Just One Day is a nationwide effort to get shelters to stop the killing for one day. The Just One Day website lists several ways you can help make our United States a no kill nation on June 11. Here is what I’m doing. I hope you’ll join me.
1. I am sending brief notes to my elected representatives at both the state and federal levels of government. If you don’t know who your state reps are, you can type “find state legislators” (plus your state name) into any search engine. To write your Congressman using your zip +4 code, click here. Write your Senators by clicking here.
This is a sample note to elected officials which anyone is free to copy:
Dear ______________
I am a constituent and the well-being of pets in animal shelters is important to me. There is a nationwide effort underway to permanently end the needless killing of friendly shelter pets. As part of this effort, a “No Kill Day” has been designated on June 11. Every animal shelter in the country is being asked to stop killing pets for at least that one day. If the effort is successful, it would mean the United States was a no kill nation for one day. And if we can do it for one day, I believe we can do it forever.
I ask that you join me in speaking for the shelter pets here in [your state] by supporting the effort to end the killing in our animal shelters on June 11. For more information, please visit this website: http://www.justoneday.ws/
Sincerely,
__________________
2. I am contacting my local municipal shelter and asking them to take the pledge to not kill pets on June 11. A phone call or in person meeting would be a great way to approach the conversation. A letter will also work. Below is a sample letter, which can also be used as a guide to a live conversation, which anyone is free to copy:
Dear_______________
I would like to help the shelter save every friendly pet in its care. I hope you will consider taking a pledge to join other shelters all across the country in celebrating the lives of shelter pets on June 11. If you decide to take the pledge to make June 11 a no kill day at your facility, I would be delighted to [volunteer/make a donation/foster a pet/etc.] that day to help the shelter achieve its goal. Please contact me if I can help. For more information, please visit this website: http://www.justoneday.ws/
Sincerely,
_______________
Make your offer of help [shown in brackets in the letter] as specific as possible. Let them know you are willing to walk dogs at the shelter, groom pets, donate $X, take photos for networking online, free up a cage by fostering a pet for 24 hours or whatever it is you feel you can contribute to the effort. If you are open to doing just about anything, let them know that too. Specify your offer is to help them achieve the goal of having a no kill day on June 11 once they’ve taken the pledge. Remember to keep your enthusiasm for lifesaving focused and positive – you aren’t trying to bully or bribe them, you genuinely want to help them achieve a no kill day on June 11.
Please let me know in the comments if you take these – or any – actions in support of the effort to make June 11 a no kill day across the country. And if you receive any responses, definitely share those as well!
To whom it may concern:
What does it say about us as a society when we kill healthy companion animals. Or do research on them when it is proven that there are more effective ways. It saddens me that we are so callous when it comes to creatures that try to co exist with us. Please be their voice.
i’m interested to hear how this goes!
Forwarded to Rep Jean Schmidt Ohio. I also plan to send letter to community paper since we have a traditional shelter in our county that has a 87% kill rate.
I contacted my Congressman & both Senators using your template. Thank you for making this easy to speak out. I find many FB pages urge folks to do something, but don’t give them the quick easy tools, like your links, to get the job done. I’ll be sharing your page with friends, family and will see how many shelters I can contact to get them to take the pledge.
I’m glad to know people are taking action. I have yet to receive any responses from my own letters but I am hopeful.
Responses: i haz dem!
I got an e-mail from someone at my state senator’s office stating they would make sure he sees the note I sent.
I got a call from someone at my Congressman’s office in DC and he asked for more info. I explained that I am hoping my Rep. will issue a press release or take some other action in support of no kill day in an effort to bring awareness and inspire shelters here in SC (and especially my Rep’s hometown!) to take the pledge for no kill day. He said my Rep has dogs and “all kinds of animals in the house”, that both my Rep and his spouse are animal lovers. He said he would raise the issue with him and specifically contact the communications dept and get back to me if the Rep decides to take any action on this.