South Carolinians met March 28 with local lawmakers to lobby for better animal welfare laws across the state in celebration of Humane Lobby Day 2015.
Attendees supported bills to ban the use of gas chambers and increase penalties for cockfighting.
The Humane Society of the United States sponsored Humane Lobby Day, in cooperation with several local South Carolina animal shelters, including A Second Chance Animals Shelter of Clarendon County.
Humane Lobby Day attendees urged legislators to support the following legislation
Senate Bill 157 and House Bill 3408, sponsored by Sens. Katrina Frye Shealy and Greg Hemdree, along with Reps. Deborah A. Long, G.M. Smith and Shannon S. Erickson, would increase penalties for cockfighting. Cockfighting in South Carolina is a misdemeanor, while in surrounding states it is a felony.
House Bill 3343, sponsored by Chip Huggins, McLain R. “Mac” Toole, Long, Peter M. McCoy Jr., Patsy G. Knight, R.L. Brown, Thomas E. “Tommy” Pope, Neal A. Collins, Kenneth A. “Kenny” Bingham, Leonidas E. “Leon” Stavrinakis, Richard L. “Richie” Yow and Erickson, that would ban the use of gas chambers in animal shelters.
Clarendon County legislators, Sen. Kevin Johnson, Rep. Robert L. Ridgeway and Cezar McKnight, were invited to attend to talk with Clarendon County animal advocates. Rep. Ridgeway attended the meeting.
Animal advocates present included, Dr. Priscilla Welch, M.D.; Tyletha Brittingham; Calvin Stone; Joshua Stone; Cindy Snowden; Loreta Pollard; Bill Jenkinson; Kathy Buchko; Richard and Karen Long; Donna Stegmoyer; Janet Goodwin; Janet McKee; Sherree Meyer; and Sherri Arment.
The Humane Society said that, next year, Humane Lobby Day will likely be held at the State House, where animal advocates can speak directly to their representatives and Senators to let them know that the people of South Carolina demand increased penalties for animal abuse in our state.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judges by the way its animals are treated.”
In regards to adopts through Pets of the Day, we have had three since January. It is hard to tell because most people don’t tell us that is where they saw the dog or the cat. We know for sure that Lexi, Chico and Foster were adopted because of the program.
Then we have the success story of Chico, whose owner saw him on manninglive.com, and then came the next day to get him!
It was a great reunion and we were so glad that his owner found him.
Thanks for your help and support of the shelter. And thank everyone for coming out to support our animals on Humane Lobby Day.
SHEREE MEYER
Manager, A Second Chance Animal Shelter
Manning
