RESCUE50.

ORG

There Ought to Be a
Shelter Reform Law

An Activists
Guide to
Passing
An AcHumane
tivists
Legislation

Guide to Passing

Rescue Five-O is a joint

campaign of the No Kill
Advocacy Center and No
Kill Nation to pass shelter
reform legislation in every
state.

Rescue
Five-O
Reforming Our Nations Animal Shelters, State by State
For more information or to request assistance, visit

Rescue50.org

Table of
Contents
Why Shelter
Reform
Legislation
is Needed 3

What Does the Companion Animal

Protection Act Do?
A comprehensive shelter
reform law, the Companion
Animal Protection Act saves
the lives of animals by:

1 Establishing the shelters primary role as saving the lives of animals;

2 Protecting all species of shelter animals;
3 Making it illegal for a shelter to kill an animal if a rescue group or
No Kill shelter is willing to save that animal;

4 Requiring shelters to provide animals with fresh food, fresh water,

environmental enrichment, regular exercise, veterinary care, and
cleanliness;

5 Requiring shelters to have fully functioning adoption programs

What Does
the Companion
Animal Protection
Act Do? 5

including offsite adoptions, use of the internet to promote their

animals, and ample adoption hours when the public is available;

6 Prohibiting shelters from killing animals based on arbitrary

criteria such as breed bans or when alternatives to killing exist;

7 Requiring animal control to allow volunteers to help with fostering,

socializing, and assisting with adoptions; and

8 Requiring shelters to be truthful about how many animals they kill

and adopt by making shelter statistics public.

How to Pass CAPA in Your State 6

Gather Your
Facts and
Prepare 6

Modify
CAPA as
Needed 8

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW

How a Bill
Becomes a
Law 3

A BREAKDOWN OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

A BREAKDOWN OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

LEGISLATION IS INTRODUCED
A bill is written, introduced, and
assigned a bill number in one
chamber (either the Assembly or
Senate) or perhaps both.

BILL IS ASSIGNED TO
COMMITTEE
The bill is assigned to one or more
committees.

COMMITTEE VOTES ON BILL

The bill is voted on by one or more
committees.

6
LEGISLATION MOVES TO FLOOR

If a bill proceeds through the committee

stage, it goes to the full floor (all the
members) of the chamber, to be heard and
discussed among all the members of that
chamber. If it is approved by a majority
vote on the full floor, it proceeds onto the
next chamber.

LEGISLATION MOVES TO FLOOR

OF NEXT HOUSE FOR VOTE
Once at the next chamber, it goes
through the same process:
consideration by committee and
a final floor vote.

VICTORY OR DEFEAT
If the bill makes it through all the
committees and the floor votes of both
chambers, it goes to the Governor for
signature or veto. It either becomes a
law (congratulations!) or you need to
try again, more prepared to overcome
the obstacles standing in the way of
your bill, the following year.

Find a
Legislative
Sponsor 9

Navigate
Your Bill
Through the
Legislature 11

You Won!
What Happens Now?
You Lost
Dont Give Up! 18
Sample Factsheet for
Legislators & Media

17

15

Why Shelter Reform

Legislation
Is Needed
We are a nation of dog and cat lovers, but
the tax and philanthropically funded animal
shelters we expect to protect animals are
instead killing four million of them every
year. In the last decade and a half, however,
several animal shelters in numerous
communities have comprehensively
implemented a bold series of programs and
services to reduce birthrates, increase
placements, and keep animals with their
responsible caretakers. As a result, they are
achieving unprecedented results, saving
upwards of 95 percent of all impounded
animals in open admission animal control
facilities. Some of these shelters are in urban
communities, and others are in rural
communities. Some are in the North, and others
are in the South. Some are in very politically
liberal communities, and others are in very
conservative ones. Some are in municipalities
with high per capita incomes, and others are in
communities known for high rates of poverty.
These communities share very little
demographically.
What they do share is leadership at their
shelters who have comprehensively
implemented a key series of programs and
services, collectively referred to as the No Kill

Equation.
Currently, No Kill is succeeding in those
communities with individual shelter leaders who
are
committed to achieving it and running their
shelters consistent with the programs and
services that make No Kill possible. But
unfortunately, No Kill leaders remain few and
far between, and when a No Kill leader leaves
the organization, the leaders No Kill vision
could be doomed. It is why a shelter can be
progressive one day, and moving in the
opposite direction the next.
For No Kill success to be widespread and long
lasting, we must focus on institutionalizing No
Kill by giving shelter animals rights and
protections afforded by law irrespective of
who is running the shelter. Every successful
social movement results in legal protections that

We Are a Nation
3 Rescue50.org

For No Kill success to

be widespread and long
lasting, we must focus
on institutionalizing No
Kill by giving shelter
animals rights and
protections afforded by
law.
codify expected conduct and provide
protection against future conduct that violates
normative values. We need to regulate shelters
in the same way we regulate hospitals and
other agencies that hold power over life and
death.
The answer lies in passing and enforcing shelter
reform legislation that mandates how a shelter
must operate, and to that end, the No Kill
Advocacy Center and the No Kill Nation have
partnered to create Rescue Five-O, a national
campaign to reform our nations animal shelters
through legislation.

leaders to ignore what is in the best interests

of the animals.
Rescue Five-O has created model legislation of
this kind the Companion Animal Protection
Act (CAPA). Versions of CAPA are already in
effect in California, Delaware, and elsewhere.
And it is the goal of Rescue Five-O to work
with grassroots organizations nationwide to
see that CAPA-like laws are passed in every
state.
This guide is a primer on the legislative
process. If you are a concerned animal lover,
please consider working to pass CAPA in your
state. Rescue Five-O will work with you
throughout the entire legislative process to
provide guidance and assistance. Visit our
website for more information.

The ideal animal law would ban the killing of

dogs and cats, and would prohibit the
impounding of feral cats except for purposes
of spay/neuter and release. Yet given that
local governments may not pass such sweeping
laws at this time in history, advocates must seek
shelter reform legislation that forces shelter
leadership to operate their shelters in a
progressive, life-affirming way, removing the
discretion that has for too long allowed shelter

of Animal Lovers
There Ought to Be a Shelter Reform Law 4

What Does the Companion Animal

Protection Act Do?
A comprehensive shelter
reform law, the Companion
Animal Protection Act saves
the lives of animals by:

1 Establishing the shelters primary role as saving the lives of animals;

2 Protecting all species of shelter animals;
3 Making it illegal for a shelter to kill an animal if a rescue group or
No Kill shelter is willing to save that animal;

4 Requiring shelters to provide animals with fresh food, fresh water,

environmental enrichment, regular exercise, veterinary care, and
cleanliness;

5 Requiring shelters to have fully functioning adoption programs

including offsite adoptions, use of the internet to promote their
animals, and ample adoption hours when the public is available;

6 Prohibiting shelters from killing animals based on arbitrary criteria

such as breed bans or when alternatives to killing exist;

7 Requiring animal control to allow volunteers to help with fostering,

socializing, and assisting with adoptions; and

8 Requiring shelters to be truthful about how many animals they kill and
adopt by making shelter statistics public.

5 Rescue50.org

How to Pass CAPA In Your State

Together, we must pass legislation mandating

that our animal shelters follow modern,
innovative, and progressive lifesaving protocols.
We must bring our nations animal shelters into
the 21st century.

STEP 1 Gather Your Facts and Prepare

Before meeting with a legislator, it is important
to prepare. As animal lovers were getting
ready to introduce Californias groundbreaking
shelter reform law in 1998, they came armed
with the facts. And the facts painted a very
ugly picture. According to the author of what
would become the 1998 Animal Shelter Law:
With some notable exceptions, [California]
shelters have failed to provide hours the working
public can visit the shelters for adoptions or

redemptions of their companion animals. They

have failed to provide adequate lost/found
services. They have failed to keep records
adequate to find pets within the system. They
have failed to use freely offered microchip
scanning services. They have failed to provide
adequate veterinary health care for many
animals. They have resisted working with the
rescue/adoption community. They have failed to
raise funds aggressively to promote lifesaving
methods to spare the lives of placeable
There Ought to Be a Shelter Reform Law 6

Show government leaders

that what you seek is
achievable and reasonable
by demonstrating that a
solution to the killing (and
poor care) exists, and why
legislation is necessary to
ensure that your local or
state shelters operate
according to lifesaving best
practices.
companion animals. They have used tax dollars
to kill animals they didnt have to accept in the
first place ("owner-relinquished" pets) and to kill
animals whose companion humans never even
had a chance to locate them.
Our shelters have a very bad track record when
it comes to adoption. In California in 1997 with
a statewide human population of close to 33
million, only 142,385 cats and dogs were
adopted from our shelters. The vast majority
576,097were killed.
How does your state compare? Can you
document these kinds of conditions in local
shelters? For example, a 2010 survey
of rescue groups across New York
State found that 71% of respondent
rescue groups were turned away by
shelters and then those shelters killed the
very animals they were willing to save. In
fact, 43% of respondents who have
expressed concerns about inhumane
conditions that they have witnessed
in New York State shelters said that
their non-profit rescue
organizations became the subject
of retaliation, while over half (52%)
7 Rescue50.org

who have witnessed inhumane conditions said

they were afraid to complain about such
conditionsand simply looked the other
waybecause they were afraid they would no
longer be allowed to rescue, thus allowing
those inhumane conditions to continue.
You should also aim to show what successful
communities inside or outside your state are
doing. How do state shelters compare to the
best performing shelters in the nation? There
are municipal shelters saving in excess of 90%
of all the animals. Document these successes to
show that a solution to the killing (and poor
care) exists, and why legislation is necessary to
ensure that your local or state shelters operate
according to life-saving best practices. Show
government leaders that what you seek is
achievable and reasonable.
Remember, elected officials are risk averse
about being the first to try out a new concept.
If you can show them that not only are shelters
succeeding in other locations, but that other
states have similar laws, they will be more
inclined to support your bill. Both California
and Delaware, for example, make it illegal in
those states for a shelter to kill an animal if a
rescue group is willing to save that animals life.
The State of Delaware goes further, requiring
shelters to utilize foster care networks and/or
double up animals in kennels rather than kill
them.
CAPA is based on the 1998
California Animal Shelter Law and
was the basis for the Delaware CAPA
that passed unanimously in 2010.
Other jurisdictions, both state and
local, have also passed some
elements of CAPA. Should you
seek the entire law? Or should you
focus on only some aspects of it, such as
the rescue access provision? It depends.

STEP 2

Modify CAPA as Needed

The ultimate goal of shelter reform legislation is

to increase adoptions and redemptions, and
improve quality of care. You also want to
reduce the number of animals entering shelters
through low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter. You
need outreach to the community about what
animals are available and what resources are
available for pet owners. Improving conditions
in the shelter is important for the animals, but
also makes it possible for some people to feel
comfortable going to the shelter to adopt;
often, people are fearful that they will see
tragic conditions, with feces and sick animals in
every kennel. The more comprehensive the law,
the more successful shelter reform can be.

In addition, it may be
beneficial to focus only
on those
provisions that can
successfully be argued to be revenue
neutral or positive. For example, by passing a
law that requires shelters to give animals they
plan to kill to rescue groups, not only will
shelters in your state save lives, but taxpayers
will save money because the cost of care will
shift from taxpayers to private groups, while
shelters will also save the cost of killing and
disposal. A law like this is more likely to get
passed than one that increases holding periods
which might be seen as costly in a time of
budget cut-backs.

Before seeking to introduce CAPA in its entirety,

however, you need to determine the status of
Laws that require shelters to post lost and
your current laws. It may be that your state
found lists or scan for microchips may also seem
already requires veterinary care, requires
costly, but in reality, they actually save shelters
shelters to sterilize
money while increasing
animals before
lives saved. The more
Rescue Five-0 attorneys
adoption, or to post
animals who are
lost and found lists. In
reclaimed by their
can work with you to
other words, if your
families, the less money
clarify the language of
state already does
a shelter spends on
some of these things,
care and killing, and
your bill to fit the needs
you need to focus on
the more revenue it
of your particular state.
the others. But the
brings in. It also means
more provisions you
fewer animals
can get, the more you
competing for adoption
give the animals a chance at being treated
space. Even laws that require vaccination of
kindly in shelters and getting out alive.
animals on intake or better care of the animals
can reduce costs of care because fewer animals
Once you draft the provisions of the bill, you
get sick, animals move through the system more
don't need to figure out where to locate those
quickly, more adoptions occur (increasing
provisions in the state code. Your legislative
revenue from adoption fees), and fewer
animals are killed (decreasing costs). In other
sponsor will handle that for you. What you
words, just because some provisions cost money
might want to do is to find each provision in
doesnt mean they are not ultimately costexisting state law that may be modified or
deleted by your bill. That is a question that will effective. There may be some initial costs, but in
the end, the fiscal benefits outweigh the costs.
arise in this process.
There Ought to Be a Shelter Reform Law 8

STEP 3

Find a Legislative Sponsor

A legislative sponsor or author is the legislator

who introduces the bill and carries it through
the legislature. A bill can have more than one
sponsor, but generally one person in each
chamber will take primary responsibility and
make the key decisions about amendments,
though they may confer with the others prior to
doing so if it is an important or popular issue.
For example, California has 40 Senators and
80 Assembly members. Out of
120, it would not be difficult to
find someone who is animalfriendly. And while California is
the largest state, there are
plenty of animal lovers in the
legislatures of the other 49
states. Luckily for the animals,
this is an issue that has broad
support across party lines. In
Georgia, a Republican carried
a bill to end the use of the gas
chamber. In Delaware, shelter
reform passed unanimously. In California, a
liberal senator and a conservative assembly
member co-sponsored rescue access and shelter
reform. Regardless of what your own political
leanings may be, you want support from both
sides of the aisle. Be open to working with a
sponsor from either or both parties. Start
asking around: Which legislator has put
forward legislation that benefits animals? Who
has spoken out against animal cruelty? The
internet is your best friend in this search.
If possible, start with the chairman of the
committee that your bill will be assigned to or
look for a high ranking member of that
committee. This will give your bill a greater
chance of getting passed. But sometimes this is
not possible. Thats all right. Once your
research determines someone you think might
9 Rescue50.org

be cooperative, you will need to schedule a

meeting with that legislator's staff. Generally,
staff will filter out requests from constituents, so
getting staff to support you is an important first
step. Call the office, and explain to the person
that you have a draft of legislation that you
think the legislator would be interested in, and
ask for a meeting with staff to make the
proposal. Show up (on time!) with at least three
copies of your draft legislation.
For each provision in the bill,
have an explanation as to why
it is needed.
You should explain that when
hearings are held, you will be
able to bring in supporters for
testimony and to show support.
But remember: you must never
promise what you can't deliver.
Never assume that others will
support you. In fact, you should
line up support before you approach a
legislator. Doing a bill of this type alone, or
with one or two others, can be extraordinarily
difficult. Have your supporter base ready to go
before anything happens in the legislature.
Unfortunately, you will find opponents that you
never expected. When the 1998 Animal
Shelter Law was passed in California, the
Humane Society of the United States showed
up to oppose the bill, even though passage
significantly improved conditions in the states
shelters. The state Animal Control Directors
Association came out strongly against the bill,
too. When New York State considered
legislation to require shelters to work with
rescue groups rather than kill the animals, the
ASPCA fought the bill. You will need to build
stakeholder support before proceeding. If, for

example, a veterinary group comes out against

the bill, find some veterinarians that support
your position and bring them to the hearing. If
an animal shelter management group comes out
against you, find some animal directors who will
take a stand in support of the legislation.

them know that more information is available if

they require it.

Once you make your presentation to staff, you

should ask for a formal meeting with the
legislator. That meeting will likely be shorter, as
the legislator should have been briefed by
This may seem obvious, but when you meet with staff already. The legislator may want to limit
staff or legislators, dress in business attire. Talk the bill or try to move only portions of your
slowly and quietly yet
program forward; try to
firmly; you will make
find someone who will
the best impression if
go with the entire
you appear calm,
program. And most of
reasonable,
all, find someone who
professional and
believes in the cause.
prepared. Being
Nothing is more
passionate about your
frustrating than working
bill does not mean
on a bill, seeing it
being angry or
introduced, only to have
emotional. Even if the
the bills sponsor gut the
bill makes sense, they
bill in ways that harm,
want to know that you
rather
than help. While
Which legislator has put forward
will be a good
some compromise is
legislation
that
benefits
animals?
spokesperson for it
always necessary in
Who has spoken out against
before they agree to
passing legislation, you
represent your cause.
do not want someone
animal cruelty? The internet is
Practice your
who agrees to changes
your
best
friend
in
this
search.
presentation in front of
that do not help animals
others. Make sure you
just so they can get it
have answers to the questions that might be
passed. In the end, it is better to have a bill
asked. This includes providing information on
die, and try again next year after doing more
potential opposition and their reasons for
education and lobbying of legislators, than it is
opposing the bill. You do not want the legislator to have a bill that is gutted so much that it
caught off-guard by opposition when it arises.
actually harms more than it helps.
And be parsimonious. Having one or two
examples of points you want to get across is
Few bills are ever passed into law without
important. Having ten is a waste of their time.
amendments. Committee members who do not
want to alienate either side of a bill are often
inclined to give each side only part of what
Weve seen activists who have written sixty
they want. Be ready to compromise, but only if
page reports giving every example of a
it will not undermine the intent of the law. There
shelters transgressions and they are surprised
when no one reads it. Legislators and their staff is no point in getting a law passed that is
unenforceable, guts its intent, is nothing more
will not read a 60-page report. But they will
than a restatement of existing law, or
read a two-page synopsis with a few key
undermines an opportunity for true reform in
examples of why legislation is necessary. Let
There Ought to Be a Shelter Reform Law 10

the future by giving the false impression of

progress on that issue with its passage. That is
why it is so important to establish good rapport
with your legislative sponsor/author. A good
sponsor will give you a realistic assessment of
how likely the bill is to pass if you do not
accept amendments.
More importantly, he or she will ask you if you
can live with changes in order to get a bill out
of committee. It may be uncomfortable to give
a legislator direction, but it shouldnt be. You,
not they, are the subject matter expert and they
work for you!

STEP 4

If staff says "no" to your request for a face-toface meeting with the legislator, that doesn't
mean the battle is over. Staff may want to
make a presentation first. Be persistent but be
polite. If one legislator says "no," find another.
In fact, if you have two or three legislators cosponsoring your bill, it makes your position
stronger, and often makes it easier for the
legislators (they, too, find safety in numbers).
But in the end, you will need someone to agree
to sponsor/author the legislation and get the
bill put onto the Legislature's formal calendar
for hearing.

Navigate Your Bill Through

the Legislature
Many jurisdictions have filing deadlines for new
legislation. Some also limit the number of bills a
legislator may file in a session. Know what the rules are
in your legislative arena and prepare a schedule to help
you meet deadlines and rules. Give your sponsor the
time it takes to work the bill through the legislative
process starting with filing the bill well in advance of the
session's adjournment. Every state is different, but
generally the process works as demonstrated on the
opposite page.
It is a long and cumbersome process, and the bill could
be amended at any point in the process or voted down.
This is intentional. Our founding fathers designed a
system to ensure that only thoroughly considered
legislation becomes law.
At the committee hearings, you will have a chance to
bring out your best testimony. Your supporters should be
there en masse, showing their support for the legislation.
Prior to the hearing, get the word out to your supporters.
Everyone needs to send a letter. Those who represent an
organization should send both a written comment and
show up in person at the hearing. Prior to the hearing,
you and your supporters should get a meeting with each

11 Rescue50.org

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW

A BREAKDOWN OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

1
2

LEGISLATION IS INTRODUCED
A bill is written, introduced, and
assigned a bill number in one
chamber (either the Assembly or
Senate) or perhaps both.

BILL IS ASSIGNED TO
COMMITTEE
The bill is assigned to one or more
committees.

COMMITTEE VOTES ON BILL

The bill is voted on by one or more
committees.

6
LEGISLATION MOVES TO FLOOR

If a bill proceeds through the committee

stage, it goes to the full floor (all the
members) of the chamber, to be heard and
discussed among all the members of that
chamber. If it is approved by a majority
vote on the full floor, it proceeds onto the
next chamber.

LEGISLATION MOVES TO FLOOR

OF NEXT HOUSE FOR VOTE
Once at the next chamber, it goes
through the same process:
consideration by committee and
a final floor vote.

VICTORY OR DEFEAT
If the bill makes it through all the
committees and the floor votes of both
chambers, it goes to the Governor for
signature or veto. It either becomes a
law (congratulations!) or you need to
try again, more prepared to overcome
the obstacles standing in the way of
your bill, the following year.

There Ought to Be a Shelter Reform Law 12

and every member of the committee voting on

the bill. You may meet with staff or with the
legislator. You are there to educate and to
listen to their concerns, not to pound the table.
The same rules apply as in your original
meetingsdress well, be wellrehearsed, show up on time,
have answers for the tough
questions, and be
parsimonious. And if there
is anything you do not
know, be honest and tell
them youll get back to them
with the information.

Those no votes will be very instructive. Listen

carefully to them. Find out what bothers them
about the bill, then go out and find
answers that may help sway them to a
yes vote. The no legislators will
be talking to other members
of the legislature, so you
will get a preview of your
opposition well before the
hearing.

At the hearing, your

presentation should be
choreographed among several
individuals. First one presenter,
You will need to call in
then another, then another,
advance to set up a meeting
each providing a different
with the committee members,
piece of the legislation and
but if you are not able to get
why it is important. The reason
through, you can always drop
for putting a number of people
by if you are in the capitol
on instead of only one is that
lobbying others. Be sure to
many hearings have time limits
include short and concise
for comments from a single
packets that include a
person. By breaking up the
one page fact sheet that
presentation, you will
lays out the arguments for
circumvent the time limits.
your bill, a list of
Keep your oral
organizations that support
testimony brief. You
your bill, and any
can make your
news articles,
written testimony
At the hearing, your presentation longer and you can
editorials, or op-ed
pieces in favor. (The
should be choreographed among include back up
more favorable
documentation to
several
individuals.
First
one
media coverage you
bolster your case.
can get in support of presenter, then another, then
But you must be
your bill, the more
concise. After your
another, each providing a
legislators will take
key supporters
have presented,
notice. But be sure to different piece of the legislation
make sure other
clear press releases
supporters are
with the staff of your and why it is important.
ready to speak.
legislative sponsor
Some may simply want to say they are in
before releasing them.)
support of the bill, and refer the legislators to
You should try to get a yes from each of the
a letter already submitted. Others may want to
committee members prior to the hearing, but
make impassioned presentations, complete with
dont be surprised if you get some no votes.
13 Rescue50.org

At every stage of the process,

you need to be ready to bring
out the supporters, sit down in
front of committees or
individual legislators, and
write letters.
photos and sad stories of how shelters have
failed both people and animals. You cant
control all supporters, only your key ones. Just
make sure your piece is professional; you can
let the others cry for the cameras. Unless
someone is completely out of line, dont
discourage anyone from any type of
presentation. It is their right to present their
ideas. However, you and your key supporters
should be identified as centrist and
reasonable; that means very professional
and well-prepared to answer all questions
about the legislation in an intelligent and
thoughtful way.
After the committee hearing, if you prevail you
will move to the next level. Sometimes that is
the second house of the legislature or just
another committee such as the appropriations
or fiscal committee, which is in charge of
money. In these challenging economic times,
passage of a bill may depend on how much it
costs. Opponents will argue that it costs too
much to implement, no matter what the cost. As
always, have the information in hand to provide
the correct data to the legislators when the
topic arisesand it will come up.

At every stage of the process, you need to be

ready to bring out the supporters, sit down in
front of committees or individual legislators,
and write letters. Just because one of your
supporters wrote a letter to the first committee
doesnt mean their work is done. They need to
write another letter to the next committee, and
the next, and the next. They need to appear at
hearings, make telephone calls, email members
and supporters, and generally stay in touch
through the entire process.
Even if your bill gets approved by both houses
of the legislature, you dont win until the
Governor signs the bill into law. Again, pull out
your telephone and e-mail lists and start
contacting your supporters. The Governor
needs to know there is a broad (voting)
coalition of people that support reform. He or
she needs a good political reason for signing
the bill. By this time, you will be a lot more
sophisticated, so you should know how to
proceed. But remember your supporters, and
get them on the telephone and at their
computers, writing their letters of support.

Your legislative sponsor/author will have

invaluable information about who to lobby, how
to lobby, and when to lobby. Each state will be
very different, and having your political
specialistyour legislatorprovide you with
his or her expert advice will be invaluable.
Listen to them.

There Ought to Be a Shelter Reform Law 14

Sample factsheet for legislators and media

ne
Citizens for Huma
Shelter Reform
T:
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IM
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available for download at Rescue50.org

PA seeks to
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fo
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m
re
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State of Dela
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o
ti
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a
rg
scue o
shelters and re

CONGRATULATIONS

You Won!

What Happens Now?

Now that you have a bill, and the Governor has signed it, what do you do to implement it? First, you
prepare and circulate an information sheet on what shelters and rescue groups can and cant do
under the new law. Start an education campaign and keep talking about the bill for at least a year.
Just because the bill is law, dont assume that everyone will follow it. While many shelters are
empowered to enforce laws, some of them seem to have no problem violating it. In California, there
were some shelters refusing to follow the 1998 Animal Shelter Law even years after passage. Hold
the shelters accountable.
If you need to force implementation of the law because the shelters are refusing to do what is
required, there are many tools at your disposal. You may need to use the Public Records Act in your
state. You can try working with your legislative sponsor/author as well. Also, you can try the
Attorney Generals office in your state. The Attorney General is supposed to ensure that state laws
are followed, and you might get someone who is willing to work on a difficult issue, and their help
would be invaluable. But, in the end, you may have to file a lawsuit.
Moreover, laws can be changed. The following legislative year, someone can draft a measure
seeking to repeal your reforms, to postpone enforcement, or to modify your law. Fending off repeal
or modification that tries to water down the reforms can be as difficult as getting the bill enacted
in the first place. Your one big advantage is that you now have personal relationships with many of
the legislators and staff, and you know the process. Contact your original author, or if they are gone,
some of the legislators who were strongly in support of your bill, and ask for meetings. You need to
find out what the perceived problem might be and how to solve it without damaging the substance
of your law. Consult with animal shelter directors or veterinarians to get the information needed to
counter the criticisms.

More importantly, stay in touch with your legislative supporters and their staff. Use emails, letters,
or postcards, and personal contact whenever possible. Update key legislators whenever
something good happens. In California, for example, one county shelter did not send a single
animal to rescue because they refused to work with rescue groups until they were forced to by the
rescue access provision of the 1998 Animal Shelter Law. They now send almost 4,000 animals to
rescue groups each year, animals who would have been killed in years past at great expense to
taxpayers. Let them know with a letter of thanks and a quick update. As usual, keep it brief, but
do tell them that their vote mattered and they did the right thing by voting for the legislation. That
way, the next time an attack is made on your shelter reform law, your legislators will remember
your letters and how well the law is working in the real world of sheltering.
Dont underestimate this tactic. Let the folks in the state capitol know you appreciated their vote,
and that it is successful in their districts. That way, the next time you need to talk to them, youre
not an unwelcome stranger.

You Lost

Dont Give Up!

Sometimes it takes years for a law to pass. Dont give up hope if your bill dies in committee. There
is always next year and you can spend the time during the recess between legislative years to
build up support and wear down opposition. But if the opposition is too powerful, in some states
there is another option. Some states allow citizens to bypass the legislature and put issues directly
to a vote through a citizen initiative. In California, you can do this statewide or locally. Although it
can be a costly and difficult undertaking and requires coordination with multiple stakeholders, it is
not impossible. You have the hearts and minds of the people and they almost always vote for
legislation to save the lives of animals. Do the research needed to find out whether your state has
a citizen initiative process, what the process is, and what you need to do to get a law on the
ballot.
Alternatively, try to pass a local ordinance in your community instead. It is sometimes easier to
pass a local law than a state law, and if successful, you can then use that success to lobby for a
statewide bill.

Rescue
Five-O
Reforming Our Nations Animal Shelters, State by State
Rescue Five-O is a nationwide campaign to reform U.S. animal
shelters through legislation. Rescue Five-O is a joint project of
the No Kill Advocacy Center and the No Kill Nation.

For more information or to request assistance, visit

Rescue50.org