Tell Governors: Invest in Animal Welfare

Across the country, animal shelters and rescue organizations provide a lifeline for dogs, cats, and other animals who have been abandoned, abused, lost, or surrendered. But too many of these organizations are being asked to do more with too little.

Shelters need reliable funding to provide veterinary treatment, food, safe housing, spay and neuter services, cruelty response, and other essential care. When resources fall short, animals—and the people working tirelessly to protect them—pay the price.

Michigan recently took an encouraging step forward by creating a new specialty license plate that will raise money to support humane and health care for homeless and abused animals. The state also operates an Animal Welfare Fund that provides grants to shelters for programs including spay and neuter services, animal care, and responses to cruelty and hoarding cases.

We need more creative, dedicated funding for animal welfare like this across the country.

Whether through specialty license plates, voluntary tax contributions, dedicated state appropriations, grant programs, or other sustainable funding sources, state governments can help give shelters and rescue organizations the resources they need to save lives and keep animals healthy and safe.

These investments can also help communities address problems before they become crises. Affordable spay and neuter programs can reduce unwanted litters. Accessible veterinary care and pet-retention programs can help families keep beloved animals at home. Better resources can help shelters respond to cruelty cases while giving animals the time and care they need to recover and find loving homes.

No animal should suffer simply because the shelter or rescue trying to help them lacks adequate resources.

Michigan has shown one way states can bring new resources to this work. Now, leaders nationwide should step up and make animal welfare a public priority.

Add your name to urge governors and state legislators across the country to increase funding for animal shelters and animal welfare programs.

Petition to governors and state legislators: We call on governors and state legislators across the United States to increase public funding for animal shelters and animal welfare programs and establish dedicated, sustainable funding sources for lifesaving veterinary care, spay and neuter services, cruelty prevention and response, adoption programs, and efforts that help animals remain safely with the people who love them.