Advocacy

Last November, the citizens of the State of Missouri passed an ASPCA-supported ballot resolution (Proposition B) to increase regulations for commercial dog breeders and implement humane care standards for the dogs living in the state’s thousands of puppy mills. The state’s legislature was not in session at the time, but after Prop B’s victory, there were immediate rumblings of discontent from some state senators and representatives—and sure enough, as soon as the Missouri General Assembly convened in January, several bills were introduced with the intent to weaken or fully repeal the law enacted by Prop B, the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act (PMCPA). The PMCPA is scheduled to go into effect this November.

The situation in Missouri is coming to a head this week. Completely disregarding the will of the people, last night the Missouri Senate took the first step toward approving Senate Bill 113—a bill to roll back every humane provision of the PMCPA—which indicates that they will probably pass the bill. A final vote is expected on Thursday, March 10. During yesterday’s debate, senators rejected an amendment that would have referred their new, weak commercial breeding law back to the ballot for Missouri voters to weigh in on.

The Missouri House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on a similar bill, HB 131. For either bill to become law, it needs approval in both chambers of the General Assembly, and it is expected that Senate Bill 113 will move through the House very quickly after it is passed by the Senate. The ASPCA has been emailing our supporters in Missouri regularly, imploring them to call their state senators and representatives to express outrage at the legislature’s dismissal of the popular vote on this issue and to urge legislators to vote no on any bill that would weaken or repeal the PMCPA.

We know the rest of the country is keeping a close eye on Missouri, as what happens there will likely set the stage for puppy mill reform nationwide. Please stay tuned and be sure to read this week’s News Alert for the latest developments from the Missouri General Assembly—developments that could quite possibly spell doom for the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act.

Photo by Terry Fitch

At long last, animal advocates have scored two small victories in the fight to end the inhumane, unsustainable wild horse management policies of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): On Friday, having rounded up about 1,370 horses—approximately 600 horses short of its previously stated goal of 2,000—the agency brought an early end to the controversial Antelope Complex roundup in northern Nevada. And on Sunday, the BLM returned 20 chemically sterilized mares and two studs to the range.

These developments followed the BLM’s announcement on Thursday, February 24, that it would undertake a large-scale overhaul of its wild horse management program. That about-face came on the heels of a U.S. House of Representatives vote to cut the agency’s budget by $2 million.

Journalist and horse advocate R.T. Fitch and his wife, equine photographer Terry Fitch, were present during the Antelope roundup and filmed the moment when the 22 horses were returned to federally protected public lands. Watch the Fitches’ video below to see the horses realize they’re free.

These developments followed the BLM’s announcement on Thursday, February 24, that it would undertake a large-scale overhaul of its wild horse management program. That about-face came on the heels of a U.S. House of Representatives vote to cut the agency’s budget by $2 million.

Journalist and horse advocate R.T. Fitch and his wife, equine photographer Terry Fitch, were present during the Antelope roundup and filmed the moment when the 22 horses were returned to federally protected public lands. Watch the Fitches’ video below to see the horses realize they’re free.

Most Americans strongly oppose the use of battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates to cruelly confine animals on factory farms—and so does the ASPCA. We are proud to announce that we will be joining a growing list of animal welfare, family farming, food safety and environmental groups in support of the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to end the extreme confinement of egg-laying hens in Washington.

Nearly six million egg-laying hens in the state of Washington are forced to spend their entire lives crammed in small wire cages with less space than a sheet of paper to live. If passed, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act would require that egg-laying hens have enough room to turn around and extend their wings. The measure would also make the sale of eggs from battery cage facilities illegal.

“Intensive confinement of factory farm animals is not only inhumane, but also harmful to public health and the environment,” says Matt Bershadker, Senior Vice President of Anti-Cruelty at the ASPCA. “We hope that efforts such as the one in Washington will continue to spread across the country, and that the cruel practices of factory farms will be a thing of the past.”

If approved by voters, the measure will take effect in 2018, giving producers more than six years to transition to more humane housing systems.

Take Action!
You can make a difference in the lives of millions of battery hens by supporting the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act in any way you can. If you're a Washington resident, please visit www.humanewa.com for more ways you can get involved and help transform your state into a leader in humane farming.

Don't live in Washington, but still want to help? Tweet this post or share it on your Facebook page or blog. To learn more about the suffering of hens in battery cages visit our Help End Factory Farming page.

On Tuesday, February 1, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed two pet-friendly bills into Law. This is the first time companion animal legislation has been passed in New York City in nearly 10 years.
 
"We are grateful for the enactment of these two very important bills, which will improve the lives of New York City’s two- and four-legged residents,” says Michelle Villagomez, ASPCA Senior Manager of Advocacy. “We look forward to working with the City to address other issues affecting New York's animals."

Intro. 328, which passed 41-7, will increase the city’s annual dog licensing fee for unaltered pet dogs from $11.50 to $34.00. The money raised by this increase will be used to help fight pet overpopulation through spay/neuter services and educational outreach.

The Council also voted 47-1 to pass Intro. 425, which bans tethering an animal for more than three hours in a 12-hour period. The bill also prohibits the use of certain inhumane restraints for tethering, such as heavy steel chains and choke or pinch collars. First-time violators will receive a summons or, if the animal is injured, a fine of up to $250. Repeat offenders face fines of up to $500 and three months in jail.

To stay up to date on legislative activity in your area and in U.S. Congress, sign up to receive our Advocacy Alerts or text LOBBY to 69866 to receive mobile Advocacy Alerts.