Maryland Votes for Animals

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:

"Imagine that the dog from the Little Rascals was in a dog fight and won. Are we going to neuter him and punish him for winning a fight?" Much snickering and inaudible comments from several male delegates.

If you care about animals, then I'm sure you're as frustrated reading this as I was when I heard it. So let's take action...

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

On Monday, July 12th, three Maryland Votes For Animals board members, Carolyn Kilborn, Valerie Pringle, and Joe Lamp, met with the Speaker of the House, Mike Busch, and his chief of staff, Kristin Jones, to discuss animal legislation in the state of Maryland.

Of particular concern to Speaker Busch was Maryland's dismal state rating by the Animal League Defense Fund; Maryland is currently in the lowest tier, 40th out of 50 states. Last year we were ranked 32nd out of 50 and without a concerted effort on the part of Maryland Votes For Animals, we will continue to fall...possibly into last place.

We also shared our concerns about committee head Joseph Vallario, whose committee hears most of the legislation targeting animals in our state and who rarely allows animal bills out of his committee.

We handed Speaker Busch an article detailing the Animal Cruelty Syndrome, published in the New York Times recently. Once again, Maryland was humiliated: the article's first sentence described the absolute horror of the pit bull Phoenix, who was set on fire by two boys in the city of Baltimore last summer. Humane education as a mandatory course in all public schools was also discussed with Speaker Busch.

Speaker Busch was also interested in hearing about Pennsylvania's new puppy mill legislation when it was pointed out that, despite continuing efforts, puppy mill legislation continues to fail in the state of Maryland.

Maryland Votes For Animals is excited to begin a working relationship with Speaker Mike Busch, head of the House of Delegates for the state of Maryland. We will continue to share our concerns with speaker Busch and all legislators as we head into election day and the upcoming legislation session. Remember, Maryland Votes For Animals is the voice of Phoenix and all abused animals in Maryland. We are also your voice because, as members of the our political action committee, you also know that giving a voice to the voiceless abused animals in our state, is our mission.

Great News for Maryland's Deer

Guest blogger Joseph Lamp, Ph.D., Wildlife Advisory Commission:

Fawn in flowers 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.