mdveganeats

🌱 Creator of Maryland Vegan Restaurant “Week”

⏰ Spring 2022, March 4-27

🍴 Helping Restaurants Add Vegan Options

Flip Flops Animal Sanctuary

We work to provide a safe place for a variety of farm and domestic animals to enjoy their lives in peace. We take in neglected and abused animals with a focus on farmed birds. We also work with other sanctuaries, shelters and rescue organizations to help find forever homes for animals in need. We are 100% volunteer run.

Our Mission

Each animal is an individual; with its own unique personality. They are intelligent, sentient beings that have feelings and social structures.

It is our mission to:

• Provide our rescued animals with the best lives possible.

• Show the world that animals are more like us than people realize.

• Help people extend their compassion to all species.

• Improve welfare for all animals.

Vote Animals

Maryland Votes For Animals, Inc. works with advocates, organizations, and legislators to pass humane legislation that will improve the lives of animals in Maryland.

Founded in 2009, Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc. has been successfully advocating for Maryland’s animals. We are proud to have worked with a dedicated team of Maryland’s animal organizations, advocates, and legislators to pass – or oppose – important legislation affecting Maryland’s animals. Here is a sample of some of the bills that have passed: (More legislation that we have worked on can be found on this website.)

-Creation of the Maryland Spay/Neuter Fund- Provides competitive grants to local governments and animal welfare organizations that in turn promote and provide free spay and neuter services to pets of low income Marylanders and to colonies of feral cats.

-Strengthening Maryland’s Dog Fighting Law – Closes a loophole in Maryland’s dog fighting statute by making possession of these implements with intent to engage in dog fighting a crime in Maryland.

-Puppy Mills – Ban on Pet Stores from selling dogs & cats. Instead, they may host adoption events with local shelters, rescues, or private hobby breeders at the pet store premises.

-Humane Adoption of Companion Animals Used in Research- Research institutions must partner with local rescues and shelters to adopt out healthy dogs and cats who are no longer needed for research.

-Protection of Pets and First Responders – Ensuring that first responders are protected when they rescue our pets in emergencies.

-Microchip Scans of Stray Cats and Dogs – Requires that animal control facilities scan incoming stray animals for a microchip and make reasonable efforts to notify the owners if a chip is found.

-Ban on the Non- Therapeutic Use of Antibiotics on Farm Animals – Prohibits the usage of specified antimicrobial drugs in farm animals unless medically necessary.

-Stopping Cownose Rays Killing Contests – Places a moratorium on cownose rays killing contests for Two years and requires the Department of Natural Resources to prepare a fishery management plan for cownose rays.

– Animal Shelter Oversight- Requiring an animal shelter to follow a specified written protocol for reclaiming animals and requiring the Department of Agriculture to adopt specified minimum standards of care for dogs and cats in animal shelters that will be followed by animal shelters.

Pollinator Protection Act of 2016 – Imposes a partial ban on consumer use of neonicotinoids, pesticides which have been shown to be harmful to honeybees, with exceptions for certain groups who have been trained to use the pesticides such as farmers and veterinarians.

-Ending Pigeon Shooting Contests – Makes it illegal to hold contests where large numbers of pigeons are shot under brutal circumstances.

-Establishment of the Animal Abuse Compensation Fund – Establishes the Animal Abuse Emergency Fund.

-Mandatory Veterinary Reporting- Requires veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse.

-Commercial Dog Breeders – Lowers the threshold for requiring a Maryland dog breeder license from 15 intact females to 6 breeding females.

-Sentencing Ban on Owning Animals by Convicted Animal Abusers – Allowing a judge to ban an abuser from owning animals up to and including life

-Defeating Statewide Sunday Hunting in Maryland -This one-size-fits-all bill was part of a nationwide effort by national gun organizations to expand Sunday Hunting in many states.

Join Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc. so that you can add your voice to speak up for Maryland’s animals!