500 signatures reached
To: Justin Smith - Commissioner of Animal Health, Mike Beam - Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Laura Kelly - KS Governor
Stop Changes to the Kansas Pet Bill
Recent changes in the interpretation and enforcement of KSA 47-624 have had a negative impact on homeless animals. The proposed changes to K.A.R. 9-18-22 will have fur her impact on homeless animals and decimate small rescues in Kansas.
In late February of this year, for the first time in 20 years, a rescue was cited for accepting the transfer of a litter of puppies with a contagious disease based on KSA 47-624. This regulation prevents the transfer of cats and dogs that have a contagious disease, a symptom of a contagious disease or have been exposed to a contagious disease.
For many shelter/animal control facilities, transferring animals to unaffiliated rescues to be treated and adopted was how costs were contained and euthanasia avoided. My group has worked closely with Wichita Animal Services (WAS) since 2021 and as of March, they stopped transferring animals meeting the criteria above.
Under the guise of responding to the concerns raised by enforcement of KSA 47-624, someone in the Department of Agriculture (the Pet Advisory Board?) has proposed sweeping, unnecessary changes across multiple statutes. Many of these changes are impossible for a small, non-profit rescue like mine to comply with.
For many shelter/animal control facilities, transferring animals to unaffiliated rescues to be treated and adopted was how costs were contained and euthanasia avoided. My group has worked closely with Wichita Animal Services (WAS) since 2021 and as of March, they stopped transferring animals meeting the criteria above.
Under the guise of responding to the concerns raised by enforcement of KSA 47-624, someone in the Department of Agriculture (the Pet Advisory Board?) has proposed sweeping, unnecessary changes across multiple statutes. Many of these changes are impossible for a small, non-profit rescue like mine to comply with.
Changes proposed to K.A.R. 9-18-23 require exponentially more documentation from our vets as well as a requirement that some transfers MUST see a vet within 24 hours of arrival.
Rescues are usually small, non profit, 100% volunteer organizations. Often without a physical brick and mortar building. We have no vets on staff available to provide unlimited, cost free, services at the snap of a finger. We have developed protocols with our vets to treat basic illnesses without a need for veterinary intervention.
Rescues are usually small, non profit, 100% volunteer organizations. Often without a physical brick and mortar building. We have no vets on staff available to provide unlimited, cost free, services at the snap of a finger. We have developed protocols with our vets to treat basic illnesses without a need for veterinary intervention.
There's more, but you get the idea. Clearly, whomever is crafting these changes has no experience in rescue. Is it the Pet Advisory Board?
- The roles on the Pet Advisory Board are legislated and do not include any representation for rescues. However, almost half of the board of 10 consists of breeders or pet shop operators. Both of which have a vested interest in ensuring homeless animals are not available for the public to adopt.
The outcome, if these proposed changes are enacted, will be some mix of 3 things:
- Rescues and shelters will ignore the statutes and hope they don't get caught
- Rescues will close, or drop their licenses to avoid the KDA's scrutiny
- Thousands of homeless cats and dogs will needlessly be killed
Is the KDA's position on small rescues to support them or legislate them out of existence?
The resolution to the original issue is to further qualify which "contagious diseases" should prevent a transfer in KSA 47-624 and those should be limited to high transmission, high mortality diseases like Panleukopenia and Parvo, not an upper respiratory infection. This is the extent of changes needed to address the gap the KDA suddenly became concerned about in March.
Beyond the change recommended above, no statute changes should be proposed or enacted until The Pet Advisory Board is rebalanced, or replaced with a new group that properly reflects the groups operating within it's boundaries.
Beyond the change recommended above, no statute changes should be proposed or enacted until The Pet Advisory Board is rebalanced, or replaced with a new group that properly reflects the groups operating within it's boundaries.
Why is this important?
Under the revised interpretation of the old statute, if 2 out of a litter of 6 kittens are sneezing or have ringworm, all the kittens (and mom) will be killed instead of being sent to rescue. During the March to September time period, our rescue had 81 cats and kittens transferred to us from WAS in 2023. During the same time period this year, there have been had 18.
That's 63 cats and kittens (or 77% less) that had easily treatable infectious diseases that were killed unnecessarily.
In 2023, over 25,000 animals (cats and dogs) found new homes through shelters and rescues in Kansas. That number will be dramatically lower in 2025 and lower still if action isn't taken immediately to stop the proposed changes.
That's 63 cats and kittens (or 77% less) that had easily treatable infectious diseases that were killed unnecessarily.
In 2023, over 25,000 animals (cats and dogs) found new homes through shelters and rescues in Kansas. That number will be dramatically lower in 2025 and lower still if action isn't taken immediately to stop the proposed changes.