Animals in South Carolina continue to suffer from prolonged neglect—going without proper food, water, shelter, or necessary medical care—while current laws often fail to allow timely intervention or meaningful consequences. Cases involving starvation, extreme weather exposure, and untreated injuries are too often addressed with limited penalties, and unclear legal standards can make it difficult for authorities to act before suffering becomes severe. There is currently an opportunity to improve these protections through legislation known as Riley’s Act (H.5090), which aims to strengthen animal cruelty laws in South Carolina. This bill represents an important step forward, but continued public support is critical to ensure it moves forward and addresses the full scope of neglect cases. We, the undersigned, call on members of the South Carolina General Assembly to: * Support and advance Riley’s Act (H.5090) * Ensure severe and prolonged neglect is treated with appropriately strong penalties * Establish clear, enforceable definitions of adequate shelter and necessary care * Allow earlier intervention when animals are at risk of serious harm * Strengthen protections to prevent repeat offenses South Carolina has the opportunity to take meaningful action to prevent unnecessary suffering and give law enforcement the tools they need to act before it is too late. Animals cannot advocate for themselves—we must do it for them. We urge our legislators to act now.