January 15, 2003

Dear Friend of the Animals

Conditions for our animal friends within the city of Los Angeles are often deplorable. In spite of all our past efforts, dog fighting is epidemic, cock fighting is growing in occurrence and popularity. Packs of abandoned dogs roam the streets of many city neighborhoods. Dogs that are "owned" are often chained their entire lives and live in isolation and filth. Feral cat colonies continue to be at risk on private lands within the city and over 65,000 dogs and cats are destroyed in our impoundment facilities every year.

The answer to addressing many of these issues resides with public decision makers that fail to take these realities seriously. The 2003 LA City Municipal Primary Election offers yet another opportunity to replace city council members who have tolerated sloppy governmental attitudes on our issues for too long. We need to elect public servants committed to the concerns of our community. But we must fight to do so.

We are asking members of the animal advocacy community in Los Angeles to once again roll up their sleeves and help us acquire some political clout. We are asking those with time to fill in and return our calendar with the dates they are free and willing to work at the campaign office of one of our endorsed candidates. If you do not have the time, you must have some money so we are asking those individuals you to make a donation to ALAN PAC (Political Action Committee) c/o Campaign Finance, 900 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 805, Los Angeles CA 90017, (213) 623-0820.

As monies accumulate in our account, we will distribute them to the campaigns in their order of importance. We must tell you that such donations as political donations are not tax deductible and if more than $500 must be reported. But, they are very important in electing good decision makers. ALAN uses none of your money for our own operation. That is covered by private grants from committed individuals. All donations to ALAN PAC go directly to the campaigns of candidates our research leads us to believe would be better for the animals.

Rich Mc Lellan, MD, Director, Animal Legislative Action Network