The close of 2009 marks the first year of existence for Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection. And what a year it has been! From puppies and kittens to horses, from the Minnesota Legislature to the streets of Minneapolis, we have been taking action to help make our state more humane. Keep reading to see how we were able to achieve our goals and if you like what you see, please make a year-end donation today so we can continue this important work in 2010.
Legislative Goals
Track new Minnesota legislation affecting animals
We located and tracked new animal-related bills at the State Legislature. We spent many hours reading bills and recording their progress, as well as attending committee hearings on the bills.
Support pro-animal legislation and oppose anti-animal legislation
We monitored and issued action alerts on a wide variety of new bills affecting animals in Minnesota, including puppy/kitten mills, pets in orders of protection, and horse slaughter.
Support puppy/kitten mill legislation
MVAP created a petition drive and submitted over 1,700 puppy/kitten mill petitions to Minnesota State legislators from constituents around the state.
MVAP participated in a coalition of humane groups to pass effective puppy/kitten mill legislation. MVAP attended coalition meetings and legislative committee hearings, enacted a petition drive and issued action alerts.
Electoral Goals
Survey candidates for Minneapolis City Council
MVAP issued candidate questionnaires, conducted selected candidate interviews, and tallied incumbents’ voting records to determine which candidates were the most humane.
Endorse and support humane candidates for Minneapolis City Council
Once we determined the humane candidates, we formally endorsed them to our membership and offered the candidates grassroots support for their campaigns. MVAP volunteers logged many hours in Ward 2, 5, 6, 8, & 12 to deliver campaign literature to homes and to staff phone banks for humane candidates.
Capacity-Building Goals
Obtain nonprofit 501(c)4 status with the IRS
Establish an accounting system
Establish an online member database
Network with other animal welfare organizations in Minnesota
We have met with numerous organizations as part of the puppy/kitten mill coalition, attended workshops and conferences on Minnesota animal issues, and hosted a dinner for leaders of Twin Cities-area animal organizations.
Expand our base of supporters
Our outreach efforts at events like the Pet Expo in February and the Walk for Animals in May helped us educate thousands and expanded our number of supporters by 400%.
Please make a donation to MVAP now, at the close of our first year. What better way to say you appreciate our work and want us to continue?
We thank you for your support!
