Things You Can Do To Help Animals Now
The animals in your community need you to take a stand today against cruelty, neglect, and the companion animal overpopulation crisis by lobbying your public officials to propose and pass stronger animal protection laws in your community.
How can you help?
Lifesaving measures such as spay-and-neuter mandates and restrictions or bans on the chaining of dogs (also known as tethering) are popping up all over the U.S. With a little hard work and a lot of persistence, you can make a world of difference in your own back yard.
Spaying Is Cheap, but Saving Lives Is Priceless
The companion animal overpopulation crisis is a national epidemic: 6 to 8 million animals enter animal shelters every year, and shelter workers are forced to euthanize roughly half of them. Cities and counties—including San Mateo, California; King County, Washington; Richmond, Virginia; and Rock Island, Illinois—are aggressively addressing this problem through prevention by requiring breeding permits, which cost far less than what breeders usually charge for just one puppy, and fining violators. As expected, communities with mandatory spay-and-neuter laws have reported significant reductions in the number of animals who are taken to their facilities and euthanized. Until all cities adopt similar laws, animals will continue to breed at uncontrollable rates. You can view samples of spay-and-neuter legislation from various communities here.
Breaking the Chain
We’ve all seen chained dogs: prisoners trapped at the end of a heavy chain with nothing but one patch of dirt on which to eat, sleep, and relieve themselves. Life at the end of a chain deprives these highly social pack animals of basic necessities, such as the ability to move freely and get away from their own waste. Chained dogs are vulnerable to attacks by other animals and cruel people, and many chained dogs choke or hang themselves after becoming tangled in their chains. Some dogs go mad from constant confinement and attack people. Working with elected representatives to pass ordinances that ban or restrict tethering is the most effective way to help chained dogs. At least 115 U.S. jurisdictions have recognized the dangerous consequences of chaining dogs and have passed laws addressing it. See what officials in those communities are saying about their tethering laws.
Take the Law Into Your Own Hands!
Legislators want to hear from their own constituents; in your community, that’s YOU. If you’re willing to help, please sign up so that we can provide you with an arsenal of tips and tools, from tips on communicating with officials to literature and facts to share with them. We will be your personal hand-holding support system. We will provide information on others’ success stories and help you plan your strategy throughout the process. We’ll also send action alerts to other activists to support your efforts. With your help, we will be a legislative team that works to save animals who so desperately need our help.
Make your community a safer place for both animals and humans.
Get started on changing your community for the better today. Contact Candace Hertzel for more information and to join our team. Animals in your community are counting on you.
Also, please forward this message to others in your area who might be willing to lend their voices to these important issues.
Thank you for your compassion for animals and for your willingness to act.
Sincerely,
Candace Hertzel, Legislative and Outreach Specialist
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
