Press Release

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund applauds mandate to protect wild horses, even if transferred out of BLM’s care

WASHINGTON (May 4, 2017)—The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund are pleased that the 2017 omnibus spending bill includes provisions directing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect our nation’s wild horses and burros. The bill prevents the BLM and its contractors from sending wild horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. It further directs the BLM to review all serious proposals from non-governmental organizations and create a plan, within 180 days of enactment of the bill, to maintain long-term, sustainable populations on the range in a humane manner.

The spending bill would also allow the BLM to more easily transfer wild horses to federal, state or local governments to serve as work horses, while qualifying that transferred horses are not to be slaughtered for commercial purposes (by the adopting agency or any third party thereafter), or euthanized without veterinary recommendation, and only then in cases of severe illness, injury or advanced age.

Gillian Lyons, senior wildlife fertility control policy manager for The HSUS, said: "Congress is giving direction to federal land managers to protect wild horses, allowing some controlled adoptions of horses to third parties. But the Congress was explicit that this adoption process won’t be the first step toward transferring these horses to kill buyers and others who might slaughter or otherwise exploit them. The BLM, if it allows for adoptions, must create and enforce mechanisms to assure the long-term care for these horses."

The Humane Society of the United States closely tracks BLM wild horse and burro management actions, and is an advocate of fertility control as a humane, on-range management strategy, and an alternative to costly gathers and adoptions or long-term holding."

Media contact:

Stephanie Twining, 301-258-1491, stwining@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (April 11, 2017)—Cruelty-free beauty company Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is re-launching its global best-selling New Shampoo Bar to encourage consumers to get behind The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Humane Society International’s global campaign to ban cosmetic animal testing and trade by signing their petition at www.endanimaltesting.org. The revamped bar is now adorned with the charity’s #BeCrueltyFree message in both English and simplified Chinese, the two most commonly used languages on social media, and will roll out in the United States from April 11th.

More than one million people worldwide have signed #BeCrueltyFree petitions calling on their governments to ban cruel cosmetics. In conjunction with intensive political lobbying and public campaigning by HSI and others, this pressure has so far driven 38 countries or regions around the world to pass animal testing or sales bans in their cosmetics laws—including the European Union, Israel, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, and most recently Guatemala.

In the U.S., The HSUS and HSLF are spearheading efforts to pass legislation that will prohibit cosmetic animal testing and phase out the sale of animal-tested cosmetics. In addition to LUSH, more than 190 companies in the cosmetic industry have lent their support to end cosmetic cruelty in the U.S. Consumers can show their support for this important legislation by signing The HSUS e-petition and calling their federal legislators to urge support for legislation to prohibit cosmetic animal testing in the United States.

Vicki Katrinak of #BeCrueltyFree USA, comments: "#BeCrueltyFree USA is excited to collaborate with Lush on our efforts to end cosmetics cruelty around the world once and for all. More than 1.8 billion consumers now live in cruelty-free cosmetics markets and it is time for the US to join this global movement away from animal testing. We’re proud to have Lush’s support of our #BeCrueltyFree campaign."

Hilary Jones, Lush ethics director, comments: "The horror of cosmetics testing will not be over for animals until the whole world switches to more modern non-animal safety testing methods. Only when this ugly practice is over will our industry truly be the Beauty business. Until that day we all need to keep spreading the message, so it is an honour to be able to help the #BeCrueltyFree campaign."

New Shampoo Bar is a solid bar with cinnamon, clove and peppermint to stimulate the scalp. According to Lush, cinnamon leaf, bay and clove bud essential oils combine with peppermint to boost blood flow, stimulating the hair follicles. An infusion of nettle and peppermint helps to stimulate the scalp and promote healthy hair. Rosemary soothes, calms your scalp and adds a glorious shine to your hair.

@LushLtd

@HumaneSociety

@HSLegFund

#BeCrueltyFree

Media contacts:

Lush Press Office: 020 7434 3948, elizabeth@lush.co.uk

HSI/HSUS/HSLF: Raul Arce-Contreras: rcontreras@humanesociety.org, 301 721 6440

For US supporter enquiries: call 866-614-4371 or fill out HSI's contact form

Notes to Editors

Each year around the world an estimated 500,000 animals suffer and die in cruel and outdated cosmetic safety tests. Rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats are the most common animals used to test cosmetics, who may be subjected to having cosmetic chemicals dripped in their eyes, spread on their shaved skin, or force fed to them orally in massive, even lethal doses. Much of this testing is a product of legal requirements in China, which continue to mandate animal testing for most types of beauty products.

Lush believes that the most effective and humane way to test the safety of both ingredients and finished products are through modern non-animal tests and a panel of human volunteers.

Products and ingredients are never tested on animals, nor do they engage with third-party suppliers to test on their behalf. Lush’s strict policy means they will not buy any ingredient from any supplier that tests its materials on animals for any purpose.

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

Thousands of big cats are kept as pets or maintained in ill-equipped roadside zoos in the U.S.

WASHINGTON (March 31, 2017)—Big Cat Rescue, Born Free USA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud U.S. Representatives Jeff Denham (R-CA), Walter Jones (R-NC), and Niki Tsongas (D-MA) for introducing the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 1818). The bill would advance animal welfare and protect public safety by prohibiting possession and breeding of tigers, lions, leopards and other big cat species by private individuals and unqualified exhibitors.

This bill would strengthen the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, the existing federal law passed unanimously in 2003, by closing the loopholes that allow private possession of big cats by unqualified individuals. Existing owners that do not qualify for an exemption may keep the big cats they currently possess so long as they notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill provides for reasonable exemptions for wildlife sanctuaries and exhibitors licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture that meet basic standards intended to protect the public and the animals.

According to Kate Dylewsky, program associate at Born Free USA, "This common sense and narrowly-crafted bill is an urgently-needed solution to the problem of big cats kept in unsafe and abusive situations around the country. Thousands of big cats are currently owned as pets or maintained in ill-equipped roadside zoos. These poorly regulated facilities—with animals kept in basements, cement pits, or in backyards—pose a severe risk to the safety of people in surrounding communities, as well as the welfare of the cats themselves."

Nicole Paquette, vice president of wildlife for The Humane Society of the United States, said, "Tigers, lions, and other big cats should not be kept in peoples' homes or backyards. In order to protect the public, there needs to be strong oversight of these private owners who, in most cases, do not have the expertise needed to properly care for these animals in captivity. Some states have little to no laws regarding the keeping of big cats and it's time for a uniform federal law that ends this dangerous industry once and for all."

Carson Barylak, campaigns officer at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, noted that "there are now more tigers in private hands in the U.S. than remain in the wild, and nearly all of them are denied proper veterinary care, nutrition and enrichment." Moreover, "law enforcement officers and other first responders—including those who have encountered these deadly animals in the course of their work—have joined animal rescue and conservation advocates in supporting the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Emergency officials and the communities that they protect, much like the big cats themselves, should not be placed in harm's way by a private owner's irresponsible decision to keep big cats."

"Relying on accredited sanctuaries to take in unwanted and usually neglected big cats is not a viable solution," said Carole Baskin, founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue. "When individuals foolishly acquire big cats as pets or exploit them in entertainment businesses, the cats often suffer in deplorable conditions with inadequate nutrition and veterinary care for many years. Then when owners realize they are not equipped to take care of a big cat or no longer want them, the burden to house and care for these big cats falls upon sanctuaries. This is not the solution; it does not address the inhumane treatment of the cats nor the public safety issues."

Facts:

• There have been more than 700 dangerous incidents in the U.S. involving tigers, lions, and cougars, including hundreds of human injuries, maulings and deaths. In many cases, the animals were shot and killed, often by first responders who are not trained to deal with these situations. The most dramatic example was an October 2011 incident in Zanesville, Ohio, in which a private exotic animal owner released 38 big cats near a populated area, requiring law enforcement to kill the cats—and risk their own lives—for the sake of public safety.
• Big cats are wild animals and suffer when kept as pets. They are often purchased as babies, and private owners typically are not able to manage them once they're fully grown. Consequently, the animals are frequently left to languish in grossly substandard conditions and often deprived of sufficient space, adequate veterinary care, a nutritious diet and enrichment.
• It is standard procedure for some roadside zoos to separate babies from their mothers so they can charge the public to pet and play with the cubs. This is an inhumane and unhealthy practice that can cause lifelong physical and psychological problems—or even death—for the cubs. Young cats, who very quickly outgrow their usefulness in the cub handling industry, end up warehoused at substandard "zoos," sold into the exotic pet trade or possibly even killed and sold for parts—all while a vicious cycle of constant breeding churns out more babies to be exploited.

Media Contacts:

• Big Cat Rescue: Susan Bass, Susan.Bass@BigCatRescue.org, 813-431-2720
• Born Free USA: Rodi Rosensweig, TheRodiCompany@gmail.com, 203-270-8929
• Humane Society Legislative Fund / Humane Society of the United States Thaisi Da Silva, tdasilva@humanesociety.org, 301-258-1497
• International Fund for Animal Welfare: Abby Berman, abby@rosengrouppr.com, 212-255-8455

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Big Cat Rescue is one of the largest accredited sanctuaries in the world devoted to rescuing and providing a permanent home for abused and abandoned exotic cats. Located in Tampa, Fla., Big Cat Rescue is home to approximately 80 exotic cats, most of whom were abandoned by owners who mistakenly thought they made good pets, abused, seized by authorities, orphaned or retired from performing acts. The sanctuary’s dual mission is to provide the best possible home for the cats in our care and to educate the public about the plight of big cats in captivity and in the wild. www.BigCatRescue.org

Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic "pets," trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of "compassionate conservation": the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free's mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.

IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare): Founded in 1969, IFAW rescues and protects animals around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on social @action4ifaw and Facebook/IFAW.

Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and U.S. Congressional Resolution call for an end to the killing

WASHINGTON (March 31, 2017)—As Japan’s whaling fleet docked today in Shimonoseki, Japan, on its return from its controversial ‘scientific whaling’ in the waters around Antarctica, Humane Society International and the Humane Society Legislative Fund called for an end to the cruelty of harpooning whales. Members of the U.S. Congress are also set to condemn the killing, with a resolution due to be introduced calling for an end to Japanese whaling.

The four-vessel fleet consists of the 8,145-ton Nisshin Maru (the world’s only whaling factory ship) and three smaller ‘catcher vessels’ used primarily to chase and kill the whales. The holds of the vessels contain meat and blubber stripped from the bodies of 333 minke whales frozen and pre-packed for sale in the Japanese marketplace. This number of minke whales taken is the full quota that Japan issued to itself in the multi-year whaling programme that it named NEWREPA. This whaling programme started in 2015 and is set to run for 12 successive years—making a total kill of almost 4,000 of these small baleen whales.

Whales are the largest animals on the planet and there is no humane way to kill them—whalers on a moving ship, in a moving sea, attempting to hit a moving target, chase down the animals with an explosive-tipped harpoon that explodes inside the animals and sinks barbs into their flesh. Most whales do not die instantaneously and may take considerable time to die, after being subjected to more harpoons or peppered with rifle fire.

Kitty Block, executive vice president of HSI, said: "Each year that Japan persists with its discredited scientific whaling is another year where these wonderful animals are needlessly sacrificed. It is an obscene cruelty in the name of science that must end. There is no robust scientific case for slaughtering whales. Commercial whaling in this or any other disguise does not meet any pressing human needs and should be relegated to the annals of history."

While Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which founded the International Whaling Commission, allows for member nations like Japan to kill whales for scientific investigations, it is widely accepted that Japan’s science is only a pretext for an ongoing commercial hunt, an activity banned by the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling agreed in 1982. Despite this ban, Japan has killed more than 15,000 whales since 1982, finding itself at the centre of global criticism that has included:

• A damning court case at the International Court of Justice which told Japan to desist;
• Various formal international rebukes, including most recently a formal statement of concern from all EU nations issued in January 2017 and being certified four times under the U.S. Pelly Amendment for diminishing the effectiveness of the IWC’s conservation measures and
• Consistent scientific criticism of the “research” associated with the whale killing.

The most recent initiative to push back against Japan’s inhumane and unscientific whale hunts is a resolution to be introduced in the U.S. Congress by Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz. The resolution urges Japan to cease all whaling and affirms the commitment of the U.S. government to protect whales. The resolution further stresses that methods used to kill whales can cause these animals to suffer tremendously and that international cooperation is necessary to successfully conserve and protect whales.

Michael Markarian, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, said: "For far too long, Japan has circumvented the ban on commercial whaling and when the suffering and death of so many whales is at stake, that status quo can’t be tolerated. There remains no justification whatsoever for these hunts."

Media contacts:

HSI (United Kingdom): Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org, +44 (0)7989 972 423

HSI/HSLF (Washington DC, USA): Raul Arce-Contreras: rcontreras@humanesociety.org, + 1 240.620.3263

Background

The EU Statement about Japanese whaling of January 17th 2017 (published on the IWC website here) raises various concerns and concludes ‘The EU member states of the ICRW strongly request that the Government of Japan cancels the Special Permits it has issued to conduct whaling under NEWREP-A’. Special Permits are the documents that describe the self-allocated quota.

In March 2014, the ICJ rejected Japan's claim that its whaling programme in Antarctica (Southern Ocean) was for scientific purposes and ordered an immediate halt to the program. Japan initially indicated that it would obey the ruling, but then announced it would resume whaling in the Southern Ocean with a new whaling programme that - in its view - would take into account the detail of the ICJ’s ruling.

At the 2014 meeting of the IWC, the Commission called on Japan not to launch any new special permit whaling until the IWC had had the opportunity to review the new proposal. However, Japan ignored this and duly developed its new scientific whaling programme—NEWREP-A. In February 2015, an independent expert panel of the IWC found that Japan had not made its case for killing whales for science.

In May 2015, Japan presented NEWREP-A to the IWC’s full Scientific Committee which includes scientists working for the Japanese Government. Inevitably, it returned a mixed verdict. That said, many scientists agreed with the key finding of the IWC’s independent panel, reaffirming the view that Japan’s argument for killing whales on scientific grounds was weak.

In October 2015, Japan made a declaration to the United Nations that it would no longer be bound by ICJ jurisdiction regarding living marine resources. This allows Japan to sidestep the ruling or any future rulings of the UN’s highest court just after the country had been given a temporary seat on the UN Security Council.

On Friday 27th November 2015, Japan quietly issued notice to IWC member nations that it would implement NEWREP-A and return to whale killing in the Southern Ocean, and in December 2015, the Japanese whaling fleet resumed whaling in Antarctica, killing its full self-allocated quota of 333 minke whales. (This is in addition to its ongoing whaling in the North Pacific where it killed an additional 90 sei whales, 25 Bryde's whales, 70 minke whales).

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

WASHINGTON (March 30, 2017)—The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund are expressing disappointment that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that manatees in the United States and South America will no longer be listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act and will instead be considered threatened.

"USFWS is required to use the best available science in making ESA listing decisions, and we are deeply concerned that this rulemaking did not take recent manatee die-offs into account," said Sharon Young, Marine Issues Field Director for The Humane Society of the United States. "The reduced status means reduced protection: boat speed limits in manatee habitat may be lifted even though the death toll from boat collisions is still increasing annually. Access to sufficient warm water in winter can be limited, risking even more cold-related deaths. Lower priority might be given to funding research into the causes and prevention of deaths due to toxic red tides and other habitat related threats that have also increased in the past decade.

In comments submitted to the agency, the HSUS opposed the decrease in ESA protection unless or until the human-related threats are better understood and controlled. We were also shocked that, in addition to Florida manatees, manatees in the wider Caribbean will also lose this key protection. Their populations are even smaller than the Florida population and even less is known about their status."

Media Contact: Anna West, awest@hslf.org, 240-751-2669

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Millions of dollars funneled to agribusiness trade groups instead of going to help family farmers

WASHINGTON (March 28, 2017)—Members of the House and Senate called on the Congress to prevent USDA and agribusiness trade groups—including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producer’s Council—from diverting tens of millions of dollars a year to salaries, lobbying and other inappropriate and impermissible activities through the national check-off programs. Taxes imposed on farmers and collected by the federal government are supposed to be spent to help farmers and promote their commodities, but vast sums instead go to allow NCBA and others to engage in advocacy or anticompetitive activities that hurt small farmers. This legislation is backed by leading conservative, animal welfare and farming organizations, and fits in with President Trump’s promise to stop waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.

In a show of the ideological spectrum backing this legislation, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation in their chamber, while Reps. Dave Brat (R-VA) and Dina Titus (D-NV), introduced similar legislation in the House. The companion bills, labeled the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act (H.R. 1753 / S. 741), would be ideally suited for action during consideration of the 2017-2018 farm bill.

The OFF Act would strengthen checkoff program prohibitions against engaging in government policy advocacy, conflicts of interest or anticompetitive activities that harm other commodities or consumers. The bill is backed by farmers, animal welfare advocates and pro-market think tanks.

Established as generic promotion mechanisms for specific agricultural goods, checkoff programs constitute a half a billion dollar levy on farmers, many of whom are dismayed at mounting evidence that D.C. lobbying groups use their dollars to benefit the biggest agricultural interests to the detriment of smaller producers who value traditional husbandry and higher animal welfare standards.

"The USDA’s commodity checkoff programs are supposed to work for all farmers and ranchers, but they’ve been taken over by the largest corporate interests," said Mike Callicrate, owner of Ranch Direct Foods and member of The Humane Society of the United States’ National Agriculture Advisory Council. "America’s farmers are forced to fund them, and yet we have no say in how our dollars are utilized. I thank Senators Lee and Booker and Representatives Brat and Titus for introducing these important bills to hold checkoff programs accountable to the people who are subsidizing them."

A briefing held today in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center was cohosted by The Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank, and the Organization for Competitive Markets, a non-profit research and advocacy foundation focusing on antitrust and trade policy in agriculture. Presenters included Heritage, OCM president Mike Weaver, OCM founder and cattle producer Fred Stokes, Pennsylvania dairy farmer Brenda Cochran and Missouri Rural Crisis Center executive vice president Rhonda Perry.

"For too long, America’s family farmers have been forced to fund programs that undermine their efforts to preserve rural communities and to use traditional methods of farming," said Joe Maxwell, a Missouri hog farmer and senior political director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "Farmers should have guarantees these programs are working for them, and shouldn’t have their hard earned money going toward a slush fund for big ag."

"This legislation is a show of good faith to America’s farmers, who believe in accountability and government transparency," said Pete Eshelman of Joseph DeCuis Farm and the HSUS National Agriculture Advisory Council. "We deserve to know where our dollars are going. Thanks to Senators Booker and Lee and Representatives Brat and Titus for standing up for open government, free markets and fairness for all farmers."

The Humane Society of the United States and its legislative affiliate, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, strongly support this legislation, which would level the playing field for farmers using more humane agriculture methods and rejecting cruel and dangerous practices such as the extreme confinement of breeding pigs and laying hens. HSUS and HSLF are joined by a coalition of animal welfare groups and more than 60 farm groups.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, jcleveland@hslf.org, (202) 676-2338

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Measure also allows aerial spotting and land-and-shoot killing of grizzly bears on national wildlife refuges in Alaska

WASHINGTON (March 21, 2017)—The U.S. Senate overturned a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that stopped a set of appalling and unsporting hunting methods on national wildlife refuges in Alaska. These cruel and unsporting practices include shooting or trapping whole families of wolves while at their dens with pups, using airplanes to scout for brown and black bears to shoot, trapping bears with steel-jawed leghold traps and wire snares and luring grizzly bears with food to get a point blank kill.

Republicans provided the votes for the measure, which passed by a vote of 52 to 47. The House of Representatives passed similar legislation last month. The bill now goes to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
"What the Senate did today should outrage the conscience of every animal lover in America," said Wayne Pacelle, executive vice president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund and president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "The passage of this bill means that we’ll see wolf families killed at their dens, bears chased down by planes or suffering for hours in barbaric steel-jawed traps or snares."

This legislation blocks the administration from ever issuing a similar rule on this topic, leaving the authority to prohibit these egregious trophy hunting methods solely in the hands of Congress.

While the backers of the measure claimed this was a state’s rights issue, a recent poll by Remington Research Group found that Alaska voters oppose these inhumane and unsporting methods by a 2-1 margin, and many Alaskans voiced support for the rule during the extensive public comment period. Wildlife biologists have roundly condemned Alaska’s inhumane and unsporting hunting practices.

These are federal public lands supported by all Americans who greatly value these iconic and majestic wildlife, and with today’s vote, the Senate undid a rule years in the works that was launched by professional wildlife scientists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The practices in question are disallowed in almost every state, yet Congress has made it clear these inhumane practices will once again be used in national wildlife refuges in Alaska—the one category of federal lands specifically created to protect wildlife and promote the diversity of species.

The HSUS, which aired a related television commercial in the Washington, D.C., area, urged lawmakers to oppose the resolution.

The HSLF and HSUS, along with 70 other groups, including Alaskans for Wildlife, Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Friends of Alaska Wildlife Refuges, Lynn Canal Conservation, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Oasis Earth, Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance, Sierra Club—Alaska Chapter and the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council opposed H.J. Res. 69. Last year, a group of more than 50 scientists sent a letter to Congress in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule.

Media Contact: Anna West, awest@humanesociety.org, 301-258-1518

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (March 13, 2017)—A group of senior Republican and Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee reintroduced the nation’s first-ever general federal animal cruelty bill – the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, H.R. 1494. Sponsored by Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the PACT Act would empower the FBI and U.S. Attorneys to prosecute animal abuse cases that cross state lines, affect interstate commerce, or occur on federal property. The bill was introduced with 11 other original cosponsors: Reps. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, Tom Marino, R-Pa., Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, Trent Franks, R-Ariz., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

All 50 states have felony penalties for malicious cruelty to animals. This legislation would complement the states’ anti-cruelty laws in the same way that the federal animal fighting statute complements the 50 state animal fighting laws, providing an additional tool to be employed when extreme animal cruelty occurs on federal property or otherwise in interstate commerce.

The PACT Act closes a loophole in the federal Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010, which already prohibits the trade in obscene “crush” videos that show the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling, or other heinous abuse of live animals, but does not prohibit the underlying acts of abuse if no video is created. The PACT Act would close that gap by allowing for the criminal prosecution of those same extreme acts of animal cruelty when they occur in interstate or foreign commerce, regardless of whether a video is produced. The bill has been endorsed by more than 200 sheriffs and police departments in 36 states and national groups including the National Sheriffs’ Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

The Senate passed this common sense legislation last year, but the House did not take up the companion measure, despite the bill having attracted more than 250 cosponsors.

"It’s long past time that Congress empowers the FBI and U.S. Attorneys to deal with malicious and deviant cruelty on federal property or that crosses state lines," said Wayne Pacelle, executive vice president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund and president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "We know there is a well-documented link between animal abuse and other forms of violent behavior, and this legislation is a tool to combat this violence when we get a first look at it."

Media Contact: Anna West, awest@humanesociety.org, 301-258-1518

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Bill also shines a light on brutal trade in China and South Korea

WASHINGTON (March 10, 2017)—U.S. Representatives Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., Dave Trott, R-Mich. and Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., have introduced legislation to ban the dog and cat meat trade in the United States, earning applause from Humane Society International, The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund. The bill, the Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act of 2017, would amend the U.S Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the slaughter and trade of dogs and cats for human consumption, and would provide penalties for individuals involved in the dog or cat meat trade.

HSI is one of the leading organizations campaigning across Asia to end the dog meat trade that sees around 30 million dogs a year killed for human consumption. It’s a trade that subjects dogs to horrifying treatment and raises serious human health concerns for traders and consumers alike, all for a type of meat that relatively few people eat on a regular basis. Similar problems face an untold number of cats. In the United States, the dog and cat meat industry is limited. The new bill will prevent domestic trade and imports, and serve as an important symbol of unity with countries and regions such as Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan that have dog meat bans in place.

Kelly O’Meara, director of companion animals and engagement for HSI, said: “The dog and cat meat trade is immensely cruel, so much so that many Asian countries have bans in place. This bill prevents the dog and cat meat trade from taking hold in the United States, but it also shines a spotlight on those countries where this brutal industry is not yet outlawed and where action is desperately needed.”

O’Meara adds: “Through our work in China, South Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia, we are urging policy makers to take decisive steps to end the trade. A similar law here in the United States would show important solidarity with those that have already enacted bans and inspire more to join the cause. We applaud Congressmen Hastings, Buchanan, Trott and Boyle for introducing this bill and their commitment to ending this brutal trade.”

Last year, and again this year, Congressman Hastings introduced a Congressional Resolution condemning China’s Yulin dog meat festival. Dog meat traders in China launched the festival in 2010 to increase sales, but popular outcry, both internationally and within China, has dramatically reduced the scope of the festival that takes place every year during the summer solstice. HSI and its Chinese partner groups have been on the ground every year to uncover the cruelty of the festival, and to stop the illegal transport of dogs into Yulin. Last year, HSI and its local partners rescued 170 dogs and cats from slaughterhouses on the outskirts of Yulin and transported them to the US, UK and Canada for adoption.

“Many people would be shocked to learn that it is still legal to slaughter dogs and cats for the purpose of human consumption in 44 states,” said Congressman Hastings. “This legislation will prohibit these practices and unify the animal cruelty laws across our country by explicitly prohibiting the slaughter and consumption of our most beloved companions. I am proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight against these cruel and inhumane practices.”

Facts:

• In China, HSI works alongside Chinese groups to rescue dogs from trucks bound for the dog meat markets, uncover the immense cruelty that takes place at the slaughterhouses, and draw attention to the plight of the animals.
• In South Korea, thousands of dog farms throughout the country rear an estimated 2.5 million dogs each year for human consumption. HSI has worked with six farmers since 2015 to shut down their farms and rescue 770 dogs. By helping farmers transition into humane trades, HSI is demonstrating that a government-led dog meat farm phase out is possible and desired by many farmers in the industry.

For more information visit hsi.org/dogmeat

Media Contact: Raúl Arce-Contreras, rcontreras@humanesociety.org, 301-721-6440

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

WASHINGTON (December 10, 2016)—The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, S. 1831, earning praise from The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund. As the first-ever general federal animal cruelty bill, the PACT Act builds on the federal animal crush video law enacted in 2010, which banned the creation, sale and distribution of obscene videos that show animals being crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or subjected to other forms of heinous cruelty. The PACT Act, introduced by Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., will prohibit those same extreme acts of animal cruelty when they occur in interstate or foreign commerce, regardless of whether a video is produced, and those convicted of such abuse will face federal felony charges, fines and up to seven years in prison.

Although the House is now out of session, a parallel bill introduced by Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, Ted Deutch, D-Fla., Tom Marino, R-Pa., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., has earned bipartisan support with more than 250 cosponsors. This legislation is also endorsed by 200 law enforcement agencies across the country. Few bills in the Congress have this level of bipartisan support.

Wayne Pacelle, executive vice president of HSLF, said: “It’s long past time that Congress lets the FBI and U.S. Attorneys deal with particularly malicious and deviant acts of cruelty on federal property or that cross state lines—especially given the well-documented link between animal abuse and other forms of violent behavior. The Senate passage is a strong indicator of enormous bipartisan support, and we urge the Congress to take up this measure early in the new year and fortify the legal framework against cruelty in the United States.”

At a time when our nation is divided, opposition to animal cruelty is one of the ideas that unites us. Our nation should have a zero tolerance policy for malicious cruelty, and the PACT Act complements the work of the states in rooting out malicious mistreatment of animals.

Media Contact: John Cleveland, (202) 676-2338, jcleveland@hslf.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.