Tell Governor Gregoire to sign into law crucial protections against puppy mills in Washington!

SB 5651, otherwise known as the puppy mill bill, has successfully passed the legislature. This was possible because of the compassionate action of many citizens who contacted their legislators about this important bill! The bill will soon land on Governor Gregoire's desk to be signed. If you are a Washington resident, Governor Gregoire needs to hear that protecting dogs in our state against the cruelties of puppy mills is important to you. Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities that inhumanely mass-produce puppies and sell them to unsuspecting consumers through pet stores, want ads or over the Internet.

Contact Governor Gregoire at http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp:

1. Use her online form to fill in your personal information.
2. Select "2009 Legislation" as the subject of your message.
3. In the blank message box, use the bullets below to politely explain why protections against puppy mills are important to you.

SB 5651, providing basic protections against puppy mills, is important because:

• It will limit the number of sexually intact adult dogs a person can possess to 50 and will include basic care standards to anyone who has custody of 10 or more intact adult dogs.
• It provides mandatory animal welfare standards that all pets deserve such as, access to clean food and water, exercise, proper housing, basic veterinary care, and protection from extreme weather conditions.
• It is currently one of the only bills introduced this year, nation-wide, which still has a cap on the number of animals a person can possess.
• The recent Snohomish and Skagit County tragedy, where over 600 dogs and puppies were rescued from horrendous puppy mills, revealed flaws in existing state regulation and placed a huge burden on community resources.

Keep sending PAWS your emails! We read them all and track this important information. Since you can't cc us on your messages to Governor Gregoire, please be sure to send a note to info@paws.org and let us know the action you took.

Visit PAWS' 2009 Legislative Session page to learn more about taking action on bills currently in session that affect animals.

On behalf of animals who cannot speak for themselves, thank you!

A Northwest leader in protecting animals since 1967, the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) shelters homeless animals, rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife, and empowers people to demonstrate compassion and respect for animals in their daily lives.

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PAWS, P.O. Box 1037, Lynnwood, WA 98046