Archive for August, 2008
Godspeed to the Gulf Coast
I intended to look back today. After all, we have an important anniversary to reflect upon. But then, along with millions of people, my eye has been riveted on those eerie weather maps that show Gustav churning up the sea and bearing down on the . . .
Homeward Bound
Members of our Emergency Services team and our regional offices have been in Parkersburg, W.Va. since Saturday, overseeing the largest puppy mill rescue operation in state history. All 927 dogs and puppies rescued from the Whispering Oaks Kennel have been examined by veterinarians, given medical . . .
Farm Animal Protection, Past and Present
Fifty years ago today President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) into law, remarking to a group of congressmen: “If I relied on my mail, I would think that the country is concerned only about humane slaughter.” The enactment of . . .
Undemocratic Deals
Last week, I wrote about the efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Egg Board to spend money illegally in an attempt to influence the vote on Proposition 2—this fall’s California ballot measure that seeks to ban the intensive confinement of veal . . .
1,000 More Reasons to Stop Puppy Mills
© The HSUS/MilaniA mother and her pups at the West Virginia mill. Last November, our Animal Rescue Team raided a southern Virginia puppy mill and saved nearly 1,000 dogs. Then, two months ago, our team zeroed in on a Tennessee mill and saved 750 animals. . . .
Talk Back: China’s Golden Opportunities
The 29th Olympic Games will wind down in Beijing this weekend and the world will soon shift its attention away from China. It’s easy to write off China, but it would be a mistake for us as a movement. We’ve got to work with government, . . .
Heart of Gold
Michael Phelps, who has captured a record eight gold medals in this summer’s Olympic games, has rewritten the history books in athletic competition. © NBCMichael Phelps with his dog Herman. But have you heard of Herman Phelps? Herman is Phelps’ Bulldog. Phelps told the “Today” . . .
Fortune of Animals in China
As the Beijing Olympics wind down, and after four related blog postings (on the fur industry, tiger trade, ivory, and consumer power), I want to offer the floor to HSI’s China Policy Consultant, Dr. Peter J. Li, of the University of Houston-Downtown. Peter’s optimism has . . .
Little Green Lies
What do the fur industry’s recent attempts to cast itself as a “green industry” have in common with the 29th Summer Olympics in Beijing? More than you would think, it turns out. Devotees of the Olympics are aware of the vigorous efforts by Chinese officials . . .
Scandalous
It was six months ago yesterday that the USDA issued the largest meat recall in American history, in response to The HSUS’s undercover investigation at the Hallmark/Westland slaughter plant in Chino. The Press-Enterprise in Riverside did a six-month retrospective with four stories in the paper, . . .
Clock Strikes Against Cockfights
Yesterday, I gave a talk before the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and PennAg on farm animals and animal welfare. I then dashed to the airport and flew from Harrisburg to Baton Rouge, La. When I arrived at 9 p.m., cockfighting was legal in the state. . . .
Rotten Eggs
The basic workings of a democracy depend upon the integrity of its government. Adherence to the rule of law is a foundation stone upon which any civil society is built. It is especially vital that we as a nation keep elections clean—by allowing qualified citizens . . .
