As President and Co-Founder of Pennsylvania Voters For Animals, I want to welcome you to our inaugural “Voice For Animals” blog! We are so grateful to have this opportunity to share our mission, our vision, and our commitment to using our collective voice and our strong political advocacy for animals. Sadly, across Pennsylvania, there are far too many animals who are suffering. This includes companion animals, animals used for food and/or clothing, those used in research, for entertainment, and also animals in the wild. 

If you visit my bio in the Our Team section of this website, you will see a photo of a beautiful dog smiling alongside of me. Her name was Shelly. She came into my life in early 2022 as a foster. Shelly was rescued from a PA farm where she was used to breed puppies and as a herding dog. Despite clear evidence that Shelly had large mammary gland tumors, she endured the physical strains of multiple pregnancies and delivered and reared four litters of puppies in her brief five years of life. And regardless of her untreated broken toe on her front right paw, she was still expected to perform her other job – herding cows. As her tumors continued to grow, ulcerate, and bleed, and while her untreated broken toe caused her to limp from pain, she was no longer as productive. Thankfully, one of our incredible PA rescue organizations was able to convince the farmer to relinquish Shelly allowing her to receive a much-needed medical evaluation, care, and treatment.

As a volunteer, I was approached to foster Shelly so that she could be evaluated by a veterinary surgical oncologist. We hoped that Shelly would be a candidate for surgery to have the mass hanging from her abdomen removed and have her spayed. Unfortunately, upon evaluation, we were told that Shelly was not a candidate because she had end-stage mammary gland cancer. The tumor was too large and too invasive. Surgery was not an option for our sweet girl. My husband and I were devastated, but quickly pivoted from being Shelly’s foster parents, to becoming her hospice caretakers, and then to becoming her adoptive parents officially. From the very first day that Shelly came into our lives, we knew that she belonged in our family. And while she lost her battle with cancer four months later, we crammed as much living and loving into the time that we had together. 

Why do I share Shelly’s story with you? Because her story is not an exception. There are far too many animals just like Shelly, who are languishing and suffering in small backyard breeding operations or large commercial breeding (puppy mills) across Pennsylvania. These animals desperately need our voice, our involvement, and our political advocacy right now. Sadly, it is too late for our girl, but it is not too late for the thousands of animals who are suffering cruelty, abuse, and neglect across Pennsylvania. We need to work together to enact stronger animal protection laws that will protect all animals from abusers, including the businesses, industries, and corporate interests that benefit greatly from animal exploitation. 

Pennsylvania’s animals need and deserve a grassroots movement of dedicated people like you to help make this happen. Shelly inspired me to form our non-profit organization, Pennsylvania Voters For Animals. We are dedicated to grassroots, political advocacy for all animals. It is important to note that our organization is inclusive and welcomes supporters from all communities. Regardless of your experience, or expertise, there is a place for you! Together, we will be a powerful voice for animals and forge the change we want to see in Pennsylvania. With your support, we will see stronger, more impactful animal protection legislation enacted in Pennsylvania. We cannot knowingly, willfully, and willingly ignore animal suffering any longer. If you are ready to make a real impact on animals, we encourage you to join our political advocacy organization today.