Target: Stephen Baratta, District Attorney of Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Goal: Seek maximum lawful penalties for anyone who abandons or neglects companion animals, while coordinating with local agencies to support humane, affordable spay/neuter and vet care that prevent suffering.
The recent reopening of a low-cost community veterinary clinic underscores a mounting crisis: shelters report being at or near capacity, and rescues increasingly describe pets surrendered or abandoned as families struggle with expenses. When animals are left behind or denied basic care, they can arrive underweight, ill, and frightened—avoidable harms that flow from neglectful choices and inadequate access to prevention.
Responsible pet ownership includes food, shelter, medical care, and sterilization. Yet shelters are seeing steady intakes and strained space, a situation that too often coincides with cases of abandonment and failure to provide veterinary care. These animals do not choose their fate; they endure the consequences. Prevention through affordable spay/neuter and wellness is vital, but so is accountability for those who walk away from their obligations.
To protect animals and the community, strong enforcement must pair with practical prevention. This petition calls on the District Attorney to prioritize animal-cruelty and abandonment cases; seek meaningful sentences, restitution, and ownership bans where warranted; and formally coordinate with local shelters and veterinarians to reinforce humane, lawful care. Justice and prevention should move together so fewer animals suffer and fewer end up in already-crowded kennels.
PETITION LETTER:
District Attorney Baratta,
Reports of overcrowded shelters and mounting surrenders highlight a preventable crisis for companion animals. When dogs and cats are abandoned, left without food or medical care, or otherwise neglected, they can arrive at shelters underweight, ill, and traumatized. These outcomes are not inevitable—they are the result of choices that the law is meant to deter.
We respectfully urge your office to make animal protection a visible priority. Please pursue the strongest appropriate charges and sentences in cases of abandonment and neglect; seek restitution for veterinary costs and care; and request prohibitions on future animal ownership for convicted offenders. Clear, consistent prosecution sends a necessary message that this cruelty will not be tolerated.
At the same time, we ask you to publicly support and coordinate with local shelters and veterinarians offering affordable spay/neuter and wellness services. Transparent collaboration—such as referral protocols, data sharing on case outcomes, and community education—can reduce both cruelty and intake pressure. Together, accountability and prevention can spare animals needless suffering and help keep families intact with the resources they need.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Mia X
