DAPHNE, Ala. — “Just being animal lovers and folks who volunteer their time, it’s just not enough,” Daphne City Council President August Palumbo said.

It was a call to action Thursday to pressure legislators to pass bills combating animal cruelty, and speakers at the meeting hope Baldwin County residents can mobilize and organize in the coming year.

Speakers at the Fairhope Civic Center event included: Palumbo; Alabama State Director for the Humane Society of the United States Mindy Gilbert; Fairhope Mayor Tim Kant; Baldwin County’s Alabama State Legislature Rep. Steve McMillan; and Fairhope Police Department Assistant Chief Terry Sanders.

“Having that blaze of interest among advocates is great, but the fire needs to keep going,” Gilbert said, echoing Palumbo’s sentiments.

According to Gilbert, there are 11.5 million members in the Humane Society of the United States, and 14 state laws throughout the country in 2009 were passed protecting animal rights.

Gilbert—displaying a presentation of upcoming bills proposed for 2011 Alabama Legislative session—said one proposed measure would make punishment for cockfighting more severe. The fine is currently set at $50, which she said is soft.

“We don’t want to be known as the cockfighting state,” she said.

Also proposed are a felony dog fighting bill; a bill that would ban the use of gas chambers in animal shelters; and a bill to strengthen animal control officer requirements. In some counties, a high-school diploma is the only requirement to be an animal control officer.

Palumbo helped remove the gas chamber in the Daphne Animal Shelter in 2007, and he offered some advice to those interested in seeing these bills passed.

“Bombard the legislators,” he said. “You’re doing the right thing here by organizing.”

Sanders told the audience about how he had to put down the family pet, Casper, because he believed the cat was poisoned.

“I walked into the clinic Saturday morning,” Sanders said. “I cried like a baby.”

Sanders is pleased with the work being done to fight animal cruelty, and he said he “can’t understand why someone would want to abuse an animal.”

“Last night’s speakers were the equivalent of the Super Bowl champs of animal rights and legislation in our cities, our county and our state,” said Sonja Presley, executive director of the Baldwin County Humane Society.