New and improved animal welfare laws are not to be taken for granted—and neither should elected officials, like Washington Governor Jay Inslee and State Senator Joe Fain, who championed our cause in the Legislature. 

This past legislative session, Senator Fain stepped up to sponsor important new legislation that will make Washington a more humane state by enhancing several of the state’s most critical anti-cruelty laws. The bill was signed into law by Governor Inslee this past Monday, May 11. 

The new law ushers in a host of new protections for animals: It empowers law enforcement to come to the rescue of animals left unattended in vehicles in extreme temperatures and expands the state’s animal fighting ban beyond dogs and roosters to include all animals. The new law also increases charges for killing or stealing pets.

We were  proud to partner with Senator Fain, the Washington Federation of Animal Care and Control Agencies and the larger coalition of animal welfare organizations in support of the bill’s passage. 

If you’re a Washington resident, please join us in thanking Senator Fain and Governor Inslee on their Facebook pages for their work on this important law.

If you have a Twitter account, please send a tweet of thanks to Senator Fain and Governor Inslee—and be sure to mention the bill number, SB5501, and that you’re an ASPCA supporter! You could tweet something like: Thank you @SenatorFain and @GovInslee for improving animal welfare in Washington! #SB5501 #ASPCA.

Even if you don’t live in Washington, you can still help animals! Join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to get updates on animal-protection legislation and how you can make a difference for the animals in your state.