Animal Welfare News
Texas Gov Abbott Signs Statewide Dog Tethering Bill
Paws Up! To Governor Greg Abbott for signing Senate Bill 5, which will protect dogs from extreme weather and a life on a chain. November 24, 2021 Dogs in Texas will finally be given extra protection next year after Governor Abbott signed SB5 into law last month. This...
Veterinarians in New York Are Now Required to Report Suspected Animal Abuse
November 3, 2021 Paws Up! To Governor Hochul for signing S5023A to help animals suffering from abuse. The sad reality is animal cruelty occurs daily in some homes throughout the United States. At the beginning of 2021, New York Senator Michael Gianaris (D-District 12)...
Community Cats are in the Spotlight in Baltimore County, MD
October 28, 2021 Paws Up! To the Baltimore County Council for introducing an ordinance to humanely control feral cat populations through trap, neuter, and return. Whether you call the city or the suburbs your home, you likely have encountered a stray cat. This...
H.R. 5578 Would Ban Steel-Jaw and Conibear Traps in the United States
Paws Up! To Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) for introducing a bill that would help prevent the cruel and useless killing of wildlife by dangerous and inhumane trapping methods. October 23, 2021 Millions of animals are trapped and killed each year for their skins and fur. Many...
AFTER Act Would Give Retired Research Animals a Happily Ever After
Paws Up! To Senators Susan Collins and Gary Peters for introducing a bill that would require government research programs to develop plans that would facilitate the rehoming of retired research animals. October 22, 2021 Two U.S. Senators have introduced the Animal...
Joker’s Law Seeks to Penalize Those Who Harm Police Dogs in Tennessee
Update (6/12/22): Governor Lee signed Joker's Law on 6/1/22. The law is effective July 1, 2022. Update (11/4/2021): According to a recent news article, the updated bill language states that convicted individuals will face a Class B felony penalty, resulting in 8-30...
Update: CA Governor Newsom Signs Bill to End Captive Donor Dog Blood Banks
Paws Up! To California Governor Gavin Newsom for signing AB-1282 which will phase out the cruel practice of captive dog blood donation. October 15, 2021 California will now allow veterinarians to open volunteer community blood donation banks…
Cats’ Claws Are Protected in Pittsburgh, PA
September 25, 2021 Paws Up! The Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to ban the painful practice of declawing cats. In the past, choosing to declaw a cat to preserve the beauty of furniture or walls was accepted. Thankfully, that mindset is changing...
Overland Park, Kansas, Ends Its Pit Bull Ban
Paws Up! To the Overland Park, Kansas, City Council for ending a decades-long breed discrimination law. September 28, 2021 A City Council in Kansas has just unanimously agreed to repeal their decades-long breed discrimination law which banned pit bulls from…
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Increase Protection for the West Indian Manatee
Paws Up! To House Representatives Darren Soto and Vern Buchanan for introducing House Resolution 4946 to protect the West Indian manatee that is dwindling drastically.
The West Indian manatee can be found lazily cruising through the…
Wolves Are In Danger of Being Endangered…Again
Paws Down! To the state legislatures of Idaho and Montana for promoting the deregulation of hunting and killing of wolves after they were removed from the Endangered Species List last year. After a contentious battle over the listing status of the American gray wolf last year, they were sadly removed…
Wild Horses Are Being Removed by the BLM in Sand Wash Basin, CO, and Utah
September 9, 2021 Paws Down! Hundreds of wild horses and burros are removed from their habitat by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (FS) in an effort to manage increasing herd populations. Millions of dollars are spent executing these roundups