Animal Protection Caucus adds Sen. Brown as co-chair, legislates for wild and domestic animals
Dogs, cats, pigeons, pigs, cows and other animals will now have even more representation in the state Senate.
Sen. Rosemary Brown, R-40, Middle Smithfield Twp., who represents parts of Lackawanna, Monroe and Wayne counties, was added as a co-chair of the 'bipartisan, bicameral' Animal Protection Caucus for the 2025-2026 legislative session. The caucus was founded during the 2021-2022 legislative session.
The caucus's recent legislative priorities include supporting animal adoption, targeting sources of animal cruelty and instilling preventive measures, and providing needs for the 'Commonwealth's furred, feathered and scaled friends,' per a press release issued by the Pennsylvania House Democrats. Brown says the caucus will consider prior legislative concerns before venturing into any new legislation.
'As a group, we want to look at everything that's been on the plate before any new initiatives,' Brown explained. 'I personally am looking for commonsense humane treatment of our animals and our wildlife, so, that's my mission of being a co-chair on the caucus, and I think there's a lot of agreement across our community and our residents of our values.'
Brown, who is the owner of a 'disabled puppy' and as such is no stranger to the special needs of animals, expressed love for her own pet and all animals.
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Sen. Rosemary Brown poses with her puppy, Charlie, who is paralyzed in his two hind legs. Brown serves on the Animal Protection Caucus, serving wild and domestic animals of Lackawanna, Monroe and Wayne counties. (ROSEMARY BROWN / SUBMITTED)
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Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski is a member of the Animal Protection Caucus, providing support to animals across Luzerne county. (FILE PHOTO)
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Sen. Rosemary Brown poses with her puppy, Charlie, who is paralyzed in his two hind legs. Brown serves on the Animal Protection Caucus, serving wild and domestic animals of Lackawanna, Monroe and Wayne counties. (ROSEMARY BROWN / SUBMITTED)
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'I can't even tell you, I care for that dog. He's part of my family,' she said. 'He's just a loving, beautiful puppy, but a disabled puppy, and I have to take care of him; he can't do things normally. I am an animal lover through and through.'
Brown hopes to help animals across the state in myriad ways.
'Some of the things you've seen and stories where we've seen houses with animals that are just being abused or not fed, different types of situations that have happened over the years, you know they're not right, and you have to do your best to try to prevent them in the future,' she said, adding that legislation around puppy mills has been reintroduced. 'That is a continued conversation, and we're going to become more and more educated on how we can look at that deeper.'
Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre, a member of the Animal Protection Caucus, said his goals are to make sure animals get the treatment they deserve.
'So often, we see and hear about the kind of cruelty that's out there, and I think each and every one of us … have a wonderful experience with a cat or a dog or some other pet that not only provided you some affection and warmth, or protection … and they're precious,' Pashinski said. 'Treat them the way you would like to be treated, and be humane. That's the whole purpose … making sure to make that point.'
He added that it's important for pet owners to be responsible.
'They say, 'They're so cute, I want to buy one,' they don't realize the responsibility that goes with it, and taking care of them,' said Pashinski, who shared that he has kept pets in past years.
'We've always had a dog. The last dog passed away. Two stray cats were born underneath our patio, and we ended up taking them in,' Pashinski said. The two cats later died, but Pashinski said there might be room in the future for a new pet. In the meantime, his work with the caucus will bring him close to animals and their needs across Pennsylvania.
In the last legislative session, the Animal Protection Caucus focused on improving the enforcement of breeding standards, dog licensing and protection for pets belonging to those who experienced domestic violence, and progress was made toward ending pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania.
Additional recent animal-related legislation in the works includes:
• HB97, which asks that divorce proceedings allow for judges to make special considerations and rulings about what would be best for pets involved.
• HB400, which presents a call for legislation proposing passenger pigeons as the official 'extinct species' of Pennsylvania, based on the bird's last appearance in the commonwealth occurring in 1890, when 'Jasper Fincher, while on a picnic in woods … killed a 'handsome male,'' per the house co-sponsorship memoranda.
• HR37, a House resolution that would designate March 13 as 'K9 Veterans Awareness and Services Day' across the state, to raise awareness of 'the important services dogs and their handlers, trainers, and other helpers provide in the military, law enforcement,' and more.
• HB406, which institutes tough penalties for criminals who kidnap animals, including 'any dog, cat, equine animal, swine, or cattle for the purpose of general resale, sale to a laboratory, or animal fighting,' per the House co-sponsorship memoranda.
Indra Lahiri, the founder of Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Dalton, is optimistic about the caucus.
'I am thrilled that Pennsylvania has a dedicated Animal Protection Caucus,' Lahiri said. 'I recognize the challenge lawmakers face in balancing the needs of various constituents. Yet, I have faith that they will stand up for the animals, putting partisan politics aside to protect those more vulnerable than ourselves, the animals with whom we share this Earth. I hope they will champion animal welfare fearlessly, because other animals make us better humans. So, if they do, we will be a stronger and more compassionate commonwealth.'
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