State Representative John Kavanagh has received the Humane Legislator Award for 2022 from the Humane Society of the United States in recognition for his ongoing commitment to supporting animal protection legislation in Arizona.

It is the third time Kavanagh has been presented with the honor. He sponsored several bills in the current legislative session which support and advance the humane treatment of animals in Arizona. Two have been signed into law already.

*HB 2324 protects children from attending illegal animal fights. The bill received wide bipartisan support from legislators and was signed into law by the governor on April 14.

“Animal fighting is a viscous act,” said Representative Kavanagh. “It’s bad enough for adults to watch these fights, but it can be scarring to a child and could groom attitudes of a new generation to view such gruesome behavior as acceptable.”

*HB 2626 requires dogs and cats to be scanned for microchip identification and to make reasonable effort to contact the animal’s owner. The bill received strong bipartisan support from legislators and was signed into law by the governor on April 29.

“This law will help reunite dogs and cats with their owners,” Kavanagh said. “With this one small act to scan lost, stray, or deceased animals for a microchip, we can reduce the number of animals who would otherwise be sent to local shelters or anonymously cremated.”

*HB 2323 ends breed-restrictive insurance practices. The bill received strong bipartisan support from House legislators and currently awaits a final vote in the state senate.

“Pet owners who face the loss of insurance coverage, and possibly their home, because the breed is blacklisted, could cause owners to give up their dog for adoption,” said Kavanagh. “For older pets, that can mean a death sentence, since few are ever adopted into a new home. This is simply a cruel and unnecessary situation that could be avoided with this legislation.”