Support SB 785 – An Animal Welfare Board Act

PVMA needs you, our valued Members, more than ever. Please take the time to share your support for Senate Bill 785 by contacting Pennsylvania state legislators today.

PVMA needs you, our valued members, more than ever. Please take the time to share your support for Senate Bill 907 by contacting Pennsylvania State legislators today.

What Is Senate Bill 785?

• SB785 is sponsored by Senator Gene Yaw of the 23rd District (Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Union Counties).
• PVMA worked closely with Senator Yaw and staff in crafting this important bill.
• The bill would create an Animal Welfare Board composed of stakeholders from different fields and perspectives with one common goal: improving the lives of companion animals.

“Senate Bill 785 creates an Animal Welfare Board which consists of stakeholders who share the common goal of protecting animals.”

Why Is Senate Bill 785 Important to the Veterinary Profession?

• Although Pennsylvania has made great strides in improving animal welfare laws, there is more work to be done.
  PVMA supports a wholistic and comprehensive review of all Commonwealth laws that affect companion animal health and welfare, including the Dog Law, cruelty laws, consumer protections, and any other laws and regulations that may protect animals.
• PVMA believes that an Animal Welfare Board strengthens the human-animal bond and benefits our profession, as it would bring diverse experts to the table to take a comprehensive and creative look at what works and what doesn’t.
• As scientists, veterinarians and CVTs should be concerned about animal welfare in our state and support this cooperative approach as we strive to advise lawmakers on how we can propose practical and effective laws that will work together to protect companion animals in Pennsylvania.

Time To Take Action:

Right now, Senate Bill 785 is before the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, We encourage you to reach out to the members of this committee and voice your support for the bill.

Please follow the instructions below and:

Reach Out to the Members of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

We have drafted a sample letter that you can personalize and send to the following committee members. All you need to do is copy and paste, fill in your name, and send.

These are the committee members:

Senator Vogel – Chair
Senate District 47
evogel@pasen.gov

Senator Rothman – Vice-Chair
Senate District 34
grothman@pasen.gov

Senator Argall
Senate District 29
dargall@pasen.gov

Senator Brooks
Senate District 50
mbrooks@pasen.gov

Senator Mastriano
Senate District 33
dmastriano@pasen.gov

Senator Yaw
Senate District 23
gyaw@pasen.gov

Senator Ward – Ex-Officio
Senate District 39
kward@pasen.gov

Senator Schwank – Minority Chairwoman
Senate District 11
judy.schwank@pasenate.com

Senator Williams
Senate District 38
SenatorLindseyWilliams@pasenate.com

Senator Cappelletti
Senate District 17
cappelletti@pasenate.com

Senator Comitta
Senate District 19
carolyn.comitta@pasenate.com

Senator Street
Senate District 3
sharif.street@pasenate.com

Reach Out Personally If You Reside in One of Their Districts

Legislators love to hear from constituents in their districts. If you reside in any of their districts, we encourage you to reach out to them, schedule a meeting, and go over some of the talking points of SB 785.

Date 00, 2023

Dear {INSERT COMMITTEE MEMBER NAME},

I write to you today in strong support of Senate Bill 785, an Act creating the Animal Welfare Board. As a Member of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA), we have worked with the Legislature to enact laws that advance animal health and welfare, and protect and enhance human health in the Commonwealth.

Senate Bill 785 creates an Animal Welfare Board which consists of stakeholders who share the common goal of protecting animals. PVMA supports the discussion and collaboration of stakeholders and legislators in exploring and discovering practical and impactful ways to strengthen the human-animal bond. Our goal, as veterinary professionals and scientists, is to approach the problems with rational objective thinking, as well as creativity. This is an excellent framework to use when contemplating how the Commonwealth should proceed in codifying animal welfare, as laws need to dovetail and work cooperatively, not in conflict. Therefore, PVMA supports further discussion and formal collaboration in addressing animal welfare issues with the creation of this much needed Animal Welfare Board (Senate Bill 785). In this way, we can build upon the laws that the Legislature worked so hard to enact and it makes sense to take a comprehensive look at what works, what doesn’t and why. We support a coordinated and systemic approach to improve upon and expand the laws/regulations that exist.

I thank you for your time and consideration of PVMA’s support of Senate Bill 785 and strongly urge the Senate Agriculture & Rurals Affairs to pass this bill.

Sincerely,

{YOUR NAME}

About PVMA:

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association is PA’s only statewide professional membership organization for the veterinary profession representing almost 4,000 veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians, assistants, practice managers, and other support staff. Currently, our membership comprises about 40% of the Commonwealth’s veterinarians. Our mission is to ensure the vitality of the profession by promoting excellence in veterinary medicine, advancing animal health and welfare, and protecting and enhancing human health. As veterinary professionals, we are committed to the One Health Initiative – the overarching public health principle that human, animal and environmental well-being are interconnected. Our mission is to strengthen and to protect our profession, which includes protecting our patients. Because we are a science-based profession, we look to measurable data and science in determining our best-placed course of action. In doing so, our goal is to improve the lives of animals and people, through healing and advocacy. We owe it to the Commonwealth’s citizens and pets to do the very best we can for them. For us, that means taking the most direct approach, with the limited resources at our disposal.

• Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) has have worked with the Legislature many times to enact laws that advance animal health and welfare, and protect and enhance human health in the Commonwealth.
• Veterinarians are THE trusted source when it comes to the care and wellbeing of animals.
• PVMA supports the discussion and collaboration of stakeholders and legislators in exploring and discovering practical and impactful ways to strengthen the human-animal bond.
• Our goal, as veterinary professionals and scientists, is to approach the problems with rational objective thinking, as well as creativity.
• This is an excellent framework to use when contemplating how the Commonwealth should proceed in codifying animal welfare, as laws need to dovetail and work cooperatively, not in conflict.
• PVMA supports further discussion and formal collaboration in addressing animal welfare issues with the creation of this much needed Animal Welfare Board (Senate Bill 785).
• Together we can build upon the laws that the Legislature worked so hard to enact and it makes sense to take a comprehensive look at what works, what doesn’t and why.
• We support a coordinated and systemic approach to improve upon and expand the laws/regulations that exist.
• We strongly urge the Senate Agriculture & Rurals Affairs to pass this bill.
• About PVMA:
  • The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association is PA’s only statewide professional membership organization for the veterinary profession representing almost 4,000 veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians, assistants, practice managers, and other support staff.
  • Currently, our membership comprises about 40% of the Commonwealth’s veterinarians.
  • Our mission is to ensure the vitality of the profession by promoting excellence in veterinary medicine, advancing animal health and welfare, and protecting and enhancing human health.
  • As veterinary professionals, we are committed to the One Health Initiative – the overarching public health principle that human, animal and environmental well-being are interconnected.
  • Our mission is to strengthen and to protect our profession, which includes protecting our patients.
  • Because we are a science-based profession, we look to measurable data and science in determining our best-placed course of action. In doing so, our goal is to improve the lives of animals and people, through healing and advocacy.
  • We owe it to the Commonwealth’s citizens and pets to do the very best we can for them. For us, that means taking the most direct approach, with the limited resources at our disposal.