ATLANTA, GA — A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock would make it easier for pet stores and retailers to donate still-good pet food and supplies that would otherwise wind up in landfills.
The Bring Animals Relief and Kibble (BARK) Act encourages donations to animal shelters by providing liability protections for good-faith donations of pet food and supplies, and makes it easier for animal shelters to accept them.
“Georgia animal shelters around the state are struggling to keep their doors open, we should make it easier for local businesses to donate pet food and supplies,” said Senator Warnock. “This common-sense, bipartisan legislation protects good-faith donations, making the donation process easier and less stressful, allowing much needed resources to go to dogs and cats waiting for adoption instead of being thrown away.”
The no-kill animal shelter PAWS Atlanta has about 200 cats and dogs for adoption and fostering at any given time. Communications manager Brenna Lakeson says in addition to providing low-cost services for the public like vaccinations and medications for heartworm, fleas and ticks, PAWS also has a community pet food bank.
Lakeson says that pet food food bank is 100% dependent upon donations, which come in weekly but are gone nearly as fast.
“We rely on other members of the community to provide food for the food bank, and unfortunately, that means it often runs low,” says Lakeson. “Just yesterday, I saw us have to turn away probably three people because we didn’t have any dog food left.”
Lakeson says companies often have red tape preventing donations of surplus to shelters and organizations. The BARK Act aims to shield them when giving away apparently-fit pet-related food, houses, crates, bedding, toys, collars, gates, and other items that meet quality and labeling standards but which might get tossed due to conditions like appearance, age, grade, size, or surplus.
“This liability act being able to protect companies who might otherwise not donate to us I think would be a really big deal for our food bank,” says Lakeson.
They say not only would it help the dogs and cats PAWS Atlanta houses, but it would help keep people and their pets together, as people struggle more and more to afford the rising costs of pet food.
“Being able to provide food for people who are maybe going through a little bit of a rough patch prevents them from bringing their pets to the shelter and having to give them up,” Lakeson says. “Having to choose between paying rent or feeding their pet...that’s an extremely hard choice for anyone to have to make. So having a regular source of that would be huge.”
Sen. Warnock’s (D-GA) bill co-sponsor in the Senate is Thom Tillis (R-NC).
This bill is endorsed by the Humane World Action Fund, Best Friends Animal Society, Pet Food Institute, and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
A companion bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08) and Young Kim (R-CA-40).
Sign Up
