Much like Greater Greater Washington and the DC YIMBYs, the DC Voters for Animals sent out a questionnaire for ANC candidates. This one’s a bit more push-poll than candidate questionnaire, to be honest, but here’s what they asked and what I told them.
DC Voters for Animals recognizes community leaders who share our commitment to making the District a national leader in animal protection. Our mission is to lift up the policies and politicians doing the most for animals and our community.
(I’m omitting Section 1: Candidate Information here since it’s mostly just the usual name/email/etc, though I will take the opportunity to remind folks that these are not the only options….) 
Section 2: Animal Issues Facing DC
Humane Rat Solutions
DC Responsible Rat Management launched last year to reduce DC’s rat population while combatting the unintended effects of rodenticides on individuals. We promote a sanitation-first methodology to stop rats from eating our food waste that they rely on to thrive. Meanwhile, our current widespread use of poisons throughout the city are directly harming human and non-human residents:
Children: Over 5,000 children under 6 a year ingest rat poison. In DC, a medical professional reported a dozen cases in between May and December of 2025 alone.
Pets: A DC veterinarian shared with us that he sees a patient who has ingested rodenticide every shift on average. Rodenticides are consistently ranked on ASPCA’stop 10 reasons people call poison control.
Wildlife: A study from City Wildlife found that 85% of animals tested had rodenticide in their circulation, with 75% having more than one poison.
Because of the immense danger that chemical rodenticides pose, our motto is #PreventionNotPoison.
Question: Based on this, do you support a prevention-centered rat management approach to reduce reliance on practices such as glue traps and rodenticides that have consequences for ‘non-target’ victims—children, pets, and wildlife?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Question: Do you support the Rodent Education & Management Yields (REMY) Results Act to 1) upgrade commercial trash containers to be rodent proof, 2) restrict the use of rodenticides to licensed professionals, and 3) enhance public education on rat prevention?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Optional space to elaborate on ‘Humane Rat Management’:
I have not read the REMY Act bill (or the multiple other rodent abatement bills in Council), but I strongly support DC reducing the use of rodenticides and other chemicals (including insecticides) that often have dangerous effects on kids, pets, and other non-target creatures, and increasing the use of other means of control wherever feasible.
Green Food
DC Council passed a law in 2021 to reduce the carbon footprint of the food the city buys. Food systems are a major carbon polluter; plant-forward meals are recognized a high impact climate strategy. When we audited DC agencies, however, we found that none had hit their initial 2025 target and few had even started efforts to reduce their food-related carbon footprint.
Do you support DC agencies fully implementing the Green Food Purchasing Amendment Act?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Optional space to elaborate on ‘Green Food’:
I’m not familiar with this legislation, but in general I believe that DC agencies should implement and obey DC laws.
Ending Cruelty from Fur Sales
Foxes, mink, and other animals are still held in overcrowded cages to be used for the fur trade. Recognizing the role fur has played in human evolution and fashion history, the tide is turning as people become increasingly concerned about the harm done to animals. Disrupting fur sales would benefit animals with no risk to our economy--there are no DC stores that exclusively sell fur and only a handful that still sell fur products such as coats with trim. From an animals’ standpoint, being confined to a cage for one’s entire life is deeply harmful and known to cause mania and self-harm. They suffer deeply from painful processes when they are killed. Animals trapped in the wild can languish for days, leading them to die of thirst or blood loss in commercial trapping operations. Our position is that this treatment of animals is no longer warranted, and that DC can be a leader in humane treatment of animals--including from the fur trade.
Do you support DC passing a law to protect animals by prohibiting fur sales?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Optional space to elaborate on ‘Ending Cruelty from Fur Sales’
I am not a wearer of fur or an admirer of the fashion, but especially given the acknowledgement of how small of a market this is in DC—and, as far as I am aware, non-existent as an industry—I do not see this as a worthwhile use of an ANC’s time.
Housing Access with Emotional Support Animals
Emotional Support Animals (ESA) are animals that may ameliorate the symptoms of a person’s disability by their presence but are not trained to perform any work or tasks for a person with a disability. The federal government recently reversed guidance to allow individuals with disabilities to keep both service animals and ESAs. Previously, the Department of Housing and Urban Development required housing providers, including landlords and condominium/homeowner associations, to make exceptions to no-pet policies to allow assistant animals to live with their owners and, in pet-friendly communities, to waive pet fees for ESAs.
Do you support DC establishing frameworks, such as what Colorado has done, that recognizes Emotional Support Animals in housing?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Optional space to elaborate about ‘Housing Access with Emotional Support Animals’
I am not inclined to support forcing landlords and condos to waive no-pet rules. I have lived with cats and dogs, but I’ve also known people who were allergic or intolerant of one or both, and who would not be able to share a home with one.
.
Custody for Pets After Separation*
DC passed a law in 2022 to allow judges to consider an animal’s best interest in divorce cases, rather than seeing them as property that is owned. This does not yet apply to unmarried partners.
Would you support legislation, such as what Illinois has done, to give judges authority to assess the best interest of the pet’s care rather than exclusively referring to who paid for the animal?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
Optional space to elaborate on “Custody for Pets After Separation”
Section 3: Open Ended Questions
How would you act on this as a commissioner?
If elected, what specific ANC actions would you support on this issue?
Beyond the issues discussed, are there ways that animal interests show up in your life?
Is there anything you want DCVFA to know?
Outside of animals, what are the top three issues for your campaign (so we get to know about you)?
Citation
@online{swiderski2026,
author = {Swiderski, J. I.},
title = {DC {Voters} for {Animals} Questionnaire},
date = {2026-08-30},
url = {https://jski.net/posts/animals.html},
langid = {en}
}