For this bill to pass, it must first pass through this committee, and then through the full Senate. Time is running out in this legislative session and Senator Steele has already killed three bills to crack down on dog fighting. We need to put a lot of pressure on Senator Steele and other members of the Senate to do the right thing.

As you may know, last year brought the largest dog fighting ring bust in Indiana history right in Steele’s district. We can’t allow the cruelty of animal fighting to continue in our state.

HB1258 will make it a felony to be a spectator at a dog fight and add it to the RICO statute making it easier to combat dog fighting in Indiana.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO:
If you live in Senator Steele’s district, call his office TODAY and ask him to hear the bill and pass it as written.

Phone#: 1.800.382.9467

If you are not in Steele’s district, you can contact your Senator and say the following:

“Hello, my name is _________________ and I am a constituent of Senator _____________’s from _________________ (city/town). HB 1258, the animal fighting bill, passed the House and is now awaiting a hearing in the Senate Committee on Corrections, Criminal, and Civil Matters. I would like to request that Senator ______________ please do all she/he can to assure that Senator Steele give this important bill a hearing. Thank You.”

If you’re not sure who represents you, follow this link: http://action.humanesociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=electedOfficials

This past week, the animal bill, HB 1258, passed out of committee with a strong bi-partisan vote of 11-0.

There were some minor changes to the bill while it was in committee, but it still addresses pet store posting/disclosure, dog fighting, and shelter for horses that is free of standing water. The latter was added as an amendment. You can read the full language of the bill here.

Next, the bill will have to pass through the full Indiana House of Representatives before going to the Senate. We will post on our blog to let you know when we will need to start making phone calls to legislators again.

For now, take a quick minute to call the members of the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee and thank them for voting in favor of HB 1258. Your call doesn’t need to be long to make a big impact. Here is a template for what to say:

“Hello, my name is_______________. I am calling to thank Rep___________ for voting in favor of HB 1258, a bill to protect Indiana’s animals. I hope that Rep___________ will continue to support this bill as it moves through the process. Thank you again.”

Names and phone numbers of committee members to call:
Chair – Rep Pierce – 317-232-9647
Rep Dvorak – 317-234-9290
Rep Dembowski – 317-232-9676
Rep Porter – 317-232-9634
Rep Smith – 317-234-9016
Rep Tincher – 317-232-9999
Rep Koch – 317-232-9793
Rep Clements – 317-234-3827
Rep Foley – 317-232-9815
Rep Steuerwald – 317-232-9677
Rep Truitt – 317-234-3827

The bill has now entered the Senate Committee on Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters. Because of the great success of the bill in the House, the pro-breeding lobby (including Indiana Farm Bureau, Pet Breeders Association and the Amish puppy millers) has begun to meet in great numbers to try to kill this bill in the committee. It is vital that animal lovers contact the members of this committee to let them know that you support HB 1468 and to encourage them to do the same. You can call any of them at (317)232-9400 or (800)382-9467. The committee members are as follows:

Brent Steele, Committee Chair
Mike Young, R.M.
Richard Bray
Mike Delph
Randy Head
Brent Waltz
John Waterman
Lindel Hume R.M.M.
Tim Lanane
Karen Tallian
Greg Taylor

Despite what some may claim or even believe, this bill does not affect small, responsible breeders. You can read the full bill at http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2009/HB/HB1468.1.html

Indiana House Bill 1468 passed through committee yesterday and is entering a vote in the House of Representatives in the next week. It is important that everyone contact their representative to let them know that you support HB 1468 because it will strengthen what is now a very weak animal cruelty code and will help put a stop to puppy mills in the state.

If you are not sure who your representative is or how to contact them, go to http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/

Although emails help, we strongly encourage you to take the time to call your representative. Calls are always brief. You will need to identify yourself as an individual from the representatives district and tell them you want them to support HB 1468.

Please act now and pass on to your own network of family, friends and coworkers! Your House Representative needs to know that you want to put an end to puppy mills and animal cruelty in Indiana.

To read the full bill, go to http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2009/HB/HB1468.1.html

(Sept. 23, 2008) – The Humane Society of the United States applauds U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) for introducing legislation today to combat “wildlife penning”— fenced enclosures where wild animals are ripped apart by packs of dogs in competitive animal fights. The Wildlife Penning Prohibition Act of 2008, H.R. 6988, would amend the Lacey Act to prohibit the interstate transport of animals used in wildlife penning.

In this staged animal combat, dogs with numbers painted on their sides are judged on how quickly they pursue fenced-in wildlife, usually foxes and coyotes. Scored trials in wildlife pens sometimes last for days with the dogs ripping apart and killing many of the captive animals. In a recent multi-state sting, federal and state authorities uncovered the interstate smuggling of thousands of animals to stock these enclosures.

“The grisly practice of trapping and selling animals to be used as ‘live bait’ in fenced enclosures is not only inhumane, but also could spread diseases across state lines,” said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States. “We are grateful to Congressman Holt for introducing this important animal protection bill that protects native wildlife from being used in gruesome animal fights.”

“The practice of fox penning is inhumane and unsportsmanlike,” said Rep. Holt. “The foxes and coyotes captured for these purposes are mistreated from the moment they are trapped to the moment they are torn apart by dogs in an escape-proof enclosure. I have introduced H.R. 6988 to stop this practice by outlawing the transport of animals for the purposes of fox penning.”

The appalling practice of wildlife penning begins when wildlife are caught in the steel jaws of a leghold trap and suffer excruciating pain. The wild animals are removed from the traps and packed into a cage with other injured animals. A recent investigation revealed that coyotes and foxes are shipped hundreds of miles in cramped cages with no access to food or water. Some animals die on the trip. Those who survive are bought by wildlife pen owners.

Facts:

* The import of foxes and coyotes to stock enclosures is illegal in many states. The Indiana Natural Resources Commission unanimously voted in July to stop the live trapping of coyotes in that state for transport to wildlife pens.
* During the recent interstate investigation, in Alabama alone 18 individuals were charged in connection to smuggling foxes and coyotes for sale to wildlife pens. Authorities brought charges against wildlife pen operators and trappers in half a dozen other states.
* Studies have found that transporting live, wild animals for penning purposes has directly led to the spread of rabies and other diseases dangerous to wildlife, pets and people.
* The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the American Veterinary Medical Association have encouraged regulations against the transporting of wildlife for penning purposes.

The HSUS works to stop wildlife abuse across the country. Visit humanesociety.org/wildlifeabuse for more information.

This is great! Sure, San Marino may be a small nation with little-to-no international influence, but they are a prime example of what can be accomplished when compassionate citizens take action. Although the media has paid no attention to this story, I predict that one day San Marino will be remembered and honored as the nation that first banned the morally corrupt and scientifically bankrupt practice of animal testing.

All that is left to say is thanks, San Marino, you’ve given hope to the world.

The Pet Safety and Protection Act is in danger! This act prohibits experimentation facilities from buying dogs and cats from Class B dealers. It was passed as an amendment to the Farm Bill by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, as the Senate and the House work out differences between their bills, animal experimenters are pressuring Congress to drop the pet-safety provisions altogether.

Class B animal dealers, also known as “random source dealers,” often acquire animals through theft and deception and are known to sell lost and stolen cats and dogs to laboratories.

Please contact your senator today and ask him/her to keep the Pet Safety and Protection Act in the Farm Bill.

from PETA

Animal rights group at odds with circus, village [Chicago Heights Star]
A national animal rights group is calling on Steger lawmakers to ban devices they say are used to inflict pain on elephants in time for this week’s performance by Carson & Barnes Circus.

Cockfighting on Web Enters Legal Arena [Washington Post]
One evening last week, two roosters in a ring surrounded by cheering spectators pecked and clawed one another in a fight to the death. With each lunge, feathers flew, then floated to the ground. Finally, one bloodied bird, its eyes plucked out, lurched and faltered.

New Texas Animal Cruelty Laws Take Effect In September [KFOX-TV]
Beginning this September, you can expect some new laws when it comes to your four-legged friends.

Zoos kill healthy tigers for the skin trade [The Sunday Times, UK]
Zoos are killing healthy tigers and other endangered species and selling their skins to be stuffed and mounted as trophies for private collectors, an investigation has found.

Gene-spliced mice fuel rise in animal testing [Reuters, UK]
The number of scientific experiments on animals in Britain rose 4 percent in 2006, driven by increased use of genetically-altered mice, the government said on Monday.

Texas Turtles Ending up in China Soup Pots [ENN]
Growing up in East Texas, Dian Avriett loved to watch the turtles sunning on the banks of local rivers and lakes. But now she says it’s rare to see them on those same waterways, and the reason is clear — China’s taste for Texas turtle meat.

Stray Pets: A Complex Problem [NPR]
Several million dogs and cats are put to death in U.S. animal shelters each year. Spay and neuter programs are having some impact in some areas, but solving the overpopulation problem tests the resources of activists and animal-control officials. Audio

Calling Cruelty a ‘Cultural Trait’ Doesn’t Excuse It [NPR]
Allegations that NFL star Michael Vick took an active role in an illegal dogfighting ring, coupled with video of severe treatment of ducks and geese in the foie gras industry, lead to a conclusion: It’s hard to excuse cruelty by calling it a cultural trait. Audio

The steer who escaped into our conscience [Newsday]
“Moo,” as he came to be nicknamed, represented the fiery spirit of independence even domesticated animals still harbor. He broke free in a bid for liberation, impressed the public and was rewarded with sanctuary in the end.

Will Potter Posts Updated Analysis of Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act [GreenIsTheNewRed.com]
I finally got around to posting my updated analysis of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and posted a new pdf file that you can download as well.

UCSF Primate Research Is Target Of Watchdog Group [KTVU]
Ohio-based Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) has filed an official complaint with the USDA about UCSF and its research practices on primates, the group announced today.

Vineyard shark tournament met with opposition [WPRI]
Groups like the Humane Society of the United States say shark fishing techniques are barbaric and tournaments harm dwindling populations of thresher, blue and mako sharks.

SLC law limits picketing, but legal challenges sure to come [Salt Lake Tribune]
After abbreviated debate, the council voted 5-2 to make it illegal to demonstrate within 100 feet of private residences in Utah’s capital.

Animal group backs ACT’s proposed caged egg ban [ABC Rural]
Animal Liberation hopes a Bill to ban battery egg production in the ACT will set a precedent for other states.

Livestock contractor for rodeo sued [The State Journal-Register]
Saying that bulls were jabbed and electrically shocked at last summer’s rodeo, Steve Hindi, president of Geneva-based Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, on Friday sued Johnson & Jordan Rodeos LLC, which provided animals for the 2006 event. Johnson & Jordan is scheduled to do the same for this year’s weeklong rodeo, which begins Sunday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Red panda escapes from Zoo exhibit again [Yahoo! News]
Virginia Zoo officials on Monday began trimming the landscaping around a new red panda exhibit after the animal escaped for the second time in less than a month.

In Speech, Sen. Byrd Denounces Enthusiasts of Dogfighting [Washington Post]
“I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God’s creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt,” he said.

NOTE: I have purposefully left out any news coverage of the Michael Vick indictment. The reason is because I am working on a separate post for that issue… and its not exactly hard to find coverage of it.

Not Everything is Kosher at So-Called Kosher Slaughterhouse [Infoshop News]
Earlier this week PETA filed a formal complaint with Sheridan County Attorney Jamian Simmons asking her to prosecute the Rubashkin-owned Local Pride kosher slaughterhouse in Gordon for apparent violations of Nebraska’s cruelty-to-animals statute. PETA’s complaint follows a two-day undercover investigation.

California spay-neuter bill shelved [Sacramento Bee]
Legislation to require statewide spaying or neutering of dogs and cats was shelved Wednesday after receiving a chilly reception by a Senate committee.

United Poultry Concerns Needs Your Support [UPC]
In the fall, UPC must pay for substantial sanctuary repairs. Much of the fencing and other sanctuary structures, installed in 1998, when we moved our headquarters & chicken sanctuary to Machipongo, VA, need replaced & fixed at an estimated cost of $4000 to $5000 in all.

Police need information to find New Braunfels Animal Shelter vandals [KENS 5]
One year ago this weekend, the New Braunfels Humane Society suffered a huge loss when burglars ransacked the building and killed several animals. The mess is gone but the memories of the brutal crime are vivid, and now, a large reward is being offered for information about the crime.

Animal rights activist challenges VA incumbent [ Frederickburg Free Lance-Star]
Kincheloe said she decided to run for the House seat because otherwise, Orrock would be running unopposed, and she believes there should be more competition in politics.

Proposed law to decide pet custody in divorce cases [The Electric New Paper]
According to ABC News, a proposed Wisconsin state law aims to make judges think about the family pet when deciding divorces and annulments.

U.S. Confirms Low-Risk Bird Flu in Virginia Turkeys [ENN]
None of the birds became ill but 54,000 were being slaughtered as a precaution, said Dr. John Clifford of USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

Palm Oil Firms Burning Indonesia Forests [ENN]
Palm oil companies are burning peat forests to clear land for plantations in Indonesia’s Riau province, despite government pledges to end forest fires, environment group Greenpeace said on Thursday.

Tournament organizers dismiss animal rights campaign [Cape Cod Times]
Organizers of the Monster Shark Tournament say a national campaign by animal rights activists is having no impact. However, blue sharks and tiger sharks are off the list of acceptable catches for the tournament, which begins Thursday and ends Saturday. Now, only thresher, mako and porbeagle sharks will count for weigh-in points.

Healthy dogs are being killed [icWhale]
Five ruthless killers in Wales are slaughtering hundreds of healthy racing dogs every year, according to an animal rights group.

China fights back, goes after U.S. meat [Yahoo! News]
China has suspended imports from several major U.S. meat processors, including the world’s largest, in the latest indication the government may be retaliating as its products are turned back from overseas because of safety concerns.

Dead Ocelot Bad News for Falling U.S. Population [ENN]
The unexplained death of a breeding-age ocelot in southeast Texas has brought the endangered cat a step closer to extinction in the United States.