(SHELTER PETS) Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado has signed a bill making shelter animals the state’s official pet. The significant moment appropriately took place at a Denver animal shelter, where Hickenlooper also brought his rescue dog named Sky along for the signing. Unfortunately this positive move was not approved by everyone. Read on to find out why some find the governor’s decision controversial. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL CRUELTY) AUSTRALIA — Many Australian activists may be starting to question how well their government handles disturbingly gruesome acts of animal cruelty. Although the country’s jail sentences for aggravated cruelty towards animals range from 2 to 5 years, the full penalties are rarely invoked, with some abusers getting off without serving any jail time at all. Perhaps the most disturbing knowledge surrounding these issues is the fact that extreme violence towards animals often later manifests in extreme violence toward humans. If the Australian Government sticks to tougher penalties for animal abusers, it could very well diminish the number of severe abuse cases the country faces. Continue reading to find out how Australia has handled specific cases of ruthless cruelty, and to see where the legal problems may be residing. — Global Animal
(CAPTIVE DOLPHINS) Hooray for cetaceans! Late last week, India banned the exploitation of dolphins for entertainment purposes and is now the largest of four countries, including Costa Rica, Hungary, and Chile, to prohibit the practice. In many parts of the world, dolphin shows are big business—which begs the question: what compelled India to make this decision? Due to the dolphin’s high level of intelligence, Indian regulators have deemed the cetaceans as “non-human persons” with specific rights and freedoms. Read on for more about this compassionate piece of legislation, which is a major step in the right direction. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL WELFARE) Due to strong public outrage, hen cages were expected to be a thing of the past by now as most people realize how awful and debilitating the condition of a cramped metal cage can be for these poor chickens who are forced to spend their entire lives in captivity. But instead of listening to their consumers, the chicken/egg industries are pushing legislation that would allow “furnished” cages. PETA writes, “the United Egg Producers industry is pushing federal legislation that would trade one cruel metal cage for another, and their bill could never be challenged or changed by state law or public vote…Misleadingly named ‘furnished’ cages can house as many as 60 birds.” Many animal welfare groups are settling for this compromise arguing that a bigger cage is better than a small cage. Unfortunately, even though the dimensions of the metal cell may change, the cramped, claustrophobic conditions of being housed with too many other chickens remains the same. Watch the video below for more information and find out how you can get involved. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL CRUELTY) Apparently getting your pet tattooed and pierced is an actual thing now. It’s a big enough problem that assembly member Linda Rosenthal is working on implementing legislation that would prevent irresponsible guardians from inflicting such reckless pain on their pets. Linda Rosenthal said, “There are hundreds upon hundreds of Youtube videos and websites that show animals that have studs in their ears, tattoos on their backs, and it’s really horrifying…I want to make it a criminal offense.” Read on to find out about this cruel phenomenon and other laws that will prevent animal cruelty. — Global Animal
(FARM) Ag-gag bills that criminalize whistleblowing on factory farms are sweeping the nation. Five states have already implemented these types of laws with many others considering similar legislation. Undercover investigations on farms and slaughterhouses have played a crucial role in exposing animal abuse in the agricultural industry, yet these same investigations have been criticized for manipulating footage ultimately harming farm owners and workers. Read on to learn about the many different points that are being argued for both sides of the ag-gag discussion. — Global Animal
(CELEBRITY ACTIVISM) This past week, president of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Wayne Pacelle appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss Ag Gag bills. Both Pacelle and DeGeneres called attention to the horrors behind factory farming and asked viewers to recognize how Ag Gag laws would keep farming operations in the dark. If these bills are put into effect, both the treatment of animals and the quality of food could drastically deteriorate. Continue reading to find out more on what Ellen is doing to fight these Ag Gag bills. — Global Animal
(POLITICS) The federal government is implementing a new livestock identification program to streamline the process of tracking and investigating cases of disease in livestock. This new system will help agriculture and health officials track the transportation of animals and quickly establish quarantines and other preventative measures to control the spread of disease. Ranchers and farmers are expected to mostly use ID ear tags which will also benefit companies who want to be able to trace back where their food came from. Continue reading for more on the new federal legislation and one rancher’s response to this new program. — Global Animal
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