We are thrilled to announce that today AB 1881, the Dog and Cat Bill of Rights, passed the the Senate Business and Professions Committee by a vote of 7-2, with Chair Roth and Senators Dave Min, Bill Dodd, Josh Becker, Connie Leyva, Susan Eggman and Josh Newman voting yes and the two Republican Senators voting no: Melissa Melendez and Brian Jones, and Pat Bates abstaining.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation, specifies that public or humane society shelters and rescue organizations must make a notice accessible to the public which reads the following:

• Dogs and cats deserve to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse.
• Dogs and cats deserve a life of comfort, free of fear and anxiety.
• Dogs and cats deserve daily mental stimulation and appropriate exercise considering the age and energy level of the dog or cat.
• Dogs and cats deserve nutritious food, sanitary water, and shelter in an appropriate and safe environment.
• Dogs and cats deserve regular and appropriate veterinary care.
• Dogs and cats deserve to be properly identified through tags, microchips, or other humane means.
• Dogs and cats deserve to be spayed and neutered to prevent unwanted litters.

“AB 1881 will help prevent the mistreatment of dogs and cats by promoting the importance of their mental, physical and emotional well-being,” said Assembly Member Miguel Santiago, author of the bill. “This bill will ensure that dogs and cats are treated appropriately by informing potential owners the certain standards of treatment these animals deserve.”

“We thank the members of the Senate Business and Professions Committee for supporting the bill and their voiceless constituents.  AB 1881 elevates the expectation around the complex needs of dogs and cats when families are considering adopting a new pet,” said Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation. “The law recognizes that dogs and cats must be fed, given water, and of course cannot be abused, but this bill gives recognition that these animals have other needs as well, such as mental stimulation, appropriate exercise, and vet care that must be considered.”

AB 1881 does not create any legal cause of action or new crimes. The bill now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

REMINDER: CALL TO ACTION!

Make your voice heard for AB 558, the Child Nutrition Act of 2022, by Tuesday at 5PM!

AB 558, the Child Nutrition Act of 2022, will create a voluntary grant program to help schools serve more plant-based meals and milks, will be voted on in the Senate Education Committee this Thursday! This year the dairy and beef industries are opposing the bill, despite their previous public announcement that they were not in opposition to this type of legislation. You can read their opposition letter here.

With plant-based meals being healthier and more climate-friendly than meat and dairy, the industries are making issue with processed foods and out-of-state sourcing of plant-based foods. But what they fail to point out is that the 9 of the top 10 school meals served in California all contain processed meat and/or processed cheese! Reducing processed food across the board is a laudable goal, but we should not be preventing kids accessing plant-based food because it might be processed only to turn around and serve them processed meat and dairy!

Food served at California schools is primarily sourced through the USDA, which means these foods are already coming from many places outside of California. We support efforts to ensure our state’s schools are buying food from California sources as much as possible, but it makes no sense to create unequal sourcing requirements for plant-based foods when meat and dairy have NO sourcing requirements.

We need your voice to make sure students who want access to plant-based food in school are able to get it!

Please make calls to the Senators on the Education Committee and urge them to vote “YES” on AB 558 because our kids deserve a fair choice in what they want to eat.

Calls must be made no later than Tuesday at 5PM!

Senator Connie M. Leyva (Chair)  916) 651-4020

Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (Vice Chair) (R) (916) 651-4023

Senator Dave Cortese (D) (916) 651-4015

Senator Brian Dahle (R) (916) 651-4001

Senator Steven M. Glazer (D) (916) 651-4007

Senator Mike McGuire (D) 916-651-4002

Senator Richard Pan (D) (916) 651-4006

We cannot thank you all enough for the action you take for the animals! Please consider making a donation to help us continue our work.

With gratitude,

Judie Mancuso, founder/CEO/president

Social Compassion in Legislation