Home Our Campaigns Action Alerts Donate! Fact Sheets Free Media Contact / Join Us

Get the Flash Player to see this video.
Click images below to watch a video.

100 dogs and cats to be killed today in this shelter.
Breeder dumps 41 "excess" dogs at shelter to die.
"You want to cry because it's just too much."

Kitten and puppies killed each day due to overpopulation.
"We clean up the mess" of over-breeding.
There are just "too many dogs. Too many dogs."

Shelter worker has to euthanize 4 week old kittens.
We need bigger & bigger shelters - just too many animals.
High euthanasia rate means high worker turnover.

Two sweet dogs with tails wagging... to be euthanized.
55 gallon drums of dead animals due to overpopulation.
"Over half the animals are being killed"

Backyard breeders are causing major health issues in breeds.
"There are very few unadoptable animals."
"Over 25% of shelter animals are purebred."

Owners dump purebred dogs at shelter.
"The vast majority of shelter cats are not feral."
Spay and neuter means a healthier animal.

Span & neuter legislation is the right thing to do.
Big tax savings from spay & neuter legislation,.
Spay & neuter legislation is proven to work.
 
Yes! I would like to join SCIL at no charge. Please keep me informed about your campaigns and programs to help reduce pet overpopulation.
Email address:

SCIL never shares your email address.
 

Your generous donations help make a better future for California's pets a reality.

To donate to Social Compassion in Legislation and help support our legislative efforts to reduce pet overpopulation, please click here.
Latest News
May 14, 2012 ACTION ALERT: Please act early this week
SCIL Opposes AB 1939 - Bill Attempts to Dismantle Early Spay & Neuter / Differential Licensing
May 2, 2012: Press conference with Governor Jerry Brown and his dog Sutter, Pierce Brosnan, Cesar Millan and others to mark the signing of AB 610. Click here for video or click here for photos.
May 1, 2012: The Ordinance to Ban Sales of Puppy Mill Animals received a unanimous 5-0 vote to move out of first reading in the Laguna Beach City Council. Related article: Laguna Beach bans puppy mills, Orange County Register. Related City Council video: click here (item 12) click here (item 10).
April 26, 2012: AB 610 was signed today by the Governor, which will allow the remaining 2,970 pre-orders to be gathered to start the Pet Lover's License Plate program.

We thank the Governor for his support, and we want to thank our loyal and dedicated author Assemblyman Jose Solorio.

Please click here to read our email alert on the new law.
Please click here to order your plate.

Animal Adoption Mandate (Hayden Law) - Stop the Repeal

AB 610 / Pet Lover's License Plate Banning Pet Shop Sales of Puppy Mill Dogs and Cats
The proposed Animal Adoption Mandate (Hayden Law) repeal eliminates a state requirement that municipal animal shelters hold stray dogs and cats for up to 6 days. Cats could be killed immediately if "deemed" feral.

Many other shelters requirements would also be removed.		 Proceeds from the CA Pet Lover's Plate provide funding for spay & neuter surgeries across California. Several local ordinances to ban sales of mill-bred dogs and cats have passed recently, including in South Lake Tahoe, West Hollywood, Glendale, Irvine and Dana Point.

Current ordinances are under consideration in Los Angeles and Laguna Beach.
 
In the 139 days since January 1, 2012:
Pets killed in CA shelters: 191,513
Taxes spent to house & kill:
 $95,642,148.00
 

California's shelter system is in crisis.

Each year, over $250 million dollars is spent housing and euthanizing homeless dogs and cats in California1. Approximately 1 million dogs and cats enter California’s shelters each year, and over half of them are euthanized (killed) simply because there are not enough homes2.

This enormous number of homeless pets actually means that every dog born in the state of California today has nearly a 1 in 4 chance of ultimately becoming homeless and dying in a shelter3. Two-thirds of the cats entering California shelters are euthanized2. And, the number of dogs and cats entering our shelters is currently on the rise2.

One of SCIL's primary goals is to pass comprehensive spay & neuter legislation across California. This type of legislation provides a reasonable, fiscally responsible step towards reducing pet overpopulation in California. Typically, the legislation simply requires that dogs be spayed or neutered unless their owner/guardian obtains an unaltered dog license when they license their animal. Frequently this legislation also requires that roaming cats be spayed and neutered by their owner/guardian.
Sources: (1) Shelter cost estimates provided by Los Angeles Animals Services and California Animal Control Directors Association. (2) Population / percentages of animals incoming and exiting shelters, source: California Department of Public Health, Veterinary Public Health Section, “Rabies Control Activities Reporting by Local Health Jurisdiction (LHJ), California, extrapolated to encompass incomplete data and private shelters. (3) From NEARLY ONE OUT OF FOUR DOGS IN CALIFORNIA IS ULTIMATELY EUTHANIZED IN OUR SHELTERS, a SCIL fact sheet based on figures from the US Census Bureau, American Pet Products Manufacturers Association and the California Department of Health Services
 
Friday, May 18th

Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit animal welfare organization working on solutions to pet overpopulation through state and local policy changes and implementation, community outreach, education and private and public programs.

Our legislative projects are focused not only on reducing pet overpopulation, but also reducing the high associated costs to taxpayers.

Additionally, we work on innovative public and private programs that promote and generate private funds for local agencies, such as The Pet Lover’s License Plate program, which will generate funds for local programs to promote spay and neutering of companion animals.

SCIL was founded in 2007 and has no paid staff; we are a volunteer organization. Donations go directly to our legislative campaigns; our work relies on donations from animal lovers like you.

Free Media

SCIL provides video footage and still images free of charge for groups and individuals documenting the pet overpopulation crisis.

Read more >

From SCIL President Judie Mancuso:

February, 2012 - If you have not yet done so, please order your pet lover's license plate at www.petloversplate.com.

2012 promises to be an exciting year for SCIL. For an overview of our legislative campaigns, please click here.