Lobby Day for Animals 2025!

What an epic day for animals. On June 24th, we co-hosted Lobby Day for Animals at the Massachusetts State House. Advocates joined us from all over the state to learn about animal protection bills and meet with their state legislators! The day was full of learning, optimism, and a passion for animals (and air conditioning!) Thank you to everyone who attended and made the day so impactful!

Lobby Day for Animals began with registrants and legislators checking in and receiving materials on animal-related legislation. Participants were able to sit with others from their county and get to know the other people who would also be attending their legislator meetings. The event included an awards ceremony for legislators who have made outstanding contributions to animal protection, tips on lobbying your legislators and key talking points, and plenty of opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals who are working to improve the lives of animals in Massachusetts. Constituents were then given opportunities to meet with their senators and representatives to discuss the animal bills they are passionate about in hopes of garnering further support. Speaking to your legislators is the best way to get your point across and create change.

At the event, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz was named Legislator of the Year. Under his leadership, five animal protection bills were passed by the House of Representatives in 2024 and became law. We thank Chair Michlewitz for his commitment to animals! We also were able to honor legislators who had animal bills turn into laws last session. Thank you and congratulations to Senators Bruce Tarr, Adam Gomez, John Velis, and Mark Montigny, and Representatives Ted Philips, Carole Fiola, Brad Jones, Jack Patrick Lewis, Jessica Giannino, and Brian Ashe for your commitment to animal protection, and getting your bills over the finish line.

Photos of the day taken by @lighth0seph0t0graphy can be found here.

Five bills were the main focus of Lobby Day for Animals:

1. S. 1022/H. 1559: An Act to maintain stable housing for families with pets – this legislation ensures that certain state-aided housing cannot discriminate against, or include language that limits, a tenant or resident’s ability to live in that type of housing based on the size, weight, or perceived breed of a dog owned by a tenant/resident. It also puts a cap on the amount for pet rent a landlord can charge and prevents insurance companies from discriminating based on dog breed. Housing is the number one reason dogs are surrendered and impacts the length of stay for dogs at shelters who spend more time waiting for homes. In the Joint Committee on Housing.
2. H. 1476: An Act to codify pet-friendly elderly housing policies and ensure pet parity across housing authorities – This bill would expand upon a current law to expand a program of pet ownership by residents of state-aided housing. The existing program, which the MSPCA helped create, has functioned successfully to benefit both people and animals. More than 30% of animals surrendered to us are due to housing issues. In the Joint Committee on Housing.
3. Banning the retail sale of certain animals in pet shops (several bills) – these bills will prohibit the sale of certain animals in pet shops unless the animals are from shelters or rescue organizations. Typically, pet shops obtain animals from substandard breeding facilities, which results in consumers unknowingly purchasing sick or genetically compromised pets. Massachusetts state records document such complaints from across the Commonwealth. State and federal records have also demonstrated that puppies from the worst “puppy mills” in the country have been sold to Massachusetts consumers via pet shops. These bills thus protect both animals and consumers, while having no impact on responsible breeders. In the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
4. S. 1206/H. 1817: An Act standardizing consideration of pets in divorce and separation – this legislation provides a framework for judges to use in determining ownership of a pet when a couple is splitting up, using criteria such as what is in the best interest of the animal. Traditionally, in divorce or separation proceedings, animals are seen as nothing more than property to be divided up alongside the furniture, cars, and house. In the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
5. S. 551/H. 990: An Act prohibiting the sale of newly farmed fur products – this legislation would prohibit the sale of new fur products sourced from factory farms. On fur factory farms, wild animals spend their entire lives in cramped cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors. The stress from living in a tiny cage causes serious welfare problems, such as self-mutilation and infected wounds, and can increase pathogen shedding and the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, such as COVID-19. In the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Polkadog Bakery in Boston generously donated dog treats for participants and legislators to bring home to their own pets.