The legislative work of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals builds upon our mission “to protect animals, relieve their suffering, advance their health and welfare, prevent cruelty, and work for a just and compassionate society.” The following bills help to fulfill that mission.
Legislators: We hope you will co-sponsor the following legislation. Please feel free to contact us at advocacy@mspca.org or reach out to one of the sponsors’ offices for more information.
Constituents: Please contact your State Senator and your State Representative and ask them to co-sponsor important animal bills!
PLEASE CO-SPONSOR:
SD 817/HD 1706: 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.
- Sponsors: Senator Pavel Payano and Representatives Dave Rogers and Sam Montaño
- Status: Filed
- Read more
Banning the retail sale of certain animals in pet shops
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 protects both animals and consumers, while having no impact on responsible breeders.
SD 1398/HD 810: An Act enhancing the issuance of citations for cruel conditions for animals
This legislation expands upon current law, found in Ch. 140 sec. 174E, which allows civil citations to be issued when dogs are kept in cruel conditions. This legislation extends this protection to all domestic animals. Broadening the current statute’s scope in this way allows an effective response to problematic situations before they escalate to criminal animal cruelty.
- Sponsors: Representative Angelo Puppolo and Senator Mark Montigny
- Status: Filed
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HD 336/SD 134: Protecting animals from convicted animal abusers
This legislation would prohibit a person who is convicted of animal cruelty from owning or possessing an animal for a period of time determined by the court. Fines would be directed to the Massachusetts Animal Fund for the purpose of spaying/neutering and vaccinating homeless dogs and cats or to help animals whose families could not otherwise afford those surgeries.
- Sponsors: Senator Mike Moore; Representatives Tram Nguyen and Vanna Howard
- Status: Filed
- Read more
SD 1108/HD 2591: Preventing Animal Cruelty
These bills will create alternate pathways to ensure animals are safe without a felony charge. Massachusetts only has a felony animal cruelty penalty. However, there are times when such a penalty may not be appropriate or helpful (when mental health may be an issue, for example) but animals are still suffering or otherwise kept in violation of the cruelty statute. These bills would allow animals, when other resolutions have failed, to be removed for their health and safety. The goal is to ensure animals are safe from cruel situations – allowing the need for cruelty charges to be evaluated depending on the situation and what would be most effective and just.
- Sponsors: Senator John Velis; Representative Ted Philips
- Status: Filed
- Read more (coming soon)
SD 1640/HD 1914: An Act promoting humane cosmetics and other household products by limiting the use of animal testing
This legislation requires the use of non-animal test methods when available. Alternatives provide information of equivalent or superior quality and relevance to humans in comparison to animal tests. This bill applies to products such as cosmetics, household cleaners, and industrial chemicals, like those in paint; it does not apply to testing done for medical research, including testing of drugs or medical devices.
- Sponsors: Senator Mark Montigny and Representative Jack Patrick Lewis
- Status: Filed
- Read more
SD 2265/HD 1908: An Act to protect consumers from contributing to inhumane animal testing for cosmetics
It is estimated that half a million animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice, suffer in cosmetic testing every year. Substances are forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes, or smeared onto their skin. This legislation would prohibit the sale of most cosmetics newly tested on animals. Twelve other U.S. states and more than 40 countries worldwide have already passed similar bans.
- Sponsors: Senator Mark Montigny and Representative Jack Patrick Lewis
- Status: Filed
- Read more
SD 1447/HD 1721: An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment
These bills restrict the use of Anticoagulant Rodenticides (ARs). ARs are a particularly toxic group of poisons used as a form of rodent control. When ingested, ARs prevent the clotting of blood, and cause the animal who ingested it to sustain heavy internal bleeding, eventually causing death. The poison remains in the dead or dying rodent’s system for days. ARs impact non-targeted pets and wildlife populations, such as birds of prey, who rely on the poisoned rodents as a food source. As a result, the cats and dogs, hawks, eagles, owls, and bobcats who are exposed often suffer the same fatal hemorrhaging
- Sponsors: Senator Michael Moore; Representative Jim Hawkins
- Status: Filed
- Read more
