PRINTER'S NO. 31
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
19
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SCHLOSSBERG, SCHWEYER, COHEN, SCHREIBER, FRANKEL,
HENNESSEY, THOMAS, O'BRIEN, McNEILL, V. BROWN, MURT, D. COSTA
AND McCARTER, JANUARY 21, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 21, 2015
AN ACT
Designating the "shelter pet" as the official pet of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
WHEREAS, Approximately 62% of all households in the United
States have a pet; and
WHEREAS, About 83.3 million dogs and about 95.6 million cats
are owned in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The growing pet population continues to be a problem
in this Commonwealth and across the nation, placing an
increasing strain on local animal shelters; and
WHEREAS, There are an estimated 3,500 animal shelters across
the United States; and
WHEREAS, Approximately six million to eight million companion
animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 2.7 million healthy, adoptable cats and
dogs are euthanized by shelters each year; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 750,000 dogs and cats classified as
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