While Federal law already prohibits interstate trade of wildlife products, it is still legal intrastate, providing a loophole for selling products such as ivory, rhino horn, or giraffe parts within Maryland.
Continue reading
Author: Maryland Votes for Animals
The mission of Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc. is to create and support humane legislation, to engage animal advocates, and to work with legislators to promote animal welfare in Maryland.
Let’s Stop Declawing Cats in Maryland!
Declawing, a euphemistic term for de-knuckling, is the surgical removal of the top knuckles of a cat’s toes on its paws. It is painful, often crippling, and permanently alters a
Continue reading
Protect unattended dogs left outside in extreme weather and heat!!
SB 44/HB 16 requires that dogs left unattended in extreme weather and heat have shelter that meets some clear, minimal standards.
Continue reading
Stop the Flow of Dogs & Cats from Puppy Mills into Maryland! SB 103 Passed in the Senate but Needs Your Help in the House!
Maryland passed historic legislation in 2018 becoming the second state to ban the sale of puppies and kittens in Maryland pet stores, with the intention of closing the door to
Continue reading
Maryland taxpayers and shelters should not have to pay for the costs of caring for animals seized in cruelty cases!
This bill establishes the following legal process: A person whose animals are lawfully seized in a cruelty case may be required to post a bond to cover the costs of
Continue reading
Snare Traps Pose a Danger to People and Wildlife!
Snare Traps are cruel metal trapping devices that use wire to immobilize the leg or neck of an animal. When a Snare Trap burrows its sharp metal wire deeply into
Continue reading
Let’s Stop Testing Cosmetics on Animals in Maryland!
Fill out the Form Below to Voice Your Support to this Very Important Bill California, Illinois, and Nevada passed laws that go into effect this year to ban the sale
Continue readingProtect unattended dogs left outside in extreme weather!!
SB 122/HB 81 states that a person may not leave a dog outside and unattended for more than 30 minutes without suitable shelter where a dog can maintain its body
Continue reading
Protect foxes, coyotes, and raccoons from cruel killing contests!
This bill would prohibit the random killing of foxes, coyotes, or raccoons in organized wildlife killing contests, where the sole purpose of the event is to kill the largest number
Continue reading
Stop the flow of dogs and cats from puppy mills into Maryland!
Maryland passed historic legislation in 2018 becoming the second state to ban the sale of puppies and kittens in Maryland pet stores, with the intention of closing the door to
Continue reading
Let’s Stop Testing Cosmetics on Animals in Maryland!
Please contact your legislators and tell them that you SUPPORT SB 729! This bill would prohibit animal testing in the development of a cosmetic as well as prohibit a manufacturer
Continue reading
Protect unattended dogs left outside in extreme weather!!
Establishing guidelines about dogs left outdoors enables animal control officers to intervene before a dog shows symptoms of acute distress which could potentially avert some of these life-threatening situations before they occur.
Continue reading
Let’s Stop the Nontherapeutic Declawing of Cats in Maryland!
The most frequent type of declawing is called an onychectomy, which involves using a scalpel or laser to amputate the last bone of a cat’s toes on its paws. Think of surgically amputating all of a person’s fingers or toes at their top joint.
Continue reading
Protect foxes, coyotes, and small mammals from cruel killing contests!
This bill would prohibit the random killing of mammals as defined in the HB 863 in organized wildlife killing contests, where the sole purpose of the event is to kill the largest number of animals possible, often for cash or guns.
Continue reading
Protect our wildlife from being poisoned by chlorpyrifos!
Chlorpyrifos is toxic to many species of birds including robins, grackles, pigeons, and Mallard ducklings. In addition to laying fewer eggs, the eggshells of those eggs laid by Mallards are thinner than normal, so fewer ducklings survive.
Continue reading
Stop Dog Breed Discrimination for Homeowner’s and Renter’s Insurance Policies in Maryland!
This bill prohibits an insurer from discriminating against certain breeds or mixed breeds of dogs in a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Getting homeowner’s and renter’s insurance can be difficult,
Continue reading
Protect Unattended Dogs Left Outside in Extreme Weather!
HB 501 would establish minimum, commonsense protections for dogs by ensuring that they are not left outdoors and unattended during temperatures below 32 or above 90 degrees. Animal control officers
Continue reading
Protect Maryland’s Animals by Strengthening Maryland’s Animal Sexual Abuse Law!
Did you know that it is not currently a crime in Maryland to advertise, traffic, or solicit animals for sex on the Internet? Sexual molestation of animals, like rape, involves
Continue reading
Protect the Cownose Rays from Barbaric Killing Contests in the Chesapeake Bay!!
In 2017, Maryland passed legislation that prohibited Cownose Rays killing contests and required the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a species management plan. During these brutal contests, often lasting for
Continue reading
Please Support SB-152/HB-135: Costs of Care: Criminal Law – Cruelty to Animals – Seizure and Removal
Let’s hold animal abusers accountable and save animals from needless suffering! SUPPORT Costs of Care: Criminal Law- Cruelty to Animals- Seizure and Removal SB 152/ HB 135. This bill establishes
Continue reading