step.
Mark Ennis – Thanks Commission for their work. Recounts recent observations at zoo of pacing anteater and polar bear. Faults zoo management. Supports action to Supervisors.
Deniz Bolbol – Supports sending letter to Supervisors. Supports transforming zoo into a rescue zoo. Hopes Supervisors will be receptive.
Justin – Supports points in Commissions’ recommendations. Especially concerning zoo management.
Lloyd Kraal – former maintenance supervisor SF Zoo – Supports letter to Supervisors. Sees resistance from Zoological Society. Zoological Society also needs overhaul. Two major exhibits, savannah and lemur, built with bond money, were poorly built.
Christine Barnett – Recently attended friends’ wedding held in the savannah. Torn between celebrating the wedding and feelings for the suffering of the animals. Ashamed of zoo.
Dr. Elliot Katz – IDA – Supports letter to Supervisors. Proud to support change to rescue zoo. A haven for animals.
Pat Covella – Thanks Commission for recommendation.
Julie Ruckers – Sat in Joint Zoo Committee meetings. Sees as ineffective. Thanks Commission for their work.
Douglass – Animal cruelty at zoo is partially connected to human greed as to how money is spent.
2 Commissioners discussion
Comr. Stephens – Reads letter from Comr. Garcia who supports sending the letter to Supervisors. Asks Commissioners for any changes. Non voiced. Unanimous support for letter as is. We, as a society, have a moral obligation to take care of zoo animals the best way possible.
Comr. Brooks – Moves to vote on sending letter, supplements, and copies of letters from three zoo experts to Supervisors. Comr. Gerrie seconds. Passed unanimously. Will hand deliver it to Supervisors within the week.
Adjournment 12:35 PM
Respectfully submitted by
Philip Gerrie
Commission Secretary