Target: Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
Goal: Support stronger animal cruelty penalties and more robust protections for abused and neglected animals.
A Texas man had cockfighting charges against him dropped after he agreed to pay a fine. In Wisconsin, an animal rights organization had to pay money to a breeding facility (accused of abuse and performing unlicensed, painful veterinary procedures) in order to secure the release of 1,500 beagles; the animal welfare activist who organized the rescue is the one facing charges. Two allegedly starved and neglected horses were rescued in a Georgia county. And over two reportedly suffering dozen animals were found on property in a rural Montana town. All of these cases demonstrate the deficiencies and gaps that still fester in animal welfare across the country.
New York state is looking to send a decisive message about all forms of abuse with an expansive and sweeping animal welfare bill. The proposed law tackles animal abandonment by strengthening penalties for these under-recognized crimes and implementing new mandates for property owners to ensure their properties have no animals left behind. Law enforcement and humane societies would also have greater tools at their disposal to help animals vulnerable to neglect and malnourishment. In addition, criminal penalties would be strengthened for the worst animal offenses, including animal fighting, which would be classified as an organized crime-level felony under the law. And inhumane surgeries undertaken for the purpose of denying animals their vocalization capabilities would be banned as well. Animals vulnerable to circus exploitation would likewise be protected.
The collection of reforms has received bipartisan support and advancement from the Senate. Sign the petition below to encourage New York’s governor to lend her support and her signature to this effort.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Governor Hochul,
Animals, like society’s most vulnerable, lack a voice and cannot plea for desperately needed help. New York lawmakers, on behalf of millions of animal lovers, want to give these beloved living beings a voice and an advocate. The package of animal welfare reforms recently passed with bipartisan support by the state senate would protect a broader range of animals, facilitate meaningful aid for abused animals, and hold perpetrators of vicious and inhumane acts against animals more fully accountable.
When this groundbreaking package crosses your desk, please sign it with expedience and set a standard for all of America to emulate.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Nedelcu Catalin
