607 comments
“We are asking you to pass regulations that will protect families in Virginia, protect animals, assist state regulators in monitoring the activities of its licensees, and provide taxpayers with the information they need to be informed citizens… As Justice Louis Brandeis once wrote, 'sunlight is… the best of disinfectants.'
I fully support the No Kill Advocacy Center's 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.
Please pass the regulations that will protect families in Virginia, protect animals, assist state regulators in monitoring the activities of its licensees, and provide taxpayers with the information they need to be informed citizens. This is a better way for all of us. Thank you.
As a resident of the Commonwealth, animal lover and owner, I ask that the Department of Agriculture implement the standards suggested by the No Kill Advocacy Center in relation to shelter/pound administration.
Please pass this. I currently volunteer at tThe Regional Center for Animal Control and Protection. Weekly several of us worry due to the dreaded euthanasia list of animals that need to be saved and scramble for rescue groups to pull and foster families to be found so these animals won't be put to sleep due to lack of space. More laws should be in effect to keep them safe. I hate to see animals discarded and they need a voice, so please be there's .
Although I am currentlylocated in NC, I am a life-long citizen of Virginia, and am still very much concerned about its issues, as well as being concerned about animal welfare issues, so I hope you will hear my voice.
I fully support the No Kill Advocacy Center's 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 shelter
Respectfully,
Leslie Sanford
Transparency and accountability in public and private animal shelters by way of reporting as outlined by the No Kill Advocacy Center’s petition is extremely good policy, benefiting taxpayers and donors of the Commonwealth of VA. Please consider revising rules so to protect animals and the families who love them.
Please revise the laws in place to help all furbabies. Give them love by giving time to be able to find suitable homes. Show them loyalty by showing them that not all humans are bad instead of instilling fear into them by sending them directly to the death chamber. Be honest with fellow humans, owners don't take away a pet because you assume you can and then put it directly asleep. Give these precious babies a chance in surviving an already too cruel world.
I support this petition for transparency & record keeping for animal shelters in VA.
Thank you for protecting our pets from Norfolk, VA!
It's disgusting and a criminal injustice to allow the continued operation of "animal shelters" that have no interest in placing animals in safe and loving homes. These operations exist only to kill healthy annals and they need to be shut down immediately.
I support the no kill advocacy center petition.
Get rid of PETA. They seem to like killing animals rare than find them homes. Use that money to spay and neuter animals instead of killing them. The right to life applies to animals as well as humans.
We need to punish those that abuse animals too. I do think they get more punishment than humans.
Shelters need to be accountable and keep thorough records.
I support the no kill amendment.
Support the no kill advocacy center petition
While this petition may look good on the surface, similar legislation/regulation called CAPA in Delaware has only resulted in nonstop investigations, lawsuits, and nearly every shelter in Delaware is facing deficits. While I have no issue with reasonable documentation that is accessible by your agency, we have seen people use CAPA to request information and make complaints 5 or 6 times for the same issue, even after the shelter is cleared the first time. The costs associated with continually having personnel pull documentation, leadership having constant exchanges with various levels of govt from city, county to statewide is in the end taking funds away from animals in our state and also placing our shelters in a precarious situation financially. A bankrupt shelter doesn't save animals, and if your agency cares whether your communities continue to have financially viable shelters that will be around in the future, I urge you to deny the petition by No Kill Advocacy Center.
Thank your for your time and attention, and below are some links for your refererence regarding the Delaware situation.
State of Delaware may have to take over dog control across the state because of the mess that CAPA made.
http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/oaw/files/dacrecpt2.pdf
Delaware Animal Welfare Task Force Regarding CAPA - http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/TaskForces.nsf/6af27240dc8e687185256ff60064c10b/a6a07007145bb71d85257a23004d69ba/$FILE/SCR%2044%20Animal%20Welfare%20Task%20Force%2011-15-12.pdf
Lawsuits - http://delawarecapa.blogspot.com/2013/02/capa-lawyers-best-friend.html
Closed Doors to animals - delawarecapa.blogspot.com/2013/07/capa-closes-shelter-doors-no-kill-open.html
Bankrupted Shelter Doing Dog Control in my county - http://delawarecapa.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-bipolar-roller-coaster.html
Please hold anyone who opens a shelter for animals accountable for the welfare of said animals. If one is claiming to save or protect animals,one should not be allowed to euthenize the animals unless they have made every effort to find an owner or place the animal for fostering or adoption. Animals have the right to live out their natural lives, regardless of the stupidity and carelessness of humans who are supposed to be taking care of them. Any organization that maintains that an animal is better off being euthanized rather than "suffer on the streets" (instead of rehabilitation and placement) should have its license to be a shelter revoked.
Please support this bill.
As a society, we want to raise our children to show compassion for others. We want to teach them to treat other people well, kindly, and gently. How are we supposed to teach them to be kind to other humans when we are cruel to animals? Showing kindness to animals is the first step in growing compassion for those who are weaker, less fortunate, or smaller than we are.
As the mother of two toddlers, a Virginia native, and a graduate of ODU and UR, I try to raise my children to show compassion for all living creatures. I do not allow them to eat meat and I teach them to be gentle to all creatures big and small. But how can I continue to raise them to be gentle, kind, compassionate, and sensitive human beings if they see the domesticated animals entrusted to our care being heartlessly killed.
This bill is a vital first step in the direction of compassion. I pray that this bill will be passed with full support and that it will be but a first small step. One day I look forward to seeing the cruel killing of ANY animal being outlawed.
Please support this petition.
PLEASE Support the No Kill Advocacy Petition. Be a voice for the animals who have no voice.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF A NO KILL AMENDMENT. I ASK YOU TO GIVE YOUR FULL SUPPORT TO PROTECT OUR ANIMALS IN SHELTERS AND TRY TO FIND THEM HOMES. DO NOT DESTROY.
There needs to be transparency and accountability in all public and private animal shelters.The reporting as outlined by the No Kill Advocacy Center’s petition is definitely a step in the right direction. In regards to domestic animals, I have nothing positive to say about PETA. Please vote in favor of the No Kill Advocacy Center Petition for Rulemaking to protect our animals.
There needs to be transparency and accountability in all public and private animal shelters.The reporting as outlined by the No Kill Advocacy Center’s petition is definitely a step in the right direction. Please vote in favor of the No Kill Advocacy Center Petition for Rulemaking to protect our animals.
I Support 100% that a No Kill Bill Be Passed....All Lives Matter!
We need transparancy and regulation of organizations licensed by the State of Virginia.
I support the request to issue regulations requiring shelters in Virginia to maintain and provide records to the public that cover when and how each animal was taken in, why the animal was taken in, the condition of each animal, what attempts were made to reunite the animal with the family, the kinds of care and treatment each animal received, the disposition of each animal, and if the animal was killed, when and why the animal was killed.
Thank you,
Karen Houser
I commend the State of Virginia for being a leader in combatting the unnecessary euthanasia of so many animals without the effort of finding them forever homes. How a community treats their weakest members is an indication of that society's moral fiber. I am so pleased that Virginia representatives have taken the right path and have not bowed down to the lobbyists. Thank you for doing the right thing and protecting animals. My hope is,that other states will follow in your example. Watching anxiously from Canada for the final stages of this bill. Sincerely, Angela Hanson
I completely support a strong No Kill Bill. Also, much stricter laws for breeding by everyone! Not just puppy mills. Increased S/N programs, a small sales tax to help support housing, medical, education, and dog warden expenses. Way too much money goes to admin.
I support the No Kill Bill please pass it
I find this petition to be excellent and support it wholeheartedly. I commend the far sighted vision of its authors to deal with the pernicious influence of PETA and other similar entities. Michele Markoff, Warrenton, Virginia
I support NO KILL....People, including PETA, need to learn RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR.... I support advocating NO KILL and promoting neutering/spaying and birth-control to maintain a reasonable animal population. Education on how to responsibly take care of pets, how to decide if adoption is right for a family and more adoption services support.
The No Kill Advocacy Center Petition for Rulemaking bill has my full support and frankly I am shocked that these common sense rules are not already in play.
VA is on the right track!
I am in favor of the "No Kill" policy for animal rescue, animal control, animal shelters in Virginia. The humane and transparent treatment of animals should be manditory. We are their voice.S
issue regulations requiring shelters in Virginia to maintain and provide records to the public that cover when and how each animal was taken in, why the animal was taken in, the condition of each animal, what attempts were made to reunite the animal with the family, the kinds of care and treatment each animal received, the disposition of each animal, and if the animal was killed, when and why the animal was killed.
I support the petition to require annual reports as outlined in the petition. I further support a policy that minimizes killing animals in shelters to those rare cases when there is no other viable or humane alternative. Private animal shelters are already defined in Code as serving the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for companion animals. This is now and should always be their primary purpose under the law. Regulatory oversight should strengthen this policy and require at minimum transparency about the permissions and actions of the shelter; and should also discourage euthansia except as a last resort.