South Dakotans want felony animal cruelty laws

We've learned a lot from prior efforts to pass felony animal cruelty laws in South Dakota. While the support of well-respected national animal welfare organizations is often important, these organizations seem to make South Dakota Ag lobbyists a little uncomfortable. In fact these lobbyists convinced legislators to take time during the eighty-seventh legislative session to pass a resolution expressing their disdain for animal rights groups. We hope this resolution doesn't mean legislators aren't open to talking with their constituents who also happen to be South Dakota animal advocates. We're hoping this resolution was just a show of support for SD's number one industry, agriculture.

But for the record... SDFACT is not an animal rights group. We are not a part of PETA, ALDF, HSUS, ASPCA, American Humane Association, Best Friends or any local animal shelter or rescue organization. SDFACT is a grassroots movement. We're a group of average South Dakotans volunteering our time to gather the facts about South Dakota animal cruelty, urge our legislators to pass felony animal cruelty laws in 2013, and speak up for the animals who have no voice.

Some of us have been citizen lobbyists before and others are new to the South Dakota legislative process. We are animal advocates from across the state of South Dakota who want to protect our pets and communities from violent offenders. It is time South Dakota join the 48 other states in the country with felony penalties for malicious & intentional acts of animal cruelty. South Dakotans want felony animal cruelty laws and it is just that simple.