Animals & Politics

Equines, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation / Feb 14, 2020

Poster children for the SAFE Act: Kill buyers fined again

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Some of the people and interests tied to cruelty to animals seem to come right from central casting. That’s going to help us succeed in our efforts to secure passage of the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 961/S. 2006, to permanently ban domestic horse slaughter and end the export of American horses for slaughter abroad.

» Read More

Wildlife, Federal Legislation / Feb 12, 2020

At SCI convention, trophy hunters rub shoulders with Donald Trump Jr. and USFWS director; undercover investigation reveals potentially illegal sales of elephant, stingray and hippo skins

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

At the Safari Club International’s annual convention each year, wealth, privilege and power come together with a revolting goal: mowing down the world’s rarest and most beloved wildlife. This year’s event in Reno was no different. Trophy hunters heard speeches from guest of honor Donald Trump Jr. and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Aurelia Skipwith, shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to kill endangered rhinos, lions and polar bears, and kicked back to the music of the Beach Boys.

» Read More

Wildlife, Federal Legislation, In the News / Feb 10, 2020

Breaking news: Lawsuit prompts shutdown of trophy hunters’ panel in Trump administration

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

A panel of trophy hunters appointed by the Trump administration to advise the federal government on international wildlife trade policy has bitten the dust.

» Read More

Wildlife, Federal Legislation, State Legislation / Feb 06, 2020

Miami seizure highlights need to pass federal ban on shark fin trade

The news out of Florida was shocking: earlier this week, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials confiscated 1400 pounds of detached shark fins valued at nearly $1 million at PortMiami. Investigators found severed fins stashed out of sight in 18 boxes in a ship docked at the port.

» Read More

Federal Legislation / Feb 05, 2020

Breaking news: U.S. House approves bill to pair veterans with service dogs

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The U.S. House has just approved a bill that would expand opportunities for veterans to get involved with training and adopting service dogs, leading to better lives for both the animals and the people helping them.

» Read More

Animals in Research, Equines, Farm Animals, Wildlife / Feb 04, 2020

State of the animals under the Trump administration: a year of highs and lows

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

» Read More

Wildlife, Federal Legislation / Jan 29, 2020

Breaking news: Key House committee votes to reverse Trump admin’s harmful changes to Endangered Species Act

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

» Read More

Equines, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation / Jan 29, 2020

Are horses about to be removed from European and Asian dinner plates? U.S. House has first hearing in over a decade on ending horse slaughter

The killing of American horses for food has forever been unpalatable to the vast majority of citizens of the United States, and that’s one of the reasons that Humane Society Legislative Fund and the Humane Society of the United States have made the fight to halt this practice a priority over the last decade. Horse slaughter is more than just offensive to our collective sensibilities, however. It’s a cruel betrayal of horses, one that produces terrible suffering and misery for them, and it’s the subject of an important legislative debate unfolding in the U.S. Congress this session.

» Read More

Animals in Research, Equines, Farm Animals, Pets & Cruelty, Wildlife, Federal Legislation / Jan 28, 2020

Did your Members of Congress make the grade? Hot off the press – final 2019 Humane Scorecard

The final 2019 Humane Scorecard is now online, and we invite you to check it out and see how your federal legislators stood on a range of key issues last year. Please also share this scorecard with family, friends, and fellow advocates and help spread the word!

To recap, despite the highly polarized atmosphere in Washington, D.C., we achieved some crucial bipartisan victories for animals during the first session of the 116th Congress. Here are some highlights of 2019:

» Read More

Equines, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation / Jan 28, 2020

With racehorses dying on the track, and racing in turmoil, a Congressional committee holds hearing on industry reform

Horseracing is at a crossroads, as today‘s congressional hearing on the future of horseracing made plain. An epidemic of racetrack deaths has highlighted a serious problem in the sport: the abuse of medications that place animals’ lives at risk by masking their injuries in order to keep them going on race day. Today, we hope, marks the start of a new era of heightened sensibility and enhanced protection for horses.

» Read More

Wildlife, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation, In the News / Jan 24, 2020