California lawmaker introduces bill of rights for cats, dogs

The legislation is sponsored by the Social Compassion in Legislation, an animal advocacy group. The group’s founder and president, Judie Mancuso, said they were appreciative of Santiago for “recognizing the need to uplift the conversation around the rights our dogs and cats deserve.”

“Those rights go beyond just food, water, and shelter. As stated in the bill, dogs and cats have the right to be respected as sentient beings that experience complex feelings that are common among living animals while being unique to each individual,” Mancuso said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be codifying this into law.”