BHS Humane Society Club Advocate for Animals at 2017 Humane Lobby Day at Capitol
By Trina Runner on March 31, 2017
On March 23, a caravan arrived at the West Virginia Capitol Complex with one very furry member named Bella. Members and supporters of the Bridgeport H
igh School Humane Society Club unloaded with one mission in mind: to advocate for animals. It was the second time the group attended the Humane Lobby Day, held once a year during the legislative session. Last year, they found immediate success with the passing of two bills within 30 minutes. As the voice for animals, club creator Imoni Saab continues to take her role as animal advocate very seriously and was excited to be a part of the process.
“Humane Lobby Day gives us the opportunity to speak to our legislators on behalf of the animals, to offer them protection and to bring our concerns to those making policies for West Virginia,” said Saab. “We were able to meet with elected officials and discuss animal protection issues and propose legislation to solve many of these issues.”
This year, the group’s focus was on HB 2664, which is the Animal Sexual Abuse Ban and HB 2905, the Animal Care Facilities Bill. The group participated in the Humane Lobby Day webinar prior to attending the event and networked with advocates around the country in preparation for the day.
“We knew how important is was to fully understand the process and what to ask the legislators so we prepared ahead of time and educated ourselves on the proposed bills,” she said. “We had the opportunity to meet with the Humane Society of the United States West Virginia Director Heather Severt and other agencies including Harrison County Humane Society’s staff.”
The BHS Humane Society Club members created an exhibit for the capitol rotunda which explained how they got involved with the organization and why the issues were important to them and even handed out homemade dog treats to those who were interested. They set up appointments with delegates from Harrison County and received great support from BHS Alum Ben Queen.
“Attending Humane Lobby Day gives the BHS students the opportunity to make a difference first-hand. It allows us to see the democratic process in action and to have our voices heard as animal advocates. It is vital that we attend each year as active citizens who truly want to make a difference in animal protection laws,” said Saab.
Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of Juli Jones
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