Remembering Oreo
And The No Kill Advocacy Center’s efforts to save 375,000 others like her
Today marks the solemn anniversary of the ASPCA’s killing of Oreo.
On November 13, 2009, the ASPCA killed Oreo, an abused dog who a No Kill sanctuary offered to save. Oreo was a one-year-old dog thrown off the roof of a six-floor Brooklyn apartment building. She suffered two broken legs and a fractured rib. Several of the neighbors in the building reported hearing her being beaten.
The ASPCA dubbed her the “miracle dog” and fundraised off her plight, reportedly raising millions. But the miracle was short-lived. After the money was counted and safely deposited into ASPCA bank accounts, the ASPCA decided to kill her.
If it was true that Oreo was still traumatized and untrusting, as they claimed, who could blame her? Although the ASPCA could have cared for Oreo as long as it took to get her to trust again, they refused. But others came forward to offer a second chance the ASPCA would not.
A No Kill sanctuary near the ASPCA, which specializes in rehabilitating dogs (and, if that proves impossible, safely caring for them for the rest of their lives), contacted the ASPCA to ask if they could assume responsibility for Oreo. They made numerous telephone calls and sent multiple emails. They were ignored, hung up on, and lied to. Two group volunteers even went to the ASPCA but were escorted out after ASPCA managers refused to meet with them.
On a cold morning in November, Oreo was killed, not by her abuser but by those whose mission was to protect her. The kennel the sanctuary readied in anticipation of her arrival lay empty and unused that day, filled with a soft bed, a pool of water, and several toys for her to play with. Instead, the ASPCA discarded Oreo’s body in a landfill.
The No Kill Advocacy Center wrote legislation to make it illegal for “shelters” to kill animals when qualified rescue organizations are willing to save them. Tragically and cruelly, New York Assemblymember Donna Lupardo refuses to allow a vote at the behest of the ASPCA.
Instead of enjoying the loving new homes rescue groups would have found them, 375,000 more animals have been killed since because of the ASPCA and its enablers like Assemblymember Lupardo. But we refuse to give up and will continue to fight for laws mandating a right of rescue in New York, as we do in other states, including California, Colorado, Texas, Virginia, and elsewhere.
Want to help us pass rescue rights in your city or state?
Download our model Animal Rescue Act by clicking here.
Download our guide to the legislative process by clicking here.