Demand NC Pass Duke's Rescue Act Before Another Dog Dies on a Chain
Demand NC Pass Duke's Rescue Act Before Another Dog Dies on a Chain
The Issue
Duke was found chained outside next to the body of another dog that had starved to death.
The dog who died never got help. Duke almost didn't either.
North Carolina House Bill 657, named "Duke's Rescue Act" in his honor, would establish the first minimum standards of care for domestic dogs and cats in the state. It would require owners to provide food, water, shelter, space, exercise, and veterinary treatment. It would ban tethering animals outside when temperatures drop below 32 degrees or rise above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The bill unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee in June 2026. But its future is uncertain, and the legislative session is nearing its end.
North Carolina has been here before. A bill to ban puppy mills died in the state Senate in 2013, despite support from the governor and his wife. Animal welfare legislation has repeatedly stalled at the General Assembly, blocked by pressure from hunting and breeding industry groups. Those same groups are raising objections again.
The bill also needs to be stronger. Right now, a first violation would be classified as a class three misdemeanor with no jail time. But North Carolina already classifies depriving an animal of "necessary sustenance" as a more serious class one misdemeanor. If chaining a dog outside in a winter storm or summer heat wave is wrong, the penalty should actually reflect that.
We are asking the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor Josh Stein to:
- Pass Duke's Rescue Act through both the House and Senate before the session ends.
- Strengthen the penalty provisions so violations carry real consequences, at minimum matching existing animal cruelty standards in state law.
- Reject pressure from lobbying interests that have killed these protections before, and deliver for the
- North Carolinians who have been asking for minimum care standards for more than a decade.
Duke survived. The dog chained next to him did not. North Carolina has a chance to make sure their story matters. Sign to demand this bill gets across the finish line.
206
The Issue
Duke was found chained outside next to the body of another dog that had starved to death.
The dog who died never got help. Duke almost didn't either.
North Carolina House Bill 657, named "Duke's Rescue Act" in his honor, would establish the first minimum standards of care for domestic dogs and cats in the state. It would require owners to provide food, water, shelter, space, exercise, and veterinary treatment. It would ban tethering animals outside when temperatures drop below 32 degrees or rise above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The bill unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee in June 2026. But its future is uncertain, and the legislative session is nearing its end.
North Carolina has been here before. A bill to ban puppy mills died in the state Senate in 2013, despite support from the governor and his wife. Animal welfare legislation has repeatedly stalled at the General Assembly, blocked by pressure from hunting and breeding industry groups. Those same groups are raising objections again.
The bill also needs to be stronger. Right now, a first violation would be classified as a class three misdemeanor with no jail time. But North Carolina already classifies depriving an animal of "necessary sustenance" as a more serious class one misdemeanor. If chaining a dog outside in a winter storm or summer heat wave is wrong, the penalty should actually reflect that.
We are asking the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor Josh Stein to:
- Pass Duke's Rescue Act through both the House and Senate before the session ends.
- Strengthen the penalty provisions so violations carry real consequences, at minimum matching existing animal cruelty standards in state law.
- Reject pressure from lobbying interests that have killed these protections before, and deliver for the
- North Carolinians who have been asking for minimum care standards for more than a decade.
Duke survived. The dog chained next to him did not. North Carolina has a chance to make sure their story matters. Sign to demand this bill gets across the finish line.
206
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Petition created on June 16, 2026