Petition calls for "Reform the Saipan Shelter System"

Maggy Moussalem started this online petition and shared the following message:

Today we stand together not just as individuals, but as a community that believes compassion matters. Our island animals deserve humane treatment and proper care. Yet too often, these animals are left to suffer in silence— neglected, overlooked, and without adequate care.

After witnessing this suffering firsthand, I am compelled to speak up. In one heartbreaking case, a video circulated on Sunday, March 8th, showing a kitten confined in a rusted cage, crying out with no access to food or water. When I went to the shelter the following day to help, the outcome was devastating. By the time I arrived, the kitten was found dead inside the rusted cage, soaking wet, and in a tragic state. No animal should endure such suffering in a place meant to provide safety and care.

Despite multiple discussions to discontinue this practice, the kennels continue to be hosed down while dogs are still confined inside. Puppies have been left drenched, forcing them to remain soaked for prolonged periods. This not only causes severe discomfort but can also lead to hypothermia, illness, and a significant decline in their quality of life. These conditions lead to unnecessary suffering and in heartbreaking cases, it often results in death.

For several years, community organizations and dedicated volunteers have raised concerns about operational challenges at the shelter (inconsistent or absent feeding and watering, inconsistent or detrimental sanitation, and prolonged suffering). Despite countless attempts made by community members to provide support, resources, and assistance, these concerns persist.  Repeated neglect and the ongoing failure to provide even the most basic standards of care continue to impact the well-being of the animals entrusted to the shelter.

In 2020, the CNMI took an important step forward by enacting Public Law No. 21-31, which made animal cruelty, and pet theft, illegal for the first time in our history. 

Public Law No. 21-31  

“To prohibit cruelty and theft of animals; to provide penalties for such acts; and for other purposes."

The conditions being reported at the Saipan shelter raise serious concerns and demonstrates that the law is not being upheld.

These experiences are not shared to assign blame, but to highlight the urgent need for meaningful change. The animals of Saipan deserve humane treatment, proper care, and systems that ensure their well-being is protected.

We are asking our leaders, our public officials, and our community to work collectively to improve the shelter system, strengthen animal welfare policies, and ensure humane care.

The well-being of our animals is inseparable from the health, compassion, and integrity of the CNMI.

View the online petition at https://c.org/tSp5WQ6txN