Alley Cat Allies Praises Florida Senate Committee for Unanimous Passage of Animal Shelter Bill

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Jan 26, 2012, 11:38 ET

"Florida Animal Rescue Act" would prohibit shelters and pounds from killing animals if rescue groups claim them

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, today praised the Florida State Senate Committee on Community Affairs for unanimous passage of the Florida Animal Rescue Act (S.B. 818/H.B. 597), and thanked State Sen. Mike Bennett (R) for sponsoring the legislation.

"We believe this groundbreaking legislation, if passed by the full state legislature, would save the lives of countless animals entering animal pounds and shelters in the state each year. It would put Florida at the forefront of those states looking to end the cycle of killing through innovative animal sheltering practices," said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies.

Under the Animal Rescue Act, animal pounds and shelters in Florida would be prohibited from killing an animal if an established rescue group is willing to take the animal. The bill would also require pounds and shelters to maintain a public intake and disposition "registry," which would provide data for all animals taken into shelters and information about whether they are killed, adopted or returned to their owner. The bill includes protections that would only allow legitimate, registered rescue groups to claim animals.

"Current animal shelter policies in most states cause the vast majority of cats entering shelters—more than 70 percent—to be killed there," said Robinson. "In fact, being killed by a shelter is by far the leading documented cause of death for cats in the U.S. Americans do not support this killing, and instead demand compassionate programs for animals that respect their lives. Passage of the Animal Rescue Act would be an important step forward."

About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than 260,000 supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities, and organizations save and improve the lives cats and kittens nationwide. Their web site is www.alleycat.org.

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Becky Robinson
http://www.profnetconnect.com/becky_robinson

SOURCE Alley Cat Allies