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Animal welfare advocates join ASPCA in lobbying New York lawmakers to protect pets

by jmaloni

Press release

Tue, May 7th 2013 08:40 am

Citizens participating in New York Voices for Animals Day ask lawmakers to combat inhumane puppy mills, strengthen cruelty penalties

New Yorkers concerned about animal welfare converged in Albany Monday for New York Voices for Animals Day. They lobbied for stronger laws to protect pets.

New York Voices for Animals Day was sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the New York State Animal Protection Federation, and the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

Citizen advocates met with their state legislators to lobby in support of animal protection bills to combat inhumane puppy mills, provide dog control officers with training, strengthen the penalties for animal cruelty, and to stop breed-specific insurance policy discrimination. Sens. Patty Ritchie (R-Heuvelton) and Mark Grisanti (R-North Buffalo), and Assembly members Bill Magee (D-Nelson), Linda Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) and Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) received Humane Leadership Awards from the ASPCA in recognition of their commitment to animal welfare and work to increase protections for animals.

Bill Ketzer, senior state director of ASPCA government relations for the northeast region, said: "The ASPCA is proud to co-sponsor New York Voices for Animals Day, as it allows citizens the opportunity to engage their representatives directly on the need for laws to better protect animals. Animals cannot advocate for themselves, and we look forward to working with New York lawmakers to ensure the successful passage of responsible, effective animal welfare legislation throughout the year."

Brad Shear, president of the New York State Animal Protection Federation, and executive director of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, said: "Animal shelters across the state work tirelessly to protect animals from harm, and it is through our day-to-day experiences that we see how critical it is to have strong laws to support our mission. We are here to let our legislators know how important animals are to New York residents and why we need better laws to protect them."

The ASPCA works closely with animal advocates and state legislators to enact the strongest possible legal protections to safeguard animals from cruelty, combat animal fighting, halt wildlife abuse and more.

For more information on the ASPCA or to join the ASPCA "Advocacy Brigade," visit www.aspca.org.

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