Jill Rants and Raves: dona spring - berkeley icon and great american

It is testament to Berkeley Council Member Dona Spring's formidable political skill and indomitable spirit that her enemies and opponents gave her no breaks and no free passes just because of her unbearably painful disability. Dona, who died of causes related to her severe rheumatoid arthritis lived her life in extraordinary pain and with physical restrictions most of us would collapse under, but never ceased her passionate advocacy for those people who and issues which needed her most.

She died on July 13th and our world is the lesser for it. My own world is far poorer. Dona was the first politician I met here in Berkeley to fully understand and commit to changing the policies at the local animal shelter and her ability to work with two political opponents, Mayor Shirley Dean and Council Member Betty Olds, was key to our slow but steady progress towards changing the face of animal welfare in Berkeley. Without her, I would have never have led the campaign in 2002 for a bond measure to build a new animal shelter. It may seem like a small event in the world, but it was the kind of event Dona Spring believed in. She was a determined and effective advocate for the pieces of the puzzle that make a city whole, and make it accountable to its weak and not just the wealthy.

Dona and I spoke frequently on the phone, her physical impairment making it increasingly hard for her to attend meetings. But her ability to concentrate on a topic, to remember details of conversations and budget discussions years before, her commitment to those she trusted on any given political topic and her personal generosity, her capacity to give credit where due, her enormously optimistic outlook were every bit as important as her gritty determined position taking.

On a personal level her loyalty to me was an enormous gift in an atmosphere as charged as Berkeley's political arena. She often asked my advice on animal related issues and always gave me her most honest response to my sometimes stumbling inexperienced attempts to get real change in this city on the issue of animal welfare.

I loved her, never more so than when one day in a fit of dramatic gusto I lifted an injured dog in my arms and thrust him towards the City Council Members to remind them that animal welfare involved real people and real animals. The next day, Dona sent me $200 towards his care, and every time we spoke she asked me 'How's Calvin?' She lived with cats, not dogs, but her commitment to all sentient beings was her driving force and her passion.

Just two weeks ago, after 6 years of effort, Dona and I congratulated each other on the fact that the city had finally bought a piece of land and was going to build the new animal shelter. I have always believed that there is only one name that belongs on the new building. But the new shelter will have to commit - truly commit to sustain the progress we have made here in Berkeley in becoming the city with the lowest euthanasia rate in California. And to do even better. Nothing less will be worthy of the name Dona Spring.