Mayor’s Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission

What do rocker Tommy Lee, linebacker Jarret Johnson and martial arts fighter John Rallo have in common?

They’re all tough guys who love animals.

These famously “hard” men and their pets are the stars of Baltimore’s “Show Me Your Soft Side” campaign, a series of posters, billboards and print ads aimed at reducing the alarming incidence of animal abuse in the city.

With the creation of the Mayor's Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission- the
first of its kind in the country - the City of Baltimore has created a permanent platform to address the disturbing and far too common crime of animal cruelty. Read the achievements of the past year

ASPCA Presidential Service Awards

Caroline Griffin

In 2009, Phoenix, a female Pit Bull, was doused with gasoline and set on fire in West Baltimore. After hearing about this horrific incident, lawyer Caroline Griffin devoted her life to advocating for changes in Baltimore's policies and procedures to better protect animals and prosecute abusers. Caroline was appointed to chair a task force to examine the extent of animal abuse and neglect in the city and to improve the city’s response to the problem. In recognition of the effectiveness of Mayor's Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force under her leadership, the Baltimore City Council in October 2010 officially voted to make it a permanent standing Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission, the first of its kind in the country.

ASPCA Cat of the Year
Last January in Baltimore, two teenage boys trapped a young cat in a milk crate while she was nursing her kittens, doused her in lighter fluid and struck a match. The feline managed to escape from the crate, extinguish the fire and return to her newborns. Mittens, as she was named, was rescued by local police and animal control officers, and, along with her kittens, brought to the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), where she recovered from the loss of her ears and severe burns. Mittens’ inspiring story garnered extensive media coverage, and she became the unofficial face of the fight for animal protection laws in the state. Mittens now lives with Cindy Wright, while the primary perpetrator in her case pled guilty to felony animal cruelty. Read More