Sample Statement to the City or County Council

Good [morning/afternoon/evening]. As a resident of [city/county], I was deeply concerned to learn that [name of shelter] is apparently making it difficult for members of the public to surrender animals, by [list tactics the shelter is using, such as putting people on a waiting list, charging surrender fees, and/or creating other obstacles]. [Include examples of your own or others’ experiences with being turned away.] Animals who are rejected by shelters face an uncertain and often cruel fate. Many are abandoned on the street, where they breed and produce more homeless animals, starve, are hit by vehicles, or contract fatal diseases. Others are crudely killed or gravely neglected by people who don’t want them and are desperate to get rid of them. As a taxpayer-funded facility, [name of shelter] has an obligation to animals and the community to provide a refuge for every animal in need. I urge you to intervene to ensure that [name of shelter] keeps its doors open and acts as a true shelter for all animals.