Oppose weakening the Hayden Act, don't eliminate animal shelter grace periods - Animal Legal Defense Fund

Protect California's Homeless Animals!

In an attempt to reduce California’s deficit, Governor Brown has proposed a substantial weakening of the Hayden Act, including sections that require shelters to care for homeless and lost companion animals for up to six days before euthanizing them. This holding period is crucial to allowing lost dogs and cats to be reunited with their families or adopted when they are unclaimed or abandoned.

While California continues to grapple with serious budget concerns, lifting the Hayden Act’s mandate for humane grace periods before euthanasia would be irresponsible and short-sighted. Nearly 500,000 animals are euthanized in California’s municipal animal shelters annually, and more than twice as many are impounded. Eliminating the holding period would put thousands more animals at risk of being euthanized and prevent many families from being reunited with their lost companion animals.

Please take a moment today to contact Governor Brown and your state legislators by filling out the form to the right. Urge them to oppose any legislation that will remove existing protections for homeless and lost companion animals.

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5154/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9320

Former State Senator Tom Hayden's message to Governor Jerry Brown urges the Governor to leave intact the law he wrote in 1998.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TbMiLqMZZXQ

California’s homeless animals are wholly reliant on us to stand and speak for them. Please speak out today!