Archive for March, 2016
On Day of Giving, Let’s Boost our Pets for Life Program
By the time I got to a Pets for Life (PFL) event in the heart of Philadelphia at the official start time of 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning about a year ago, some folks had already been in line for five hours. By 10 a.m., the . . .
New York Blood Center Arguments Are a House of Cards
EDITOR’S NOTE: GOOD NEWS! The HSUS and the New York Blood Center have announced an agreement to provide long-term sanctuary for the Liberian chimpanzees. READ THE UPDATE » Controversy for the New York Blood Center is sure to ratchet up, with sisters, actresses, and New . . .
SUPERNEWS for Hens: SUPERVALU Going Cage-Free
When I became president and CEO of The HSUS just short of a dozen years ago, not a single major food retailer was selling only cage-free eggs. In fact, I was writing letters to companies merely asking for cage-free offerings, for the small percentage of consumers . . .
A 50-State Strategy for Animal Protection
Yesterday’s Arizona Republic ran a column from me about Arizona’s leading role on some core animal protection causes: kick-starting the anti-confinement movement for farm animals and the effort to promote adoption of homeless dogs and cats. Enhanced protections for farm animals came through a landmark ballot . . .
Japan Acts as Outlaw Nation
The Japanese government confirmed yesterday that its whaling fleet had arrived home in Shimonoseki, having killed 100 percent of its self-awarded quota of 333 minke whales in the Southern Ocean. Nearly two-thirds of the harpooned females were pregnant, creating a multiplier effect and putting the actual loss of . . .
Kansas Lawmakers Shouldn’t Make the Wrong Bet on Greyhound Racing
Kansas legislators are considering a bill that would reintroduce greyhound racing eight years after the last tracks closed in the state. Talk about running backwards. If this is what counts as economic development in Kansas, then the Sunflower State is in trouble. Greyhound racing is anything but . . .
A Right to Farm, But No Right to Free Speech for Opponents of Animal Abuse?
I’ve written recently about two outrageous and closely related maneuvers in Oklahoma: the first, an effort by the farm lobby and its allies in the puppy mill and cockfighting domains to pass a sweeping and overreaching constitutional amendment by referendum to establish a “right to farm,” and the second, . . .
Breaking News: Armani Goes Fur-Free
Luxury designer Giorgio Armani today announced that all of his labels will go 100 percent fur-free, marking a historic day for the fashion industry and making a case that it’s no longer necessary for any clothing retailer to use real fur when we have perfectly . . .
Bon Appétit, Long a Leader on Issues of Food and Agriculture, Announces New Animal Welfare Reforms
While we take pride in forging unexpected alliances on specific issues to advance animals’ interests – whether with SeaWorld, United Egg Producers, or even in the world of horse racing with the Jockey Club – we also focus plenty of energy on working with companies . . .
More Impressions on ‘Massive‘ SeaWorld-HSUS Announcement, Including From ‘Blackfish‘ Director
The announcement I made yesterday with SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby about the end of any breeding of the company’s orcas, its shift toward a rescue-and-rehabilitation strategy for other marine mammals, a change in its food service policies, and more, has been reverberating across the world. . . .
Breaking News: SeaWorld to End All Orca Breeding
In a sign that the humane economy is an unyielding force, exerting its influence on companies in all sectors of commerce, SeaWorld announced in cooperation with The HSUS today that it will end all breeding of its orcas and it won’t obtain additional orcas from . . .
To Eradicate Animal Fighting, You Must Finish the Sentence
During my tenure at The HSUS – as CEO but also prior to that as our chief political advocate – I’ve made it a point to work to strengthen the nation’s legal framework against dogfighting and cockfighting. These are reprehensible, calculated crimes that result in protracted and . . .
