Uncategorized /
Investing in Enforcement
Whether an animal welfare law will be effective often turns on whether it gets adequately funded. And seeking that funding is vital, especially when there are strong competing budget pressures as there are now. Our fortunes are intertwined with those of animals, and proper enforcement not only helps these creatures but also helps to improve food safety, public health, disaster preparedness, and other social concerns.
Elections /
A True Champion for Animals
California Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) announced today that he was withdrawing his name from the lieutenant governor’s race, and he threw his support behind other Democratic hopefuls.
Uncategorized /
Stimulating Markets for Farm Animal Welfare
Seven states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, and Oregon—have passed laws to phase out some of the most extreme types of confinement on industrial factory farms, where animals are basically immobilized in small crates and cages for their entire lives. The largest pork and veal producers in the country have pledged to phase out crates and move toward group housing of calves and breeding pigs.
Uncategorized /
A Pathway to End Animal Testing
Many animal welfare problems can be solved through innovation. It was the invention of the combustible engine and the automobile which made the horse-drawn carriage obsolete. It has been the development of warm and elegant faux fur fabrics that has given consumers and designers alternatives to animal fur in the marketplace. Immunocontraceptive vaccines can be used to manage wild populations of horses and elephants, obviating the need for round-ups and culling.
Uncategorized /
In Honor of the 16th Annual Spay Day
Tomorrow marks the 16th annual Spay Day, and all throughout February humane organizations, veterinarians and animal advocates are holding events to promote spaying and neutering of dogs and cats.
Uncategorized /
From Fighters to Friends
HSLF and HSUS have been focused on upgrading the penalties for staged animal combat, and in the last couple years we have helped pass 29 new laws to crack down on illegal animal fighting. But deterring bad behavior through law enforcement actions is just one piece of the puzzle. We also need to reach out to young men who are at risk for getting involved in animal fighting, and help to show them a better way before they head down this dead-end path.
Uncategorized /
Off to a Strong Start in 2010
It was a record breaking year in 2009 for animal protection lawmaking at the state level, with 121 new laws enacted for animals. And we’re already off to a strong start in 2010, with important policy reforms charging forward in key states.
Uncategorized /
Missouri Heads Down the Wrong Path
The Missouri House Agriculture Policy Committee this morning held a hearing on two bills, HJR 86 and HB 1825, both of which would create an individual right for Missouri citizens to be free from any state law or regulation that imposes an “undue economic burden” on any type of animal husbandry. The legislation appears to be an overreach
Uncategorized /
Taking a Bite Out of Fur
A legislative committee in Israel this weekend advanced a bill that would ban the import and export of all furs, except for those used for religious purposes. The panel previously approved a ban on the sale of dog and cat fur, and Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon is hoping to expand the law to include fur from any animal. The religious exemption would largely be used by the ultra-Orthodox community to manufacture shtreimels, a traditional fur hat.
Ballot Measures /
Making Mountains Out of Mole Traps
The events that take place inside a state capitol building can have a major impact on animal welfare policy. But sometimes the events taking place outside the legislative chamber on capitol grounds can have an even more immediate and direct impact on animals themselves.
Talk Back /
Talk Back: Greyhounds, Puppies and Acts of Kindness
Today I’d like to post a selection of comments that have come into the blog. I recently wrote about the declining dog racing industry and the work of GREY2K USA, a greyhound protection organization which has helped to shape the debate on dog racing in the past decade:
Uncategorized /
Acts of Kindness
All eyes have been on Haiti in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that has killed at least 150,000 people in the western hemisphere’s poorest nation. As we saw during Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, the tragedy for people is coupled with a tragedy for animals—our fortunes are intertwined as animals are part of our daily lives in so many ways.
