Resources for Legislators and Advocates- Attorney at Paw -

Attorney at Paw has developed fact sheets and FAQs to assist animal advocates working to change local laws and policies and to assist legislators in understanding animal-control related issues relevant to their position as a city or county official.

The following documents were produced to help advocates and legislators understand and pass effective animal control laws that maximize lifesaving while still upholding public health and safety.

Anti-declawing Laws

Declawing refers to the cruel practice of surgically amputating a cat’s claws, bones, ligaments, and tendons. Many cat owners are unaware that declawing is a serious surgery with multiple negative physical and behavioral impacts. For All Animals opposes declawing except in the rare cases that it is medically necessary (such as toe cancer). While a few cities in California have banned declawing, there are no state laws against it yet. Here are some resources to help you advocate to make declawing illegal.

Retail Pet Sale Ban

Retail pet sale bans stop pet stores from selling puppies and kittens. Because the vast majority of puppies (over 99%) come from puppy mills, retail pet sale bans are an effective way to take a stand against puppy mills and encourage community members to adopt their next family member. Check out our resources on passing retail pet sale bans in your own city.

Pit Bull Terriers & Breed Discrimination Laws

Breed-discriminatory legislation (BDL)—also called Breed Specific Legislation—hurts taxpayers and dogs alike by wasting “limited animal control resources”. A failure in virtually every community that’s tried it, BDL does not make communities safer. It also endangers the lives of happy companion animals by calling for the euthanasia of innocent dogs simply because of their physical appearance. BDL and pit bull terriers can be a confusing issue to navigate, so we’ve laid out the facts in a one page summary, FAQs, and an explanation of the negative economic impact that BDL has on communities.

Community Cats and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)

Community cats (also referred to as stray, feral, neighborhood, street and alley cats) make up a large amount of the cats and kittens impounded and killed in animal shelters every year because they are unadoptable. To reduce euthanasia and increase live release rates from shelters we must take a proactive approach to community cats. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most effective method of managing the community cats. There are multiple scientific studies that show the effects of TNR on community cats’ populations. Here are resources to help you bring TNR to your community.

Anti-tethering Legislation

Anti-tethering laws make it illegal to leave a dog chained up outside. Tethered dogs in a community create a public safety risk because tethering can increase aggression. Every year, a disproportionate number of tethered dogs are involved in dog bite incidents. Furthermore, tethered dogs can experience serious physical and mental suffering. Learn how you can pass an anti-tethering ordinance below.

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