FARA improves wellbeing of shelter staff
Studies show that staff members
responsible for killing animals in shelters
are vulnerable to emotional trauma,
exhaustion, and burnout. FARA would
spare staff from killing animals, when those
animals have readily available lifesaving
option
A 2011 statewide survey of rescue groups if
Florida State found that 63% of non-profit
animal rescue groups have had at least one
Florida state shelter refuse to work
collaboratively with them and then turn
around and kill they very animals they were
willing to save. Studies in other states
show that when these laws are passed,
lifesaving goes up. In just one County in
California, rescue transfers increased 4,000
a year when it passed a rescue access law.
has been in effect in California since 1998.
An analyssis of that law found that sending
animals to non-profit animal rescue
organizations rather than killing them saved
the City and County of San Francisco
$486,480 in publicity funded animal control
costs.
groups in Florida State also found that 45%
of respondents are afraid to complain about
inhumane conditions or practices at Florida
State shelters because if they did
complain, they would not be allowed to
rescue animals, thus allowing those
inhumane conditions to continue.
FARA levels the playing field
All non-profit organizations have identical
rights and responsibilities before the law.
FARA seeks to protect those rights by
leveling the playing field between the large
non-profits which have all the power and the
small non-profits that are prevented from
fulfilling their lifesaving mission when these
larger organizations refuse to collaborate
with them in order to save more lives.
FARA specifically excludes organizations
with a volunteer, staff member, director,
and/or officer with a conviction for animal
neglect, cruelty, and/or dog fighting, and
suspends the organization while such
charges are pending.
FARA is based on a law in California which
was passed in 1998 with overwhelming
bipartisan support (96-12), and passed in
Delaware unanimously. Similar legislation
is currently pending in Minnesota and New
York.