ARL Speaks Up for Animals
The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL)’s Advocacy Department collaborates with other ARL programs and community groups to improve the lives of animals. ARL engages in advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels; although the majority of focus is on state-wide legislation in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has a lengthy legislation session compared to many states and bills filed in January 2023 can be considered through the end of December 2024.
Below you can find successes from the current session and ways to get involved in 2025.
Jump to: Local Level Wins | Looking to 2025 | How You Can Help
2023-2024 State Level Wins
Regulation of Pet Daycare and Boarding Facilities
For years, the only statewide standard for pet daycare boarding and facilities has been that they be “sanitary and humane”. While there are responsible and safe facilities, consumers have had to do their own research with limited local oversight. Sadly, this has resulted in injury and death of pets at these facilities. In late 2020, a puppy named Ollie was severely mauled at a pet daycare facility. Although there have been efforts for additional oversight at these facilities for years, this tragedy spurred a varied group of stakeholders to work together to file “Ollie’s Law”.
Finally signed into law in September 2024, Ollie’s Law will create specific standards for these facilities and create clear requirements for enforcement. While regulations are being created, ARL still recommends that pet parents look to our Board Safely® checklist to determine if facilities are right for them.
Preventing Animal Cruelty in Entertainment
Efforts have been ongoing for over two decades to end the use of exotic animals in traveling acts in Massachusetts. Traveling animal acts are cruel to animals involved and dangerous to human health and safety. Due to public pressure, many circuses and other traveling acts have moved away from using exotic animals in their shows. Despite this, there are still acts that have brought these animals to Massachusetts in recent years. In August 2024, a ban on exotic animals—including elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes, and bears—was signed into law. This law will ensure that Massachusetts continues to seek humane treatment for all animals within its borders.
The Link: Pets and Families
Animals are truly a member of our families. We know that The Link between cruelty to animals and cruelty to humans means these acts often occur together. Since 2004, Department of Children and Families (DCF) employees and contractors have able to report animal cruelty. However, this was limited to a short-time frame at the beginning of an investigation. Additionally, previous Department policy put high burdens on certain potential DCF foster homes, requiring often insurmountable burdens for homes that had dogs who were identified as certain breeds (pit bulls, rottweilers, german shepherds). ARL has heard from many prospective DCF foster parents over the years who were heartbroken to find out that their homes were likely to be deemed unfit because of their family dog’s appearance, without regard for the individual animal’s temperament. Although safety of these children is paramount, dog breed alone is not an adequate determination of animal behavior.
An Act promoting animal welfare and further regulating the reporting of animal cruelty, abuse or neglect was signed into law in October 2024. This law allows for reporting by DCF employees and contractors at any time, ensuring safety for both pets and people. Further, it requires that dogs in potential foster homes be evaluated without regard to their breed. These small changes have the potential to help animals and people across Massachusetts.
In June 2024, An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation was signed into law. Among many important provisions, it updated the definition of abuse to include “coercive control”, including both violence against pets and threats of violence against pets. Expanding this legal definition reflects an understanding of The Link and the importance of considering animals as part of families.
Massachusetts Homeless Animal Fund
Created in 2012, The Fund provides for spay/neuter for in-need animals across Massachusetts. Vouchers are distributed through local Animal Control, providing spay/neuter and preventative care for both owned and unowned animals. Funded in part by tax donations on Line 33F on Massachusetts State Taxes, ARL has also advocated for the Legislature to provide funding. In both 2023 and 2024, the state budget included $100,000 for The Fund.
Hunting and Trapping
Every session there are efforts to remove the ban on Sunday hunting, allow for additional types of hunting practices, and loosen restrictions on trapping. This session, ARL was able to continue to protect wildlife and these bills did not advance.
Local Level Wins: Pet Stores
ARL has supported a statewide ban on pet stores at both the state and local level. This session is the first that the statewide ban advanced out of committee, although it did not advance further. Municipal efforts to ban pet stores have been much more successful. In 2023 and 2024, pet store bans were passed in Arlington, Brookline, and North Andover. Additionally, Boston added guinea pigs to their pet store ordinance in 2023. ARL will continue to work with local level leaders to support these bans, in conjunction with statewide efforts.
Looking to 2025
Representatives must be sworn in, and the process starts anew. Legislators can file a bill at any point in the 2-year session, but most bills will be filed in January.
ARL is currently working with legislators to refile legislation on a number of topics, including updating animal cruelty laws, protecting animals from convicted abusers, banning the sale of animals at new pet stores, protecting wildlife, increasing pet friendly housing, and many other efforts to improve animal welfare in Massachusetts.
How You Can Help
One of the most important considerations for elected officials in advancing legislation is interest from their constituents. Animal advocates like you play a critical role in making sure that the legislature is hearing about the issues that are important to them. No matter your level of interest or experience, there are many ways to get involved:
Learn about ARL’s Legislative Agenda
ARL puts together a Legislative Agenda for each session to determine which bills to prioritize. ARL Advocacy will be providing updates regarding the contents of ARL’s Agenda, as well as why these bills are important. You can find ARL’s 2023-2024 Agenda here, and the 2025-2026 Agenda will be live in late-January 2025.
Ask your legislator to co-sponsor legislation
One thing that helps advance bills is for legislators to add their name through “co-sponsoring”. With over 7,000 bills filed each session, legislators often rely on constituents to determine which bills they will put their name on. This will happen in January and February. Stay tuned for an email with ARL’s finalized Legislative Agenda and some tips on reaching out to your legislators.
Testify on a bill
Each bill in Massachusetts gets a hearing with the opportunity for public comment. People can come in person to testify, testify virtually, or submit written comments. Hearings start in late Spring 2025 and will continue through early 2026.
Lobby your legislators throughout the session
ARL partners with other animal welfare organizations to host an annual Lobby Day for Animals at the State House in Boston. This is an opportunity to meet other animal advocates, hear about priority legislation, and meet with your legislator’s offices. Aside from this in-person opportunity, outreach to legislators can look like emails, phone calls, and even snail mail.
To get Advocacy-specific updates, please register today. For questions on ARL’s Advocacy Department, reach out to advocacy@arlboston.org
