Advocacy 101

Get to know your local legislators!​ To find your Kansas Representative and Senator, put your address in Find Your Legislator.

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​Here are some Tips for connecting with your Legislator:

• Introduce yourself, the organization you’re representing, and your role within the organization

• Provide brief background about your organization

  • History - how long you’ve been operating, how you’ve grown over the years

  • Size - how many animals do you serve each year, how many volunteers do you have, how many donors do you have, how big is your budget

  • Services - adoption, fostering, pet food pantries, free or low-cost vet care, free or low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, behavior training, animal control, TNR, etc

  • Accomplishments - how many animals have found permanent homes, how much food you’ve given out, how many animals you’ve provided low-cost vet care and spay/neuter surgeries to

  • Role in the community - municipal contracts, freeing up space in another shelter, coordinating care 

    • What would happen if you ceased operations?

  • Solving public problems with private dollars 

• Talk a bit about the challenges you face

  • Pet overpopulation - more animals, less adopters

  • Lack of funds

  • Lack of space

  • Lack of volunteers

  • Increased costs

  • Increased regulations

• Hot topics

  • Sales tax exemption for nonprofit shelters and rescues

  • Overregulation

  • Transfer of sick animals

  • Transfer of unaltered animals

  • Business days for the stray holding period 

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