How to Protect New York State Dogs and Cats
in Just 5 Minutes...Without Spending a Dime
If you live in New York State, you can help dogs and cats just by picking up the phone. It's quick. It's easy. It's effective. And it's important.
Don't live in New York? Share this information with animal lovers who do.
Make 2 Calls to Spare Animals Lifelong Anguish or Agonizing Death
Signing online petitions won't help. You have to take action--pro-devocalization lobbies are!
Get in your State (Albany, not DC!) Assemblymember's and Senator's face, always politely.
Who to Contact:
Click here to find your NYS Assemblymember
Click here to find your NYS Senator (use the Find My Senator form)
What to Say to the Aide Taking Your Call:
To your NYS Assemblymember's aide: Say you're a constituent and you want A3431B to become law this year AS WRITTEN, NO MORE AMENDMENTS.
To your NYS Senator's aide: Say you're a constituent and you want S6167A to become law this year--AND IT MUST NOT BE AMENDED BEYOND THE LANGUAGE OF A3431B .
IMPORTANT:You must say the bill numbers, including the letter at the end, exactly.
Explain that NO ONE, including pet owners, should be allowed to have dogs and cats devocalized to stifle their voices.
NO ONE, including licensed vets, should be allowed to perform this procedure.
It is an act of cruelty that New York must not tolerate. Devocalization doesn't benefit dogs and cats at all. Behavior-masking surgery doesn't keep them out of shelters. People who select, care for, house and train animals responsibly and humanely do.
Why is it vital to cite these specific bill numbers and to say "as written"? Because lobbies that profit from devocalization are trying to change the legislation's language to reverse its intent--and instead allow and legitimize the surgical stifling of dogs and cats, an act of sheer selfishness, greed and cruelty. Amended bills will have different numbers. You don't want to inadvertently support a compromised version of humane legislation that would result in more animals being devocalized than now are!
Helpful Hints:
Calls Are More Effective, But If You Also Email:
Don't live in New York? Share this information with animal lovers who do.
Make 2 Calls to Spare Animals Lifelong Anguish or Agonizing Death
Signing online petitions won't help. You have to take action--pro-devocalization lobbies are!
Get in your State (Albany, not DC!) Assemblymember's and Senator's face, always politely.
Who to Contact:
Click here to find your NYS Assemblymember
Click here to find your NYS Senator (use the Find My Senator form)
What to Say to the Aide Taking Your Call:
To your NYS Assemblymember's aide: Say you're a constituent and you want A3431B to become law this year AS WRITTEN, NO MORE AMENDMENTS.
To your NYS Senator's aide: Say you're a constituent and you want S6167A to become law this year--AND IT MUST NOT BE AMENDED BEYOND THE LANGUAGE OF A3431B .
IMPORTANT:You must say the bill numbers, including the letter at the end, exactly.
Explain that NO ONE, including pet owners, should be allowed to have dogs and cats devocalized to stifle their voices.
NO ONE, including licensed vets, should be allowed to perform this procedure.
It is an act of cruelty that New York must not tolerate. Devocalization doesn't benefit dogs and cats at all. Behavior-masking surgery doesn't keep them out of shelters. People who select, care for, house and train animals responsibly and humanely do.
Why is it vital to cite these specific bill numbers and to say "as written"? Because lobbies that profit from devocalization are trying to change the legislation's language to reverse its intent--and instead allow and legitimize the surgical stifling of dogs and cats, an act of sheer selfishness, greed and cruelty. Amended bills will have different numbers. You don't want to inadvertently support a compromised version of humane legislation that would result in more animals being devocalized than now are!
Helpful Hints:
- Be brief and polite but firm.And don't debate! If challenged, just repeat your message: Please make sure this bill becomes law this session as written, no more amendments.
- If you get voicemail: Leave a brief message such as: "I'm a constituent who supports A3431B (or, if speaking with a Senator's office, S6167A) as written--and would like your help passing it this session without amendments." Include your name and address. Then call back until you can speak with someone. Don't give up!
- Make sure your voice is counted--accurately. Ask the person who takes your message to read it, plus your name and address, back to you. Ask for and jot down his or her name too.
Calls Are More Effective, But If You Also Email:
- Write your own--don't only sign onto one sent by an organization. It's your personal commitment that matters, and that's measured by your effort.
- Subject line: "Constituent Supports A3431-B (or S6167 if writing to your Senator) AS WRITTEN" This is essential. Busy aides don't always read the entire email.
- Keep it short but heartfelt. Don't stress! This isn't a thesis, you're not getting graded.
- Include your name and full address for authenticity. It's good to include your phone number too. Some opponents of humane legislation from outside the district--even the state--have been known to "borrow" local names and addresses for their opposition email.
Be An Informed Advocate...and Be Vigilant.
Read about devocalization and watch the videos on this website. Read about the proposed law too. It's important to familiarize yourself with loopholes pushed by lobbies that profit from devocalization and their allies. If they can't defeat the devocalization ban outright, they will try to insert language that effectively kills it--and worse, legitimizes this abhorrent act of animal cruelty. Animals are counting on you to make sure that doesn't happen.
Read about devocalization and watch the videos on this website. Read about the proposed law too. It's important to familiarize yourself with loopholes pushed by lobbies that profit from devocalization and their allies. If they can't defeat the devocalization ban outright, they will try to insert language that effectively kills it--and worse, legitimizes this abhorrent act of animal cruelty. Animals are counting on you to make sure that doesn't happen.
Your voice matters, especially in an election year.
Use it to speak for those with none.
