Archive for January, 2014
Ending “Commercial” Exploitation
There are so many indicators of cultural, corporate and political change for the good of animals. One is the creative and often provocative advertising on display not only during the Super Bowl, but in advance – where companies and ad agenciespush out their creative content in . . .
No Sweet Home for Some Animals in Alabama
The HSUS’s Animal Rescue Team has been on the ground in Alabama cracking down on cruelty and rescuing animals, helping to seize roosters from a cockfighting ring in Covington County, and removing dozens of dogs from deplorable conditions in Fayette County, in separate cases within . . .
Farm Bill Plows Under King Amendment
On top of major gains in Congress in recent weeks to get government-owned chimps out of labs and to prevent the resumption of commercial horse slaughter on U.S. soil, we are poised to see a major upgrade of the federal law against animal fighting and . . .
HSUS Undercover Investigation Shutters NJ Slaughter Plant
This morning, The HSUS publicly released footage of our latest undercover investigation into slaughterhouse abuses and the continuing mistreatment of downer calves – in this case, at the Catelli Bros. slaughter plant in suburban Monmouth County, New Jersey. The HSUS provided footage and other investigative . . .
Hong Kong Gives Swift Kick to Ivory Traders
Twelve thousand pounds of ivory that was destroyed in 2013 photo by USFWS Earlier this month, the Chinese government destroyed more than six tons of confiscated ivory held in government stockpiles, signaling the new resolve of the People’s Republic of China to crack down on . . .
Factory Farmers Off to Slow Start on Ag-Gag Bill in 2014
Last year, HSUS led the fight in fending off “ag-gag” bills in 11 states, with particularly feverish battles in Indiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming – all states where we’ve conducted investigations that led to exposes of abuses, whether puppy mills, horse soring, or gestation crate confinement. . . .
Japan’s Shameful Butchery of Dolphins
Since the release in 2009 of the chilling documentary “The Cove,” and thanks to a much-welcomed tweet last week from newly minted U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy condemning the “drive hunt,” the herding and butchering of dolphins in the small inlet in Taiji, Japan is unlikely . . .
Getting Horses off the Menu
Photo by Jennifer Kunz With President Obama signing a comprehensive federal spending bill for 2014 on Friday that includes language barring horse slaughter for human consumption in the U.S., we can take comfort that slaughter plants about to start chewing up horses in Iowa, . . .
An Open Letter to Agriculture Journalists and Leaders
In an era of sweeping change in communications, the long-standing principles of American journalism are being tested and challenged. Some journalistic principles are enduring, however, and for good reason. The enterprise depends on a commitment to establishing and reporting facts, and to communicating them with . . .
Paying Top Dollar to Kill the Rarest Mammals
Today in Hanoi, Vietnam, buses are carrying the message that buying, selling, and transporting rhino horn is illegal – a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison in that country. The messages are part of Vietnam’s National Rhino Horn Demand Reduction Campaign, initiated . . .
Emergency Response Gets Life from Firefighters
Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc across the Gulf Coast, turning the world upside down for so many people and animals. The nation rallied to help the region, and that included rushing in to help animals and the people who care about them. In addition to the . . .
Beef Tax: It’s What’s for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
What if every time someone acquired a dog – either through adoption from a rescue group or shelter, a purchase over the Internet or at a pet store – they paid a hidden fee on that transaction, and the entire pot of money accrued through . . .
