These are all dogs that I encountered over the last week or so at Carson… Each dog has their own story, and each likely has their own human that utterly failed them, but these noted cases all strike a similar chord.

This is Midi & Spider, 2 dogs from the same household that were surrendered together on 11/4. Midi, the black one, was sweet as the day is long. Super loving, super calm. Spider, the blue/gray one, was very timid and horrified to be at the shelter. He was a nice dog but would never even get a chance…

Spider was killed on 11/12, Midi was killed on 11/14.

This is Monster & Muneca, 2 dogs from the same household that were surrendered together on 11/6. I was actually onsite at Carson taking photographs when these dogs were dumped. The family was confronted by a fellow shelter-goer and they explained that a neighbor’s Chihuahua had been walked into their yard and Monster chased after it. Animal control was called and they “suggested” that the family take Monster to the shelter. Gag! Muneca, the Rottweiler, was not involved in any way and the owner even went out of her way to say that she was “very sweet.” When pressed further about why they were surrendering their dogs, the wife said that she “was really stressed” and just needed to “get rid of them.” After dumping these 2, the family actually walked through the shelter in hopes of adopting another dog… I shit you not, this happened. Monster was wound up that first day, but every day after (about 5 instances) he was extremely sweet to me. Right across the kennel hall was his sister, Muneca, who was also extraordinarily sweet…

Monster & Muneca were both killed on 11/14. I dread the thought of them being reunited in the kill-room, while 1 watches the other be put down. If not that, 1 watching the other being led from their kennel, never to return. Minutes later, their fate then plays out the same way. Literally heartbreaking and another fine reason why some human beings are pieces of garbage with no compassion, empathy, loyalty, humanity, morals, work ethic, desire, focus, determination, etc.

This is Jada, a 7-year-old girl who had a massive tumor hanging from her foot. She was dumped by her owner on 11/8, likely without ever receiving medical care. Point is, her person was a coward who would rather dump his/her companion at a high-kill shelter instead of provide her with the proper care (or try a laundry list of other options), all of which would have been better than abandonment at a scary shelter like Carson…

Jada was killed, scared and alone on 11/16.

This is Pirata & Sparky, 2 dogs from the same household that were surrendered together on 11/9. They are STILL at the shelter. They both have shelter ID numbers that are 1 digit apart–yet they are old ID numbers (A4318547, A4318548), meaning that they were adopted out together from the Carson shelter many months back. Now, whomever adopted them way back when has opted to dump them back at Carson to potentially die… If these types of people are friends, well shit, who needs enemies?

*Update* Sparky was killed on 11/22, Pirata was killed on 11/30.

These 2 dogs, 1 male and 1 female, came from the same household and were surrendered together on 11/12. They are STILL at the shelter. It was clear within 30 seconds of observation that they likely got into a fight with each other at home. The male had fresh puncture wounds on his chest. Both dogs were extremely sad and depressed. They are being held in kennels that are right next to each other. It’s only a guess, but what seems to have happened is that after their scuffle (or 1 they were a part of with another dog), their owner immediately brought them to the shelter and dumped them, rather than take them to the emergency vet and have their wounds cleaned. After all, why would anyone do that? Humans are so fantastic! Knowing this, it’s then obviously far too much to suggest that they look into an obedience trainer for whatever issue the dogs may have had. You know, doing those “necessary things” that you’d think you’d wanna do for a “member of the family.” Are these ideas really out of the ordinary? Too much to ask? I mean, they’re both 2, so chances are they’ve been coexisting for awhile now… Oh well–the owner opted to just discard them like trash, and now here they sit…

*Update* Both of these dogs were killed on 11/23.

And finally… Yesterday, while photographing, I witnessed a surrendered 17-YEAR-OLD Shepherd-mix named Rock! This poor guy is so old that he could barely move, or maybe it was because his nails were about 10x too long and it was absurdly painful for him to take steps. Nevertheless, he gingerly made his way over to the front of the cage for some rubs… Where’s the dignity? Where’s the consideration? Where’s the respect, the loyalty? Whomever dumped this dog is the scumbag of the century… I certainly don’t know what Rock has left in the tank, but even euthanizing him at the family vet while in the presence of his loved ones would have been highly appropriate over this disgraceful betrayal…

*Update* Rock was rescued on 11/18.

This dog was surrendered on 11/2, about an hour before the shelter closed, because the individual that was keeping the dog claimed she was “sick.” This person then called the man who purchased the dog, and told him to come get her because he refused to keep her any longer. Once the dog was picked up, the man that “purchased” her couldn’t take her back to his apartment so he opted to dump her at the Carson shelter instead. The reason I know all of these details is because I witnessed the man dumping the dog, and spoke to him about it on 2 different occasions.

More importantly, the claim that the dog was “sick,” was just that… a claim. There was no visual evidence of the dog being sick, no medical diagnosis done prior to dumping her, and not even a simple vet visit scheduled. The man claimed he couldn’t give the dog that consideration, due to “not having any money.” He just “had no choice” but to dump her because his friend claimed something and then refused to keep her any longer. Here’s where Carson comes in… When surrendering, this man also relayed this story to the Carson staff. He then came back outside to say his goodbye to the dog, and luckily I asked to see his receipt so I could write down the dog’s impound ID# (A4361020). We continued talking for a few minutes and I CLEARLY WARNED HIM (again) THAT THIS WAS A HIGH-KILL SHELTER. He reiterated to me that “he didn’t want to see her die” and that he “hoped someone would save her,” but that he “didn’t know what else to do.”

He then leaves, and at this point the dog was up and jumping at the cage, actively stirring around and etc.

Yes–the dog was laying down for the most part, which the guy kept pointing to as “proof” that something was wrong… But that hardly constitutes a “sick” diagnosis. Numerous things could have been wrong, including her being SAD and DEPRESSED that she was being dumped at a strange place by someone that she clearly recognized… If by chance she was “sick,” there was a high probability that it was just something minimal that could have been taken care of in a matter of days. Point is, there was no vet visit, no diagnosis–and at this hour, no vet techs even on the property.

Fast forward 2 days… I was there again taking pictures, and I noticed that this dog was not being displayed in a public kennel. That night I called the switchboard line to run a handful of IDs, and was told by the phone operator that this dog was euthanized on 11/2. I told her that there must be a mistake, because that was the same night that the dog was dropped off. She checked again and confirmed that yes, the dog was euthanized on 11/2, and that it was because “she was sick.” I immediately filled out and submitted a Stipulated Order Violation form, and hoped to learn more of the details behind what happened here.

I later learned that the shelter claims that they “took her to an outside vet, and it was the outside vet that euthanized her.” Those were all the available notes on the dog’s file. The Carson shelter does have a veterinary office next door, but they are not affiliated with each other. I was told that they do not even use that hospital.

Allow me to restate a few facts:
~This dog was surrendered on the night of 11/2, at around 6pm.
~The Carson shelter closes at 7pm.
~I was physically there onsite until about 7:20, and this dog remained in the cage that was set aside for relinquished animals.
~There is NO vet techs on staff that late, as confirmed by volunteers.
~The dog was killed that same night, 11/2.
~The person surrendering the dog IN NO WAY TOLD, OR EVEN INSINUATED TO THE SHELTER STAFF THAT HE WANTED HER KILLED.

So how was this done? Who killed her, and why? What would lead anyone to believe that this dog was “irremediably suffering”? She was a nice, sweet, alert and highly adoptable dog!

It’s my opinion that the shelter had this done for no reason other than to fast-track her through the killing line under the veil of the “irremediably suffering” verbiage. It is also my belief that this violates The Hayden Act in more than 1 way. This dog was not suffering in any way, other than by being heartbroken because some douchebag that she was bonded with to some degree dumped her in a cage and walked away… If the shelter were to ever claim that this person wanted this dog euthanized, well that would be complete bunk and I can prove it. The even bigger fear is then, what if this happens WAY MORE than what we, the public, even realize? Sadly, it surely must…

The following video is of a 2-year-old momma and her 6-month-old baby, both Pit-mixes, that came into the Carson shelter on the same day (11/2). Sadly, the shelter separated them, but they can still see each other from an angle… They cry out to each other a lot, especially when I showed one of them attention–the other one wails, as to say “Wait, don’t forget about me!”

Mom ~ A4360782 ~ F/2yr
Baby ~ A4360785 ~ F/6mo

CARSON ANIMAL SHELTER
216 W. Victoria St.
Gardena, CA 90248
PHONE = 310-523-9566
FAX = 310-538-9229

As many of you know, I will take a random day and go down to the shelter with the intention of photographing every single Pit Bull or mix that that specific shelter houses at that time. I’ll then upload that group of photos with the intention of initiating a massive networking blitz for these dogs. I depend on all of you to help me, and hopefully from that we make a big difference in a few of these dogs’ lives. I follow each dog that I photograph, and make public whatever information I learn concerning whether the dog was adopted/rescued/redeemed/killed, etc.

Well, on 9/17/2011 I was at the Carson shelter, and these numbers don’t lie…

50 Pit Bulls/mixes were photographed.
Of those 50, 37 were killed.
Of the 13 that were saved, 2 were redeemed by their owners, and 7 were directly saved through networking efforts that originated on my picture threads.
I say that not to toot my own horn–because I usually play a marginal role once the pictures go live–but more to underscore how big of a difference a simple photograph can potentially make for an innocent shelter dogs life. If you want to volunteer your time, please do that, as these dogs would definitely enjoy the company of any loving and genuine person.

But let’s be clear… What I do should be WELCOMED by Carson, as it HELPS their dogs reach a public audience. My intention is to HELP get the dogs adopted, rescued, saved. You’d think that any shelter would embrace that kind of an organic effort. Unfortunately, politics and a bullying need for an iron curtain rules supreme inside many of these facilities. Their own fear of their “public image” being squandered prohibits them from even allowing genuine people to offer assistance in any kind of a collaborative fashion. They need control of information at all times, and they don’t want any negative press coming from any direction–even if it’s simply just someone telling the truth, aka stating facts, aka bringing light to a situation. They then fear double the public blowback that may come when this information is given to an open public. This is one of this shelter’s many problems, the shrinking from transparency, not unlike Government… The giving the illusion of caring, while they continue to plunder in the shadows–again, not unlike Government. What Carson specifically doesn’t realize is that blowback’s coming when you act like that. People aren’t stupid. Many can see through that charade from the minute it’s trotted out. So why push a willing participant away when he wants to help you adopt out your Pit Bulls, wants to help you lower your kill numbers, etc.? This isn’t a question for me, it’s for them, and unfortunately I’ve been left asking it from the very second that I walked out of Gil Moreno’s office many, many months ago.

But see, even with the (unwanted) networking assistance, their kill-rate was still 74% of all of the Pit Bulls existing on the property on that day in September. That is disgraceful.
You then take the 7 dogs out of the equation that had their rescue’s spring from the Facebook threads, and that kill-rate all of a sudden jumps to 88%!
I mean, what in the hell is going on at Carson? These numbers simply cannot be ignored.

To Carson and the LA County DACC: Since you continue (for now) evading my public records requests, I’ll just simply begin publishing the fractions of numbers that I know to be factual. You got a problem with it? Then either stop this public relations facade & embrace the fact that you actually KILL DOGS, or just stop killing so many dogs! I know that would require putting some kind of effort forth, but that’s your job… Is that that horrible? In my view you need to formulate some alternatives, take long/hard looks at internal policies, do some adoption events, reengage your staff and a certain portion of your volunteers, and drop whatever lazy weight still exists–amongst other things. But start. Do something. Try. Care. Please!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a conference on “shelter litigation,” put on by the UCLA Animal Law program. One of the guest speakers for the night was Sheldon Eisenberg, the attorney who successfully sued the L.A. County DACC (Department of Animal Care and Control), on behalf of Cathy Nguyen and Rebecca Arvizu.

I wanted to write an article not only detailing what I learned, but to reinforce what I already knew–and to make unequivocally clear to the shelters (Carson) who troll my website and who fear-monger their own staff and volunteers, that what they are doing is wrong and illegal. They already know this, as they have been sued and were resoundingly defeated in a court of law. But based on their own actions, it seems as though they care not what the results of this lawsuit was, and that they would instead rather carry on the same way as before, as to insinuate that they think no one else will stand up and sue again.

Let it be stated clearly: Section 1983 (42 U.S.C § 1983) applies to anyone who is acting as authority under state law–be it Government, municipalities, police, and certainly city & county animal shelters.

The 1st amendment of the Constitution of the United States gives each and every citizen the freedom of speech, the right to complain, the right to petition and redress i.e. demand abuses are addressed. This right can in no way be trampled on by anyone, let alone by a bureaucrat within a tax-payer funded animal shelter. If a shelter manager claims otherwise, they are LYING. If a “volunteer agreement contract” makes you state that you “shall not talk,” it has no justification under the law to make such a claim. This is a breach of a person’s most fundamental and important right, and if shelter managers are still parading around as if they hold this power, they just haven’t had their bluff called in a court of law. They have no power or claim over this right, end of story, period.

As far as going about “showing an actual injury” if you are considering filing a lawsuit… The “injury” is the loss of a governmental benefit or privilege. This absolutely WILL hold up in court. The fundamental point is that there shouldn’t be any retaliation going on, not arguing over the semantics of what defines an “injury.” People are entitled to the benefit of being a volunteer.

This is the problem… Good, honest and compassionate people are working as shelter volunteers all across this country. That is a fact! Not only that, but many of them enter as staff with those same exact noble personality traits and with totally genuine intentions. It’s only when they get thrown into the belly of the beast, seeing and experiencing the draconian bureaucracy first hand, that 1 of 2 things normally happens: Either 1.) They (knowingly or unknowingly) allow this daily depressing reality to shift and change them as human beings, extinguishing the good qualities that they once held dear and high. They become disengaged and beaten down, desensitized to the realities and then before they know it they are just passively accepting them. Or 2.) They remain kind and good, honest individuals who try to go above and beyond what their job descriptions demand–but find themselves boxed in or constantly shut down by a superior. This then multiplies in scope, as instances pile up and situations are witnessed–and when a volunteer or staff member wants to, or feels it necessary to speak out, they are forced to weigh the real possibility of losing their job. This is done through obvious insinuation, outright and blatant threats, and most notably the given “illusion” by a manager or superior that they actually hold this ability. These people are then, as staff, faced with losing their source of income–and as volunteers, faced with losing their access to the animals that they love and want to help. They wrestle with this, and 99x out of 100 choose to do nothing, due to the fear of retaliation.

Cathy, on the other hand, didn’t let the fear of retaliation deter her from speaking out and voicing her many concerns. This promptly resulted in Marcia Mayeda, in concert with the Carson shelter and on behalf of the entire L.A. County DACC, revoking her pull rights as a rescue partner. This illegal action was swiftly reversed with a lawsuit… So please, let Cathy serve as an example, and as an inspiration to all others going forward.

The tricky part to all of this involves finding an attorney who will actually take cases like these on, and do them for free, as most of us cannot afford lengthy representation. Under 42 U.S.C § 1988 there is a set precedent for awarding attorney’s fees to the prevailing party, so this will be 1 likely route of repayment for concerned attorneys. Another is California Code of Civil Procedure 1021.5. Many attorneys will consider doing pro bono work if they are passionate about the cause, it’s just a matter of finding them…

Lastly, Eisenberg went over what litigation can and cannot do…

What litigation can do?
~Address clear violations (ongoing and systematic conduct)
~Generate attention/publicity « Important, as public and media scrutiny puts pressure on officials to actually do their jobs. This may also develop an incentive to correct any problems, as to avoid further scrutiny.

What litigation cannot do?
~Change shelter management
~Implement effective outside supervision (3rd party monitors)*
~Create No Kill shelters
*This comes into question though, as Carson and the L.A. County DAAC have already been sued–and with that, have agreed upon a settlement with conditions. If they are found to be “not complying” with the demanded changes attached to the prior settlement, that then creates a situation where outside supervision could be argued as necessary… All of this remains to be seen.

My final message to the people whose voices are being suppressed, whose concerns are being silenced, and whose intentions are being met with retaliatory threats: You need to know your rights. You need to take the necessary action if it is required. This is the only way that things will change… Come together, talk amongst each other, do not be bullied into going along with something that you know is not right. This is how oppression stays in place, when good people do nothing.

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Is this a joke? I mean, clearly it’s not, but c’mon. Can the discriminatory media, in this case the New York Post, sink any lower and obscure any farther? I find it stunningly disgraceful that a human being can flat out murder another human being, and then that portion of information comes secondary to the news that the alleged-murderer “owned” a Pit Bull. What does that silently say about the demonization going on here?

This dog had “dried blood on it’s face and snout”? Well yes, I’d assume as much, as someone WAS MURDERED in the apartment in which he lived! But seriously, how does anyone know how the blood got there? The browser subtext reads “City marshals intending to evict Upper East Side tenant find him DOA in pool of blood; dog-owning roommate questioned.” Just as plausible is that the dog could have sniffed, nudged, or licked the murdered individual, or the “pool of blood,” or better yet–the dog could have just walked through a certain area, because again, who knows how much blood was ultimately dispersed from this human-on-human act… They claim bite marks? I’d like to see them. We all know how this sensationalistic garbage is spewed in these short media accounts, just check the story’s headline! And if there was ultimately bites on the body? Well, the 2 persons were physically fighting… This easily could have caused this dog to enter whatever struggle did occur.

With that being said, would ALL Pit Bulls enter a human-on-human fight? No. Many would cower or go as far away from the confrontation as possible. It’s all subjective to the relationship that the dog may have to its owner, the dogs own personality, and other variables–many of which are obviously in play for this specific situation… But just to be clear, from a basic standpoint, it’s not even a “negative” thing if your own dog (whatever breed) would jump in with the intention of standing up and potentially protecting you. This happens all the time, as dogs LOVE their people. Unfortunately this trait can be exploited–as dogs, especially Pit Bulls, live to please their owners, even when they themselves are not being treated well by that same owner. Quickly read through the paragraph detailing Dyer’s “some 20 arrests for crimes that include assault,” and it’s pretty safe to assume that this person was not a very good guy. Chances are he treated his dog, Bones, like shit. I don’t know either way, but my point is that the dog shouldn’t be blamed for…
1.) Having a bad owner.
2.) Being thrown into an environment where 2 people are trying to actually kill each other.
3.) Someone actually being killed by another person.

Oh yes, someone was actually murdered by Shaun Dyer–but yet the Pit Bull is getting the headlines, and worse, being subliminally tied to that act (which he had no part of) through the media’s coverage. That is the America that we live in. This needs changed.

Also, does anyone find it odd that Animal Control officers were able to remove Bones “without any problems”? Afterwards leaving him “tied in front of the building for hours.” Hmm, that’s so curious. For a dog in which YOU, the media, would rather us believe (through implication) was viciously out of control… Further down the article calls Bones a “snarling beast.” And yet he was just left tied to the front of the building for passersby? That doesn’t add up. See what reading does? Those are 2 dissenting pieces of information that probably didn’t make it into the televised sound bite-reality.

Lastly, I’m glad that there are some existing quotes in the piece that are actually sticking up for the dog… I will note them here:

I knew him when he was a good-natured and good dog. I took him for a walk once. The dog takes on the personality of the owner. If the dog is mistreated, he’s going to mistreat others.

And even more damning, coming from someone who sees the dog 4x a week, postal worker Rafael Reveron…

I’ve worked in the area for five years. I’ve seen the dog three to four times a week. The dog does not seem aggressive, it doesn’t even bark.

What will happen to Bones? I hope someone is following his story…
Shaun Dyer is charged for murder, yet his name is nowhere in the headline. “Murder” itself, appears nowhere in the headline. Where is Shaun Dyer’s picture? Not included. On the other hand, “Pit Bull” most definitely appears in the headline, as well as a picture of Bones for full programming effect. This is completely unjust, make no “bones” about that.

Pit Bull lovers: Please honestly think about this scenario… What happens if someone breaks into your home and your dog actually jumps up to protect you? What if this intruder’s intention was to rob, rape, or murder you or your family? And ultimately, does it matter what the intention was? As the person was breaking into your home, so the intention wasn’t good regardless… So what if this intruder is then actually injured by your dog. Is the intended crime and criminal going to lead the news story? Or will your dog injuring the intruder, and its “type,” actually BE the news story? I know that sounds ridiculous… But our media is ridiculous, and this is a legitimate fear!

Fact: At times we find ourselves living in a hateful and ignorant world where it may seem that love and common sense isn’t able to counterbalance the insanity. PLEASE CONTINUE TO LOVE AND THINK LOGICALLY ANYWAYS, AS IT’S ALWAYS WORTH THE EFFORT.

*Update* Bones is now listed as being held at a Manhattan shelter with the notes “attacks people” on his file, his shelter ID# is A913969… What a travesty! Here’s his intake photo from the “Urgent Part 2” Facebook page.

*Update II* Bones is still alive, being kept for “evidence” at a Manhattan shelter facility! What is to become of him after they do the forensic impression of his teeth? This quote comes from a law enforcement source working on the case…

He had a horrible owner, but he’s a wonderful dog. He’s just as happy as can be.

This is a great day for California pet guardians–and if this is indeed a precedent that will enact change elsewhere, pet folks from around the country. Why? Because “Molly’s Bill,” otherwise known as AB 258, was signed into law today.

What is it? It’s a bill that will now officially allow for EXEMPTIONS to the “mandatory” rabies vaccine poison that we are being forced/brainwashed into pumping into our pet’s bodies every year (due to California law and licensing requirements).

Fact is that the over-vaccination of our pets is a national epidemic in this country. Many companion animals are getting vaccinated every year for rabies, plus given a hodge-podge of any and all “boosters” that are completely unnecessary to your pet’s well being. Unfortunately, in California we’re still being forced to show a yearly proof of rabies vaccination. This means that many people (I’d venture to say the majority) are still giving a rabies vaccine to their dog every year! …Even while alternative medicine studies show that the first “adult” rabies vaccine given to a dog likely carries upwards of a 10-year immunity. It’s completely jacked! Thankfully they’ve at least made a 3-year shot that is thimerosal-free (mercury), and that’s the IMRAB 3 TF.

Anyways, it has been thoroughly pointed out for anyone willing to pay attention that in an ENDLESS amount of cases, vaccines (and for that matter certain flea medicines pesticides) have absolutely caused debilitating adverse reactions. Even worse, they have been shown to considerably raise the chances of disease–both immediate and long term disease. This is the pharmaceutical industry at work, creating a culture of disease that will keep you coming in for different treatments. Once your pet is sick and in need of certain medications–which in many instances are themselves highly toxic–it will lead to something else, and so on and so forth. This is the industry of illness… Creating a vehicle for disease–and then offering the gamut of solutions, which in and of themselves will likely cause another illness.

Now imagine if your pet is already sick… Cancers, blood diseases, autoimmune diseases, organ disorders, severe allergies, etc… Are you still going to line them up for these needless injections, which have a known history of not only CREATING, but also COMPOUNDING those problems? It’s disturbing and disgusting and a literal crime against life. Thankfully now, due to “Molly’s Bill,” if your veterinarian determines that your pet is likely to have a dangerous or lethal reaction to the vaccine, it can be legally waived. No more “not licensing your dog to avoid having to show the proof of a rabies vaccination,” as I did for 4 years in order to protect and prolong Sway’s life.

Shifting gears, the reason why this article may be interpreted by some as a “tangent” is because this situation has directly affected myself and my loved ones, as well as opened up my eyes on the topic. My dog Sway was killed by an autoimmune disease (AIHA) that was caused by a long line of illness attributed to a secondary rabies vaccine. I’ve lived through it, studied up on it, been shaken to the core by it, and had my best friend in the entire world taken because of it. She was an absolutely perfectly healthy dog for the first half of her life… Then I moved from Ohio to California and for her to be flown out to me it was “required” that she get another rabies vaccine in order to be able to board the plane. Within mere months of this injection the second half of her life was immediately filled with medical issue after medical issue. As for me? I’d carry the heartbreak of knowing that my dog’s amazing health and well being was disastrously compromised by this awful and unnecessary shot.

We were clearly unlucky in that regard, as every dog is different and every reaction is different. Some dogs are lucky enough to have no vaccine reaction at all, ever. While some dogs may never see a disease spring up from the existence of these inoculations… That’s tough to say though, as cancer rates are exploding, autoimmune disorders are completely off of the charts. Why? Also, would these diseases even go noticed by the majority of owners? Because I know how I treat my pets, but I’d say I’m in the top 1% when it comes to loving and providing for my pets as family. So how many are silent statistics? Hmm. With that, the best I can do is to simply say that “some” dogs may go unaffected by vaccines. But “some” is not good enough. Vaccines cause thousands upon thousands of complications, both mild and extremely severe, both in animals and in humans. Vaccines cause death, both directly and indirectly, both swiftly and drawn out over time. If you notice–the namesake of this bill, Molly, has the same blood condition that Sway battled valiantly for over 2 years. Thankfully she’s likely faced a less severe version of the anemia, or responded well enough to treatments and in turn is still around to see such an excellent thing passed into law. Sadly, so many others are not so lucky. God bless her and her family, and I pray for Molly’s continued health…

Lastly, this is a dialogue that I think is extremely important. The passing of this law is something that is a priceless asset for the citizens of California, so please, don’t take it for granted (or fail to do your own research).
Thank you Assemblyman Curt Hagman, for having the courage and the compassion to get something like this done.
Thank you Governor Jerry Brown, for finally signing it into law.
And most importantly: Thank you Sam, Cecilia & Molly Gadd–for bringing light to this hideous reality and for fighting publicly to make it an issue. Your hard work is certainly recognized here!