UPDATE (April 14, 2026):
A deep and heartfelt thank you to everyone who took action in support of Ash’s Law and demonstrated a commitment to true, lifesaving change for community cats in Maryland and beyond.
Although Ash’s Law was not added to the vote list before Maryland’s 2026 legislative session adjourned last night, we still achieved a historic win together. The House of Delegates UNANIMOUSLY approved the bill, and we are well on our way in championing Ash’s Law for the next legislative session.
This is just the beginning for this groundbreaking legislation. We will make Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) the law of the land in Maryland, and we’re grateful to have you with us in this fight.
Maryland lawmakers heard our collective voice. They recognized that the humane change outlined in Ash’s Law is sensible, effective, and reflective of the values of the people of Maryland. Through Alley Cat Allies’ education and overwhelming support from local advocates and organizations, they saw the immense positive impact of TNR across the state.
And Ash’s Law isn’t limited to Maryland. Alley Cat Allies won’t stop until every state passes legislation to advance statewide protections for TNR, community cats, and their caregivers. Stay with us, because we have big plans ahead.
We extend our gratitude to Delegate Michele Guyton and Senator Karen Lewis Young for their fearless sponsorship of Ash’s Law and to every advocate and organization who reached out to legislators or helped spread the word. Let’s get ready for the next session and bring Ash’s Law over the finish line!
ORIGINAL
It all comes down to this! We have until April 13 to pass Ash’s Law—the first comprehensive statewide law to protect Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and community cats. If we don’t make that deadline, the bill will have to be considered again next year.
If you live in Maryland, please ask your Senator to vote favorably on Ash’s Law! If not, share our action alert with anyone and everyone you know in the state. This is our last chance to pass this historic measure in 2026.
The Maryland Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee is considering Ash’s Law, or HB 912, right now. Ash’s Law has already passed unanimously in the Maryland House of Delegates!
About Ash’s Law
Alley Cat Allies drafted and named Ash’s Law, which would officially establish and protect TNR as the law of the land in Maryland. Ash’s Law is unique in that it goes a step further than any other law, preventing local jurisdictions from prohibiting or restricting the TNR efforts of organizations and residents.
Ash’s Law is named in honor of Ash, a beloved community cat from Riverdale, Maryland, who was removed from her outdoor home in 2016 and impounded in an animal shelter. She spent her final day confined in a cage with her six young kittens. All were killed less than 24 hours later.
Piluco, her colony member, avoided the same fate out of sheer luck. Instead, he was neutered, vaccinated, eartipped, and returned to his outdoor home through TNR. But Piluco’s TNR was carried out in a vacuum of official humane programs in his county. He is still here today (and a golden 16 years old) DESPITE a lethal policy that took the lives of so many cats like him—like Ash.
While Ash’s story exposes the consequences of cruel policies that treat cats’ lives as disposable, Piluco’s illustrates what is possible when TNR is embraced. That is the mission of Ash’s Law in establishing an official statewide TNR program.
This is the Home Stretch
Please join Alley Cat Allies to fight for the community cats of Maryland and set a historic humane standard for the rest of the country. Let’s do this in memory of Ash and to protect community cats and their caregivers across Maryland and beyond. Ask your representatives to support Ash’s Law!