August 31, 2010

Urgent Alert for California

California Assembly Bill 2012 will increase the amount of jail time a judge may issue to a person convicted of animal neglect. This ASPCA-supported bill has already passed both houses of the California Legislature by large margins with bipartisan support. Governor Schwarzenegger has less than a month to sign this important legislation into state law.

Animal neglect is a form of cruelty that is both more insidious and more common than the beatings, fights and acts of torture that tend to grab headlines. Neglect causes extreme, prolonged suffering—sometimes resulting in death—and is just as serious an offense as intentional physical cruelty.

The maximum jail sentence for a neglect conviction in California is currently six months. AB 2012 would raise that maximum sentence to 12 months, bringing the penalty for animal neglect in line with the current penalty for intentional cruelty.

What You Can Do
Please be the animals' voice and contact Governor Schwarzenegger to urge him to sign AB 2012 into law. You can reach his office at (916) 445-2841.

Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center today for some tips on what to say when you call, and remember to thank the person you speak with for considering your views.

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