Farm Animals
A Raft of Bad Ideas Bubble Up in Congress
Congress is off to a brisk start when it comes to animal issues, but much of the action seeks to turn back the clock and to revive awful ideas. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has again introduced legislation to overturn state laws that protect animals. Late this . . .
The HSUS in 2014: Program Gains, Fiscal Health
The year 2014 was not just our strongest year ever when it came to tangible progress and our accomplishments for animals; it was also our biggest year in terms of public support – which, in a mass membership organization like ours, reflects popular support for . . .
Enlisting Farmers in the Cause of Animal Welfare
I was pleased to be the keynote speaker on Friday morning in Omaha at the annual conference of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, a non-profit organization consisting largely of farmers concerned about the future of agriculture. It was an honor to be invited to address . . .
Breaking News: Bill in Congress Proposes End to Farm Animal Torture at Federal Labs
Imagine if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spent tens of millions of dollars on animal experiments designed to increase reproductive rates of deer on captive hunting facilities – to benefit private operators who offer up deer in a guaranteed kill arrangement. In the process, . . .
News Break: Court Ruling Favors Prop 2 – Again
Editor’s note: The following blog post has been updated to include a correction in the third paragraph. I’m excited to share with you breaking news from California: a federal appeals court has upheld Prop 2, California’s new law banning the inhumane confinement of egg-laying hens, . . .
The Fur, Feathers, and Scales of Justice: Scoring the Highs and Lows of Attorneys General on Animal Protection
Last week, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring burnished his pro-animal record when he established an Animal Law unit in an attorney general’s office. The unit will serve as a resource for local law enforcement and state agencies on animal fighting and animal cruelty prosecutions, providing . . .
The Times Continues Focus on Factory Farm Cruelty, While Journal Makes Light of Routine Abuses
Today’s editorial pages at the nation’s biggest newspapers are a tale of two starkly different worldviews. One, The New York Times, slams the hideous government-financed cruelties documented at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska. The other, The Wall Street Journal, slams California voters . . .
The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and the Agro-Industrial Complex
The front page of yesterday’s New York Times revealed a house of horrors at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, situated on the plains of western Nebraska. In a superb but deeply disturbing piece of investigative, long-form journalism, Times reporter Michael Moss told the story . . .
State of the Animal Union
President Obama’s second term in office has been a fruitful one for animals, but a number of key reforms await final approval and deep problems remain when it comes to animal welfare. Today’s front page news story in the New York Times concerning a house of . . .
Faulty Arguments, Greed, and Gluttony Put Foie Gras Back on Menu
In a court pleading written last year to challenge a California law stopping the sale and production of foie gras, attorneys for chefs and producers of fatty duck and goose liver made a Holocaust analogy, writing: "With apologies to Martin Niemoller, 'First they came for . . .
Uncaged in California
This morning, I did a series of television segments in San Diego – the latest stop in a statewide tour of California – about the implementation of the state’s landmark animal protection laws, specifically those statutes that ban cage confinement of laying hens and require any . . .
New HSUS Exposé Reveals Deplorable Slaughter of ‘Spent’ Egg-Laying Hens
California’s Prop 2 took effect on New Year’s Day, and we’ve been urging major food retailers to honor the letter and spirit of the law by not buying or selling any animal products that come from caged farm animals, with a particular focus on laying . . .
