Ohio's Issue 2, Round 2
Published February 08, 2010 @ 10:10AM PT
The passage of Issue 2 in Ohio last November was a setback for animal welfare advocates, not to mention agricultural animals themselves.
Issue 2 created a Livestock Care Standards Board composed of political appointees, with sweeping powers to control how livestock is treated on Ohio farms. Political appointments often lead to political patronage, raising the concern that seats on the Livestock Board would likely go to whichever factory farming shills ponied up the most campaign dollars.
Legal Rights for Animals: Will Switzerland Remain Neutral?
Published February 07, 2010 @ 12:00PM PT
Next month, Swiss voters will decide whether domesticated animals should get lawyers. If a referendum passes, each district will appoint a public defender for animals. And not just companion animals; farm animals would have a right to legal representation, too.
Predictably, farmers and government officials are against the proposal, but animal activists collected enough signatures to get it on the ballot. The "No to the Useless Animal Lawyers' Initiative" (yes, that's actually the name of group) said, "Animal rights advocates are useless to animals. They can't prevent animal abuse because they only get involved after it has been perpetrated."
Legal Rights for Animals: The Debate
Published February 06, 2010 @ 12:00PM PT
To some people, the question of "owner" vs. "guardian" is one of how much they love their pets. You don't say you "own" your children, so if you consider your pets as members of the family, it doesn't feel right to "own" them either, right?
Except it's more than a matter of choosing words that reflect how you feel about animals. These words are loaded with legal implications. When you "own" something, you have a lot more leeway to treat it however you like. Although that's not quite true with animals because there are animal welfare laws that provide certain protections for the living creatures we "own."
Sea Otters in Danger of Foreclosure
Published February 05, 2010 @ 06:15PM PT
It's not an easy time to be a marine mammal off the coast of California. First, a sea lion was robbed at gunpoint; shot in the face for allegedly stealing fish from a fisherman (the man was charged with felony animal cruelty, and the sea lion is currently recovering at the Mammal Marine Center.) Now, shellfish and urchin industries want to take away the home — and food — of endangered sea otters.
The complaint is that sea otters are eating into the supply for these multi-million dollar industries. One of the reasons these industries exist is because sea otters were nearly driven to extinction by the fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Now that the marine mammal population has rebounded a little bit (to around 2,800 off the California coast, which is far more stable than the estimated 20 less than a century ago, but not even close to the original 18,000), the fisherman want their heyday back.
Puppy Bowl VI
Published February 05, 2010 @ 02:00PM PT
Animal Planet's answer to the Super Bowl is hours of gratuitous footage of puppy playtime. The Puppy Bowl, along with the Kitty Half-time Show, takes place in a football field playpen filled with toys and cameras — including one that gives a water-bowl's-eye-view. It's hosted by veteran broadcaster Jeff Bordner who lends his voice to the instant replays and penalty calls. You may even catch a glimpse of bunny cheerleaders or hamsters.
It's ridiculous ... and ridiculously adorable.
I can hear the alarms ringing throughout the animal community. Animals being used for entertainment, this can't be good!
Debarking Dogs: Putting your Pooch on Mute
Published February 05, 2010 @ 11:53AM PT
Earlier this week, The New York Times ran an article on debarking dogs, a surgery that muffles the sound of a dog's bark.
The U.K. has a legal ban against debarking as a form of mutilation. The American Veterinary Association recommends that the surgery be done only as a last resort to stop an incessant barker, and many veterinarians refuse to debark. But attempts to ban debarking have failed in several states. Why does the dog-loving American culture still debark dogs?
Debarking is a surgical procedure the involves clipping a dog's vocal cords and removing some of them. The surgery is painful and can have serious complications. Scar tissue can build up in a dog's throat, making it difficult for the dog to breathe. This can lead to multiple surgeries for the poor pooch.
Under All That Bling, It's Still a Puppy Mill Dog
Published February 04, 2010 @ 02:00PM PT
I recently learned that a Pawsh Puppies opened in the mall near my childhood home. Since I couldn't bring myself to go anywhere near the store when I was visiting, I thought I'd check out the website. It was pretty much as I expected -- a store that sells expensive accessories for expensive accessory-sized dogs. It's a "luxury dog boutique carrying the latest and trendiest in designer canine couture."
They say their stock of teacup or toy breed puppies (to go along with all of that couture, of course) doesn't come from puppy mills, a claim that's backed up by USDA licenses, as if those (or AKC certifications) are good for anything other than lining cages. Pawsh Puppies is just "simplifying the process of purchasing a puppy from a breeder," including the option to finance your purchase!
