Articles

The People Have Spoken

dog

(Photo courtesy of Eileen McFall)

For the animals of Napa County, CA, it was a good day at the ballot box. Voters overwhelmingly approved a law to provide better care and increase the number of animals who leave the shelter alive.

Measure A requires that dogs, cats, and rabbits in the shelter be given “prompt and necessary veterinary care; appropriate socialization; [and] exercise.”

It requires “accommodation of special needs in situations such as nursing mothers, unweaned animals, geriatric animals, or extremely frightened animals.”

It requires that the shelter “seek a live outcome” for animals “including, but not limited to, training, fostering, and veterinary/medical support.”

It increases the holding period from 72 hours to as many as six days.

It made it illegal for the shelter to kill animals until rescue groups are notified and given at least two days to rescue them.

And it requires statistics to be posted on the shelter’s website at least every quarter and annually.

The measure passed 70% to 30%.

According to one of the proponents,

When we started conversations in early 2015 with the board of supervisors and shelter management, we heard all the typical justifications. Open admission, not enough adopters, aggressive dogs, cruelty housing animals, etc.

No more. The people have spoken.

To pass a companion animal protection act  in your city or state, click here.

For a guide on the legislative and initiative process, click here.

For other model legislation, click here.

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