Wildlife, In the News /
OIG Audit Fails to Address USDA’s Cruel War on Wildlife
It’s a government program that’s more than 100 years old, uses outdated and ineffective practices, costs tens of millions of tax dollars, and kills and maims tens of millions of animals, including unintended victims such as endangered and threatened species, and beloved family pets.
Farm Animals, Federal Legislation /
Companies Step Up for Cage-Free Eggs
Today, on The Hill’s Congress Blog, I wrote about how the pork and beef industries, funded by check-off dollars, lobbied against federal legislation that would have improved the treatment of egg-laying hens – taking a knee-jerk position despite the fact that the bill had no impact on them. Since Congress punted on the issue, the corporate sector has stepped up big time. We are seeing a rapid movement among producers, retailers, and restaurant chains toward cage-free eggs, with major corporations like Walmart and McDonald’s making recent announcements.
In the News /
FDA Takes Action to Ensure the Safety of Pet Food
Two-thirds of American households have pets. They are cherished members of our families, with 83 million dogs and 96 million cats living with us. We trust that the food we buy for them is safe and nutritious, and will contribute to their long and healthy lives as beloved family members.
Equines, Federal Legislation /
Study Says Americans Could be Eating Horsemeat Without Knowing
It’s not just Europe where ground beef and meatballs could be tainted with horsemeat.
Equines, Wildlife, Action Alerts, In the News /
Lawmakers Taking a Stand to Protect the Salt River Horses
The U.S. Forest Service has sparked a national outrage with its new plan to remove all of the horses from one of the nation’s most iconic herds—the Salt River horses—from Tonto National Forest in Arizona.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation, In the News /
Airlines Take Flight from Trophy Hunting; When Will Congress Get On Board?
The tragic death of Cecil the lion—senselessly shot by an American dentist with a bow and arrow and left to suffer for hours before being shot again—has exposed the pay-to-slay subculture of wealthy people who spend a fortune to kill the grandest, most majestic animals in the world. The public outrage shows no signs of slowing down.
Equines, Federal Legislation /
House Veterinarians and Bipartisan Lawmakers Team Up to Make Soring a Thing of the PAST
Good news for horses: a bipartisan group of more than 100 members of Congress, evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, joined together as original cosponsors of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act introduced last night in the U.S. House. Led by Reps. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., and Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., who are both veterinarians and co-chairs of the House Veterinary Medicine Caucus, along with the leadership team of Reps.
Pets & Cruelty, Federal Legislation /
Anti-Cruelty Bill Gathers Steam, to Protect Animals and People
It’s well established that malicious animal cruelty indicates a broader social pathology and lack of empathy, and the perpetrators often are indiscriminate in choosing victims – one day it’s a dog or a horse, another day it’s a neighborhood child or just some innocent passerby.
Wildlife, State Legislation /
How Safe Are You From an Escaped Pet Lion?
If you live in one of five states with no laws preventing the private possession of dangerous wild animals, there’s no telling what kind of safety threats are looming in your own neighborhood. Dozens of Milwaukee residents reported seeing a lion running loose, spurring a media frenzy this week. One blurry image captured on video in a resident’s backyard suggests this could be a young male or adult female African lion.
Animals in Research, Equines, Farm Animals, Pets & Cruelty, Wildlife, Federal Legislation, In the News /
House Action is a Mixed Bag for Animals
Yesterday was a mixed day of results for animals on Capitol Hill, with some setbacks and some progress on a number of different fronts for companion animals, wildlife, and farm animals.
What good news there was came in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that passed the House Appropriations Committee.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
Congress Needs to Act Both at Home and Abroad to Protect Elephants from Poaching
Today the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed H.R. 2494, the Global Anti-Poaching Act, sponsored by Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
Animals in Research, Federal Legislation /
Pretty Doesn’t Have to Hurt: Humane Cosmetics Act Introduced
More than 30 countries—home to 1.7 billion consumers—prohibit the manufacture and sale of animal-tested cosmetics. The United States can help accelerate the pace of reform worldwide and drive the market toward cruelty-free products with new bipartisan legislation introduced today in Congress.
