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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 21, 2013 09:43 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Michael H. Schlossberg |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Co-sponsorship of Legislation – Designating the Shelter Pet as the Official Pet of the Commonwealth |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that will designate the shelter pet as the official pet of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is my sincere hope you will join me in this important effort. My legislation aims to call attention to the plight of shelter pets by naming them the official pet of the Commonwealth. Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is generally less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through a breeder. Moreover, the number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. As many of you are aware, the pet population continues to rise throughout this country. Currently, there are an estimated 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats owned as pets in the United States. As the number of pets increases, so does the number of cats and dogs that end up in this country’s 3,500 animal shelters. According to the Humane Society of the United States, between 6 and 8 million cats and dogs enter these shelters every year. Roughly half of these animals will be euthanized due to overcrowding and illness. The growing pet population continues to be a problem in this Commonwealth and across the nation, placing an increasing strain on local shelters and taxpayers. Some estimates on the number of stray cats alone in this country are as high as 70 million. Many individuals, however, do not realize how serious a problem this is. Presently, only 21 percent of cats and dogs in the United States are adopted from animal shelters, even though most of these facilities perform health examinations and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive. Additionally, animal shelters routinely spay and neuter pets in their care, helping to keep the pet population in check. The State of Colorado recently became the first in the nation to give shelter pets this designation; it is my hope that Pennsylvania will be the second. I hope you will join me in this effort. If you have any questions, you may direct them to my Legislative Assistant, Geoff Brace, by email (gbrace@pahouse.net) or phone (610-821-5577) |
Introduced as HB1517