Onward and Upward for Bowie's Law

Yesterday, AB 595 (Bowie's Law) unanimously passed the California Assembly Business & Professions Committee, despite opposition from nearly every shelter in the state, the National Animal Control Association, the ASPCA, Best Friends, the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities, and the Teamsters (a full list of opponents is below). 

Named after Bowie, a shy 10-pound, 15-week-old puppy killed by a municipal shelter despite a rescue offer, AB 595 requires shelters to notify the public and rescuers 72 hours before killing an animal. Although AB 595 was amended to allow shelters to shorten the 72-hour notification requirement if they have space issues and to limit it to dogs, cats, and rabbits, none of the opposition budged. A spokesperson for the California Animal Welfare Association (CAWA), a lobbying organization for California pounds, testified (falsely) that all shelters already do outreach to rescue groups before killing animals. If that were true (it isn’t), why oppose it? 

She also called the bill unfair because “no one wants to kill” and “everyone is working toward the same goal.” While those at the hearing gave lip service to those claims (which may be good politics), it was irrelevant as to the merits of AB 595 because the bill is not a referendum on whether people who work in shelters care about animals and want what is best for them, any more than a bill to regulate hospitals by establishing patient care standards would be a referendum on whether doctors and nurses care. But, as irrelevant as it is, is it even true? 

The jury may still be out on that one — and I say “may” as I have my own opinions — but one thing is clear: many shelters certainly find killing easier than doing what is necessary to stop it. And not only do studies of shelter policies and management attitudes prove it, but so does the killing of Bowie (and over 20 other dogs killed that day without notice) and opposition to Bowie’s Law.

Finally, the CAWA lobbyist claimed that requiring shelters to work more proactively with rescue groups was burdensome and would (inexplicably) lead to more killing. But given that everyone is already connected online and such notifications are possible through shelter software already used by these shelters or available for free, complying would require nothing more than a stroke on a keyboard: one click to let the rescuers know that a life needs saving. How is that a burden?

In fact, AB 595 is such a simple, commonsense law, it is astonishing that expecting shelters to do so is considered by anyone to be controversial. Thankfully, the Assemblymembers unanimously agreed. One committee member stated that all he hears from shelters is “no,” “no,” and “no” to every proposal to reduce killing, so he asked their lobbyist for something — anything — proactive they would support. He was met with silence. 

Similarly, the committee’s Vice-Chair responded that nothing the opposition could say could convince him that telling the public and rescuers that an animal needs help is a bad thing. It isn’t, and they deserve it. 

Of course, we still have not seen the amended language, and the devil is in the details. Moreover, there is still a long way to go (another committee and the floor in the Assembly, two committees and the floor of the Senate, before it heads to the Governor). But with the recent vote, the road got a little less steep. 

So onward to the Assembly Appropriations Committee — for Bowie and in the hope that other animals will not share his fate.

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The following organizations and municipalities asked the Committee to vote NO on Bowie’s Law:

• Amador County Animal Control

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

• Animal Rescue Foundation

• Animal Samaritans SPCA

• Animal Shelter Assistance Program

• Antioch Animal Services

• Bakersfield SPCA

• Barstow Humane Society

• Berkeley - East Bay Humane Society

• Best Friends Animal Society

• Butte Humane Society

• Calaveras County Animal Services

• California Animal Welfare Association

• California State Association of Counties

• California Teamsters Public Affairs Council

• Carmel Police Department Animal Control

• Central California SPCA

• Chula Vista Animal Services

• City of Bakersfield Animal Control

• City of Burbank Animal Shelter

• City of Fontana

• City of Gridley Animal Control Department

• City of Lodi Animal Services

• City of Norco Animal Control Services

• City of Palo Alto Animal Services

• City of Perris Animal Control

• City of Rancho Cucamonga Animal Center

• City of Roseville Police Department

• City of Sacramento

• City of San Jose

• City of Shafter Animal Control Services

• City of Shasta Lake Animal Shelter

• City of Stockton Animal Services

• Colusa County Sheriff’s Animal Control Services

• County of Kern

• County of Monterey Health Department

• County of Napa

• County of San Luis Obispo Division of Animal Services

• East Bay SPCA

• Fresno Humane Animal Services

• Friends of Colusa County Animal Shelter

• Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter

• Friends of Upland Animal Shelter

• Front Street Animal Shelter - City of Sacramento

• Gimme Love Animal Shelter

• Haven Humane Society

• Hayward Animal Services Bureau

• Hayward Animal Shelter

• Hollister Animal Shelter

• Humane Society of Imperial County

• Humane Society of Sonoma County

• Humane Society of Truckee - Tahoe

• Humane Society of Ventura County

• Humane Society Silicon Valley

• Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA

• Kern County Animal Services

• Lake County Animal Care and Control

• League of California Cities

• Madera County Animal Services

• Madera County Animal Shelter

• Marin Humane

• Mendocino County Animal Care Services

• Michelson Center for Public Policy

• Napa County Animal Shelter

• National Animal Care & Control Association

• Nevada County Animal Control

• Newport Beach Animal Control

• North Bay Animal Services

• Oakland Animal Services

• Palm Springs Animal Control

• Palo Alto Humane Society

• Pasadena Humane Society

• Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA

• Placer County Animal Services

• Placer SPCA

• Rancho Coastal Humane Society

• Ridgecrest Animal Shelter

• Rural County Representatives of California

• San Diego County Department of Animal Services

• San Diego Humane Society and SPCA

• San Francisco Animal Care and Control

• San Francisco SPCA

• San Gabriel Valley Humane Society

• Santa Barbara Humane Society

• Santa Cruz SPCA

• SEAACA Animal Control

• Solano County Animal Care Services

• SPCA Monterey County

• SPCA Los Angeles

• Tulare Animal Services

• Tuolumne County Animal Control

• Urban Counties of California

• Valley Humane Society

• Ventura County Animal Services

• Visalia Animal Services

• Woods Humane Society

• Yolo County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services

So much for “no one wants to kill” and “everyone is working toward the same goal.”