Bowie’s Law Aims to Save More Healthy Animals from Euthanasia

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Animal advocates and lawmakers are working together to pass a new bill that aims to prevent healthy animals in shelters from being euthanized. Assemblyman Bill Essayli authored AB 595, known as Bowie’s Law, based on a tragic incident in Los Angeles County where a four-month-old puppy named Bowie was put down by mistake after a rescue had expressed interest in taking him. The proposed legislation would create a notice requirement that shelters post on their website 72 hours ahead of time before a healthy dog or cat is put down.

Source: KCAL News/Youtube

The bill is designed to increase communication between shelters and the public, with shelters having an obligation to provide information on adopting and fostering animals. If a shelter does not comply with the notice requirement, they could face criminal violations. Essayli hopes that Bowie’s Law will lead to open, transparent conversations about what is happening in shelters and ultimately save lives.

While the bill has received bipartisan Support, animal shelters face many challenges in providing positive outcomes for adoptable animals. A lack of veterinary care, breed restrictions in rental housing, and increased costs are just a few factors that contribute to overcrowding in animal shelters. In 2022, Front Street Animal Shelter took in more than 7,600 animals, half of which were dogs. While they had a success rate of 93%, they still had to euthanize 744 animals, most of which were either unsafe to adopt or suffering from untreatable health conditions.

To address the underlying issue of overcrowding, the bill proposes conducting a study to find long-term solutions such as more veterinary schools, encouraging more people to become veterinarians, or lowering the cost of spaying and neutering. Essayli believes that by giving the public more notice and studying the underlying issues, they can save more animals from being euthanized.

Animal advocates like Julie Virga are excited about the proposed legislation. Virga, who rescues and advocates for animals out of her home in the Pocket area, hopes that Bowie’s Law will put more teeth into shelter reform law. She has rescued, spayed, neutered, adopted out, and saved hundreds of animals, and she believes that the law can ultimately save more lives.

As animal lovers, we can do our part to Support the bill and help save animals’ lives. We can write to our local lawmakers, Donate to animal shelters, and adopt animals in need. By working together, we can create a better future for our furry friends.