Advocacy & Legislation

You can help provide a better life for dogs in need. Find out how to support canine rights and welfare. The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but our stray and feral animal overpopulation problem, in many areas of this country rivals that of some of the poorest countries of the world. The saddest fact is that the “pet overpopulation” problem is not one of money, it is one of education. Research has been conducted by many experts around the world that proves effective methods of animal control exist that are both cost-efficient and humane. Yet we continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on animal control that is not working. The vicious cycle of continually funding “trap and kill” programs cannot be broken without education with the goal of adopting proper policies, programs and legislation. As pet lovers, our number one priority must be education with the goal of changing our current thinking, policies and laws on companion animal rights and population control.

Education is the Key: Legislation is the Tool
The first and foremost problem of “pet overpopulation” is our own education. Pet education is the key to changing attitudes toward homeless companion animals. Legislation is the tool we have to ensure human accountability for the “overpopulation problem” we have created. Dog and Pet lovers need legislation that supports the humane and cost-effective methods of homeless companion animal population control. Dog advocates need legislation and enforcement that support serious repercussions for those that continue to contribute to the problem. We need a tax structure and properly structured licensing laws that incentivize pet owners to spay and neuter our dogs and cats. As dog advocates, we need to educate ourselves, our communities, and our community leaders in order to use our laws and policies to implement the changes needed to stop the cycle of homeless animal procreation. In addition, we must ensure that the homeless animals are not allowed to be victims of the violent people in society, that they are not “easy prey” because they are not owned.

While education is the key in changing attitudes toward homeless companion animals, legislation is the only real way to ensure that everyone is held accountable for the animals. At this point in time, animals are not granted rights. Government funded shelter (public shelters or pounds) laws seem to be not much more than an administrative matter. Shelters are more often than not seriously under-funded which results in sub-standard conditions for the animals and millions of euthanasia's of healthy animals per year. Compound the lack of funding and lack of priority in state and local budgets with the uneducated public who don’t see the urgent need to spay and neuter their pets and the many people who see animals as disposable commodities, and it is no wonder that there are many apathetic people caught in the system. It becomes is easy and even necessary to close your heart when you have to see loving animals killed every day because of uneducated and uncaring people.

The International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR) was founded in 1959 to expose and end the injustice and exploitation of animals and the suffering inflicted on them. Since that time ISAR has become a leader in the fight for Animal Rights, living up to the commitment in its name. ISAR's philosophical foundation is unique from other animal welfare organizations because ISAR believes that animals have rights just as humans do and ISAR is 100% dedicated to defending them.

Animal Laws
In the American political structure, there are essentially two levels of government, the federal and the state. The Constitution of the

United States

delegates specific powers to the federal government, and the Tenth Amendment provides that all other powers remain in the states, which includes counties, cities, towns, villages, etc. To ascertain the names and contact information for federal and state legislators, click HERE. ISAR has long been active on the legislative front, providing summaries and critiques of all federal laws affecting animals, drafting and disseminating model statutes on a variety of animal issues, offering strategic and tactical advice to animal rights activists about how to introduce and enact animal protection statutes and ordinances, and critically evaluating legislation drafted and introduced by federal and state legislators throughout the United States. ISAR’s chairman and general counsel, Professor Henry Mark Holzer, has testified before legislative bodies in behalf of animal rights.

Learn More About Lobbying! At the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

What Is a Puppy Mill?
The ASPCA defines a puppy mill as a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Unlike responsible breeders, who place the utmost importance on careful husbandry for the integrity of their litters, breeding at puppy mills is performed without consideration of genetic quality. This results in generations of dogs with unchecked hereditary defects. Puppy mill puppies are typically sold through pet shops and marketed as young as eight weeks of age. The accuracy of their pedigree and purebred status is often questionable. Illnesses, diseases, fearful behavior and lack of socialization with humans and other animals are not uncommon characteristics of dogs from puppy mills. The ASPCA is not opposed to dog breeding when it is done humanely and responsibly. One hallmark of responsible breeders is that they assume lifetime accountability for the animals they have bred. Since puppy mills, by their very definition, are operations that fail to meet the ASPCA’s standards for responsible breeding, we are opposed to them. For more information, please see the ASPCA Position Statement on Criteria for Responsible Breeding.

What Is the ASPCA’s Policy on Tethering?
The ASPCA is opposed to tethering and supports the passage of laws that ban tethering/chaining of dogs. The long-term tethering of animals is simply inhumane and creates unsafe environments for both people and animals. Experts agree that continually chained or tethered dogs are responsible for the majority of the serious dog bites and attacks in this country. Anti-tethering laws are essential components of comprehensive, breed-neutral dangerous dog laws.