Help shape how NAWN serves animals and their people.
This is the public home for NAWN's registry framework, founding petition, safeguards, and policy questions. Read the reasoning, add your voice, and see how public input guides the founding period.
NAWN is a private organization. Petition signatures and votes are public input for NAWN's own work, not a government filing, legal authority, or change to ownership rights.
Founding input
Open
Petition and voting routes
Legal boundary
Clear
Public input, not government action
Source trail
Visible
Reasoning and limitations together
National Animal & Service Animal
Registration: Public Vote & Founding Petition
Help decide how the first national registry should work. Your voice shapes the rules.
NAWN is open now. Current registry, recovery, search, care, education, community, and memorial tools are available today. Pet owners, handlers, advocates, veterinarians, and the public can help shape registry policy and design while using the live platform. Votes and signatures inform NAWN's recommendations, but they are not a government ballot or a binding ownership decision.
Our origin
NAWN began with service-animal registration and grew into a network for registry records, recovery, rescue, foster, wildlife, education, care, and community. The public founding period gives people a clear way to shape how those services are organized.
Founding petition
Sign the founding petition
Show lawmakers, veterinarians, and communities that the public wants a unified, ethical registry. Every signature guides NAWN's policy path forward.
Our petition
We, the undersigned, support the creation of a unified, ethical national animal and service animal registry through the National Animal Welfare Network.
We believe in:
- ADA-aligned standards that protect access rights for service animal handlers without requiring papers at the door.
- Clear, honest labeling of animal categories — service, support, therapy, and companion — using plain language that matches the law.
- Fraud reduction without discrimination — reducing misuse while never putting people with disabilities at risk.
- Better safety and reunification for all animals through a voluntary national platform connected to shelters, vets, and local licensing.
- Transparent development guided by public voting, expert review, and an independent advisory board.
- Collaboration with local governments, trainers, veterinarians, and lawmakers to build something that lasts.
By signing, we ask NAWN to pursue this registry with integrity, transparency, and the public good at its center.
Add your signature
This is a public sentiment petition, not a legal filing. Your email is never displayed publicly.
People who signed publicly
Be the first to add your voice publicly. Check the consent box when you sign to appear here.
Why this does not exist yet
Why the U.S. Has No National Animal or Service Animal Registry
Understanding the landscape helps us build something better. Here is why a national registry has never existed — and what needs to change.
Fragmented Authority
Animal registration is handled by thousands of cities, counties, and states — not one federal agency. There is no single system, no single standard, and no single database.
ADA Protects Access, Not Registration
The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures service animal access but does not create or require a federal registry. The DOJ has confirmed no federal service animal database exists.
Overlapping Laws
The ADA, Fair Housing Act, and Air Carrier Access Act each define service and assistance animals differently. These overlapping — and sometimes conflicting — laws create confusion for handlers, businesses, and the public.
Fraud and Discrimination Concerns
Policymakers worry a registry could be used to deny access to legitimate handlers or expose people with disabilities to discrimination. At the same time, fraudulent service animal claims undermine public trust.
Private Registries Only
Every existing animal and service animal registry in the U.S. is private and voluntary. None carry legal authority, and none are connected to government systems or national databases.
No Unified Agency
No single federal agency is responsible for animal registration. USDA handles some livestock, CDC handles imports, and local governments handle everything else. NAWN aims to fill this gap with a voluntary, ethical alternative.
Our legal & ethical approach
How NAWN Builds a Responsible Registry
NAWN is a voluntary, for-profit animal asset registry and care network. It builds trust through transparent records, owner-controlled sharing, public input, attributed sources, and ethical design. NAWN does not claim government authority or replace legal rights.
Voluntary Animal Asset Registry
NAWN is a voluntary, for-profit registry for animal ownership records. No one is required to register, NAWN is not a government registry, and registration never replaces legal rights under the ADA or any other law.
ADA Safeguards
NAWN does not support denying access based on registry status. The platform supports handlers without creating a requirement for registry papers at a door or workplace.
Clear Animal Categories
NAWN distinguishes service animals, emotional support animals, therapy animals, and companion animals with plain language that helps people understand the difference without changing the law.
Owner-Controlled Sharing
Owners and handlers choose what registry information to share, with whom, and for what purpose. Public-source search stays limited to public posts and links back to the original source.
Attributed Expert Sources
NAWN reviews official agency pages and research sources for public guidance, including USDA AWIC and The Open Sanctuary Project where relevant. Attribution does not mean partnership or endorsement, and guidance does not replace veterinary, legal, or regulatory advice.
Public Input, No Government Mandate
Votes and petitions help shape NAWN policies and registry design during the founding period. They are public input, not a government ballot or a binding ownership decision.
Trust and accountability
Transparency & Safeguards
NAWN is built on public trust. Here is how we earn it — with clear promises you can hold us to.
ADA Rights Protected
NAWN will never endorse denial of access based on registry status. Registration is a tool for safety and reunification — never a requirement for service animal access.
Independent Advisory Board
An independent board of veterinarians, disability advocates, trainers, legal experts, and animal welfare professionals reviews registry policies and votes.
Public Voting Results Published
All voting outcomes are published openly. You will see exactly what the public decided and how NAWN is responding.
Accessibility First
This platform meets accessibility standards. Voting, petitions, and all public materials are designed to be usable by everyone.
Data Protection
Your petition signature, vote, and any personal data are protected. We do not sell or share data with third parties. Consent controls are built into every form.
Clear Categories
NAWN uses plain, accurate language to distinguish between service animals, support animals, therapy animals, and companion animals — so the public always knows what each designation means.
A note about this public input system
The petition and voting tools on this page gather public sentiment to guide NAWN's policy recommendations. They are not a binding ballot or a government process. Results are published openly, and your email is used only to prevent duplicate submissions and share updates if you consent.
Public vote — live
Vote on Registry Rules
Your input directly shapes how the first national animal registry is built. Answer as many questions as you like. Every vote is counted and published openly.
How should service animal training be verified in a national registry?
There is no federal requirement for service animal certification today. A registry could help reduce fraud while protecting handler privacy. How should training be confirmed?
How should emotional support and therapy animals be categorized?
ESAs and therapy animals have different legal roles than service animals. Confusing these categories causes real problems for handlers and the public. The registry needs clear, plain-language distinctions.
What should be visible to the public in the registry?
Animal reunification works best when some data is searchable. But privacy and safety matter too. What level of public visibility feels right?
Should the registry connect with local city and county licensing?
Most U.S. animal licensing is local. A national registry could reduce duplicate fees and paperwork, but only with local partnership. How should NAWN approach this?
How should data privacy and consent work?
Registry data includes personal details. Handlers, especially those with disabilities, need strong protections against misuse.
Which fields should be required when registering a service animal?
Too many required fields create barriers. Too few make the registry less useful for safety and reunification. What should be required vs. optional?
Live Voting Results
12 total votes · updated after each voteHow should service animal training be verified in a national registry?
ServiceHow should emotional support and therapy animals be categorized?
CompanionWhat should be visible to the public in the registry?
PrivacyShould the registry connect with local city and county licensing?
Gov. IntegrationHow should data privacy and consent work?
PrivacyWhich fields should be required when registering a service animal?
ServiceResults are tallied from all public votes. This is a community input process to guide NAWN's policy recommendations, not a binding government ballot.