It was our absolute honor to speak at Seattle Humane's 11th Annual PawPrints Planned Giving Society Dinner, where fellow animal lovers came together in celebration of their support of the shelter.
On a night built around the love of companion animals, we were elated to give a presentation detailing our backstory, the importance of the Retail Pet Ban, and our progress in getting this bill passed so far. After reviewing the generous commitments made to the shelter's cause by our wonderful audience, we spoke on how this bill has the potential to strengthen healthy relationships with pet stores. It was beyond heartwarming to witness the sheer amount of care present in that room after only a 10-minute presentation. If passed, the Retail Pet Ban would help alleviate shelter overpopulation, encourage transparency in sourcing, and ensure a humane system for adopting from pet stores by cutting puppy mills out and bringing shelters in. It is not about taking away choice; it is about changing the source. Once again, we want to thank Seattle Humane for giving us this fantastic opportunity to share our message. It is clear from events like these that the desire for animal welfare in strong here in Washington, and we cannot wait to see its power in full force. Bellevue, WA 09/26/19
0 Comments
Representative My-Linh Thai of Washington's 41st District has agreed to support the Retail Pet Ban next legislative session if it is put to a full house vote!
Over one iced mocha and a matcha latte, we gave our pitch to Representative Thai for HB 1640, citing its benefits for puppies and people alike. Taking meticulous notes, she let us know both of her excitement for the bill itself, authored by her roommate in Olympia, Representative Appleton, and her delight in seeing youth advocacy from her own community. In addition to her support, Representative Thai also offered many helpful tips to ensure the Retail Pet Ban is heard in January, with the most important being constituent interest. After hearing we were both involved in the Junior State of America, a student-led organization dedicated to fighting political apathy, she encouraged us to reach out to teens across Washington to urge them to contact their own legislators. When it comes to public interest, she says, it is the more the merrier! Postcards were another, more unexpected suggestion. While legislators may not get the chance to read every email, "snail mail" always gets at least one glance. Once this next 60-day session begins, we will be sure to follow up on her advice with letters to both the chair and vice chair of the House and Senate committees involved with this bill! Thanks again to Representative Thai for meeting with us and voicing her support. We'll be sending her our happiest puppy postcard come January! Bellevue, WA 08/19/19 Senator Patty Kuderer of Washington's 48th Legislative District has agreed to support the Retail Pet Ban if it passes into the Senate Rules committee!
As a life long dog lover with family roots in shelter volunteering, Senator Kuderer showed immediate interest in hearing more about SB 5209 following our email requesting a meeting with her. On the condition that we would continue to promote the bill both through meetings and in the media, she pledged not only to vote yes when the Retail Pet Ban reaches the full Senate floor but to personally pull it out from the Senate Rules committee, where she is a member. SB 5209 must first make it out of the Senate Labor and Commerce committee before reaching Rules en route to the full Senate. Over the course of our discussion, Senator Kuderer advocated in favor of Letters to the Editor, emphasizing the importance of drumming up local interest. A bill is nothing without a support network, and we will dedicate ourselves to building it email by email, meeting by meeting. Thank you once again to Senator Kuderer for supporting animal welfare! Bellevue, WA 08/12/19 |