[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8233]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING AN AMERICAN ANIMAL-LOVING CHAMPION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, my family and I have always been pet lovers. 
In fact, we have always been owned by at least one cat and one dog. We 
support many animal rescue organizations. The current dog and cat we 
have are both rescue pets. However, we cannot hold a candle to a person 
whose life has been dedicated to saving animals.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great American, a 
woman with a passion for the humane treatment of animals, my friend, 
Gertrude Maxwell. Gertrude Maxwell is the founder, past president, and 
lifetime chairman of Save-A-Pet of Illinois, which she founded more 
than 35 years ago. Later, she founded and served as president of Save-
A-Pet of Florida. Then, 15 years ago, she started the National Save-a-
Pet Foundation, where she currently serves as director and chairman.
  Her Save-A-Pet organization exists for one reason--saving animals. It 
is a nonprofit group dedicated to saving abandoned, homeless, or lost 
pets, and is committed to shielding pets from the practice of animal 
euthanasia.
  Gertrude is a champion of abandoned and unwanted pets and, as a 
fellow animal lover, I am inspired by her pioneering work with Save-A-
Pet. When she discovered in 1972 that more than 90,000 pets were 
destroyed every month in the United States, she set about the work of 
shrinking and hopefully one day eliminating the number of pets 
euthanized in America.
  Throughout her lifetime of work on behalf of animals, Gertrude has 
established and maintained many animal sanctuaries and adoption 
centers. Thanks to her unwavering commitment to saving pets, her work 
has directly saved nearly 100,000 pets over the course of her decades-
long campaign on behalf of animals.
  After more than 35 years of advocacy for animals, she is still 
working for the humane treatment of animals. Her tireless efforts also 
find her lobbying for laws to aid animal welfare, and recently bore 
fruit when HB 219 the Gertrude Maxwell Save-A-Pet Act was signed into 
law in Florida last spring.
  This legislation creates what is known as a Direct Support 
Organization that will raise funds from individuals, corporations, and 
small businesses to provide grants to animal shelters in emergency 
situations. This organization will provide for spaying and neutering of 
abandoned cats and dogs, reduce the need for euthanasia of animals, and 
reduce animal cruelty.
  The Gertrude Maxwell Save-A-Pet Act was widely supported by Governor 
Charlie Crist and organizations like the Florida Veterinary Medical 
Association; the Florida Association of Kennel Clubs; the Florida 
Animal Control Association, and the National Rifle Association.
  Gertrude has received over 200 awards and honors for her dedication 
to defenseless and vulnerable animals in America. Today, I honor this 
outstanding woman for a lifetime of selfless service to her community 
and for her love for animals.

                          ____________________