If you’re anything like us here at Humane PA, your newsfeed is a never-ending stream (okay, maybe more of a flood) of “animal asks.” Animals needing transport, veterinary care, rescue, foster, adoption. Calls to make, emails to send, petitions to sign, lobby days to participate in, events to leaflet, protests to attend, donations to make. There’s no shortage of things we can and should do to help animals. 
But what if I told you that long list of ways to help animals has a glaring omission? Well, it does. “Get legislators elected” should be near the top. Not just any legislators—I’m talking about the animal-friendly ones. Those Pennsylvania legislators who vote, sponsor, and fight to pass animal protection laws in our state legislature.
If you are balking at the idea of using your very limited and very precious time to get some politician elected when there are puppies and kittens facing euthanasia, I don’t blame you. It admittedly feels detached from the animals we all care about and want to help.
But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: helping pro-animal legislators get elected is one of the most effective ways to do the greatest good for the largest number of animals. Getting active in politics is one of the best returns on investment for the limited time we have to help animals.
Why? Because legislators are powerful people—they make the laws that govern how animals are treated. Keeping animal-friendly legislators in positions of power means that pro-animal laws have the best possible chance of passing.
Does this mean you should stop rescuing, stop making calls, stop going to lobby day? Of course not. We simply want you to remember that staying politically active is one of the most important tools we have to improve the world for animals and staying in contact with your legislators during non-election years is also critically important.
So how exactly do we get animal-friendly legislators elected? That’s where Humane PA PAC comes in to help. We are the only animal protection organization in Pennsylvania that is legally permitted to get involved in elections. Since our founding, the game has changed for animals in Pennsylvania. The number of animal protection bills introduced annually has increased drastically since we started our organization. In fact, right now there are over 30 pro-animal bills pending in the Pennsylvania legislature! That’s more than any time in Pennsylvania’s history. Legislators are paying unprecedented attention to animal issues and that has translated into better laws to protect animals.
Of course there is still much work to be done and that is where you come in. Here are some ways you can get political for animals:
- Register to vote! Make sure to vote in every election, too.
- Follow the Humane PA Facebook page and at election time, we’ll post opportunities to volunteer for candidates, as well as information about them. You’ll be able to help with tasks like phone-banking, door-knocking, and office assistance.
- Make a donation to Humane PA Your donation helps us support candidates who are leaders for anti-cruelty bills and make a real difference for animals in Pennsylvania. We’re the only animal organization in Pennsylvania that is legally electioneering (involved in elections), but we can’t do it without the generous support of animal advocates like you!
Learn more about the effectiveness of political action committees for animals: Making Animal Protection a Political Priority
Humane PA 