Action Alert for the First Three Bills of 2012
The 2012 session of the Maryland General Assembly has started and the first three animal bills have hearings this week! That means that it's time for all Maryland's animal advocates to pick up the phone on behalf of the animals. (And, F.Y.I., it's much more effective to pick up the phone instead of sending an email. Legislators are so inundated with emails that they're not as effective as they used to be.) Here are the first three bills with a short synopsis:
Lawmakers to consider animal abuser registry
Reported by ABC-2: Annapolis, Md - It's just a dog.
Should a person's freedom be taken away because they say threw this little dog out of a two story window, breaking it's eye socket and almost killing it?
Lobby Day 2012 - Building Momentum for Maryland's Animals
JOIN US! - Annapolis, MD: Humane Lobby Day 2012 - Feb. 23
Maryland Votes for Animals, HSUS and ASPCA invite our members, supporters, and other animal advocates to participate in the 2012 Maryland Humane Lobby Day in Annapolis, and help make a tremendous difference for animals.
This is an exciting opportunity to meet directly with your elected officials and their staff about legislation that will significantly impact animals. There will be a briefing with tips for lobbying, and an overview of pending animal legislation which will prepare you to meet your elected officials and advocate for animals.
Legislators are most motivated when their constituents make time to meet with them face to face. By attending Lobby Day 2012, you can be instrumental in helping to support spay/neuter programs, protect sharks, stop puppy mills and more. RSVP today to lend your voice for animals and make a difference in Maryland!
RSVP online with HSUS here.
When: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Where: House of Delegates Office Building, Room 142
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
A Successful Year for Animals Thanks to You!
2011 has been a huge success for the animals of Maryland thanks to you! Together we passed an unprecedented number of animal protection bills in the Maryland General Assembly---including creation of the all-important Statewide Spay/Neuter Task Force that is working to create a subsidized statewide spay/neuter program for Maryland. Plus we defeated two bills that would have harmed animals.
Make no mistake, these successes are due to you! You joined together with MVFA---Maryland's first-and-only political action committee for animals---to let our legislators know that animals are important to us. In fact, your hard work and dedication raised Maryland's state ranking by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) from 43 to 36 – and out of the bottom tier of states with the weakest animal cruelty laws. Go to http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=1894 to learn more.
Help Animals - Attend Your Legislator's Fundraiser!
Attending a fundraising party gives you an excellent opportunity to meet your delegate or state senator in a casual setting and to voice to them your desire to see stronger animal protection laws in Maryland. It's effective and fun, plus your ticket price (usually from $50 to $100) will be remembered by your legislator when it's time for them to vote for that spay/neuter bill, for instance.
Please watch MVFA's facebook page for notices of these parties, then pick an event, invite a friend, and attend Result: Stronger animal protection laws ---and less animal suffering---in Maryland!
Governor O'Malley - Stop the Bear Hunt
October 20, 2011
Dear Governor O'Malley:
The many people throughout Maryland who care about the humane treatment of animals---including the thousands of members of Maryland Votes For Animals, PAC---cannot forget that you broke your promise and allowed the killing of Maryland's Black Bears. Every year the hunt starts again, and every year we remember that you promised to continue the half-century ban on this inhumane hunt, and yet you broke your promise to us.
Third Thursday Meetup to Focus on Statewide Spay/Neuter Program
Please join MVFA for our next Third Thursday Meetup in Baltimore at One World Cafe on Thursday, October 20 to learn what you can do to help pass a low-cost statewide spay/neuter program. We need volunteers to help us grow our membership and get people excited about low-cost spay/neuter in Delegate Maggie McIntosh's district, district 43.
But why focus on Delegate McIntosh?
Delegate McIntosh is the powerful chair of the Environmental Affairs Committee who will hear the bill for the low-cost state
Governor O'Malley's Betrayal of Maryland's Black Bears
Thank you to Dr. Joseph Lamp for his years of unwavering support for Maryland's black bears. Here is his latest attempt to get Governor O'Malley to end the senseless killing.
Friday, October 14, 2011
The Honorable Governor Martin O’Malley
Governor of Maryland
State House, 100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401 – 1925
Re: Animal welfare community terribly disappointed in your allowing the continued sport killing of Maryland’s black bears for fun and recreation starting again on Oct. 24th.
Dear Governor O’Malley,
Letter after letter to you, meetings with Secretary Griffin, denied requests to meet with you, and so much more, and here we are less than a week away from another Maryland recreational bear killing. Yet as you’ve done time and time again, you wash your hands of it, let it go on, and our bears – including the babies – will die for others’ “sport.”
Want to Lobby for Dogs---and cats, horses, chickens, etc.? Here's your Chance.
If you’re looking to do some good for dogs and other animals — as, of course, most Marylander's are — here’s an opportunity.
Maryland Votes for Animals (MVFA) is looking for people who want to get involved in the political process in hopes of making 2012 an even more successful year for animal protection legislation in the state.
