In Bensalem, PA, 67 cats and kittens were recently rescued from horrifying conditions at a nonprofit shelter—filthy cages, rooms filled with trash and waste, and animals in visible distress. Two kittens have already died from a preventable virus. This wasn’t an isolated incident—it was long-term suffering that went unnoticed because Pennsylvania does not require cat rescues to be licensed or inspected.

Dog kennels in our state must follow legal standards. Animal shelters are held accountable through inspections. But cat rescues? There is no regulation. That means anyone can open a cat rescue without oversight—no minimum care standards, no inspections, and no consequences until it’s too late.

This loophole has real consequences for animals and the communities that care about them. The Bucks County SPCA, which stepped in to save the animals, has seen cases like this “again and again.” We cannot keep turning a blind eye while sick, malnourished, and suffering animals are left in unsafe conditions simply because the law doesn’t recognize the need to protect them.

We call on the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Josh Shapiro to pass legislation that requires all cat rescues to be licensed and regularly inspected—just like dog kennels and other shelters. Clear standards of care, transparent reporting, and enforcement are the only way to ensure that vulnerable animals are safe.

Please sign and share this petition if you believe that cats deserve the same protections as dogs under Pennsylvania law.

Let’s make sure what happened in Bensalem never happens again.