Category Archives: Euthanasia

//= do_shortcode('[in-content-square]')?> Steve Jetley and Tina Humphrey

The widower of a Britains Got Talent finalist has spoken out in favour of legislation allowing assisted dying.

Tina Humphrey, who made it to the finals of Britains Got Talent in 2010, took her own life while in the final stages of metastatic melanoma, an aggressive cancer in 2017.

Her widow, Steve Jetley, who lives in Powys, said that he backed a change in the law after it was raised in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons last week.

Tina, 45, and her dog Chandi reached the final of Britains Got Talent in 2010 after wowing viewers with their dance routines. She died age 45 in May 2017 after taking her own life.

Currently, under the 1961 Suicide Act, anyone in England and Wales who helps another person die could face a maximum jail term of 14 years.

Opponents of assisted dying fear it would place pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden upon others.

But Steve Jetley said that Tina Humphreys last days involved excruciating pain and that if assisted dying had been legal her death would have been a more comfortable one.

After attempting to take her own life Tina had expected she would fall asleep and die soon after, Steve Jetley but because she was unable to ask for assistance from someone medically qualified that did not happen.

Instead she slipped in and out of consciousness while she struggled to breath. She didnt die for another 15 hours.

Dont understand

Campaign groups such as Care Not Killing argue that persistent requests for euthanasia are extremely rare if people are properly cared for and so the priority must be to ensure that good care addressing peoples physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs is accessible to all.

They also point to the fact that despite being legal in other countries, the number of British people travelling abroad for the purposes of euthanasia is very small compared to numbers in countries that have legalised assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Steve Jetley however said that when his wife decided to choose the time and manner of her death herself, he knew she wasnt going to change her mind, and that dying on her own terms was so important to her.

She desperately wanted to live but that choice had been taken away by the cancer and so I supported her choice to shorten her suffering, he said.

I feel guilty, terribly guilty that she didnt have the peaceful death she so wanted. I have nightmares about it all the time. I also feel terribly angry about the cruelty of the current law. Thats why it must change, so people can have the choice to die peacefully, which Tina and so many others have been denied.

I dont understand the opposition to changes in the law. These people arent taking their own life thats already been taken away. They are shortening their death.

Steve, who attended Dignity in Dyings demonstration outside the House of Lords during the Second Reading of the Assisted Dying Bill in October, has contributed to a new report from the campaign group.

EntitledLast Resort: The hidden truth about how dying people take their own lives in the UK, it estimates that under the ban on assisted dying up to 650 dying citizens take their own lives every year, with up to 6500 attempting to do so.

This is in addition to 50 Brits a year who travel to Switzerland for an assisted death and 17 a day who suffer in pain as they die despite palliative care.

Polling released as part of the report suggests that seven in 10 Brits believe there is a distinction between assisted dying and suicide, and seven in 10 feel suicide prevention measures should not stop terminally ill people seeking assisted death.

Clear

Last week, the Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Choice at the End of life, spoke in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons calling for a clear process of reform of assisted dying laws in England and Wales.

In October an Assisted Dying Bill brought by Dignity in Dyings chair, crossbench peer Baroness Meacher, passed its Second Reading unopposed in the House of Lords.

The Bill proposes that terminally ill, mentally competent adults who have been given six months or less to live should have the choice of a safe, legal assisted death, subject to strict safeguards.

Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said that the Bill represents a safer, fairer, more compassionate response to the desire of many terminally ill citizens for greater choice at the end of their lives.

We need a clear process in Westminster reforming the outdated status quo, with proper time set aside for this crucial debate, he said.

Read more:

Widower of Britain's Got Talent star backs assisted dying law - Nation.Cymru

posted by Sentinel-TimesDecember 8, 2021News

A LIVE Humpback whale which washed up at Honeysuckles on Ninety Mile Beach near Seaspray has been euthanised.

Rodney Vile, principal officer wildlife emergencies at Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) said: The Humpback whale is 10 metres long and was first reported on Monday by members of the community, with DELWP and Parks Victoria staff heading straight out to investigate.

The highest priority of crews and agencies working together at the site on Monday was caring for the welfare of the whale, he said.

The whale was assessed and cared for by veterinarians from Zoos Victoria and found to be in very poor condition.

Due to the whales condition, euthanasia was the only option to respond humanely to this event.

The whale was euthanised late Monday evening.

An exclusion zone has been established around the whale while DELWP considers all options for managing the carcass.

It is an offence for people or their dogs to be within 300 metres of a whale.

Whales are protected under the Wildlife Act regardless of whether they are dead or alive. It is an offence for a person to approach, interfere, take or be in possession of parts of a dead whale.

DELWP is working with the relevant agencies to monitor the carcass and determine management options going forward. Cultural Heritage specialists from DELWP, in partnership with Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), are assisting in management advice for the carcass.

The public are urged to exercise caution as sharks may be present in higher concentration and closer to the shore than normal. A shark warning has been put in place for the local area. Keep informed of the latest information on the VicEmergency website and app.

For more information on staying safe around sharks, go to vfa.vic.gov.au/shark-smart.

Stay informed at emergency.vic.gov.au.

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Euthanasia 'only Option' For Whale Washed Ashore - South Gippsland Sentinel-Times

The Switzerland Federal Court overturned the conviction of a Geneva doctor who helped a healthy elderly woman in an assisted suicide so that she did not outlive her terminally ill husband.

Originally found guilty in 2019, Pierre Beck was sentenced to 120 days suspended jail sentence for breaking federal law. He administered a lethal dose of pre-anesthetic pentobarbital and a strong sedative to intentionally help end the life of an 86 year old woman. He was found guilty under the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) and article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code. That code states that assisted suicide based on selfish motives is punishable by imprisonment.

Appealing the case, the Federal Court overturned the 2019 decision finding that the TPA was invalid in this instance, as there is no medical indication for the prescription of pentobarbital, which is not used therapeutically with healthy people, rendering the TPA invalid. It was a case that divided the presiding judgesas the 3:2 decision also found thatpentobarbitalwas included in the Narcotics Act.

Switzerland is one of few countries to have legalized assisted suicide in the 1940s; it has long been knownas a place for people to travel to for euthanasia or assisted dying. This decision comes after the recent invention of an assisted suicide chamber, known as the Sarco device, was introduced and permitted under Swiss Federal Law.

See the article here:

Swiss Supreme Court overturn sentence of doctor who assisted the suicide of healthy elderly woman - JURIST

Vicky Phelan, the terminally ill cervical cancer campaigner, has urged politicians to pass legislation to give people like her the option to be medically assisted to die. She justifies this request by appealing to the right of a terminally ill person to end their suffering.

Vicky Phelans last wish to the Irish State will be met by predictable resistance, by many of our politicians and a sizable section of the public more broadly. Securing justice is always an uphill battle, and no one knows this more than Vicky Phelan.

Even if Vicky Phelan is successful in this campaign for justice for terminally ill people, it is unlikely that she will benefit from it herself. Moral progress moves at a snail's pace in Ireland, and time is not on her side, as she knows only too well. But that is inconsequential; Vicky Phelans latest campaign is in keeping with her immense commitment to civic duty, public spiritedness, and indomitable sense of justice.

Before going any further, it is imperative to clarify a key point: euthanasia is not a disability issue.

In seeking assisted suicide, a person who is terminally ill is not trying to escape their disability. Instead, this is a debate about the right to choose in the face of death.

It is also about fundamental equality: someone who is terminally ill has a right to be treated as a moral agent on a par with every other person in society.

To be an agent, or to have agency, is to have the capacity to make choices. This is the essence of our personal autonomy. There is nothing more disrespectful to a person than to have their ability to choose being taken away from them, or to be impeded from exercising their self-rule.

Another way of expressing the same idea is that there is nothing more empowering than the ability to make a choice about oneself, about ones own life. It is our duty, as a society, to empower people, and that includes those who are terminally ill. Perhaps especially them.

In certain circumstances and under specific conditions, being able to choose when to terminate our life is to make a statement about our autonomy, our moral agency, our self-respect.

Oxford Philosopher Joseph Raz famously defined autonomy in terms of being the author of our own life. Authors write books. Think of your life as a novel, part historical and part fiction perhaps. Your autonomy is what makes it a book about you, it is your book.

The ability to make choices is pivotal to making our life-book our own original, unique work of art. All books must end. As any author knows the ending of a book is crucial to the success of the book, often the most memorable chapter of our magnum opus.

As American philosopher Ronald Dworkin says referring to euthanasia, none of us wants to end our lives out of character; we want the last chapter of our life to be consistent with all the previous chapters. How we die matters to us because we want to retain control over our life, all of it, until the last moment. The ending of any story should be congruent to what came before.

For those like Vicky Phelan tragically forced to contemplate assisted suicide, some of the most pressing issues are about being themselves until the end, and not be forced to write the last few pages of their book out of character.

They want to maintain their dignity. They want to be remembered in a certain way, and not in the condition they find themselves in. They dont want to be degraded into becoming the object of continuing anguish.

French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, writing in the 16th century, encouraged us to face death head-on, without fear. Today a terminally ill person like Vicky Phelan is being denied the vital character-defining moment of being able to choose when to end her suffering.

Death is the last chapter of our life-book, and we want to be ourselves, and maintain our character, until the very end. This is the reason why euthanasia under certain conditions ought to be a choice.

To impede or obstruct this choice is to take away someones dignity, to subtract someones autonomy, and ultimately to disrespect their moral agency.

That cannot be right. It would have been inconceivable to force Tolstoy to write a different ending to Anna Karenina, and similarly it is wrong to deny a terminally ill person authorship of the last chapter of their life.

After the divorce referendum, the same-sex marriage referendum, and the abortion referendum, assisted suicide for the terminally ill is the next chapter in Irelands unfolding history. Exactly what will be written in these pages will shape the future of Irelands own life-book.

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Vicky Phelan and the right of terminally ill people to end their suffering - Irish Examiner

Indian J Med Res. 2012 Dec; 136(6): 899902.

Department of Psychiatry National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (Deemed University) Bangalore 560 029, India

Department of Psychiatry National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (Deemed University) Bangalore 560 029, India

Department of Psychiatry National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (Deemed University) Bangalore 560 029, India

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The word euthanasia, originated in Greece means a good death1. Euthanasia encompasses various dimensions, from active (introducing something to cause death) to passive (withholding treatment or supportive measures); voluntary (consent) to involuntary (consent from guardian) and physician assisted (where physician's prescribe the medicine and patient or the third party administers the medication to cause death)2,3. Request for premature ending of life has contributed to the debate about the role of such practices in contemporary health care. This debate cuts across complex and dynamic aspects such as, legal, ethical, human rights, health, religious, economic, spiritual, social and cultural aspects of the civilised society. Here we argue this complex issue from both the supporters and opponents perspectives, and also attempts to present the plight of the sufferers and their caregivers. The objective is to discuss the subject of euthanasia from the medical and human rights perspective given the background of the recent Supreme Court judgement3 in this context.

In India abetment of suicide and attempt to suicide are both criminal offences. In 1994, constitutional validity of Indian Penal Code Section (IPC Sec) 309 was challenged in the Supreme Court4. The Supreme Court declared that IPC Sec 309 is unconstitutional, under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the constitution in a landmark judgement4. In 1996, an interesting case of abetment of commission of suicide (IPC Sec 306) came to Supreme Court5. The accused were convicted in the trial court and later the conviction was upheld by the High Court. They appealed to the Supreme Court and contended that right to die be included in Article 21 of the Constitution and any person abetting the commission of suicide by anyone is merely assisting in the enforcement of the fundamental right under Article 21; hence their punishment is violation of Article 21. This made the Supreme Court to rethink and to reconsider the decision of right to die. Immediately the matter was referred to a Constitution Bench of the Indian Supreme Court. The Court held that the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution does not include the right to die5.

Regarding suicide, the Supreme Court reconsidered its decision on suicide. Abetment of suicide (IPC Sec 306) and attempt to suicide (IPC Sec 309) are two distinct offences, hence Section 306 can survive independent of Section 309. It has also clearly stated that a person attempts suicide in a depression, and hence he needs help, rather than punishment. Therefore, the Supreme Court has recommended to Parliament to consider the feasibility of deleting Section 309 from the Indian Penal Code3.

Eliminating the invalid: Euthanasia opposers argue that if we embrace the right to death with dignity, people with incurable and debilitating illnesses will be disposed from our civilised society. The practice of palliative care counters this view, as palliative care would provide relief from distressing symptoms and pain, and support to the patient as well as the care giver. Palliative care is an active, compassionate and creative care for the dying6.

Constitution of India: Right to life is a natural right embodied in Article 21 but suicide is an unnatural termination or extinction of life and, therefore, incompatible and inconsistent with the concept of right to life. It is the duty of the State to protect life and the physician's duty to provide care and not to harm patients. If euthanasia is legalised, then there is a grave apprehension that the State may refuse to invest in health (working towards Right to life). Legalised euthanasia has led to a severe decline in the quality of care for terminally-ill patients in Holland7. Hence, in a welfare state there should not be any role of euthanasia in any form.

Symptom of mental illness: Attempts to suicide or completed suicide are commonly seen in patients suffering from depression8, schizophrenia9 and substance users10. It is also documented in patients suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder11. Hence, it is essential to assess the mental status of the individual seeking for euthanasia. In classical teaching, attempt to suicide is a psychiatric emergency and it is considered as a desperate call for help or assistance. Several guidelines have been formulated for management of suicidal patients in psychiatry12. Hence, attempted suicide is considered as a sign of mental illness13.

Malafide intention: In the era of declining morality and justice, there is a possibility of misusing euthanasia by family members or relatives for inheriting the property of the patient. The Supreme Court has also raised this issue in the recent judgement3. Mercy killing should not lead to killing mercy in the hands of the noble medical professionals. Hence, to keep control over the medical professionals, the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 discusses euthanasia briefly in Chapter 6, Section 6.7 and it is in accordance with the provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 199414. There is an urgent need to protect patients and also medical practitioners caring the terminally ill patients from unnecessary lawsuit. Law commission had submitted a report (no-196) to the government on this issue15.

Emphasis on care: Earlier majority of them died before they reached the hospital but now it is converse. Now sciences had advanced to the extent, life can be prolonged but not to that extent of bringing back the dead one. This phenomenon has raised a complex situation. Earlier diseases outcome was discussed in terms of CURE but in the contemporary world of diseases such as cancer, Aids, diabetes, hypertension and mental illness are debated in terms best CARE, since cure is distant. The principle is to add life to years rather than years to life with a good quality palliative care. The intention is to provide care when cure is not possible by low cost methods. The expectation of society is, cure from the health professionals, but the role of medical professionals is to provide care. Hence, euthanasia for no cure illness does not have a logical argument. Whenever, there is no cure, the society and medical professionals become frustrated and the fellow citizen take extreme measures such as suicide, euthanasia or substance use. In such situations, palliative and rehabilitative care comes to the rescue of the patient and the family. At times, doctors do suggest to the family members to have the patient discharged from the hospital wait for death to come, if the family or patient so desires. Various reasons are quoted for such decisions, such as poverty, non-availability of bed, futile intervention, resources can be utilised for other patients where cure is possible and unfortunately majority of our patient's family do accordingly. Many of the terminally ill patients prefer to die at home, with or without any proper terminal health care. The societal perception needs to be altered and also the medical professionals need to focus on care rather in addition to just cure. The motive for many euthanasia requests is unawareness of alternatives. Patients hear from their doctors that nothing can be done anymore. However, when patients hear that a lot can be done through palliative care, that the symptoms can be controlled, now and in the future, many do not want euthanasia anymore16.

Commercialisation of health care: Passive euthanasia occurs in majority of the hospitals across the county, where poor patients and their family members refuse or withdraw treatment because of the huge cost involved in keeping them alive. If euthanasia is legalised, then commercial health sector will serve death sentence to many disabled and elderly citizens of India for meagre amount of money. This has been highlighted in the Supreme Court Judgement3,17.

Research has revealed that many terminally ill patients requesting euthanasia, have major depression, and that the desire for death in terminal patients is correlated with the depression18. In Indian setting also, strong desire for death was reported by 3 of the 191 advanced cancer patients, and these had severe depression19. They need palliative and rehabilitative care. They want to be looked after by enthusiastic, compassionate and humanistic team of health professionals and the complete expenses need to be borne by the State so that Right to life becomes a reality and succeeds before Right to death with dignity. Palliative care actually provides death with dignity and a death considered good by the patient and the care givers.

Caregivers burden: Right-to-die supporters argue that people who have an incurable, degenerative, disabling or debilitating condition should be allowed to die in dignity. This argument is further defended for those, who have chronic debilitating illness even though it is not terminal such as severe mental illness. Majority of such petitions are filed by the sufferers or family members or their caretakers. The caregiver's burden is huge and cuts across various domains such as financial, emotional, time, physical, mental and social. Hence, it is uncommon to hear requests from the family members of the person with psychiatric illness to give some poison either to patient or else to them. Coupled with the States inefficiency, apathy and no investment on health is mockery of the Right to life.

Refusing care: Right to refuse medical treatment is well recognised in law, including medical treatment that sustains or prolongs life. For example, a patient suffering from blood cancer can refuse treatment or deny feeds through nasogastric tube. Recognition of right to refuse treatment gives a way for passive euthanasia. Many do argue that allowing medical termination of pregnancy before 16 wk is also a form of active involuntary euthanasia. This issue of mercy killing of deformed babies has already been in discussion in Holland20.

Right to die: Many patients in a persistent vegetative state or else in chronic illness, do not want to be a burden on their family members. Euthanasia can be considered as a way to upheld the Right to life by honouring Right to die with dignity.

Encouraging the organ transplantation: Euthanasia in terminally ill patients provides an opportunity to advocate for organ donation. This in turn will help many patients with organ failure waiting for transplantation. Not only euthanasia gives Right to die for the terminally ill, but also Right to life for the organ needy patients.

Constitution of India reads right to life is in positive direction of protecting life. Hence, there is an urgent need to fulfil this obligation of Right to life by providing food, safe drinking water and health care. On the contrary, the state does not own the responsibility of promoting, protecting and fulfilling the socio-economic rights such as right to food, right to water, right to education and right to health care, which are basic essential ingredients of right to life. Till date, most of the States has not done anything to support the terminally ill people by providing for hospice care.

If the State takes the responsibility of providing reasonable degree of health care, then majority of the euthanasia supporters will definitely reconsider their argument. We do endorse the Supreme Court Judgement that our contemporary society and public health system is not matured enough to handle this sensitive issue, hence it needs to be withheld. However, this issue needs to be re-examined again after few years depending upon the evolution of the society with regard to providing health care to the disabled and public health sector with regard to providing health care to poor people.

The Supreme Court judgement to withhold decision on this sensitive issue is a first step towards a new era of health care in terminally ill patients. The Judgment laid down is to preserve harmony within a society, when faced with a complex medical, social and legal dilemma. There is a need to enact a legislation to protect terminally ill patients and also medical practitioners caring for them as per the recommendation of Law Commission Report-19615. There is also an urgent need to invest in our health care system, so that poor people suffering from ill health can access free health care. Investment in health care is not a charity; Right to Health is bestowed under Right to Life of our constitution.

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Euthanasia: Right to life vs right to die

While it may be the hardest decision you have to make, the quality of your pet's live should always be the central issue. As part of our commitment to the human-animal bond, we offer quality of life and pain assessment exams to help in making a euthanasia decision.

Euthanasia is a very personal experience and those last moments should be private and comfortable in your stress-free home environment. The goal of CCVS is to provide peace of mind to families and make the experience as peaceful as possible for both you and your pet. We also will provide reassurancethat this is the best decision for their pet.

Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission to be of service to them whenever they require it. --St. Francis of Assisi

Please call for a consultation to discuss your needs and options. We can discuss where the procedure will take place, who will be there, etc. This is your time to express any concerns and make any special requests.

Click here for additional resources such as pet crematories and grief counselors.

In Loving Memory of :

Goldie and Dewey

Link:

Compassionate Care Veterinary Service - In-Home Euthanasia

The word euthanasia was first used in the early 17th century to indicate an easy death, having originated from the Greek eu (well) and thanatos (death). We all dread the day we will lose a special horse, but the opportunity to make the transition easy can bring peace in a tragic situation.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Guidelines for Equine Euthanasia are available at aaep.org/euthanasia-guidelines. These not only guide veterinarians on how to euthanize a horse but also when. The criteria provided can assist you in making the difficult decision to say goodbye to your beloved animal.

Having the option to euthanize is a special gift, but deciding whether to do so can be extremely difficult. By objectively reviewing the guidelines with your veterinarian, you can determine if your animal has a good quality of life, a life worth living. A delayed death is a welfare concern if he or she is in pain or suffering from an unmanageable condition. The goal is to be on the lookout for signs from your horse that euthanasia is the most humane This story requires a subscription to The Horse magazine.

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What Owners Need to Know About Equine Euthanasia The Horse - TheHorse.com

Victorian man Colin Stratton would have done absolutely anything for his family.

But after a lengthy battle against aggressive bowel cancer robbed him of the ability to do the things he loved, he asked his family to do something for him, the Victorian supreme court heard on Thursday.

Just a few days shy of his 81st birthday, Stratton decided he was ready to die.

He had seen his wife of 50 years, Suzanne, spend the final years of her life disabled and requiring high-level care after a stroke, prompting both of them to support voluntary euthanasia and join the Dying with Dignity organisation.

The court heard that on 24 May this year, Stratton went to a GP and asked for a suicide pill. Dying on his own terms was something he had wanted for a long time, so she wasnt surprised.

But when the doctor told him the paperwork would take up to two weeks, Stratton decided hed do it himself.

Stratton left the clinic with his 54-year-old son Glenn Stratton. When they arrived at his home near Castlemaine, in central Victoria, he asked Glenn to get a .22-calibre rifle and bullet from his shed. Glenn protested, but finally agreed when his father said he would do it himself.

Glenn collected the weapon and loaded it, giving it to his father. But because of the length of the rifle, his father could not reach its trigger while it was pointed at his head.

Dont make me make a bloody mess of it, I cant do it by myself, Stratton told the middle of his three children, the court heard.

He started counting again. Glenn told him he loved him. His father replied likewise. When the count reached one, Stratton closed his eyes, and Glenn pulled the trigger.

The psychological pressure on you must have been enormous, the Victorian supreme court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said to Glenn on Thursday.

She said Stratton had always been there when his family needed him and in return they would have done anything for him.

You finally pulled the trigger spontaneously out of love and respect for his wishes, Hollingworth said.

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His family are highly supportive of him and his actions. In statements supporting Glenn they described their love and admiration for the senior Stratton, who was an important and influential person in their lives.

They also understand how important it was for him to be able to end his life on his own terms when the pain and burden of illness became too great for him, Hollingworth said.

They describe your actions in helping your father achieve his wish as loving, courageous and selfless.

Thank you for your feedback.

Glenn confessed his actions to police and was initially charged with murder.

He spent 46 days behind bars, missing his fathers funeral.

He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting his fathers suicide.

Hollingworth said there would be no benefit to him or society to jail him further for his actions.

She convicted him and ordered him instead to undergo counselling.

Strattons family say they hope voluntary euthanasia will become more accessible so other families dont have to go through what they have.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. Other international helplines can be found at http://www.befrienders.org

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Victorian man assisted sick fathers suicide out of love and respect for his wishes, judge says - The Guardian

Treasure Coast Newspapers

A Nov. 11 article concerning the Sunrise Humane Society, mentioned Dogs & Cats Forever (D&CF) among its community partnerships.

I would like to clarify that D&CF does not receive funds from nor give funds to any other shelters. While we applaud any and all efforts made on behalf of homeless animals in St. Lucie County, our funding does not and never has come from local municipalities unlike funding for Sunrise Humane Society. We are a privately-funded shelter which operates on donations. We do not have a contract with local municipalities to take in animals, and therefore, we are not forced to euthanize for space.

We welcome any efforts regarding the sheltering and care of homeless animals in St. Lucie, however, until lawmakers enact legislation mandating spay and neuter of all companion animals, and put an end to backyard breeding, the massive pet overpopulation problem we have will continue to be out of control.

There are not enough adoptive homes to care for all of the homeless animals in Saint Lucie County. More shelters are not the answer-nor is mass euthanasia. The only real solution is mandatory spay and neuter and taxpayers who bear the burden of pet overpopulation should demand such legislation.

Johanna Apicella, Port St. Lucie, is the executive director of Dogs & Cats Forever.

In June the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus was much more transmissible than Alpha. Shortly thereafter Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered daily figures stopped. Fortunately the figures were still being reported to the CDC but the figures were difficult to find. Then the COVID-19 figures started exploding.

Two days were reported at once in August, showing 28,000-plus cases reported to the CDC and 100-plus deaths each day, a jump from prior days. DeSantis had made an announcement on the day those figures were reported that any school administrator that required children or staff to wear masks would have their salaries withheld.

Later DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health said the CDC got the figures wrong. The CDC did not admit an error but the figures did change. The next day Florida changed how they reported figures to the CDC. Now instead of recording whatever was reported that day, they backdated the figures to the date they happened. The number of cases was exploding so the new way of reporting didn't affect cases too much, but it did affect deaths. Instead of 100-plusdeaths a day we had some days none, or as manyas 10 or 20. However if you kept track of the difference in total figures each day we reached a high of 419 toward the end of August.

DeSantis has demonstrated that he cares more for downplaying the severity of the problem rather than give his constituents the information that will enable them to protect themselves and their families. This disease seems to come in waves and we are told a variant is on the horizon that is more transmissible. How will we know that we have the needed information to take precautions?

Jo Fuller, Port St. Lucie

I want to thank you for the letters you have been publishing over the last few months.

Most of them have been really well-written, articulate, and informative. I have even appreciated the letters that do not represent my perspective because they have provided information that I may not have been aware of otherwise. Of course, there are still the letters with a litany of "facts" repeated from some news network or radio station. I have been able to overlook those letters due to the excellent letters that you have been publishing. Keep it up, I enjoy reading well written letters sharing a range of opinions. It makes my life more balanced. Thank you.

Judith Lorenzo, Sebastian

I must admit that it boggles my mind how so many people are not complaining about Joe Bidens lack of job performance.

Such things as:

Gasoline prices are high due to the pandemic causing limiting of production. It couldnt be canceling construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, or asking for high-priced oil from our "questionable friends" from Saudi Arabia.

Believing the propaganda that our immigration rate has decreased by 50%. I guess illegal immigrants do not figure into that math calculation.

Sure there is a worker shortage. That is only due to paying out our tax dollars as COVID-19 payments so that some folks would rather stay home than do an honest days work.

Do we really believe that the supply-chain problem is due to China curtailing manufacturing problems and a shortage of electricity? Doubtful.

I guess that those people think The Man in the High Castle is history, rather than fiction that WWII was won by Germany and Japan, rather than the United States and its allies. All they need to do is take a walk back through the Portal and see how we prospered during the last administration. The current move toward socialism can be halted by using our voting rights in 2022.

Ray Mancari, Vero Beach

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Letters to the Editor: Dec. 9, 2021 - TCPalm

A Celtic Christmas Friday

Immerse yourself in Tomaseen Foleys A Celtic Christmas, hosted by Beaches Fine Arts Series on Friday at St. Pauls by-the-Sea Episcopal Church.

Now in its 26th season of touring nationally,"A Celtic Christmas"recreates the joy and innocence of a night before Christmas. Set in a remote farmhouse in Teampall an Ghleanntin in western Ireland in the 1950s, youll watch as neighboring families gather around the fire to grace the wintry night with traditional Irish Christmas carols, raise the rafters with joyous music, knock sparks off the flagstone floor with traditional dances and fill the night with the laughter of their stories.

The evening also includes an art exhibit by Annelies Dykgraaf.

Admission is free and seating is first come, first served. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Masks are required as protocol of the venue.

The church is located at 465 11th Ave. N. in Jacksonville Beach. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit BeachesFineArts.org.

Beaches Fine Arts Series and St. Augustine Music Festival present concert pianist Mara Dolores Gaitn as part of the 1781 Tribute on Saturday at Flagler College.

An international collaboration, 1781 Tribute celebrates 240 years of friendship and cooperation between Spain and the United States. This global tour of eight concerts began this summer in Spain and continues this month with appearances in St. Petersburg and Pensacola, culminating in St. Augustine.

Gaitn is renowned in Europe for her energy and interpretive musicality. She was chosen byEuropean Union National Institutes for Cultureas a representative of Spanish musical culture in Italy, and has performed throughout Europe. The program will consist of Spanish composers of the ages.

Special guest Nicols Tovar, five-time Latin Grammy winner and current nominee, will also perform.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the colleges Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St., St. Augustine. The city will provide free transportation to the event from a shuttle site at Broudys Fine Wine & Spirits, 35 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd.

For more information, visit BeachesFineArts.org.

Atlantic Beach Songwriters Night, hosted by local singer/songwriter Roy Peak, is a free, family-friendly event that takes place Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Adele Grage Cultural Center. The public is invited to perform original material (no covers) or come just to enjoy the music in an alcohol-free environment.

The center is located at 716 Ocean Blvd. Interested performers should email Roy at atlanticbeachmusic@gmail.com.

Help a furry friend find a new home for the holidays on Saturday, Dec. 18, when SAFE Pet Rescue of St. Augustine brings its mobile adoption van to the Ponte Vedra Pet Supermarket store, 880 A1A N.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be lots of fun festivities to enjoy. Take your pets picture with Santa, enjoy some live holiday music by a local guitarist, sample tasty treats at the bake sale, browse some crafty items, sip hot cocoa and best of all meet and greet our wonderful rescue dogs, who hope you will choose one of them to be part of your family this holiday season.

Invite your family, friends and neighbors to these dogs some much needed love while supporting SAFE Pet Rescue in its mission save animals from euthanasia. To learn more, go to Safe-Pet-Rescue-FL.com.

All aboard the Holiday Express Trains, which return to the Beaches Branch Library on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Leading off this years opening day will be the Hogwarts Express along with the Polar Express. The Polar Express will be running most days along with other historic trains and/or holiday-oriented trains varying throughout the week. This years expanded layout also includes a Polar Express village at one end and an operating carnival at the other end.

The library is located at 600 Third St., Neptune Beach, and the exhibit runs through Friday, Dec. 31. For hours of operation or more information, visit the Locations page at JaxPublicLibrary.org or call (904) 255-2665.

Discover 21 uniquely decorated trees, each with a distinct theme, at this special after-hours event at the St. Augustine Lighthouse, which takes place on select days through Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. Visitors may explore the Keepers House and grounds illuminated by lights and festive garlands, as well as a sensational view of the lighthouses night mark.

Tickets are $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for children ages 12 and under. For more information regarding ticket availability and pricing, visit StAugustineLighthouse.org.

Want more shade in your yard? Atlantic Beachs newly updated Chapter 23 of the Code of Ordinances expands the use of tree-conservation funds to plant trees in front yards on private property. These "Adopt-a-Tree" funds come from property owners who pay into the tree-conservation fund, which is earmarked to expand the public tree canopy.

In an effort to evenly distribute the tree-conservation funds, two trees per calendar year, per property may be planted. The plantings will occur in the spring and fall. Once planted, the property owner is responsible for maintaining the trees.

Go to https://bit.ly/3pfGKQM to complete an application for a free tree. City staff will review your requested tree location to determine if there are any site restrictions, which could include overhead or underground utilities, drainage areas and swales, easements, existing tree canopy, etc.

For information, email trees@coab.us.

Submit events to shorelines@jacksonville.com.

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Pet adoptions, a piano concert and free trees. Things to do in and around the Beaches - The Florida Times-Union