Participating in Lobby Day, from left, is Kathy Davis, cattery caregiver; Sara Hamburger, director of behavior and enrichment; Tricia Steves, cattery supervisor; Emily Gerth, adoption coordinator; Joan Smith-Reese, executive director; and Rosemary Twomey, director of development.
On April 20, representatives from Animal Care Sanctuary (ACS) attended Lobby Day in Harrisburg. They met with Senator Yaw’s Office as well as Representative Pickett’s Office.
The legislation that was of most concern was Senate Bill 22 sponsored by Senator Greenleaf and supported and voted on by Senator Yaw, to strengthen the puppy lemon law. This would extend the time for a purchase of a dog to discover and report a defect or illness to the seller and allows for recovery of cost of veterinary care. This bill passed the Senate and now heads to the House.
Another issue was House Bill 164 sponsored by Rep. Stevens to ban the possession of animal fighting paraphernalia. There is a loophole in the PA law that allows animal fighters to possess the items needed for animal fighting, so when law enforcement finds these items, unless they also find the dogs or birds, they cannot make an arrest based on the evidence of animal fighting. This bill passed the House and is now headed to the Senate.
They also expressed their support for Senate Bill 373 to end the continuous tethering of dogs outside. This is especially important after the long, harsh winter this year and seeing the results of what has happened to many of the dogs in the area who were tethered outside in extreme cold.
All of the lawmakers expressed the importance of seeing their constituents take the time to travel to Harrisburg to speak up for the voiceless animals in Pennsylvania.
