WASHINGTON (October 6, 2017) —Today the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of Ralph Northam for election as Governor of Virginia.

While serving in the state Senate, Dr. Northam introduced legislation to ban the use of gas chambers in the Commonwealth, and supported making the fighting of any animals a Class 6 felony—both measures that were signed into law. He supports legislation to ban the tethering of dogs in severe weather and for prolonged periods, and we are confident that he will appoint individuals attuned to animal welfare issues to state agencies whose programs affect animals, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF).

"Lieutenant Governor Northam’s distinguished career demonstrates compassion for the most vulnerable members of our society, including animals," said Mike Markarian, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "We urge voters in the Commonwealth who care about animals to support Ralph Northam for Governor."

In addition to advancing statewide animal protection policy, Northam has demonstrated concern for animals in his personal life, growing up on a farm and understanding the importance of proper animal care. He first met his wife, Pam, after she had taken in a pregnant stray cat, most of whose kittens unfortunately didn’t survive. Another was too weak to nurse, so Dr. Northam cared for the feline, restoring it to health. Their family has since maintained the practice of adopting pets from shelters, including their current cat, Odysseus.

Virginia is rated fifth in the nation in terms of the strength of its animal welfare policies. In addition to anti-tethering legislation and animal-friendly appointments, the Humane Society Legislative Fund is placing a priority on providing and leveraging crucial resources for enforcement against animal crimes, as well as bills to protect wildlife, ban the private possession of exotic animals, save animals from distressing roadside zoos, eliminate state funding for cruel animal experiments, and safeguard local ordinances that protect consumers and dogs against unscrupulous puppy mill dealers.

Media contact: Anna West, (240) 751-2669, awest@humanesociety.org

###

HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.

WASHINGTON (September 28, 2017) —The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animals, is announcing its endorsement of Mark Herring for reelection as Attorney General of Virginia. Herring is one of the nation’s foremost attorneys general for animal protection, and he has made protecting animals and cracking down on abusers who victimize them and their families a priority concern. He, like so many other officials who have looked into the issues, recognizes that there is a correlation between animal cruelty and human violence, and that cracking down on abuse makes our communities safer.

Herring launched the nation’s first animal law unit within an attorney general’s office, led by the leading animal law attorney in the state, Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch. Due to the complexity of animal criminal enterprises, which often involve thousands of animals and millions of dollars, local prosecutors often rely on the expertise of the unit’s attorneys to bring criminals to justice and to save animals’ lives.

“Attorney General Herring’s foresighted creation of an animal law unit is a model for other attorneys general around the nation to emulate,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of HSLF. “This work will make our communities safer for people and animals.”

Since its inception in 2015, Herring’s animal law unit has undertaken more than 400 matters, ranging from training law enforcement agencies around the world to special prosecutions. The unit has:

• Worked with local, state and federal authorities to investigate, shut down and secure convictions for the 5,000-member Big Blue Sportsmen’s Club cockfighting ring, which had operated for more than 30 years. This special prosecution resulted in the convictions of numerous individuals and the forfeiture of more than $1 million in assets;
• Prosecuted seven Tyson employees who severely abused chickens by “punching and kicking live birds, birds crushed to death by transport crates and being run over by forklifts, chickens swung by their wings and thrown across sheds and being shoved and slammed into transport cages,” according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch;
• Secured the release of 20 abused horses and successfully defended their release up to the Virginia Supreme Court;
• Assisted in the prosecution of a pet store that preyed on puppies and families by selling dozens of severely ill puppy mill dogs.

"Concern for animals is a universal value among Virginians," said Amundson. "We want voters to understand that Attorney General Herring has made fighting animal cruelty a priority, and that’s one particularly good reason why animal lovers should support him in November."

Media contact: Samantha Miller, (240) 672-2361, smiller@humanesociety.org

###

HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.

Help us end cosmetic testing on animals worldwide – "because they’re worth it"

WASHINGTON (September 19, 2017)—The #BeCrueltyFree campaign has issued a public call urging L’Oréal to support legislative efforts to ban cosmetic animal testing and sales worldwide. Despite more than 200 companies in the cosmetics industry having already thrown their weight behind the campaign and legislation, L’Oréal—one of the industry’s largest players—has been conspicuously quiet and sidestepped weighing in on this important proposal in Congress.

L’Oréal says it no longer tests its products or ingredients on animals, but the company continues to sell its products in China, where animal testing is required for many cosmetic products. The beauty giant has also worked behind the scenes to oppose legislative efforts to prohibit the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.

The Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Humane Society International, who collectively are leading the #BeCrueltyFree campaign, are urging L’Oréal to be a leader in working to pass laws that will end the suffering and death of an estimated half-a-million rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs each year worldwide.

In the United States, The HSUS and HSLF are asking L’Oréal to support the Humane Cosmetics Act. Reps. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and Don Beyer, D-Va., introduced the bill, which would ban animal testing for cosmetics ingredients and products. It would also ban the sale of products tested on animals in other countries.

"L’Oréal should sync its public pronouncements with its private actions and support an end to the use of animals in cosmetic testing," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS and executive vice president of HSLF. "It’s time to usher in a new era of ethical beauty and the Humane Cosmetics Act represents a win for the beauty industry, consumers, and animals. Collaborations across multiple sectors of the economy demonstrate that finding humane solutions is the best path forward and we welcome L’Oréal to the table."

Thirty-seven countries and major markets have already passed laws to end or limit cosmetic animal testing and/or sales, including the 28 member countries of the European Union, India, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and Guatemala. L’Oréal and other international cosmetic brands already comply with laws in these countries.

Research shows that three in four voters would feel safer, or as safe, if non-animal methods were used to test the safety of a cosmetic instead of animal testing and more than 750 cosmetics companies have already eliminated all new animal testing from their product lines. More than 200 companies including industry leaders like LUSH and H&M have already thrown their weight behind the #BeCrueltyFree campaign.

Facts:

• Cosmetic animal testing inflicts suffering and death on an estimated half-a-million rabbits, mice, rats and guinea pigs each year worldwide as substances are placed in their eyes or smeared on their skin.
• Animal testing of cosmetic product formulations is believed to occur only in China, where pre-market testing on animals remains a legal requirement for all imported and special-use cosmetics. New-to-the-world cosmetic ingredients may also be tested on animals, often in the context of chemical legislation.
• The HSUS has worked in various sectors, including agriculture, entertainment, animal experimentation and others, to find mutually beneficial solutions and improve the welfare of animals. Examples include the organization’s work with SeaWorld to phase out breeding of orcas; with McDonald’s, Perdue and others in the food, retail and agriculture sectors, to improve the treatment of farm animals; with major fashion brands to end the use of fur; with the New York Blood Center to fund the care of a colony of chimpanzees formerly used in research; and across other areas of the economy.
• HSI is pushing for legislation to ban the production and sale of animal-tested cosmetics in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and other countries.
• There has been a global shift away from the use of animals to test cosmetics as the number of non-animal test methods and laws banning the cruel and unnecessary practice increase every year.

Media contacts:

• United States: Thaisi Da Silva: tdasilva@humanesociety.org and Raul Arce-Contreras: rcontreras@humanesociety.org
• Canada: Chris Paré: cpare@hsi.org
• Europe: Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org
• Australia: Nicola Beynon: nbevnon@hsi.org
• Brazil: Helder Constantino: hconstantino@hsi.org
• Mexico/Latin America: Antón Aguilar: aaguilar@hsi.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

Rep. Don Young continues crusade to undo protections for wildlife on our most cherished federal lands

WASHINGTON (September 8, 2017)—The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment by a vote of 215 to 196 to block a 2015 rule issued by the National Park Service to protect grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, and caribou on public lands in Alaska from egregious and unsustainable killing practices. Earlier this year, the House and Senate voted narrowly to unwind similar protections for wildlife on national wildlife refuges, using the Congressional Review Act as a mechanism.

By undermining the NPS, Congress has provided trophy hunters with the privilege to:

• kill entire wolf packs during denning season
• use artificial lights to kill hibernating black bear mothers and their cubs
• kill grizzly bear families over fetid baits
• chase black bears with packs of trailing hounds

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States and executive vice president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, issued the following statement:

"This is an assault on wildlife, but also on the mission and purposes of the National Park Service. The Park Service manages the crown jewels of our system of parks and preserves, and opening up these lands to baiting of grizzly bears and killing wolves in their dens is shocking and without conscience. These preserves generate millions of dollars in economic activity for rural communities through wildlife watching. Turning these places into killing fields for the most charismatic species is wrong as a matter of ethics and wrong as a matter of economics."

The NPS rule is not subject to the Congressional Review Act, because it was made final in 2015. The HSUS and HSLF will oppose the inclusion of the Young amendment in any final spending package for the Interior Department and related agencies.

Five of 186 Democrats voting on the amendment voted for Rep. Young’s amendment, while 15 of 225 Republicans voted against it.

Media contact:

Thaisi Da Silva: 202-578-6767, tdasilva@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (September 1, 2017)—Ten years ago, the last horse slaughter plant operating in the United States closed its doors.

This September, however, an amendment set to reach the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives will determine the fate of America’s horses and whether taxpayers will be funding the return of this cruel, unnecessary, and predatory industry.

In a letter to Congress, the Humane Society Legislative Fund and The Humane Society of the United States, along with William Shatner, Kaley Cuoco, Willie Nelson, Jill Rappaport, Nikki Reed, Sebastian Roche, Ian Somerhalder, Arielle Kebbel, and others, urged policy makers to pass an amendment in the Agriculture Appropriations bill that prohibits the use of federal funds to inspect horse slaughter facilities.

"Horse slaughter is a dark and predatory industry. It has never provided a solution for unwanted horses or abuse and encourages overbreeding by providing an artificial disposal option for irresponsible breeders and owners," wrote the group. "When horse slaughter existed in this country prior to being shut down in 2007, the USDA documented a variety of abuses, so there is no reason to believe that bringing slaughter back to the U.S. will make the process humane. It is a brutal end for animals we have trained to trust us."

Read the letter in its entirety here.

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., offered the bi-partisan measure to block spending to inspect the slaughter plants in the upcoming FY18 Agriculture Appropriations package.

"This country was built on the back of horses and Americans view horses as companion animals and athletes, not food animals," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS and executive vice president of HSLF. "Americans do not want their hard-earned tax dollars funding slaughterhouse inspections for a product that Americans don’t eat and a process they deplore. Americans like their horses alive and well, not hung upside down in a slaughter plant."

Media contact:

Thaisi Da Silva: 202-578-6767, tdasilva@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (August 3, 2017)—Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation to prevent the establishment of inhumane horse slaughter operations within the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat.

Senators Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, S. 1706. The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Legislative Fund strongly support the legislation, and the House companion bill, H.R. 113, already has 150 or so co-sponsors.

"Americans don’t round up dogs and cats for slaughter and ship the parts of the animals to foreign countries. We shouldn’t do that with horses either," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS and executive vice president of HSLF. "We commend Senators Menendez, Graham, Whitehouse and Collins for introducing this critical legislation to end horse slaughter once and for all."

Each year, kill buyers gather up and send over 100,000 American horses to slaughter for foreign consumers. Horse slaughter is inherently inhumane, forcing horses to endure long journeys to slaughter plants without adequate food, water or rest. Due to the biology and nature of horses, these animals often sustain repeated blows or remain conscious during the kill process. In addition, the horse slaughter industry is a predatory enterprise. Buyers don’t “euthanize” old horses—they buy up young, healthy horses, often by misrepresenting their intentions, and inhumanely kill them to sell the meat to Europe and Japan.

The SAFE Act will prevent horse slaughter plants from opening in the U.S., and it would prevent the shipment of live horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for human consumption.

Media contact:

Thaisi Da Silva: 202-578-6767, tdasilva@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (July 27, 2017)—Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the defense appropriations bill that would increase funding for the Veterans Affairs’ Adaptive Sports Grant Program for equine-assisted therapy. The amendment increases funding by $5 million for fiscal year 2018.

The funding will enable an expansion of services that use equine-assisted therapy to help veterans receive mental health care treatment.

The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud the House passage of Amendment #47 of H.R. 3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., introduced the amendment.

"We applaud Rep. Barr for his commitment to helping secure funds that will help equines and veterans," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS and executive vice president of HSLF. "There have been a series of legislative and regulatory attacks on horses this year, and we hope that is the first in a series of positive actions to turn that around and honor the bond between people and equines.”

Media contact:

Thaisi Da Silva: 202-578-6767, tdasilva@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (July 26, 2017)—The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud the House passage of the PUPPERS (Preventing Unkind and Painful Procedures and Experiments on Respected Species) amendment, which was sponsored by Reps. Dave Brat, R-Va., Dina Titus, D-Nev., Ted Poe, R-Texas, Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Ted Lieu, D-Calif. The amendment is based on the PUPPERS Act, a bill recently introduced in the House to permanently end the most painful and distressful dog experiments at VA facilities.

The work of White Coat Waste Project shed light on taxpayer dollars being used to subject dogs to harmful research and unveiled violations of the Animal Welfare Act at a VA hospital in Virginia.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS and executive vice president of HSLF, applauded the passage of the amendment and said, "This decision is a win for the dogs within VA facilities as well the future of research. Instead of wasting tax dollars, the VA should invest in the use and continued development of alternatives that are faster, less expensive, more humane, and more relevant to human health than animal studies. We can do better for our Veterans."

Media contact:

Thaisi Da Silva: 202-578-6767, tdasilva@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

S. 1514 puts wolves, eagles, and other migratory birds at risk, while giving a sweetheart deal to polar bear trophy hunters

WASHINGTON (July 26, 2017)—The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works passed the misnamed "Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act," S. 1514, which strips wolves of their federal protections in three states under the Endangered Species Act, subverting the judicial process and all but guaranteeing that hundreds of wolves are subjected to baiting, hound hunting, and cruel trapping practices. The bill contains other harmful provisions for wildlife, such as preventing limits on toxic lead in aquatic environments, and allowing 41 wealthy trophy hunters to import sport-hunted trophies of polar bears shot in the Arctic even though polar bears are a threatened species.

In response to the EPW vote, Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States and executive vice president of Humane Society Legislative Fund said:

"This bill contains numerous provisions that will cause immense suffering to wild animals, and those elements should not be enacted into law. Congress should not cherry-pick wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species. Congress shouldn’t come to the aid of trophy hunters who shot rare polar bears in Canada and couldn’t otherwise legally import them into the U.S. And Congress shouldn’t put bald eagles and other migratory birds at risk by weakening anti-baiting rules or barring federal agencies from regulating lead in fishing tackle, especially when alternatives exist."

A few of the harmful provisions included in S. 1514 are as follows:

Wolves

S. 1514 removes Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in three Great Lakes states (and also Wyoming, even though Wyoming already has management authority over wolves). This proposal would both subvert judicial processes and undermine the ESA, one of our nation’s bedrock environmental laws. Removing federal protections and turning wolf management over to the states has led to politically-motivated, fear-based killing programs on wolves. In a three year period, trophy hunters and trappers killed more than 1,500 wolves in the Great Lakes states alone, and that killing spree stopped because of a successful legal action led by The HSUS. States have authorized the use of strangling cable neck snares; cruel steel-jawed, leg-hold traps; and hounding with packs of radio-collared trailing hounds. It is clear that federal oversight is necessary to provide adequate protections for gray wolves as required by the ESA. The committee narrowly rejected an amendment by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., to remove this anti-wolf provision by a party-line vote of 11 to 10.

Lead

S. 1514 also prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting toxic chemicals, such as lead in fishing equipment. Millions of pounds of lead fishing tackle are lost in aquatic environments each year, putting water and wading birds such as loons, whooping cranes, gulls, swans, geese, egrets, and herons at risk of lead poisoning. There are alternative metals that can be used in hunting and fishing, and no need to cause the poisoning of millions of animals as a collateral effect of these recreational practices.

Polar Bears

An amendment to the bill, offered by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, would roll back the Marine Mammal Protection Act and provide a sweetheart deal to help 41 wealthy polar bear trophy hunters import the heads of rare polar bears they shot in Canada. The animals were not shot for their meat, but just for trophies and bragging rights. It’s the latest in a series of these import allowances for polar bear hunters, and it encourages trophy hunters to kill rare species around the world and then wait for a congressional waiver to bring back their trophies.

Migratory Birds

S. 1514 amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by sweepingly excluding vast areas of land from the definition of "baited area." If an area is not a "baited area," then the prohibition against killing migratory birds does not apply. Already, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues permits to agricultural interests on a regular basis to kill birds to reduce crop damage which makes this provision unnecessary .

Media contact:

Anna West: 301-258-1518, awest@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Chairman Frelinghuysen and key appropriators target wild horses for mass destruction

WASHINGTON (July 19, 2017)—Marking a reversal in policy and exaggerating the impact of wild horses on our federal lands in the West, a few western lawmakers succeeded in getting the House Appropriations Committee to accept an amendment that could allow the destruction of America’s wild horses. The committee adopted an amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, whose effort weakens long-accepted bipartisan provisions that prevented the killing of healthy wild horses and burros.

This amendment countermands the language that has lived in the Interior spending bill for years to safeguard wild horses and to require humane management on and off the range.

"Last week, the House Appropriations Committee voted to use taxpayer dollars to open horse slaughter plants in the U.S.," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States and executive vice president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "This week, they’re on a tear to kill wild horses. Let’s hope the full House and the Senate remind them of Americans’ special relationship with horses as well as our ability to manage wild horses in humane, cost-effective ways."

For the past 20 years, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has relied on rounding up and removing horses from the range as the agency’s primary population management strategy. The National Academy of Sciences reported in 2013 that such removals cause an increase in population growth rates in the remaining horses on the range due to decreased competition for forage, and instead recommended that BLM increase its emphasis on fertility control.

The BLM has consistently failed to implement fertility control, despite pleas from the horse protection community. Last year, the agency treated less than 1 percent of the horses on the range with immunocontraception. HSUS has invested millions in the development and application of fertility control vaccines for wild horses.

The Stewart amendment would lift the long-term prohibition on the destruction of healthy wild horses and burros, creating a pathway for mass killing of animals currently in holding facilities and on the range.

Media contact:

Thaisi Da Silva, 202-578-6767, tdasilva@humanesociety.org

##

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.