Right now, Massachusetts has the opportunity to pass common sense animal welfare laws that would prohibit convicted animal abusers from owning or fostering an animal.
An existing Massachusetts law already prohibits convicted animal abusers from working with animals. However, a legal gap in the law does not specifically prohibit animal ownership or contact – even after a person has been convicted of animal cruelty. That's why Northeast Animal Shelter is urging you to sign this petition, demanding our legislators take action and pass SD 796/HD 2845/HD 2857.
This legislation would establish that a person convicted of an animal cruelty crime (cruelty to animals, animal fighting, etc.) may not harbor, own, possess or exercise control over an animal, or adopt or foster an animal for five years post-conviction, or a greater length of time that the court deems reasonable.
To protect innocent animals from unnecessary cruelty and abuse, we need preventative laws like these to pass in Massachusetts and, eventually, throughout the United States.
Will you lend your voice to help animals today? Sign the petition to urge Massachusetts' state lawmakers to pass SD 796/HD 2845/HD 2857 and set a new standard for animal welfare laws aimed at preventing animal abuse. 
