Ballot Measures /
The Golden State's Golden Opportunity
Last week, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen certified the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act for November’s general election, setting the stage for this year’s biggest ballot box battle on animal protection. Thanks to 4,000 California volunteers who gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures, voters in the Golden State will have the opportunity to stop cruel and inhumane treatment of animals on industrial factory farms.
Talk Back /
You Asked
Today I’d like to respond to some questions and comments that readers have sent me.
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In response to Oprah’s show on puppy mills:
Just watched the program on Oprah about puppy mills and I was horrified. How can this be allowed to go on? I thought that there were laws against cruelty to animals. —Denise R.
Uncategorized /
Protection Orders Help All Family Members
Last week on Long Island, the law stood up for a duck named Circles. As far as I know, it was a first time that waterfowl rated such attention at the courthouse.
We can be delighted for the duck. And we can be thankful for our own sake. Increasingly, our society recognizes that cruelty extracts a terrible toll not just on the likes of Circles and other creatures, but on us humans too.
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Lawmakers Can Lead by Example on Responsible Pet Care
Politicians have the blessing and the curse of being in public life, and every move they make is closely scrutinized. We have learned an awful lot about Hillary Clinton’s tax returns, Barack Obama’s pastor, and John McCain’s temper—even though for ordinary citizens those would be considered private matters.
It means that lawmakers and candidates have to worry about their personal behavior as much as they worry about their votes and policies. They not only have to obey the laws, but also have to exhibit good judgment and set a positive example for others.
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Oprah Puts Puppy Mills Front and Center
Today, one of the most powerful voices in media will inform television viewers around the world about the cruelties of puppy mills.
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Trust in Me
The recent mortgage crisis has taken its toll not only on homeowners, but also on their pets.
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Oh Canada...How Could You?
Today, Canadian fishermen on the Atlantic coast set out on their annual ritual of killing hundreds of thousands of baby seals for their fur pelts. One of the world’s most beautiful nurseries—as vulnerable seal pups, just weeks old, emerge on the ice floes—will be stained red in the world’s largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals.
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And the Cockers' Red Glare
An article by Winston Ross in the web edition of Newsweek reports on the trend of increased lawmaking and law enforcement actions to crack down on the cruel and bloody sport of cockfighting. Because state and federal legislators have upgraded the laws to root out this criminal enterprise, and because police and prosecutors around the country are aggressively enforcing those laws, the so-called “cockers” are waging a futile war to repair their public image.
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Poaching Under the Gun
Last week, the Associated Press and other news outlets reported that a park ranger was arrested for masterminding the illegal massacre of endangered mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park in eastern Congo. Only about 700 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, and most of them are in the conflict-ridden Virunga range which straddles Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The ranger apparently orchestrated the slayings to deter and demoralize environmentalists who are working to preserve the gorilla’s rainforest habitat.
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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Purrs
Following up on yesterday's photos of our legislative award winners, I want to share with you another set of winning photos. The HSUS's Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest has come to a close, and the winning shots are touching and outstanding. (The four Markarian kitties—Georgia, Mario, Misty, and Oliver—were in the running, but were apparently disqualified due to bad behavior.)
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Images of Leadership
Earlier this week I wrote about the awards that The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund presented to members of Congress, honoring their leadership on animal protection protection issues in the 110th Congress. Today we've created a photo album of many of these lawmakers who received humane awards, and I invite you to check out the photos.
