Save Raw Milk for Pets in NC!
- Amy Phinney
- May 2
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
UPDATE 5/15/25: Your calls/emails/petition are working! Seante bill 639 was pulled from the calendar today and did not get voted on (yet)! This shows some hope that our voices are starting to be heard. But, the bill did not die, and we need to keep the pressure on! The bill is being sent backwards to the Senate Rules Committee. Please focus pressure on our Senators, especially Leadership and Rules Committee.
Share your stories, testimonials, and pet pictures! Ask them to stop the ban on raw milk for pets. Ask them to not let NC become the only state where these pet products are illegal.
And keep sharing the petition too: https://chng.it/hMn9y7Mhz4
Leadership:
President Pro Tempore: Phil Berger 919-733-5708 Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov
Deputy President Pro Tempore: Ralph Hise 919-733-3460 Ralph.Hise@ncleg.gov
Majority Leader: Michael V. Lee 919-715-2525 Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov
Majority Whip: Amy S. Galey 919-301-1446 Amy.Galey@ncleg.gov
Majority Whip: Todd Johnson 919-733-7659 Todd.Johnson@ncleg.gov
Republican Joint Caucus Leader: Carl Ford 919-733-5665 Carl.Ford@ncleg.gov
Democratic Leader: Sydney Batch 919-733-5653 Sydney.Batch@ncleg.gov
Democratic Whip: Jay J. Chaudhuri 919-715-6400 Jay.Chaudhuri@ncleg.gov
Democratic Caucus Secretary: Julie Mayfield 919-715-3001 Julie.Mayfield@ncleg.gov
Rules Committee:
Chair: Bill Rabon 919-733-5963 Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov
Vice Chair: Warren Daniel 919- Warren.Daniel@ncleg.gov
Members:
Gale Adcock 919-715-3036 Gale.Adcock@ncleg.gov
Dan Blue 919-733-5752 Dan.Blue@ncleg.gov
Danny Earl Britt, Jr. 919-733-5651 Danny.Britt@ncleg.gov
Jay J. Chaudhuri 919-715-6400 Jay.Chaudhuri@ncleg.gov
Carl Ford 919-733-5665 Carl.Ford@ncleg.gov
Amy S. Galey 919-301-1446 Amy.Galey@ncleg.gov
Michael Garrett 919-733-5856 Michael.Garrett@ncleg.gov
Ralph Hise 919-733-3460 Ralph.Hise@ncleg.gov
Brent Jackson 919-733-5705 Brent.Jackson@ncleg.gov
Todd Johnson 919-733-7659 Todd.Johnson@ncleg.gov
Michael A. Lazzara 919-715-3034 Michael.Lazzara@ncleg.gov
Michael V. Lee 919-715-2525 Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov
Paul A. Lowe, Jr. 919-733-5620 Paul.Lowe@ncleg.gov
Julie Mayfield 919-715-3001 Julie.Mayfield@ncleg.gov
Tom McInnis 919-733-5953 Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov
DeAndrea Salvador 919-733-5655 DeAndrea.Salvador@ncleg.gov
Norman W. Sanderson 919-733-5706 Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.gov
Benton G. Sawrey 919-715-3040 Benton.Sawrey@ncleg.gov
Vickie Sawyer 919-715-3038 Vickie.Sawyer@ncleg.gov
Joyce Waddell 919-733-5650 Joyce.Waddell@ncleg.gov
Scroll down to the original post to see how you can win 1 YEAR of milk for your pet!!
UPDATE 5/14/25: The bill is going to the Senate floor for a vote TOMMORROW, 5/15, at 10:30 am.
Call all senators! Call Senate President, Phil Berger: 919-733-5708
Show up if you can!
Senate Chamber
North Carolina Legislative Building
16 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Visitor info, including parking: Visitor Info - North Carolina General Assembly
UPDATE 5/9/25:
Please call and email your representatives both in the Senate and the House ASAP!
Share your stories and testimonials. Ask them to stop the ban on raw milk for pets.
Senate Bill 639 will go for a vote in the Senate sometime next week- probably 5/13 or 14. If the bill passes the Senate, it moves on to the House, so please contact both of your representatives.
Please also sign and share the petition ASAP: https://chng.it/qFggK5q8Wj
And join us for more updates and resources in the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1T8DA7oCsR/
Members of the NC State Senate:
Contact as many as you can.
Find your Representatives here: https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators
Gale Adcock | 715-3036 | 16 | |
W. Ted Alexander | 715-0690 | 44 | |
Val Applewhite | 733-5776 | 19 | |
Lisa S. Barnes | 715-3030 | 11 | |
Sydney Batch | 733-5653 | 17 | |
Phil Berger | 733-5708 | 26 | |
Dan Blue | 733-5752 | 14 | |
Woodson Bradley | 715-8331 | 42 | |
Bob Brinson | 733-5621 | 3 | |
Danny Earl Britt, Jr. | 733-5651 | 24 | |
Jim Burgin | 733-5748 | 12 | |
Jay J. Chaudhuri | 715-6400 | 15 | |
Sophia Chitlik | 733-4809 | 22 | |
Kevin Corbin | 733-5875 | 50 | |
David W. Craven, Jr. | 733-5870 | 29 | |
Warren Daniel | 715-7823 | 46 | |
Terence Everitt | 733-5850 | 18 | |
Carl Ford | 733-5665 | 33 | |
Amy S. Galey | 301-1446 | 25 | |
Michael Garrett | 733-5856 | 27 | |
Lisa Grafstein | 733-9349 | 13 | |
Bobby Hanig | 715-8293 | 1 | |
Ralph Hise | 733-3460 | 47 | |
Mark Hollo | 733-5876 | 45 | |
Brent Jackson | 733-5705 | 9 | |
Steve Jarvis | 733-5743 | 30 | |
Todd Johnson | 733-7659 | 35 | |
Dana Jones | 733-7850 | 31 | |
Michael A. Lazzara | 715-3034 | 6 | |
Michael V. Lee | 715-2525 | 7 | |
Paul A. Lowe, Jr. | 733-5620 | 32 | |
Julie Mayfield | 715-3001 | 49 | |
Tom McInnis | 733-5953 | 21 | |
Chris Measmer | 733-7223 | 34 | |
Graig Meyer | 733-5804 | 23 | |
Timothy D. Moffitt | 733-5745 | 48 | |
Mujtaba A. Mohammed | 733-5955 | 38 | |
Natalie S. Murdock | 733-4599 | 20 | |
Buck Newton | 733-5878 | 4 | |
Brad Overcash | 733-5734 | 43 | |
Bill Rabon | 733-5963 | 8 | |
Gladys A. Robinson | 715-3042 | 28 | |
DeAndrea Salvador | 733-5655 | 39 | |
Norman W. Sanderson | 733-5706 | 2 | |
Benton G. Sawrey | 715-3040 | 10 | |
Vickie Sawyer | 715-3038 | 37 | |
Eddie D. Settle | 733-5742 | 36 | |
Kandie D. Smith | 715-8363 | 5 | |
Caleb Theodros | 715-3050 | 41 | |
Joyce Waddell | 733-5650 | 40 |
In the event that the bill passes the Senate, it will move to the House committee: Agriculture and Environment. We are setting meetings with as many members of this committee as will speak with us. Please contact all of the members of this committee as well.
Members of the House committee: Agriculture and Environment
UPDATE 5/8/25: Senate Bill 639 has made it out of committee with the new language banning raw milk for pets. It now goes to the Senate for a vote sometime next week- we don't currently have a date- most likely Wednesday. Please contact your senators as soon as possible!
We have created a FB group to come together as a community for discussion and updates from others that may have more information than us. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1T8DA7oCsR/
We have also created a petition- PLEASE SIGN ASAP!
UPDATE 5/6/25: Urgent Action Needed!
Senate Bill 639 was changed in committee today. Under the new language of the bill, if passed, it would become ILLEGAL to sell raw milk for PETS in NC. The raw milk for pets that Unleashed, the Dog & Cat Store sells both from a local farm, and from many national pet food companies that sell their raw milk to pet stores across the nation, would be banned here in NC. PLEASE contact your legislators TODAY and ask them not to make raw milk for pets illegal in North Carolina.
UPDATE: This bill goes to the Finance committee on Wednesday, 5/7, so we need IMMEDIATE ACTION!
Email your legislators in the Senate and the House- if this passes the Senate, it will go to the House soon. If you prefer, here is a form with some pre-filled info that you can just enter your info into for a quick and easy way to email them. This form is not just about raw milk for pets, so you would want to add that in the message. Originally the bill was not about pets, that was added 5/6, so please mention your pets in the message.
To thank you for speaking up for the pets of NC, we will randomly select one pet to receive 1 YEAR of Pet Milk, if we can. See below:
š¾Raise your paw if your pet has ever been helped by raw milk or kefir for pets?Ā Has raw milk helped your pet with digestive issues, hydration, boosting key nutrients or something else?Ā Or does your pet love it as a treat? Or maybe your pet hasn't tried it yet, but you would like to be able to someday...Ā
Share with us and be entered to win a ONE YEAR SUPPLY OF RAW MILK FOR PETS!Ā Ā
š® Share your testimonials!Ā Ā
š Share pictures of the pets that raw milk has benefitted!Ā
ā Share a screenshot or just let us know that you contacted your legislator- even if your pet hasn't tried raw milk yet!
š¶š± One entry for each picture and each testimonial shared, plus each legislator contacted!Ā
Share in the comments on this blog, on Facebook, and/or on Instagram!
We will randomly select one lucky pet to win a year supply of raw pet milk, IF we still canā¦
Why IF?Ā It has come to our attention that there has been an amendment to a Farm bill in the NC Senate that will eliminate our ability to sell raw milk for pets: Senate Bill 639.Ā
If you believe raw milk should remain available for pets and improve the lives of those animals that benefit from it, please share your stories and contact your legislators and let them know.Ā Ā Ā
Ā
Find your Legislator here: https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators
If you live near one of our stores, here are a few quick links for you:
Unleashed Lake Boone, Stonehenge, and Crabtree Valley Mall (District 16):Ā
Unleashed at Cary (District 13):
Unleashed Durham- Parkway Plaza and Downtown (District 22):Ā
Ā Unleashed Streets at Southpoint (District 20):
Unleashed Wilmington (District 7):
Senator Lee is a sponsor of this bill.
Unleashed Front St & Unleashed Southport (District 8):
Tag the pet food companies whose raw milk has helped your pet:
Primal Pet Foods
The Bones and Co
Steveās Real Food
Solutions Pet Products
Answers Pet
Brown Family Farm
OC Raw
Contest extended until 5/8.
Instagram handles:
Facebook handles:
Bones and Comp raw goats milk has helped our shih tzu with his stomach issues. Please stop this inhumane raw milk ban for pets.
I would like to share my testimony-
I have a 25lb Porgi (Pug/Corgi) who has a sensitive stomach, as well as a tendency to eat bugs, food, and whatever else he can find outside when we're on walks. I have used goat's milk on and off for the last five years or so, and it has not only helped to stabilize his gut and flush out all the random things he eats, but has also improved his skin and coat, and overall given him more energy. Even at almost 9 years old he still acts like a puppy. I credit goat's milk for this.
In addition, I have seen goat's milk fasts completely reset a dog's digestion, when nothing elseā¦
I am the proud den other of 3 pitties, and gosh are they a CHALLENGE at times, lol! We battle allergens and high caloric consumption. One of my boys, Chaos, is allergic to environmental allergens and itches sores on his bottom without the addition of goats milk to his diet. My other male, Bruce, struggles to gain weight. When I add raw animal milk to his kibble it pumps up his caloric intake and decreases the battle that must be fought for him to gain weight! Please let legislature know that our local pets not only deserve to keep raw milk as a treat for our animals, but as a health necessity for many!!!
Not entering the contest, but I would like to share my testimonial.
I purchase raw goat's milk for my pets. It helped my cat tremendously after radioactive iodine therapy, which cured her hyperthyroidism. She battled hyperthyroidism for months, and it caused her to be extremely itchy, lose hair, and made her unable to gain weight. After treatment, a known side effect is loss of appetite. During her recovery, I had to give her goat's milk to supply her organs and the rest of her body with the nutrients she needed. It helped her gain weight, helped her hair grow back, and subsided her itching. It is a true superfood, great for a variety of issues in pets, and is justā¦
This is absolutely heart breaking! Adding raw goat milk to my young, and very active, standard poodle's diet has been the only thing that has helped to put, and keep any weight on him! I don't know what we would do without it!