A new year, a new opportunity to save lives

It is a new year and a new legislative session in every state. Now is the time to introduce bills that make a life-and-death difference for animals in “shelters.”

The No Kill Advocacy Center has model laws to do so, including legislation that:

• ​Makes it illegal to round up and kill community cats;

• Gives rescuers the legal right to save animals from pounds intent on killing them;

• Makes it illegal to kill animals unless those animals are irremediably suffering;

• Makes it illegal for anyone else to kill them, including private veterinarians;

• Prevents people convicted of animal abuse from acquiring animals;

• Bans cruel methods of killing;

• Requires pounds to focus on saving animals rather than killing them, including providing prompt and necessary veterinary care;

• Prevents landlords from discriminating against renters with pets;

• And more.

The No Kill Advocacy Center also has free guides to help you introduce such laws in your community or state. And No Kill Advocacy Center attorneys stand ready to help.

These laws are already saving tens of thousands of lives every year — well over two million since their inception — in those cities, counties, and states that have passed them, reducing killing in some cases by over 90%. And you can help us save even more: