A sincere THANKS to all who endorsed, provided written testimony, or emailed polite comments to lawmakers on behalf of HB 1450, the Georgia Safe Outdoor Dog Act. As we are coming to the end of the legislative session, it appears that the bill will not move forward in 2022. Nevertheless, we are optimistic about this bill’s future.
HB 1450 has a groundswell of support from advocates and lawmakers but could not move forward because the House Agriculture Committee did not put it on the agenda.
This lifesaving bill would provide a safety net with minimal standards of care for outdoor dogs (under OCGA Title 4-8) to PREVENT the frequent progression towards egregious cruelty (under OCGA Title 16-12-4).
The bill was conceived, written, and introduced in record time and late in the legislative session due to an opportunity presenting itself with a motivated sponsor (and lots of cosponsors), so it was worth pursuing.
Normally, our alliance works on legislation for many months before the session starts. The effort had the benefit of providing feedback we will use to present a future bill that provides commonsense protections for dogs who live outdoors but can pass the many hurdles it takes to become a law. We appreciate your continued help in gathering additional endorsements from rescues, shelters, and businesses.
This is an election year so it’s a great time to meet with state level incumbents and candidates to ask where they stand on companion animal issues that are important to you, including the Georgia Safe Outdoor Dog Act!
Comments