Target: Tom Vilsack, Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture
Goal: Make federal standards of care for animal shelters a top priority.
Nearly a third of states have a failing grade in animal protection laws, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. At least three states have no shelter requirements whatsoever for pets, and many more state standards are mediocre at best. And the entire nation is a patchwork of deficient guidelines when it comes to formal animal shelters for stray animals.
The latter problem is especially tragic because deplorable shelter conditions can place animals in worse circumstances than they would have encountered on the streets or in the wild. Plus, because of insufficient care, lacking adoption programs, and sparsely funded spaying and neutering initiatives, millions of shelter animals are euthanized every year. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has released a set of recommended minimal standards that every authorized shelter in the country should follow to safeguard as many animals as possible.
Sign the petition below to urge the agency responsible for America’s animal welfare to advocate for these wellness standards on a national level.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Seemingly every day, local headlines abound with stories about animal shelters accused of a litany of misdeeds: abuse and neglect, improper euthanizing, inadequate or illegal adoption programs, and more. This nation entrusts shelters with the care and well-being of millions of its most vulnerable animals, and too many of these animals unfortunately never leave shelters alive. The complete lack of a uniform standard of care is not acceptable.
The ASPCA has outlined in detail a set of guidelines that, if implemented on a broad scale, could save countless animal lives while making shelters a refuge rather than a prison or death detention center. These guidelines would strengthen standards for the structures, activities, sanitation, and programs of shelters and make these safeguards a federal pledge of protection for shelter animals.
Please work with this organization to support and implement these initiatives that would hold shelters to a higher standard while ensuring the safety of every living being within their ranks.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Irina Zhur
When it comes to animal care and shelters for them the North American continent is on par with third world countries. It’s disgusting and shameful.
I agree sadly. Laws for the protection of animals are not at the standard of other civilised countries and the politicians don’t seem to prioritise it.
How egregious. Follow Nathan winograds plan.
Thank you, Carol. Totally agree
This kind of crap to be stopped, no poor little defenseless dog or cat, or for that matter any animal, should ever have to be abused in a place where they should feel welcomed and loved. I can’t understand how people can take a job like that and then use that position to abuse and hurt these beautiful loving babies. These sick disgusting pieces of crap who pass themselves off as animal care givers and rescuers should face federal charges. so, to whom this may concern please stop this from happening these poor defenseless babies need our help where those who pretend to rescue them have failed, we ask you to intervene and please help them get the lives and love they so richly deserve.
They take these jobs because the bastards know they can torture and abuse the animals entrusted to them to care for, without any repercussions as they can do it legally and secretly!
I would imagine that these sick perverted tossers are queuing up for these openings and put on their ‘best’ behaviour when interviewed.
This is a very difficult situation to address as these bastards are crafty and only kick or beat an animal when no one else is around leaving no visible marks! They are seriously crafty fuckers. Giving them this job is almost like putting a fox in a pen full of chickens.
They cannot be watched all the time so I honestly do not know the answer to this problem.
The only thing I could suggest is that these shelters secretly use a person to get close to these nasty buggers, lull them in a false sense of security and take stock what they do.Videos if possible!!
These are the bastards who need terminating. These supposed human beings must be stopped.
But the governing bodies really do not give a shit about animal torture and abuse as long as their rich and fancy lifestyles are not affected.
These are the people who need petitioning to get off of their lazy fat arses and do something about this sick business.
The well known saying, ‘Oh, he was just like an animal’ should read, ‘ Oh, he was just like a human because humans are the sick bastards in the world, not animals as all they want to do is live their lives in peace.
But the arrogant, nasty, and money grabbing fucking humans will not let them!!
People running/operating shelters should be compassionate and caring to all animals no matter the circumstances. If any of the workers, the volunteers, the managers are mean to animals, then they should be eradicated from this earth – slowly and painfully. They are there to protect and care for animals and those innocent animals deserve that without question. I can’t imagine being cruel to an animal, can’t imagine that. States, counties, cities and towns have got to start getting tough with animal abusers – if any municipality doesn’t have the guts to do it, call me and I’ll get that evil person (people) dealt with accordingly. If buzzard food is all that person is good for, then so be it!
Put them down
All God’s Creation
Prison 30 yrs or more
Shut them Down
Fine them millions
Enough Is Enough
Stop 🛑 the Evil
Too often we hear of cases where animals are being treated as commodity. Shelters get funding for new animals and way too often euthanize dogs and cats just to free space and get funding. This is terrible truth. Nathan’s Winograd amazing work on implementing policy where more dogs and cats can be adopted “No kill” should be widely followed.
You would think that animal shelters would be the one place that at risk animals would be SAFE!!!!
Make it the law across the country that all animal shelters follow animal protections laws/regulations or legal consequences/fines would follow.
Animals give so much unconditionally and altruistically in countless areas …guide dogs, therapy dogs, K9, search dogs, deployed dogs, companion dogs, negative agent sniffer dogs, protection dogs ….etc etc etc etc etc etc…..and several you can apply to cats as well….PROTECT ALL ANIMALS AND MAKE IT THE LAW EVERYWHERE!!!!! THEY ALL DESERVE THAT AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!
These shelters and rescues must be safe havens for these animals. Not places where they can be abused and neglected. Protect these animals and not their abusers!!!!!
These Poor Innocent Furbabies didn’t ask to be surrendered by their so- called Furever Homes. Animal Shelters Don’t Care How They Treat These Furbabies , They’re Only There For A Paycheck.
Animals have no voice. It is up to we the people and organizations like the ASPCA to fight and push for animal’s rights. The way a country treats its’s animals speaks a lot about that country’s moral fiber. Secretary Vilsack, PLEASE work with the ASCPA to improve conditions under which animals are housed in shelters!! I have experienced deplorable shelter conditions that are literally third word prisons for dogs. It is heartbreaking!! Come to South Louisiana and visit the rural shelters and see firsthand the deplorable conditions dogs live in!! If you have a heart, you’d definitely make the needed changes necessary to shelter animals humanely.
The work shelter means just that, SHELTER. They should not be a place of abuse or death live up to your name, protect and preserve!!!
I strongly support this petition and agree 100% that the U.S. Department of Agriculture have federal standards of care for animal shelters nationally. It is a simple request to ask for minimal standards that every Shelter in America should follow to safeguard the animals housed in our Shelters. This is a long over due request to put forth safe guards in place.
Convicted criminals are treated better than innocent animals!!!!! Please help these animals get to loving forever homes!!! Please
These precious innocent animals have been abused by their sick low life owners and then given to kill shelters to be destroyed.
Shut down these filthy sickening places and put an end to all this inhumane cruelty against any animal.
I’m so sick of seeing all these kill places while others ask for money to free them. Let the insane monsters who abused them be held accountable. It’s a sin.
ALL ANI.AL SHELTERS NEED TO BE ALL NO KILL SHELTERS ALL.OFBTHE WORLD and in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!
Monstrous monstrous evil, heartbreaking and horrific, karma is theirs – I feel you, poor lost innocent souls; their blood on your souls
The abuse, torture & murder of the innocents
Some heartbreaks can never be unseen, some horrors never unheard – PLEASE GOD
And the universe weeps tears of blood
Your life as theirs, as their death
Perhaps the evil of all evils
HEARTBREAKING!! Shut the evil places Down !
Shelters are like the NAZI-inspired AUSCHWITZ where human incompetent monsters MASS-EXTERMINATE innocent dogs and cats who have the whole life in front of them. These human bastards are animal-haters and sadistic psychopaths and should be fired and replaced by dedicated animal-lovers!!!!
I strongly agree that all shelters need to be no-kill and have only compassionate employees and volunteers. These awesome fur babies deserve to be safe and loved — even if they don’t get adopted.
everyone who has animals on their conscience
rots in hell