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Aloha' Should Mean 'Goodbye' to Cockfighting
As the 2008 Summer Olympics approach in Beijing, it’s hard to imagine that cockfighting will ever be up there with gymnastics and swimming. But one state lawmaker is imploring the United Nations to “officially commemorate cockfighting as a global sport.” Hawaii Rep.
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Trumped Up Charges—And a Feckless Act
Generally speaking, state governors are making great strides in 2008. Idaho Governor Butch Otter and Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal made their states the 49th and 50th with felony penalties for dogfighting.
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Humane Scorecard is a Powerful Tool
After the Humane Society Legislative Fund published its new Humane Scorecard a couple weeks ago, bloggers ranging from the Baltimore Sun’s Mutts to Dogster’s For the Love of Dog Blog have commented on this resource that rates members of Congress on animal
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Help Your Favorite Animal Shelter Win a Million-Dollar Makeover
I visited Buffalo, N.Y., last August for my niece’s first birthday party, and during the outdoor festivities (yes, you can go outside in Buffalo during the summer) I found a baby squirrel who was stranded on the sidewalk and had fallen from a tree. He was chirping, a sign of hunger, but was unable to climb on his own. After I put him back in the tree to wait for his mom to come feed him, it became obvious that there were no adult squirrels in the vicinity.
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Save the Date to Party with a Purpose on April 27
One of our principles at the Humane Society Legislative Fund is community engagement. We know we can’t accomplish legislative or electoral reforms just by having a professional staff in Washington, D.C.—we need the active participation of thousands of people who care about animals all over the country. That’s why we created our Party Animals program, and I hope you will join me as we party to support farm animal welfare on April 27!
Elections /
Kucinich Staves Off Primary Challenge
Senator Hillary Clinton won Ohio and Texas last night, guaranteeing that the Democratic contest between her and Senator Barack Obama will remain unsettled for some time, at least until the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. But two other outcomes from last night have settled issues of great importance to animal advocates.
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Time to Ban Dangerous Poisons
The USDA’s misnamed “Wildlife Services” agency killed 1.6 million animals in 2006—including 41 kit foxes, 287 wolves, 346 mountain lions, more than 2,500 bobcats, and more than 87,000 coyotes. It’s a fleecing of American taxpayers as the federal government continues to spend millions of dollars each year on this subsidy to private ranchers, and it’s especially at odds with the political climate of cutting government waste.
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How Did Members of Congress Score on Animal Protection in 2007?
The Humane Society Legislative Fund today posted its 2007 Humane Scorecard, and you can read it here. The scorecard, which is published annually, provides the records of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives on major animal welfare policies. This most recent report card covers the first session of the 110th Congress.
Elections /
Yes We Can—Stop Puppy Mills
A new book scheduled for release this summer—“A Rare Breed of Love” by my good friend Jana Kohl—will change the face of the puppy mill debate in this country. It’s the touching story of Baby, a poodle who survived a grueling decade in a northern California puppy mill factory, trapped in a tiny cage, churning out litter after litter for commercial sale.
Elections /
Hunting for Votes
Gail Collins had her trenchant wit on full display in a weekend op-ed column, “A Bad Year to Be a Mallard,” in the New York Times.
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Power to the People
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the investigation into the torture of crippled cows and the largest recall of beef in U.S. history, it’s that the agribusiness industry can’t be trusted to regulate itself. Left to its own devices without proper government inspections and enforcement of laws and regulations related to animals and the environment, some in the sector will not exhibit self-restraint, but instead will stoop to any low just to squeeze out a few extra pennies of profit.
