WASHINGTON (August 12, 2020)—The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund present Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., with the Pennsylvania 2019 Legislator of the Year Award for his efforts to help animals in Pennsylvania and beyond by sponsoring the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. In addition to this award, Sen. Toomey is one of four recipients of the 2019 Humane Legislators of the Year Award for leading Senate passage of the bill.
The PACT Act passed both chambers of Congress and was signed into law in November 2019. Under Sen. Toomey’s leadership, the Senate passed the PACT Act by unanimous consent. It makes malicious animal cruelty, including crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating and impaling live animals and sexually exploiting them, a federal crime when committed in a location under federal jurisdiction.
Americans do not support torturing innocent animals, and Congress agreed that it was time to close the loophole in federal law.
Already, federal prosecutors have applied the PACT Act to charge those accused of the most egregious acts of cruelty.
“I'm honored to receive the HSUS Pennsylvania Legislator of the Year award,” said Sen. Toomey. “The Humane Society of the United States is a great partner and played an integral role in the multi-year fight to get the landmark PACT Act across the goal line.”
“Pennsylvania animal advocates have good reason to be proud that U.S. Senator Pat Toomey led the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act in the U.S. Senate and we are pleased to honor him with this award. Thanks to his persistence and leadership on seeing this bill through, animal cruelty is recognized as the serious crime that it is,” said Kristen Tullo, the HSUS’ Pennsylvania state director.
Media contact:
Emily Ehrhorn: 202-779-1814; eehrhorn@hslf.org
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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at hslf.org/blog, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.
Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States and its affiliates around the globe fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, the HSUS takes on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries, and together with its affiliates, rescues and provides direct care for over 100,000 animals every year. The HSUS works on reforming corporate policy, improving and enforcing laws and elevating public awareness on animal issues. More at humanesociety.org.
Subscribe to Kitty Block’s blog, A Humane World. Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter. Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast.
