Save Lives Now: Protect the Future of Philadelphia's Animals

We, the undersigned, are outraged and appalled that the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is signing a death sentence for thousands of animals. The lifesaving achievements of the last three years are to celebrated and furthered, not abandoned. We will not go back to a time when most homeless animals are killed. Classifying them simply as objects to be collected and disposed of like garbage is unacceptable. We demand that the Health Department rescind its current request for proposal for animal control services and rewrite it to require lifesaving. The agency that holds this contract must achieve progressive save rates -- with a starting place of 60% of the total number of animals who enter the shelter alive, the current level -- using all of the tools known to achieve those rates (adoption outreach, foster care, volunteerism, collaboration with rescue and shelter partners, and spay/neuter services) so Philadelphia continues moving closer to the goal of guaranteeing a home for every healthy and treatable pet. We will not allow this city to turn its back on Philadelphia's animals.