North Carolina: Victims of Cruelty Need Your Help!

NC H.B. 851—Dangerous Dog Legislation

ASPCA Position: Support

Sponsors: Senator Woodard, Rep. Harrison

Did you know that North Carolina law automatically designates dogs rescued from dogfighting rings as “dangerous” if they show evidence (such as scarring) that they were “trained or harbored” for dogfighting?

Because of this unfair broad designation, these dogs, who have already suffered so much, aren’t given the chances they deserve to be evaluated as individuals. Instead of trusting animal shelter professionals to evaluate, rehabilitate and adopt these victims of cruelty into loving homes, labeling all victims of dogfighting as “dangerous” typically results in euthanasia.

We need your help to stop this.

A bill pending in the North Carolina State Legislature would eliminate the automatic legal designation of “dangerous” for victims of dogfighting and allow local animal control agencies to evaluate them for their potential to be rehabilitated and eventually adopted into loving homes.

What You Can Do

Send your state lawmakers a letter using our form below.

Advocacy Alert

Your Message

Subject Please support H.B. 851 to help victims of animal cruelty

Dear Legislator,

Message

Please support House Bill 851, legislation that will give victims of animal cruelty a second chance.

Under current NC Law, any dog that authorities determine has been “trained or harbored” for dogfighting, such as a dog with scarring, is automatically labeled a dangerous dog without any evaluation and inevitably destroyed.
House Bill 851 would ensure local animal control agencies can evaluate all animals seized from dog fighting rings to determine if they are suitable for rehabilitation and adoption.

In 2018, 30 dogs were seized in an Orange County dog fighting ring. Twelve dogs with no scarring were evaluated, and 8 were eventually adopted out to loving homes. House Bill 851 would afford the same opportunity to the other 18 dogs who were ineligible to assessment and have since been destroyed.

This important legislation will allow animal control agencies to give assessments to dogs, and if determined to be safe, a chance at being adopted.

Please vote to give all these dogs a chance.

Thank you for your consideration of my position.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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