I fully support this Petition for Rulemaking to pass regulations that will protect animals, assist state legislators in monitoring the activities of its licensees, and provide transparency to the taxpayers regarding the intake and disposition of animals in Virginia shelters.  For too long our country has been plagued with government facilities and private facilities have been allowed to call themselves “shelters” yet spend taxpayers and donors money simply rounding up or accepting animals and promptly killing them.  There is very little oversight and no transparency and accountability.  It is time for shelters in Virginia and across our nation to actually do what the taxpayers and donors think they do, which is make their primary goal the rescue and rehoming of animals, rather than the convenient killing and disposing that has become the norm.  Loopholes and lack of sufficient regulations have allowed organization like PETA and other shelters to abuse state and federal government benefits for the purposes of getting funds and controlled substances.  No Kill is possible, and it is being proven around the country.  Shelters that are implementing proven No Kill solutions are saving lives, saving taxpayers money, protecting volunteers, protecting public health and safety, and improving the well-being of shelter staff.  Collaboration and implementation of these solutions cannot be voluntary, it must be mandated by passing humane legislation in the form of companion animal and animal rescue laws that require compliance.  Virginia can join the growing # of states in the US that have implemented such laws and are saving more any lives while reducing their operating costs.  While I am not a resident of Virginia, I urge you to join in this important fight and do not let the opportunity to have meaningful impactful change be lost by issuing week regulations that allow the loopholes and abuses to continue.  This is an important stand that will help hasten the spread of No Kill legislation throughout our country.