Archive for 2014
The HSUS Celebrates a 60-Year Quest to Stop Cruelty to All Animals
It was 60 years ago, on November 22, that four individuals founded The HSUS, with grand ambitions but only a few nickels in their pockets. At the time, there were just 500 or so local humane organizations scattered across 3,100 counties. Like islands, with scant connection . . .
The Intersection of Gestation Crates and Presidential Politics
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie faces a threat to his brand of “straight talk” and “no nonsense” with the full-blown national controversy over his veto last year of a bill to ban gestation crates, and his apparent recent pledge to an Iowa pork producer to . . .
Japan May Defy International Court Ruling on Whaling
I guess it’s no big surprise that Japan has advanced a new proposal to kill whales for commercial purposes in Antarctic waters, again under the guise of “science” and “research.” In late March 2014, the highest court in the world — the International Court of . . .
Poachers and Trophy Hunters Conspiring to Hurt Endangered Rhinos
Shooting a rhino for sport seems about as challenging as shooting a parked bus. The prehistoric-looking beasts are big and not fleet of foot. They confront a threat by charging it, not running away. That doesn’t serve them well as a hunting guide and a . . .
For Christie’s Sake, Ban the Crates
I can understand Chris Christie’s dilemma – either signing an enormously popular bill to ban gestation crates in New Jersey or caving in to the veto demands of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, whose support is coveted by every aspiring Republican presidential candidate who trudges through Iowa. . . .
Lead Ammo Policy Tests the Rhetoric of Hunting Lobby
The trophy hunting lobby in the United States conveniently and selectively invokes “science” in defense of reckless practices. In Maine, in arguing against Question 1 (to ban bear baiting, hounding and trapping), the National Rifle Association, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, and Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine told . . .
Dogfighting Smackdown
Yesterday, we closed an important chapter in a long-running anti-cruelty case when a federal judge in Alabama handed down tough sentences for a number of active participants in a dogfighting network that spanned four states. One defendant, dubbed by U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins as “the . . .
Virginia Pet Stores: Selling Puppies and a Pack of Lies
Our undercover investigations have proven time and time again that most pet stores purchase puppies from puppy mills. But that hasn’t stopped so many pet stores we’ve investigated from trying to deceive customers about the origin of the pups it sells. This year we sent . . .
The Agro-Industrial Complex in the U.S. and Its Drug Dependency
Pigs in a research barn squealed with every step they took, their movements accompanied by intense pain and discomfort. A pork producer opened his transport truck to find 10 to 12 pigs dead after each journey. And in one slaughterhouse, documented by animal behavior expert . . .
Federal Court Leaves Puppy Millers Out in the Cold
On Friday, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by 42 plaintiffs, including dozens of dog-breeding clubs, that aimed to neuter a U. S. Department of Agriculture rule to crack down on Internet sellers of puppy mill dogs who don’t meet basic care standards. . . .
REACHing Beyond Animal Testing
Our global #BeCrueltyFree campaign to end animal testing for cosmetics grows each day. Last month we celebrated a landmark move by India to close its borders to newly animal-tested cosmetics, becoming the first cruelty-free cosmetics market in South Asia. And our #BeCrueltyFree teams are on . . .
Black Rhinos and African Lions in the Crosshairs
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published notice that it has received import permit applications for two individuals who want to shoot critically endangered black rhinos in Namibia and then import the trophies into the United States. One of the permits was auctioned for . . .
