A Call for Change to Help Homeless Pets in Massachusetts
Your Help is Needed – Sign the Petition Today!
It’s time to help homeless pets in MA by demanding that the state follow the ASV (Association of Shelter Veterinarians) national best practice standards and stop burdening shelters with regulations that go against what is national best practices so we can get more homeless pets in homes.
Did you know that Massachusetts is the ONLY state that makes shelters isolate pets from out of state for 48 hours even though they come in with health certificates? This causes a huge financial burden to shelters and is against the national best practices because it causes undue stress on these pets with longer hold times in isolation before being allowed to be put up for adoption.
Did you know that when pet supply stores generously give a FREE adoption center within their building to shelters to bring in rescue animals to promote their adoption, the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture treats the animals as if they were owned by the pet supply stores and require shelters to pay for a vet exam every 7 days instead of what is in the shelter regulations? Why? These animals do not become pet supply store owned animals simply by being brought into the building. And no pet that has already been deemed healthy and ready for adoption needs to go to the vets every 7 days (instead of every 180 as is required in the shelter regulations). This puts another unnecessary burden on shelters for financial costs. These wonderful adoption centers in these stores are often a lifeline for shelter pets to get seen and adopted!
It is time for us to stand up for shelter pets. So many pets are being euthanized in overcrowded shelters in other states when they could come to shelters with space in MA but shelters in MA cannot afford the 48 hold isolation facilities that are required. No other state does this!
We want to see MA be like every other state in the country and welcome homeless pets into the state with a health certificate. These health certificates are done by a veterinarian and state that the pet is healthy and can travel. Every other state in the country accepts this without further burden of a 48 hour hold EXCEPT Massachusetts.
Shelter pet’s lives are at stake and we need to make a change. Please help! We need your signature today to demand change. The longer this goes on, the more pets sit in shelters longer or worse never get a chance.
You can read the shelter regulations on the state of MA website to see just how burdensome they are, costing shelters and you the adopters more money, causes shelter pets to sit in shelters longer and to risk additional stress related illnesses on the pets and prevents shelters from helping more pets. Shelters are now closing or on the brink of closing, free adoption space in pet supply stores go empty because they cannot afford these burdensome and unnecessary costs. This leaves less space for pets at risk of euthanasia.
Your signature TODAY could make all the difference to get attention on this fight. Shelters and rescues in MA live in fear of fighting back, animals need someone to fight for them, and this is the way we need to do it! Thank you for helping and please spread the word!
How you can help: 1) Sign the petition, 2) Share this petition, 3) Demand change from your legislators, and 4) Get the word out to help shelter pets!
Bugs was able to get his surgery this week, but may need an additional surgery to fully correct the painful condition.
She lead the way across the open field heading back to the parking lot when I saw a man waving at me. He asked if he could say hi to my dog and we approached a couple on a morning walk. “We just said good-bye to our dog of 15 years” he told me with that crack in his voice that I know all too well. “I could see her looking at us and I just needed to say hi.”
“She’s not my dog. She lives at Second Chance Animal shelter,” I told the older couple that wanted to introduce themselves to my little black companion. “They call her Socks, I call her Nelly or Nell.” She approached the man and rose on her hind legs and gave him a hug. He smiled and laughed and hugged her back. I told her down, she sat down in front of him. I made a click sound with my mouth and she turned and came to me. I gave her the hand cue to sit. She sat. I gave her the hand cue to lay down. She did. I told her to come up, she came up and got a treat. “She has me trained well.” I smiled at them.
I started this blog with the story about the couple mourning the passing of their beloved dog and wanting to say hi to Socks/Nell for a reason. I tell that story because it is not the only time it happened. There have been several times where someone asked if they could say hi to her. Because she was looking at them like she wanted to say hi. And she walked over and hugged them, and they smile and laugh and embrace her and tear up and with that crack in their voice that tells me that they just lost their dog. Coincidence? Maybe. Or does she just have a sense? I don’t know but it has happened enough that it makes me wonder.
