Tag Archives: Animal Cruelty

Quote of the Week: Topic – Foie Gras

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California attorney general Kamala D. Harris has announced she will appeal the horrible recent court ruling that overturned a ban on foie gras. The recent ruling has handed down by a federal judge who apparently has little to no understanding whatsoever of how the birds suffer when force fed with tubes.

So Harris gets a Pack of Compassion Award for working to overturn the federal judge’s poor judgement. Animal cruelty on this level should be illegal, especially when it comes to the production of a delicacy, one that people can certainly do without and end the needless suffering for one more group of animals.

This one is just beyond the pale. Come on. We can draw the line somewhere.

Mercy for Animals founder Nathan Runkle was quoted in a statement –

“In a civilized society, it is our moral obligation to protect all animals, including ducks and other farmed animals, from needless cruelty and violence.”

That statement earns a Quote of Week honor.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Former NFL player charged with animal cruelty

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Multiple media outlets are reporting former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody has been indicted for animal cruelty. The charges involve a dog and the abuse, neglect and illegal possession of an alligator.

Peter Schaffer, Cody’s agent, told Fox Sports, “If this affects at all my client’s ability to get a job, I’m going to do everything in my legal power to protect his rights.”

I get it, Schaffer is defending his client. But what about the welfare of the animals in this case? If he is found guilty and his employment options are limited, it’s no one’s fault but his.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

HSUS leader Wayne Pacelle reviews results for 2014

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In his A Humane Nation blog this week, Humane Society of the United States leader Wayne Pacelle reviewed the organization’s “Top Transformational Results of 2014.”

The list features:

South Dakota becoming the 5oth US state to adopt a felony animal-cruelty law.

It is now a federal crime to attend or bring a child to a dogfight or cockfight.

The truly idiotic and evil “King Amendment” was tossed out of the Farm Bill.

A federal appellate court rightfully overturned a horrible ruling from a lower that might have tossed out the animal crush video law. If I recall, the lower court tried to claim that torturing and brutally killing animals was protected free speech. That’s one for the Moronic Court Ruling Hall of Fame.

So arguably the current leader for the Moronic Court Ruling Hall of Fame is Citizens United.

A number of countries have agreed to end the use of gestation crates for pigs.

Three horse-slaughter plants were blocked from opening this year.

A new U.S. Department of Agriculture rule blocks the importation of puppies for sale. This means at least foreign puppy mills can’t sell here.

Internet sellers of puppy now have to follow USDA guidelines. The HSUS helped to block a legal challenge to this ruling.

Better protections are in place for animals suffering through experiments in labs.

The World Trade Organization is thankfully supporting European Union’s ban on products resulting from the horrific Canadian seal hunts.

The wolf hunts were stopped in Michigan.

New York and New Jersey became the first states to banned the sale of Ivory. This one should become a federal ban.

And Pacelle states the “…  International Court of Justice ruled that Japan’s Southern Ocean whaling program violates the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling’s ban on commercial hunting.”

Read Pacelle’s full rundown at the link above.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Unfounded claim of the day: Farm cruelty is rare

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I just read an editorial on the StarPhoenix website, under the headline: “Animal welfare poses economic consequences.”

The focus is on recent news out of Canada concerning cruelty on factory farms and the animal-welfare movement to improve conditions for the animals.

While the piece is somewhat balanced at times, the writer tosses out this unfounded tidbit:

But make no mistake; farmers are true stewards of the land, and displays of such cruel behaviour toward any farm animal is rare.

Just a few paragraphs above this statement, the writer noted Cargill was moving away from gestation crates. Gestation crates are cruel and not at all rare. So on this single aspect of factory farming alone, how can it be that cruelty is rare?

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Dog spinning is one of the lesser-known acts performed by idiots

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I try to avoid labels and name-calling in debating animal-welfare issues. But there are acts of cruelty, neglect and general clueless behavior that deserve anything we can throw out.

Dog fighting and poaching and bear bile farms and any other cruel examples we can come up with, fall under this category. And I ran across another one this week – dog spinning in Bulgaria.

A group of extremely uneducated and barbaric individuals gather every spring to torture dogs – in an idiotic effort to ward off rabies. This is what can happen when a society doesn’t put enough emphasis on science education.

It seems that the practice of dog spinning was banned several years ago. But these people in at least one town in the country – with less brain function than can be found in a slug – won’t stop the cruelty.

They spin dogs, tied with ropes, over a river or stream and then watch as the terrified dogs fall into the water. Try vaccinations, you idiots. This is 2014, not 1514.

Most likely, however, this is merely an excuse for these people to have fun torturing animals.

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Confusing story out of Arizona, concerning proposed animal-cruelty laws

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I’m not quite sure what to make of an article posted March 11 on the Arizona Daily Sun website – under the headline: “Lawmakers create cruelty exceptions for farm animals.”

The story starts out as reporting the state legislature had created special exceptions in regard to acts of animal cruelty, for farmers and ranchers. (Translated – “factory farms.”)

So apparently two provisions were removed, so that factory farms could be protected. But then we read that one of the provisions removed would have stripped the power from police departments to investigate acts of cruelty on the farms. The power would have completely fallen under the Department of Agriculture.

If that provision had remained, police would not have been able to investigate the abuse of the horses, goats and sheep in back yards. But then the article suggests new language was added to allow police to investigate and alert the Department of Agriculture.

But the we read where:

Also gone is a mandate that anyone with a video, photograph or other evidence of cruelty must turn that over to the Department of Agriculture within five days or risk jail time and a fine.

It seems to me allowing police to investigate animal cruelty on farms and removing ag-gag regulations would be opposed by factory farms and would not be considered as exceptions for factory farms.

The one aspect reported from the new bill that does go easy on farmers is one that set a penalty of six months in jail and a $2,500 fine if the act of abuse is inflected on a farm animal. The article notes:

Existing laws make many forms of abuse of any animal, farm or domestic, a felony with potentially two years in state prison and a $150,000 fine.

But then the articles notes the measure might not gain passage unless the concerns of farmers and ranchers are addressed, as if they are not yet getting any special treatment in the bill.

So is it that the farmers and ranchers want complete immunity from charges if they are found to be abusing animals and do they not even like the lesser charges included in the bill, even though the story seems to indicated they are getting exceptions?

Wow. We need some clarification here.

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Legislation Update: Greyhound racing, puppy mills and animal cruelty

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There has been some positive movement around the map of late, on greyhound racing to animal-cruelty laws.

South Dakota finally joined the ranks of the states with felony animal cruelty laws, becoming the 50th state to enact more serious punishment for severe acts of cruelty to animals.

Thanks to the recent passage of SB 46, cockfighting also becomes a felony in South Dakota and the HSUS reports it is now a felony in 41 states.

GREY2K USA’s Carey Theil reviewed recent legislation on greyhound racing in his Saving Greys blog. Colorado officially banned dog racing this month and West Virginia could cut racing subsidies by 10 percent.

The Iowa State House could hopefully vote soon on a bill to decouple dog racing from the two casinos in the state and in Florida, a bill could help reduce the number of races there. And thankfully, we’re seeing injury reports in Florida that should shine more light on the horrors taking place.

The West Virginia legislation will cut “infrastructure, thoroughbred development, greyhound racing and the racetrack modernization fund” by 10 percent, according to SFGate.com. Thankfully, the bill passed in a big way.

It’s a small step in the right direction But we need to see a complete ban. This most-recent move was prompted by budget concerns. The state could move closer to a balanced budget and end the suffering for the dogs by completely banning dog racing.

In Virginia, at last report, Baily’s Law is only waiting for Governor McAuliffe’s signature. The bill would require pet dealers to reimburse particular veterinary fees within 14 days, for pets they have sold who later require care. And pet stores will be required to reveal the identity of the breeders they use.

Another good step to cut down on puppy mill breeding, but why not ban the sale of pets in stores and why not require breeders across the board to cover veterinary care in cases where a puppy or kitten is found to have genetic problems or health problems that are a result of breeding practices?

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Column about Michael Vick is a dropped pass in the end zone

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Writer Brenda Linck used a blog post on Fan IQ to suggest NFL quarterback Michael Vick, convicted on dog-fighting charges, is a role model.

Maybe, in a stretch, one could suggest he turned his life around – if and only if we see a change going forward for an extended period of time. But at this point, I’m not seeing enough from Vick. What he did was nothing short of horrible.

But Linck went even farther with her column on January 5, stepping into a heaping pile of clueless.

Linck made the following statement:

He ended up serving 21 months in prison. Did the punishment fit the crime? In my opinion, no; He should have served less time.

Actually, 21 months in prison is far too little time for operating a dog-fighting ring and torturing dogs to death. But Linck justifies her opinion by claiming that criminals can serve less time for acts against people. So increase the penalties for these crimes; don’t lessen the punishment for cruelty to animals.

And she says we all make mistakes. Sure, but we don’t all engage in cruelty to animals or people. And those who do should be severely punished. Yes, people can change and turn their lives around. But for this sort of horrible crime, the punishment should come first and then it’s up to the offender to prove him or herself over time.

Linck lost all credibility on this issue, when she suggested Vick’s punishment was too harsh – in comparison to his crime.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Finally, a longer ban on possessing animals in a criminal case – but …

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I finally found a story where someone convicted of animal cruelty received an extended ban on possessing animals. I wish lifetime bans were a regular part of the sentencing, but we’re just not seeing this, except in rare cases.

The only thing about this latest case, where a 20-year ban was imposed, is it in Australia. So the US legal system is this far behind Australia? It should not be.

The Kiama Independent reports the guilty party has been “banned from owning, purchasing, acquiring or caring for any animal for 20 years.”

As reported in the story –

The dog was also in an emaciated body condition, with hair loss and around its rump and thickened skin around its tail and rear legs.

So a single dog was found in this condition and the 20-year ban was imposed. Sure, prison time should have been imposed. But we’ve seen so many cases in the US where the abuse was worse, especially in puppy mills – yet the penalty was much less severe.

I don’t get it.

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Ohio close to passing new animal-cruelty law

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The Ohio House voted Wednesday to approve new legislation to increase the penalty for acts of animal cruelty, specifically making the act of “abusing or torturing a pet to death” a felony – as reported by Cleveland.com. The measure will now move to the State Senate before hopefully being signed into law by the governor.

Those guilty of the fifth-degree felony could get six months to one year in jail.

I wish the penalty involved a longer sentence. And in reading over the text of the HB274, it seems a ban on possessing animals can be left up to the court:

The court also may prohibit or place limitations on the person’s ability to own or care for any companion animals for a specified or indefinite period of time.

It should be a lifetime ban for anyone who abuses or tortures an animal.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic