Interview! Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy, Humane Society of the United States

“If there isn’t anything that prohibits what you’re doing [for cats], you don’t necessarily need to make a law that actually allows for it.”

Danielle Bays, the new Director of Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), plays “Cat Protection and Policy Jeopardy!” with Stacy in this episode. Danielle is responsible for staying on top of cat policy issues all over the country, and she fills us in on current cat legislation and issues in various states around the nation, including Delaware, where a community cat bill is currently on the governor’s desk, awaiting his signature; Rhode Island, where a TNR bill got some not-so-useful things added to it along the way and didn’t make it through the legislature before it went on summer break; Wisconsin, where much discussion is happening among all the stakeholders involved in community cat issues; and Hawaii, always a hot-bed for TNR issues, where the idea of a pet food surcharge to help raise funds for spay/neuter has been put forth.

In spite of all the legislative action in these states, as well as other spay/neuter funding initiatives in Idaho and New Mexico) and declawing legislation (not all successful) in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and Denver, Danielle tells us that sometimes legislation isn’t actually what’s needed. She points out that “if there isn’t anything that prohibits what you’re doing, you don’t necessarily need to make a law that actually allows for it.”

To learn more about what Danielle and the HSUS are up to in their work advocating for cats and other companion animals around the country, visit animalsheltering.org. You can also email Danielle directly at dbays@humanesociety.org—she’s always happy to help if anyone needs advice about situations going on in their community!

Listen to Episode #261 Now