Archive for January, 2008
Slaughterhouse Shake-Up
It’s been a hectic 24 hours since The HSUS released the results of a lengthy investigation into a California dairy cow slaughterhouse, operating under the banner of Hallmark Meat Packing and Westland Meat Co. (ironically honored as a USDA "supplier of the year" for 2004-2005). . . .
Torture on Tape
In 2007, the term "waterboarding" entered into the American lexicon. I never thought that knowledge of the practice would inspire animal abusers, but that's exactly what's happened. An HSUS investigation we revealed today—as reported in The Washington Post—focused on the abuse of downed cows, unable . . .
Talk Back: Humane Mission
Readers commended 11-year-old Haley Ham of Tennessee who, after losing her two dogs to antifreeze poisoning, spearheaded the introduction of legislation to help prevent such a tragedy. Among the comments we received: Way to go Haley! Taking action through your pain took a lot of . . .
You Asked: Homes for Horses
Today I’d like to respond to a query that came in after last week’s blog about the National Call-In Day for Horses. Q. If people can’t afford to take care of their horses, besides slaughter and auction, what other avenues do they have? Just a . . .
Meaterial Excess
"Americans are downing close to 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish per capita per year (dairy and eggs are separate, and hardly insignificant), an increase of 50 pounds per person from 50 years ago," wrote Mark Bittman yesterday, in a major piece in The . . .
Betrayal of Trust
There is always something that’s disturbed us more about cannibalism than mere homicide. In either circumstance, the victim is dead, but the consumption of the corpse multiplies the level of social disgust by a major factor. It not only offends our aesthetic senses, but also . . .
From Tragedy to Triumph
Last month, 11-year-old Haley Ham of Tennessee wrote to us about her two beloved dogs, Sam and Jessie: "From the time I was 7 and he was just 8 weeks old, I knew Sam belonged to me. We were inseparable. Jessie was big and affectionate. . . .
Sounding Off on Sonar
In March 2000, the U.S. Navy conducted a mid-frequency sonar exercise in the Bahamas, and 16 whales turned up stranded on the beaches. It had been theorized for some years that the intense underwater sounds are responsible for marine mammal deaths, but the strandings provided . . .
Make the Call for Horses
If you are on our email list, this morning you may have received an alert about today’s National Call-In Day for Horses. I don’t have to tell you that this is a crucial time to make your voice heard. Our horses are being shipped to . . .
All Bets Off
We are in the thick of the presidential primaries, and no candidate has a lock on his or her party’s nomination. These next three weeks are likely to be decisive in the selection of the major party nominees, with more than 20 states conducting primaries . . .
Talk Back: Progressive Nations, Veterinarians and Laws
Readers celebrated the European Union’s decision to eliminate battery cages for egg-laying hens and the prospect of a European ban on seal products: Absolutely incredible. When I read the Canadian news article I realized that the efforts of animal protection societies (of which the HSUS . . .
Gaining Ground for Sows
At The Humane Society of the United States, we’ve concentrated much of our anti-factory farming activity on three of the cruelest confinement practices—veal crates, battery cages, and gestation crates. We are seeing major changes in all three areas, and especially so on gestation crates. When . . .
