Statement From PIJAC Board Of Directors Chair Laura “Peach” Reid And President And CEO Mike Bober On The Paws Act
Laura “Peach” Reid, chair of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) and Mike Bober, PIJAC president and CEO, issued the following statement regarding the PAWS (Pet and Women Safety) Act, which was part of the Farm Bill that President Trump signed into law on December 20.
“PIJAC commends President Trump, members of Congress, and the many organizations and individuals from the pet care, law enforcement, legal, veterinary, animal welfare, and other communities who came together to support and advance the PAWS Act into law. This milestone legislation will make a tremendous impact on domestic violence victims by giving them the confidence to leave their abuser, knowing they will have a safe haven not only for themselves and their family, but also their beloved pets.
“We at PIJAC are proud to have worked to increase support for the PAWS Act bill by advocating for it at our September Capitol Hill fly-in event, when nearly 100 PIJAC members and others involved in pet care met with members of Congress, and during the post-midterm election Pet Partners therapy dog de-stress event attended by over 150 Congressional staffers.
“We especially thank PAWS Act sponsors Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rep. Catherine Clark (D-MA-5) for championing the value of pets and the human-animal bond with this legislation that provides for significant growth in the number of domestic violence shelters that can accommodate pets.”