Lemon Grove, CA, could soon end commercial bird sales in pet stores and allow rescued birds to be adopted instead — and Lady Freethinker supporters helped move this effort forward.
On November 3, voters will decide whether to approve Measure E, a citizen-led initiative that would extend California’s rescue-only retail standards for dogs, cats, and rabbits to birds within the city.
If approved, Measure E would end commercial bird sales in Lemon Grove pet stores. Stores could instead provide space and care for birds available for adoption through qualifying shelters and rescue organizations as long as they do not receive financial benefits from the adoptions.
Reaching the ballot was a grassroots victory and Lady Freethinker supporters helped make it possible. Your donations funded a grant that supported Strategic Action for Animals’ tireless efforts to qualify Measure E, including knocking on doors, talking with neighbors, and building local support.
Then came the moment everyone had worked toward: The successful signature drive brought Measure E before the City Council, where Mayor Alysson Snow called the strong local support for the measure “a mandate.” The council then voted to place Measure E on the November ballot.
Measure E would help fight against the cruelty of the bird trade. Inside commercial “bird mills,” thousands of birds may suffer in filthy, overcrowded conditions. At one parakeet-breeding facility in Oklahoma, USDA inspectors found approximately 10,000 birds crowded together amid waste-coated cages, perches, and water lines. Inspectors also documented inadequate treatment for sick and injured birds.
Representative Image (Jim Bendon/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Approving Measure E would be a compassionate step toward recognizing birds as intelligent, social individuals with complex needs, and not as merchandise.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to every supporter who helped Strategic Action for Animals carry this initiative to the ballot. We urge Lemon Grove residents to vote YES on Measure E when they see this important referendum on their November 3 ballot.
