Victoria King

Romeo with members of the Kentucky Animal Welfare Alliance.

On the first-ever national Humane Lobby Day, animal activists from across the country gathered in 20 state capitols and had an opportunity to discuss animal issues with their elected officials. What they all learned was that one voice truly can truly make a difference.

A loveable yellow Labrador retriever named Romeo stole the media spotlight at Humane Lobby Day in the eastern mountain region.

Fifty volunteers showed up at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort and drew plenty of media attention at a press conference that featured Romeo, a big, happy yellow Lab who survived abuse by his now-jailed owner. Horrified neighbors saw the repeated abuse and videotaped it, making for a strong prosecution.

Romeo is now the namesake for Romeo’s Law, which would upgrade torture of a dog or cat to a first-offense felony. His new adoptive owners traveled several hours over snowy roads to get to the Capitol.

“Everybody had big signs that said 'Romeo’s Friend,’ ” said Kentucky State Director Pam Rogers.

As television cameras rolled, four Kentucky lawmakers spoke about their humane-protection bills. The HSUS presented the Humane Legislator of 2007 Awards to Reps. Joni Jenkins and Melvin Henley for their efforts to promote the protection of Kentucky’s animals.

Humane Lobby Day was sponsored by both The HSUS and the Kentucky Animal Welfare Alliance. Kentucky volunteers also urged lawmakers to support a bill to expand state cruelty statutes, a bill that would require anyone who pleads guilty to animal cruelty to forfeit the animal, and a bill to require that animals be spayed or neutered before they are adopted from shelters.

Humane Lobby Day in Tennessee came just a week after deadly tornadoes hit the state, devastating several communities. Tennessee State Director Leighann McCollum and others were in the midst of recovery efforts, but McCollum and 18 volunteers braved the snow to come to the Capitol in Nashville.

One state senator wavered on his position of opposing legislation to ban cockfighting because one of the Humane Lobby Day volunteers had campaigned for him “and wasn’t shy about letting him know,” McCollum said.

“Several people were very worried and uncomfortable about meeting with their legislators but had big smiles afterwards,” McCollum reported. “ ‘It’s not as hard as I thought’ was the most-heard comment.”