Protect The Harvest | Is California’s Dog and Cat Bill of Rights a Trojan Horse?

On February 8, 2022, California Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) introduced Assembly Bill 1881, referred to as the Dog and Cat Bill of Rights. The purported purpose of the bill is to inform potential adopters of the care needed to create a healthy environment for their adopted pets.

While recognizing that existing animal welfare laws address animal abuse and neglect, the pet-centric Bill of Rights seeks to codify dog and cats fundamental rights and impose new duties on local public officials and organizations to post these rights so that adoptive families can be informed of pet ownership responsibilities.If enacted, the law would codify the following rights for dogs and cats in California:

–Dogs and cats have the right to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse.
–Dogs and cats have the right to a life of comfort, free or fear and anxiety.
–Dogs and cats have the right to daily mental stimulation and appropriate exercise.
–Dogs and cats have the right to nutritious food, sanitary water, and shelter in an appropriate and safe environment.
–Dogs and cats have the right to preventive and therapeutic health care.
–Dogs and cats have the right to be properly identified through tags, microchips, or other humane means.
–Dogs and cats have the right to be spayed and neutered to prevent unwanted litters.

Significantly,