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What is the Alliance?
The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, founded
in 1990, is a non-profit organization working to bring positive change for
animals through legislative means. Our efforts are combined with the actions
of concerned individuals, other groups, organizations and agencies interested
in the enactment and/or protection of animal welfare laws.
Our goals include increasing
public awareness regarding the plight of animals, addressing problems with
appropriate legislation, and providing information to the proper authorities
to ensure enforcement of the laws. As the only organized animal welfare
lobbying group in Missouri, the Alliance is dedicated to furthering animal
welfare issues by achieving these goals.
The Alliance concentrates
its efforts on state legislation. We draft and introduce legislation and
track its progress through the Missouri General Assembly. We educate legislators
regarding the issues surrounding legislation, and support (or oppose) additional
animal related legislation proposed by other organizations. The Missouri
Legislature is in session each year from January through May. During that
time we attend and testify before committees, provide supporting documentation
when needed, meet with legislators and issue action alerts to our supporters
for their help.
We also sponsor Humane
Day and Lobby Day at the Capitol. These increasingly popular events draw
representatives from animal shelters and humane organizations as well as
concerned citizens from across the state to meet and lobby their state legislators.
The following is a list of some key accomplishments the Alliance has made on behalf of animals.
- Instrumental in the passage of Proposition B (Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act) which will improve standards of care for dogs in commercial breeding facilities (2010).
- Established the Large Carnivore Act that creates a comprehensive set of standards for owing certain dangerous exotic animals (2010).
- Defeated legislation that would have put farm animals (over 50 lbs.) at risk of needless suffering by requiring that only a state veterinarian can evaluate abused or neglected animals for possible impoundment (2006 - 2010).
- Defeated legislation that would make it a crime to photograph or video within an animal production facility, including puppy mills (2002 - 2006).
- Established a Missouri pet-friendly license plate. Proceeds are used for spaying and neutering dogs and cats from statewide animal shelters and animal control facilities (2002).
- Assisted efforts to outlaw bestiality (2002). In the 1970's, bestiality was inadvertently stricken from the statutes and legalized in Missouri.
- Amended the animal abuse laws to include all animals, not just mammals (2001). In 1995, the animal abuse laws were amended to apply only to mammals, thereby eliminating fighting birds from the statutes and protecting those who participate in cockfighting.
- Supported the passage of a law that makes it a felony to kill police or search-and-rescue dogs (1999).
- Clarified exemptions to Proposition A while maintaining the original intent to ban cockfighting (1999).
- Played the leading role in a successful ballot initiative campaign for the passage of Proposition A, which banned cockfighting and animal baiting/fighting in Missouri (1998).
- Clarified provisions and definitions within existing law to reduce animal neglect and suffering (1997).
- Amended existing law to increase the penalty for certain animal abuse violations from a misdemeanor to a felony (1995).
- Amended existing law to aid in the prompt disposition of seized animals to avoid lengthy impoundment during court proceedings (1993).
- Played a leading role in the passage of the Animal Care Facilities Act (ACFA), which requires the inspection and licensing of commercial pet breeders, pet stores, kennels, and animal shelters (1992).
The Alliance is an animal welfare organization. See also our mission, Position Statement and accomplishments for more information about the Alliance.
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