SHARE PET PHOTOS

SHARE A PICTURE OF YOUR PET!

Support the Companion Animal Board (CAB) Bill

Do you have a dog? Cat? Bunny? Bearded dragon? A bird? Horse?
Or other pet who is your companion?

Show Minnesota legislators and candidates why our state needs to prioritize pets.

Share a photo of your pet with a sign with one of the sayings shown below, or write your own!
Pets of all species are welcome and encouraged. Humans can be in the photo, too. Please also feel free to share a few sentences about why your pet is an important part of your family.

NOTE: Community/free-roaming cats and dogs are also important and can be included. If you care for animals in your community, we would love to see photos of them! (a sign is not required for these photos).

Use the form at the left to submit your photo. Some suggested sayings:

I am family
My humans love me
Pets are family
My family loves me

Please consider your pet’s emotional and physical well-being when posing them for photos. If they are uncomfortable wearing a sign on their body, we recommend placing it near them instead.

NOTE: The photos collected will be used on the Companion Animal Board bill website, in social media posts, in communications to legislators and candidates, and for lobbying materials related to the bill. By submitting your photo, you grant us permission to use the image for these purposes.

HOW DOES THE CAB BILL HELP PETS IN MINNESOTA?

The CAB bill supports those who help pets in our communities. By supporting this legislation, you support those who make it possible for us to have and care for our pets.

Many of the entities below operate on limited resources, rely on volunteers, and work long hours doing jobs that are both physically and emotionally taxing. They cannot be forgotten by us, or by the State.

Shelters and rescue organizations help animals in need. They provide medical care and help animals find adoptive homes. Many also provide temporary fostering and other support services for families experiencing challenging times. Those in smaller towns or more rural areas often have even more limited resources than those located in more heavily populated areas.

Pet pantries make sure that no one ever has to worry about feeding their pet under financial hardship. They rely on donations from businesses and individuals to meet increasingly higher demands for these services.

Veterinarians take care of our pets when they are sick. They provide comfort and show compassion when it is time to say goodbye. And they often provide discounted rates to rescue organizations and families in need of assistance. Working with veterinarians to provide accessible and affordable medical care is critical to pets and families.

Organizations and volunteers from all over the state handle pet issues on their own. Just one example: Community cat colonies can be found in communities throughout Minnesota with residents trying to address the problem. A statewide spay and neuter program is needed, which the CAB bill will provide.

Each of the above, along with many other businesses, organizations, and individuals, plays an important part in the large network of people it takes to care for pets in our communities.

They need and deserve state resources and support to continue their important work.

That is why the CAB bill is so important.

Learn more about the need: ISSUE

YOUR VOICE IS POWERFUL

We all know the importance of pets and their value to our physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being. During the worst years of COVID, we asked for you to share a story about your companion animal and how he or she impacted your life or the lives of your family during the pandemic. We received many heart-warming stories (with photos) and they were shared with legislators. A few examples are below.

Submitted during the pandemic

"Wally is my 6-year-old Westie. Wally helped me understand the depth of a human/animal bond, and just how important companion animals are ... Animals are able to form connections with humans that goes far beyond 'just being a pet.' They are family, they provide joy, they teach empathy, and their unconditional love is immeasurable."
- Stephanie S., New Hope, MN

Submitted in 2023

"We adopted Rudy through a local rescue when he was approximately five year's old. He'd already lived in at least two other homes prior to ours. Who knows the story there. We do know that he's been an amazing gift in our lives, and was a blessing in my dad's life as he lived with Parkinson's and dementia. Rudy's visits brought him — and many of his fellow memory care residents — such joy. All without a word. And in my dad's last days, Rudy was there holding bedside vigil. All without a word."
- Cari L., Minneapolis, MN

Submitted in 2023

"We have three companion animals, all rescues. They are all an important part of our family. They contribute to our family's joy and companionship every day. Our young cat has traveled with our eldest daughter to college and stayed with her — he has served as an important friend and provides critical emotional support to her."
- Stacy B., Eden Prairie, MN

Submitted during the pandemic

"My puppy 'Blue' (named affectionately after my favorite color and branch of service) has given me a source of unconditional love when I thought I had little. During the finalization of my divorce, deployments, long drill weekends, and lonely quarantined days, 'my boy Blue' is always a source of love and affection no matter what and for that I am forever grateful."
- Lynette H., Minneapolis, MN

Submitted during the pandemic

Our four rescue cats provide round-the-clock entertainment for our family. Their companionship has been critically important for our medically complex daughter, who cannot leave the house due to the pandemic."
- Lisa M, Ham Lake, MN

Submitted in 2023

"Leo was a rescue dog that not only filled my life with much needed companionship, but fulfilled my dream to do pet therapy volunteering. He brought comfort and joy to all who interacted with him — from kids reading to him at our local library, to lonely elderly folks living in memory care and nursing homes, to hospice patients and their families. He was my companion and best friend, but I always felt that he belonged to the world as well."
- Cari L., Minneapolis, MN

Submitted during the pandemic

"As a nurse working in a hospital during a pandemic, I am grateful now more than ever before that I get to come home to my cat and dog (Phoebe and Ruth) every day. They remind me to enjoy the little things, help keep a sense of routine, and keep my mental health in check. During a time of unprecedented stress, I don't know what I could do without them."
- Caitlin M, Minneapolis, MN