Mass Voters for Animals Endorses State Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives

Mass Voters for Animals endorses State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives for the First Essex Senate seat. Senator O’Connor-Ives was elected to this seat in 2012.

As Senate chair of the Tourism Committee, Senator O’Connor-Ives fought for the bill to ban the use of the cruel bullhook on traveling elephants. The bill would have prohibited the use of the bullhook or any implement that would result in physical harm to an elephant in a traveling show. In addition, the bill would have prevented the use of constant restrains such as chains.

Senator O’Connor-Ives also co-sponsored an amendment to the state’s budget that will allow more funds for spaying and neutering in the new Homeless Animal Prevention and Care Fund. The result will be fewer homeless animals in Massachusetts. Just last week, she signed onto a letter urging the passage of a bill to improve our animal cruelty laws in the wake of the “Puppy Doe” case.

Senator O’Connor-Ives lives with “Mo” a Chihuahua she and her husband, Jeff, adopted.

The First Essex Senate district consists of the cities of Haverhill and Newburyport and the towns of Amesbury, Merrimac, Methuen, North Andover, precincts 1 to 4, inclusive, and Salisbury in the county of Essex.