Uncategorized /
Farm Bill is a Boon to Animal Protection
It was a hectic week in Congress leading up to the Memorial Day recess. The House voted 316 to 108 and the Senate voted 82 to 13 this week to override President Bush’s veto of the massive Farm Bill. The bill was not without its controversy, and there was even an inadvertent error in omitting 34 pages of the bill, which the Congress will have to remedy after the break ends.
Elections /
Oregon Animal Advocates Come Through
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama split primary wins in Kentucky and Oregon last night, but their contest was not the only one with national implications. Democratic voters in those two states also chose their party’s candidates for U.S. Senate, setting the stage for competitive races against Republican incumbents this November.
Uncategorized /
Get Downers Out
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will close a gaping loophole in its regulation on processing sick and crippled cows for human consumption.
Uncategorized /
Conservation Legislation: From Cats to Cranes
Like a tiger stalking its prey through the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, good legislation can quietly sneak up on you.
Uncategorized /
Polar Bears Listed as Threatened, but Still on Thin Ice
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced yesterday that the polar bear would be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, ending months of speculation over the fate of this proposed listing.
Talk Back /
Talk Back: Questions and Comments
Today I’d like to post a few comments that have come into the blog, and answer a couple questions as well.
In response to the problem of crippled cows at livestock auctions:
Uncategorized /
NRA is the Poacher's Best Friend
When the NRA walks the halls of the U.S. Congress these days, it may stand for “No Rational Argument.”
Uncategorized /
Crippled Cows Need Protection at Every Step of their Journey
The Humane Society of the United States yesterday released the next wave of its groundbreaking investigation into rampant mistreatment of sick and crippled cows. Last time, the downed animals were tormented and processed at a California slaughter plant for the National School Lunch Program.
Uncategorized /
Hunting Industry Group Sets its Sights on Pets
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance takes aim at animals when they’re most vulnerable. Polar bears in the Arctic, as their ice floes are vanishing, body weights are declining, and populations are dwindling. Mourning doves in states where they’ve been protected for decades as backyard songbirds, still nursing their young during September target practice. Endangered antelope stocked in fenced pens for captive trophy hunts, where they have neither the opportunity nor the inclination to escape.
Uncategorized /
Play Misty for Me
The nationally syndicated comic strip MUTTS is read in more than 700 newspapers, and fans know that artist Patrick McDonnell turns his attention not only to humor, but also to the cruelties and challenges that face animals. He regularly features the stories of animals in shelters, and his new hardcover book, “Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.,” celebrates these pets and the people who’ve rescued them.
Ballot Measures /
A Perfect Storm for Farm Animals
It’s been an exciting week for farm animal protection in America. On Sunday, more than one thousand animal advocates in 43 states gathered at our Party Animals events around the country to rally for laws to protect animals from the worst abuses of industrial factory farming.
Uncategorized /
State Lawmakers Horsing Around
When legislators want to duck an issue, they often say it’s outside their jurisdiction. Federal lawmakers tell you to deal with the states, and their state counterparts tell you to deal with the feds.
