One of the most common questions we get asked each day is how can we stop these horrific crimes against animals from happening forever!? While it is quite complicated and we are years away from a solution, the only shot at changing this is by, one by one, speaking up and demanding our state representatives support H.Res.401 now. If you have yet to learn about this bill, H.Res.401 urges all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade which is responsible for extreme animal cruelty affecting 20 million dogs and cats every year. Right now, we have the power to stop what we are doing and pick up the phone to either call your state representative OR email them urging they support H.Res.401.
Right now is the perfect time to put some flames under their seat as Yulin and Boknal are both approaching quick in which MILLIONS of dogs will be brutally tortured and killed for human consumption. If we can get this information to these reps and flood their offices with calls and emails, they must pay attention. As someone who has been to the capitol to lobby and visited these offices, know that when their phone rings, it goes directly to their staff to deal with. Your phone calls ARE POWERFUL. The more you call, the better. Tell your friends, kids, parents, neighbors to take 10 minutes out of their day to call their state representative!
Call To Actions We Can Make Now-
- Call your state representative and let them know why this issue is important to you!
- Email your state representative and let them know why this issue is important to you!
- Schedule a meeting with your representative to let them know why this is important to you!
To find your representative’s contact information click here.
Examples of What to Share-
- Introduce yourself kindly and let them know that they are your state representative and that you have an important issue you’d like to speak with them about.
- Research your rep, do they have pets? Are they passionate about animals? Go to their social media pages and learn more about them to make your message personal.
- Mention the bill H.Res.401 and ask them to consider learning more about it if they are pet or animal lovers themselves. The more personal you can make things, the better. Let them know that H.Res.401 should be a very easy bill to support as it simply wants to outlaw dogs and cats being tortured and killed for consumption.
- Ask them if they know that raising dogs for human consumption is legal in 44 USA states?
- Ask them if they know that over 20 MILLION dogs are being killed every year from human’s abuse?
- Ask them if they have a pet and how they would feel if someone stole it from them while out for a walk, all to take it to a slaughterhouse to be tortured. The more you put them in their shoes, the better.
- Also, let them know that Congressman Alcee Hastings is in support of this bill and actively fighting for it to be brought to the house floor for a vote.
- Below is my email to my representative that you can use as an example of how to format and express concern. Feel free to change it to make it more personal, using this as just a guide. Once I send my email, in a week I will follow up by phone to see if they have received it.
How to Compose a Letter to Your Representative-
Susan Davis
2700 Adams Avenue Suite#102
San Diego, CA 92116
Dear Congresswoman Susan Davis,
First, I would like to thank you for all of the amazing work you do for our community and more importantly for fighting against animal cruelty as I know it is something you are very passionate about. I know that in the past, you have lead the way to bring important animal cruelty issues before congress so today, I am writing to you to see if you are familiar with some of the horrific animal crimes that are going on in our own backyard and to see if you are willing to support a proposed bill to help end it for good. As you know, those without the ability to speak up are the ones that need us the most.
Right now, in the USA, it is legal in 44 states to raise dogs, yes dogs, for human consumption. This is not setting a good standard for the rest of the World that relies on us to lead the way and it also makes it pretty hard to crack down on other countries murdering their pets for food, when our own country still has some work to do.
If you are active on social media, by now you have probably heard about the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China that happens in just a few days, every single year, in which over 10,000+ dogs are brutally tortured, while alive, and then slaughtered for consumption. Many of these dogs are stolen pets, arriving to slaughterhouses with collars after being taken from their owners while out on walks. They also believe that the more the dog suffers, the more tender the meat becomes so they burn and boil these dogs alive, they hang them, kick them, beat them, stab them, spit on them… it’s horrific and I am desperate to help one. So desperate that I have personally started a small animal rescue and I have successfully saved 15+ dogs from death in just 2 months of starting. It is far too easy to look the other way and this is my tiny way of taking action.
The worst part is, Yulin is nothing in the larger picture. 20 million dogs are slaughtered in Asia each year, 28,000 die per day in China and during Boknal in Korea, it’s estimated that up to 2 million die making this problem so out of control, most days I just lay in bed and cry due to feeling completely overwhelmed and depressed that we, as humans, are failing these innocent creatures so badly.
Thankfully, a bill has been presented called H.Res.401 that urges all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade, which is responsible for extreme animal cruelty affecting tens of millions of dogs and cats every year. Congressman Hastings is also on board, urging Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy to expeditiously bring H.Res.401 to the floor for a vote. Hastings says, “By passing this measure, Congress will send a strong signal to all nations that we will not stand by while the brutal and inhumane treatment and consumption of dog and cat meat continues.”
So Congresswoman Susan Davis, will you please consider looking more into this bill and seeing if you have room for it in your heart and busy day? We desperately need those in power to do what’s right and demand this ends. I am confident your voice would be heard loud and far so thank you for taking the time to consider this request.
I have also attached a photo of my brand new rescue dog Hamilton, a Golden Irish that we saved from his own death in China. I hope him seeing the ocean for the first time brings a smile to your heart and inspires you to give more pups the same shot at life.
Sincerely,
Amanda Jo
Images By Humane Society
June 15, 2018
Vincent Sena
Amanda I applaud you on this. I finally was able to read this in more detail and I am quite impressed by your effort here. I am impressed mainly because someone outside of my immediate circle regarding our legislative efforts in Washington DC was able to put something together so detailed and concise. I think that something like this should reach a larger audience and I recommend you sharing something like this on all social media platforms and not just limited to this. Your voice in this is that important. It should be known that HRes401 is now pretty much stalled and we are uncertain of it’s future at this point although we still encourage bipartisan co-sponsorship. There is a mirror version of the U.S. Congress’s HR1406 currently making it’s way in the Senate seeking co-sponsorship and we’re seeking a lead – Preferably a Republican since it would send a stronger message than the traditional Democrat with issues of animal welfare. It is my hope to see something something from you like I see above, but reflecting what we are trying to do in the Senate. I personally will share it far and wide. Thank you for doing what you do!