Humane Society of Washington

New and improved animal welfare laws are not to be taken for granted—and neither should elected officials, like Washington Governor Jay Inslee and State Senator Joe Fain, who championed our cause in the Legislature.

This past legislative session, Senator Fain stepped up to sponsor important new legislation that will make Washington a more humane state by enhancing several of the state’s most critical anti-cruelty laws. The bill was signed into law by Governor Inslee this past Monday, May 11.

The new law ushers in a host of new protections for animals: It empowers law enforcement to come to the rescue of animals left unattended in vehicles in extreme temperatures and expands the state’s animal fighting ban beyond dogs and roosters to include all animals. The new law also increases charges for killing or stealing pets.