Thanks to the Florida State Senate Committee on Community Affairs for unanimously passing the Florida Animal Rescue Act (S.B. 818/H.B. 597), and State Sen. Mike Bennett (R) for sponsoring this groundbreaking legislation.
Under the Animal Rescue Act, animal pounds and shelters in Florida would be prohibited from killing an animal if an established rescue group is willing to take the animal. The bill would also require pounds and shelters to maintain a public intake and disposition “registry,” which would provide data for all animals taken into shelters and information about whether they are killed, adopted or returned to their owner. The bill includes protections that would only allow legitimate, registered rescue groups to claim animals.
Current animal shelter policies in most states cause the vast majority of cats entering sheltersmore than 70 percentto be killed there. Passing of the Animal Rescue Act is an important step forward.
Read the Press Release.
Florida Residents: Support the Florida Animal Rescue Act in the State House.
Learn more about cat fatalities in shelters.