Archive for July, 2008
Major Props to California’s Prop 2
© istockphotoProp 2 will give farm animals room to turn around. When it comes to our dealings with animals, we are all on a pathway. Many of us deeply committed to the cause of protecting animals started out with no awareness of the problem of . . .
A Fighting Chance for Chicago Dogs
© Erica GreenPeople and dogs both learn inside a Chicago training class. Yesterday, I wrote about a few of our programs for companion animals—the wide range of services and activities we engage in to reduce euthanasia, to improve the operation of animal shelters across the . . .
Strengthening Shelters
When Fred Myers and his colleagues founded The Humane Society of the United States in the mid-1950s, one of their primary goals was to strengthen the network of local animal care organizations operating throughout the country, on the theory that “a rising tide lifts all . . .
If These Walls Could Talk
On Saturday, I stopped by the now-shuttered Hallmark/Westland Meat Company in Chino, Calif. As you remember, this was the facility where an HSUS undercover investigator documented appalling abuses of downer dairy cows, triggering a series of major reactions including the closure of the plant. HSUS . . .
Your Yard Goes Grassroots
Each of us can collectively make major strides for animals through individual efforts. Our dietary decisions, the products we purchase, our outreach to elected officials, hands-on work in our communities—cumulatively these actions and more add up to a powerful force in moving toward a more . . .
Talk Back: Puppy Love
Over the last few weeks I’ve received three touching stories that I wanted to share with you about the bond we share with the companion animals in our lives, in this case dogs specifically. First this update arrived about one of the nearly 700 dogs . . .
Traumatic Training
© iStockphoto The U.S. Army takes pride in innovation—in its sophisticated weaponry, high-tech equipment, and protective armor. Yet one area in which the Army is failing to innovate is in training soldiers to provide emergency medical attention to wounded comrades on the battlefield. The latest . . .
Sharks Through a Different Lens
The remarkable Nigel Barker is exhibiting his photographs of seals this week at a studio in New York. But his compassion for animals extends to all animals, including sharks, and he’s a man willing to confront cruelty wherever it occurs. Last weekend, Nigel Barker joined . . .
The Dr. Will Free You Now
This weekend, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) hosted its annual convention, in New Orleans. After the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) proposed a resolution supporting a move away from the confinement of veal calves in tiny stalls, the AVMA House of Delegates referred . . .
Stop Puppy Mills or Bust: Q&A with Jana Kohl
Jana Kohl started her trip across the nation six weeks ago in Los Angeles to promote her new book, "A Rare Breed of Love," the story of her adopted dog Baby, a three-legged puppy mill survivor. She’s concluding her tour Monday on the steps of . . .
Battling Dogfighting, Blow by Blow
One year ago today the federal government indicted Michael Vick for activities related to dogfighting. Today a major dogfighting operation was raided in Georgia and a reported kingpin in the underground dogfighting circuit was arrested and charged with felony dogfighting. Between these busts, there’s been . . .
Stable End for Racehorses
Since the death of the filly Eight Belles in this year’s Kentucky Derby, there’s been a brass-band clamor for reform in the horse racing industry. One of the priority concerns is humane care for the racehorses no longer valued at the track. A recently broadcast . . .
