Statement on SB 1311 and Animal Welfare Policy in Pennsylvania

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA – October 13, 2026 – Senator Tim Kearney released the following statement on SB 1311 and Animal Welfare Policy in Pennsylvania:

“I appreciate the concern of many constituents about animal cruelty in Pennsylvania, as well as their support for SB 1311, which would create a registry for perpetrators of certain animal cruelty crimes. As a member of the legislature’s Animal Protection Caucus, I take animal cruelty very seriously, and when SB 1311 came up for a vote last week, I was disappointed to see that the bill was not supported by animal rights organizations such as the ASPCA and drew opposition from civil rights and criminal justice reform advocates such as the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

I ultimately made the difficult decision to vote no on SB 1311. Evidence on registries have shown that they do not reduce recidivism of their offenses, can decrease prosecution of more serious animal cruelty charges, and do not prevent registered offenders from accessing pets or farm animals. As a supporter of criminal justice reform, I believe the commonwealth also needs to balance the rights of offenders who have served their sentence and to allow for their rehabilitation into society, which registries can substantially hinder. I will continue to support the effective use of individualized no-contact orders from Pennsylvania courts, which can provide greater protections for all animal from offenders as warranted.

I am a proud supporter of animal rights and have voted in favor of many animal protection measures during my time in the legislature. This includes the Beagle Bill, which helps ensure that dogs and cats used in research — often beagles — are given the opportunity to be adopted rather than euthanized and increases transparency around animal testing. I also supported Act 18 of 2023, which modernized and strengthened enforcement of Pennsylvania’s Dog Law by improving kennel oversight, licensing compliance, and the state’s ability to investigate and shut down illegal operations. In addition, I voted for Act 13 of 2024, which increased penalties for killing bald and golden eagles. I was also a proud co-sponsor of Victoria’s Law, which curbs the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits from large-scale commercial breeding operations by steering the pet market toward shelters, rescues, and responsible breeders.

As the proud owner of a rescue dog, Chorizo, I care deeply about the humane treatment of animals. That commitment guides my work as I continue advocating for policies that provide real, effective improvements to animal welfare in our Commonwealth while ensuring that our legal system remains fair, balanced, and evidence-based.”

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