Maryland Votes for Animals (MVFA) is an organization with one overriding mission: To create an ever-growing voting bloc of animal advocates who will elect representatives willing to champion and vote for animal protection legislation, and to hold politicians accountable to their constituents.
Want to get involved with helping animals? Start here!

Join us at our Humane Scorecard Kick-off Party!
Maryland Votes for Animals (MVFA) will host a Humane Scorecard Kick-Off Party on Monday, August 9th, 2010. The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m at Yellowfin Restaurant located at 2840 Solomons Island Road in Edgewater, MD 21037. Tickets for the event can be purchased here. Tickets are $15 if purchased by August 1st and $20 at the door. Appetizers will be served.
In conjunction with the Humane Society Legislative Fund, MVFA will announce results for their legislative scorecard; this scorecard ranks the votes on animal protection bills by Maryland’s legislators in the 2007-2010 legislative sessions. Additionally, eight Maryland legislators will be honored with Humane Legislative Champion Awards for their 100%+ support on animal legislation in the state of Maryland.
The event will feature Mike Markarian, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund as guest speaker. The HSLF is the lobbying affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization, and has worked to enact laws that protect animals at both the state and federal levels for the last 15 years. He has appeared on The Today Show, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News.
Valerie Pringle, Board of Director’s member says, “Maryland Votes for Animals is honored to sponsor this event in conjunction with the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and is especially privileged to have Mike Markarian in attendance. Maryland currently ranks 40th out of 50 states in animal protection legislation. This event will help fund MVFA’s efforts to improve Maryland’s ranking.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet state politicians and voice their concerns about the current dismal state of animal cruelty in Maryland as well as socialize with like-minded people. The Maryland Legislative Scorecard will be available so attendees can check on their legislators' scores.
Follow this link to purchase tickets or use the form below:
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Or pay by mail. Please send ticket donations to:
Maryland Votes For Animals
P.O. Box 6423
Annapolis, MD 21401-6423
Please Remember: Contributions to Maryland Votes For Animals do not qualify as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Individuals, companies or federal corporate political action committees may contribute a maximum of $4,000 to Maryland Votes For Animals per election cycle. The $4,000 counts towards an individual's, corporation's, or federal PAC's $10,000 aggregate limit on contributions to all state and local candidates during a four-year election cycle (January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2010). A corporation's Maryland state PAC may contribute up to $6,000 to Maryland Votes For Animals.

Wagging Tails, Politicians and the Public Meet to Support Animal Legislation
MVFA, the state's only pollitical action committee for animals, participates in "Canines and Cocktails for a Cause" at the Loews Hotel in Annapolis on June 18th, signing up supporters, telling local politicians they want better animal laws for Maryland---and having fun!

Think Like a General to End Animal Suffering
Imagine you’re a top general in a war and it’s your job to save your country by winning the war. You’ve got to think big, you’ve got to think long-term, and most of all, you’ve got to think strategically if you plan to win. Moreover, you can’t expect to win every battle and, sadly, there will be casualties. But if you make your decisions based on the big picture then your chances of success are much greater.
![]() MVFA testifies for S.B. 505 |
Now translate that idea to animals and imagine that it’s your job to end animal suffering in Maryland. Huge job. How would you do it? You’d think like a general. You’d realize that rescue alone won’t solve the problem; that’s like trying to win a war using only the Red Cross. You’ve got continue the rescue work but do more. You’ve got to get political for animals.
Maryland Votes For Animals is dedicated to thinking like a general whose job it is to win the war of animal suffering. This means that MVFA will think long-term, strategically and politically. Here's how:

Animal Protection is not a Joke!
Last week, Maryland Votes For Animals testified at the hearing for Spay/Neuter of Dangerous Dogs, H.B. 15, which was sponsored by Delegate Haddaway-Riccio. Thank you Delegate Haddaway-Riccio!
Unfortunately, not all the delegates on the committee were sensitive to the issue of dangerous dogs and the related problem of dog fighting. Some made comments that showed woeful ignorance to the benefits of neutering dogs, acting embarrassed and squeamish about the surgery and saying, "Are we going to penalize the dog for being aggressive?" Others made jokes like this one:

MVFA meets with Speaker of the House, Michael Busch, to discuss Animal Protection Laws for Maryland

Great News for Maryland's Deer
Guest blogger Joseph Lamp, Ph.D., Wildlife Advisory Commission:
Our decades of prayers have been answered. I can now report that on September 29, 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agency approved drug #56228-40, GonaCon, a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunocontraceptive vaccine for white-tail deer, developed by the National Wildlife Research Center. This EPA approval sets the state for ConaCon's actual usage in the public domain, and it is not longer merely an "experimental drug" with all the caveats previously surround it as such. No longer can anyone make the argument that you must kill the deer to control them as the only viable management option.




