ASPCA Awards $2,500 Grant To PGSPCA
Grant has already provided surgery for two needy animals

By TRACEY BRUENING
The SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County

BOWIE, Md. (February 8, 2019)—The SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County (PGSPCA) has received a $2,500 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA. These funds will seed a new program, HEAL: Helping Every Animal with Love, which will treat ill and injured Prince George’s County shelter animals who would otherwise be euthanized. In addition to covering the treatment costs through HEAL, the PGSPCA will also provide foster care and place these animals in new homes.

“This county’s animal control programs are underfunded, so the PGSPCA helps wherever we can. We typically take in the neediest but still adoptable animals, the ones who won’t survive the shelter,” said Tamela Terry, President of the group. “They often have significant medical needs; we save them from euthanasia, treat them and foster them until we find their forever home. Far more need help than our budget permits, so this grant really fills a need. With the HEAL program, we can save even more.”

In just the first month, the grant has already helped two animals who desperately needed surgery.

Evie, a ten-week old kitten, was born with a diaphragmatic hernia, which forced her intestines into her chest. She would’ve died or been euthanized. Thanks to HEAL and the seed funding, Evie is recovering and will be up for adoption in about a month. 

Nine-month-old Tessa, a lovable bulldog mix, was unadoptable before the PGSPCA stepped in. As a puppy, Tessa suffered an injury that prematurely closed the growth plate in her ulna, causing her elbow to be misaligned. After orthopedic surgery to extend the bone, Tessa is recuperating in her foster home, and will get physical therapy before she’s ready to be adopted. 

“It feels great to be able to make a difference for these pets and for the families who eventually adopt them,” said Terry. “And with more donations and grants, the HEAL program can save even more of these ill-fated animals.”

The SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County, Inc. (PGSPCA) is a nonprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to animal welfare. We are chartered by the State of Maryland, but we receive no state or county funds. Our activities are supported solely by contributions, dues, grants, and other fundraising. We have three main objectives: To reduce pet overpopulation through our progressive spay/neuter program; To prevent animal cruelty, neglect, and suffering through our investigations, legal action, affordable vaccinations, and an active dog and cat adoption program; To promote animal-friendly public policy through humane education. We are an all-volunteer organization and we DO NOT run the county shelter. For more information, please visit pgspca.org

Courageous Conversations: Learn About the Sacred Sorrow of Grief

By ELYZABETH MARCUSSEN
Hospice of the Chesapeake

PASADENA, Md. (January 28, 2019)—Making the most of your life doesn’t just happen. It takes planning. By talking with experts, people can make informed decisions and learn how to relay this important information to their families, so they can plan for the best ending ever.

A great starting point is Courageous Conversations, a series of discussions about some of life’s most important choices hosted by Hospice of the Chesapeake at various locations throughout Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties.

Sponsored by the John & Cathy Belcher Institute for Complex Illness Care, an education and advocacy collaborative advancing the understanding of advanced complex illness and end-of-life care, the discussions are part of the nonprofit’s efforts to encourage a national dialogue about end of life.

The next presentation will be “Growing through Grief: What the Sacred Sorrow of Grief Can Teach Us,” at 1:30 p.m. March 6 at the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging, 7320 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, Maryland. Joy McCrady, a Chesapeake Life Center licensed clinical professional counselor, will explore the grieving process, including what’s “normal,” what to expect, and how to manage your own grief and help those around you.

Registration is not required; however, seating is limited. For details, or to discuss educational opportunities for your community group, contact Community Education Manager Tammy Turner at 667-219-2891 or tturner@hospicechesapeake.org.

For 40 years, Hospice of the Chesapeake has been caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss. For details, visit www.hospicechesapeake.org.

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Maryland State Senate Unanimously Passes Grace’s Law 2.0—
National Groundbreaking Legislation to Combat The Epidemic of Cyberbullying

By CODY CORCELIUS
Office of Senator Bobby A. Zirkin (Baltimore County)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Feb 8, 2019)—The Maryland State Senate voted unanimously for Grace’s Law 2.0, a first of its kind in the nation law to combat the growing epidemic of cyberbullying of children.  Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Bobby Zirkin crafted the legislation to modernize Maryland’s law and to protect children from cyberbullying, which has become a national crisis. The nation has been forced to witness significant numbers of children tormented to the point of taking their own lives. According to the Center for Disease Control in 2017, the second leading cause of death among minors above the age of 10 was suicide.

Senate Bill 103 would place Maryland at the National forefront in the battle against online abuse. Other states, most notably, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio have all passed legislation to try and combat online abuse of children.  Maryland’s law goes beyond those of other states in trying to protect children.  Senate Bill 103 updates definitions to insure that cyberbullying is prohibited on social media applications, Instant messaging services, internet websites, and other internet-based communication tools. The bill would criminalize multiple types of online tormenting of children when the abuser acts with malicious intent and has the effect on a child of physical injury or serious emotional distress. And the bill has a significant criminal penalty for an individual who cyberbullies a child and attempts to entice the child to commit suicide.

Importantly, an abuser could land in trouble with the law with a course of conduct, a series of communications, or a “single significant act” of cyberbullying.  And the communication would not need to be sent directly to the victim.  And so a particularly vicious attack on a child sent on the internet and posted to social media applications would be sufficient to fall under the heading of cyberbullying if done with malicious intent and serious effect on the child.  Actions such as subscribing a child to a pornographic website, using electronic communications to try and entice the stalking of a minor, and maliciously tormenting a child by disseminating sexual information about them would be prohibited. 

The bill is named in honor of Grace McComas, a 15-year-old from Howard County who, after repeated and vicious harassment online by a neighbor, committed suicide in April 2012. Her parents sought help from police, the courts, and Grace’s school but were unable to find any remedy to stop the repeated tormenting. “We have all heard the heartbreaking stories of Grace McComas and other children who have taken their own lives because of cyberbullying, and it is clear that the our law is insufficient to stop these tragedies from happening,” said Senator Zirkin. “I am confident that Grace’s Law 2.0 will protect victims and help deter abusers and bullies. Once this law is in place, I am hopeful that children in Maryland can be spared the fate of Grace McComas and her incredible family.”

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Sen. Will Smith to be Deployed to Afghanistan in March

By DANIEL OYEFUSI
Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Feb 8, 2019)—Sen. William “Will” Smith Jr., D-Montgomery, a lieutenant with the United States Navy Reserve, is slated to be deployed to Afghanistan on March 29.

Smith, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, would leave the legislative session 10 days before it adjourns on April 8. He will take part in Operation Resolute Support, a NATO-led mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

Smith is the primary sponsor for 38 bills, but said his departure will have a “minimal impact” on the Senate schedule.

“His service is an honor to all of us,” said Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. “It’s not going to be easy without him. That last week and a half is always tough.”

Smith said he’s been in contact with U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Mitchellville; Sen. Robert Cassilly, R-Harford; and Sen. J.B. Jennings, R-Baltimore and Harford counties, who have all served in the military, in the weeks leading up to his deployment.

“That’s the great thing about military service,” Smith said. “The party affiliation and the politics is separate and apart from what we do.”

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