E-mail message from Humane Society of the United States. Information current as of May 5, 2009.

I'm happy to share several items of good news with you this morning - first, on the international front, the European Union has voted to ban the seal product trade, which will effectively close a huge market for Canadian seal hunt. This will save millions of seals from a horrible fate!

Thanks to your attendance and lobbying at the New York State Humane Lobby Day, I'm happy to report some major progress on the bills that we lobbied on.

• Last week, our anti-animal fighting bill unanimously passed the Assembly's agriculture committee!
• Senate versions of the animal fighting and puppy mills bills have been introduced.
• 25 Assembly legislators have signed on as sponsors for the anti-puppy mills bills!
• 22 Assembly legislators have signed on as sponsors for the canned shoots bill!

YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN! Now, more actions are needed to help pass these bills - remember, until our Governor signs these bills into law, our work is not done yet, but these are great steps thanks to the efforts you've made!

Can you please respond to this email to let me know that you’ve taken these actions? Thanks and apologies in advance for this long email!

1. Follow the links below for each bill and click on "Text & Status" to see which legislators have signed on as sponsors for the bills. If your legislators are on the list, please write to thank them for their support! If not, please call and write your legislators to urge them for their support! Find your state legislators' contact info at: http://bit.ly/49Tutp
2. Please forward the links below to your friends and family and urge them to take action. We need all animal advocates to take action - unfortunately, the animals can't speak for themselves or vote, so we must speak up for them!
3. Please call New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver - 518-455-3791 - to pass A6287a to help strengthen New York's animal fighting laws! Everyone should call him AND your Assembly legislator - he is the leader of the Assembly and can use his leadership position to help the bill move forward. (Focus on the animal fighting bill for now, we'll contact you when it's time to speak up on the other bills. For the other bills, just concentrate on your own legislators for now!)

Send email to pkwan@humanesociety.org to let me know that you've taken these actions!

Strengthen the Dogfighting Law - A. 6287 / S.3926
http://bit.ly/NYdogfightingbill
Increases penalties for being a spectator at an animal fight to a felony.

Ban on Canned Shoots - S. 3223 / A. 6788
http://bit.ly/NYcannedshootsbill
Bans the shooting of exotic mammals held captive in fenced enclosures, otherwise known as "canned shoots."

Humane Treatment of Downed Animals - S. 751 / A. 5512
http://bit.ly/NYdownedanimalsbill
Provides for the humane treatment of nonambulatory "downed" animals.

Stop Puppy Mills - A.7285 / S. 5392
http://bit.ly/NYpuppymillsbill
Stop mega-puppy mills by limiting the number a facility can have to 50 unsterilized animals.

Thanks so much for all your efforts, we really can't do it without you!

Patrick Kwan
New York State Director, Field Services
pkwan@humanesociety.org
917.331.7187
The Humane Society of the United States

200 W. 57th Street, Suite 705  New York, NY 10019
humanesociety.org