Alley Cat Allies Asks California Governor: Don't Repeal Hayden Law

Repeal would be step backwards in providing basic life-saving protections to animals in public and private animal pounds and shelters

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alley Cat Allies, the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats, today asked California Gov. Jerry Brown to reconsider his proposal to repeal significant portions of the Hayden Law, a state law that provides standards to help animals in public and private animal shelters, and makes the shelters more accountable to the public.

"The Hayden Law facilitates very basic protections for animals, including setting a 6-day standard for holding animals so they can be reclaimed by owners or adopted, and providing necessary veterinary care to those animals who enter shelters sick or injured," said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies.

"Prior to the Hayden Law, California's animal shelter standards were ranked at the bottom nationally.  Repealing this law would be a giant step backwards.  Annually, thousands of animals could pay for this repeal with their lives," she said.

The Hayden Law currently requires animal shelters to operate under procedures designed to decrease shelter kill rates, including easing the adoption of at-risk animals by rescue groups, aiding in reuniting owners with lost pets, and expanding the holding period before a stray animal could be killed to increase chances of adoption or reclamation by owner.  It also requires shelters to provide basic veterinary services to the animals in their care.  Gov. Brown's proposal would end these essential requirements that save lives.

"Citizens want humane, common-sense solutions to end the killing in animal pounds and shelters. Instead of reversing the gains made under the Hayden Law, California should be looking to build on them with even more life-saving approaches to animal sheltering," said Robinson.

About Alley Cat Allies

Alley Cat Allies is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats.  Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than 260,000 supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities, and organizations save and improve the lives cats and kittens nationwide.  Their web site is www.alleycat.org.

SOURCE Alley Cat Allies