Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Legislature / Woods Animal Cruelty Legislation Meets Cruel Fate
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 10:23 AM
It's a rite of spring: birds chirp, flowers bloom, and state lawmakers start killing all remaining pieces of progressive legislation. The sponsors have been writhing in agony all session with their bills languishing in committee. Against the odds, they hope they might persuade at least a few of the legislature's many knuckle-draggers to vote yes. It never happens.
This morning, the House Agriculture Committee struck down Rep. Janis Sontany's bill to make cruelty to farm animals a felony instead of a misdemeanor, just like cruelty to pets like cats and dogs. Despite a mighty Scene crusade in favor of this bill, Sontany couldn't even coax a motion for passage out of this committee of hillbillies, much less a second. Our influence over public affairs is overwhelming, isn't it?
The Farm Bureau hated this bill, and the legislature is the lapdog of the Farm Bureau. (No pun intended.) Recall that last week, the committee's Frank Niceley suggested that to stop the suffering of horses, we should eat them.
Comments (14)
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Somehow this doesn't surprise me. Animals are property after all - just like wives.
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Way to go, Tennessee legislature... what a lame disgrace you are. Thanks to Rep. Sontany for her efforts - and you better believe I'm going to be asking my representatives some pointed questions next time they come skulking around asking for MY vote.
I applaud the legislature for this. It just shows that the current misdemeanors aren't being enforced so why do you think a felony will be any different. Here is a question for all you HSUS supporters to ask you local HSUS contact. During the 2008 year the HSUS had contributions and grants of $87,727,035 and only $4,132,077 went to local shelters and animal assistance. But get this employee benefits of HSUS employees were $37,792,786 they had 22 employees make over $100,000 a year. They spent more on advertising $7,860,300 than they did on helping animal shelters and other organizations. They only distribute about 5% of the contributions you members give them to help animals they are frauds plain and simple.
Benjamin's comments are, like so many who attack the HSUS, off-base. An organization with their mission needs capable, high level employees. They aren't primarily about channeling funds to shelters - there are many other organizations who focus on that.
Read the mission of the HSUS, listed below from their website. It's disingenuous to do present the information on their finances, call the HSUS frauds based on how they spend their money without explaining what their mission is.
We work to reduce suffering and to create meaningful social change for animals by advocating for sensible public policies, investigating cruelty and working to enforce existing laws, educating the public about animal issues, joining with corporations on behalf of animal-friendly policies, and conducting hands-on programs that make ours a more humane world. We are the lead disaster relief agency for animals, and we provide direct care for thousands of animals at our sanctuaries and rescue facilities, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and mobile veterinary clinics.
We celebrate pets, as well as wildlife and habitat protection. We are the nation's most important advocate for local humane societies, providing shelter standards and evaluations, training programs, a national advertising campaign to promote pet adoption, direct support, and national conferences. We operate a Humane Wildlife Services program in the D.C. metro area to provide homeowners and businesses with humane and effective solutions to conflicts with our wild neighbors. The HSUS publishes All Animals, a membership magazine, and Animal Sheltering, a bi-monthly magazine for animal sheltering professionals.
We confront national and global cruelties through major campaigns targeting the barbaric practices of dogfighting and cockfighting; abusive puppy mills where dogs are treated not like family but like production machines; the worst cruelties of factory farming in modern agribusiness such as confinement of animals in crates and cages; inhumane and unsporting hunting practices such as "canned hunts" of captive exotic animals; the slaughter of American horses for export to foreign countries where horsemeat is considered a delicacy; and the clubbing of baby seals and other animals for the commercial fur trade. Our track record of effectiveness has led to meaningful victories for animals in Congress, state legislatures, courtrooms and corporate boardrooms.
Kent, you can preach all you want, look at their 990 it speaks for itself 5% of HSUS's contributions go to disaster relief and animal rescue facilities. The HSUS didn't want grain, hay, etc for the rescued horses from Cannon County they wanted cash donations. The HSUS's mission is to do away with livestock farming period plain and simple. The reason these animals are confined is so they can be cared for and watched after. If they are allowed to free range they end up like these starving horses that have been a problem. Sows have to be confined because they will eat their young you can't have free range chickens because predators will eat them. The reason we have these large farming operations is because the rural life in America is gradually going urban. 50-100 years ago people grew and raised most of their own food and as a society we are getting more urban therefore the larger scale farms. When you radicals do away with agriculture in this country you will also do away with a safe food supply and cheap food and then we will end up like we are with the fuel having to depend on other countries to produce it. Say what you want I am sticking to my guns if you want to help local rescue shelters and animal sanctuaries give directly to them not the HSUS.
Kent and benjamin,
With all due respect, what the heck does that have to do with our legislature's sad failure to move forward on this bill? HSUS isn't even mentioned in this article!
I hope our representatives get out of the pocket of the Farm Bureau, and pass the bills that are best for our society, not for special interest groups.
What the HSUS has to do with this is they are the ones pushing this bill for felonies instead of misdemeanors. The Farm Bureau is strictly aganist cruelty and the mistreatment of animals. The reason the Farm Bureau is aganist this bill is because of some may view normal farm activities as cruel and mistreating of animals like the dehorning of cattle. Another thing that might be misunderstood is dairy cattle because of their tall and bony structure may appear to be in poor condition compared to beef cattle when this is their normal look.
Benjamin, you are just another tool for big ag. The same talking points that prove nothing. Big ag rakes in BILLIONS of dollars and lobbies congress constantly. HSUS lobbies as well that's where the money goes you buffoon.
Without big ag I can tell you where a lot of your disposable income will go, to food. Agriculture is the backbone of this country do you want to depend other countries for our food. Ag also creates jobs in this country and is important for our national security since we supply ourselves with food grown here in the US. I don't appreciate being called a buffoon. I am tired of HSUS and other organizations making it harder on our farmers. I realize there are some out there who do a poor job of taking care of livestock and I don't agree with that but there is alway an exception to the rule. The HSUS uses those out there doing a poor job plastering it all over the media and it makes the whole farming community look bad.
It's a shame that this bill didn't go anywhere. The HSUS is not trying to eliminate animal agriculture, and that claim is simply a red herring to distract from the real issue of improving farm animal welfare. Our organization's board, staff and membership include both meat-eaters and vegetarians, and we accept the fact that most Americans eat meat. What unites us is the belief that all animals deserve to be treated humanely, even those raised for food.
The thing we need to do.. if you are in support of these bills... or you are not satisfied with the current legislature..remember their names in November!!!! After all folks it is election time.
Benji.. I'll bet you are a farmer or in the ag business. Not that that's a bad thing but it sure explains a lot.
As someone who has worked with HSUS and is a farmer, the bill does not affect the farmer as long as they take care of their stock. HSUS does not just show up and take animals they are with law enforcement to assist them. There are those with big ag that deaf and blind to change, and there are those animal activist that are "way out there" as well. The extremes of both sides will NEVER come to terms, so hopefully the common sense folks in the middle can protect the animal and farmer.
Very sad. I worked with those 84 horses rescued in Nashville in November. They were in horrible horrible condition.
I think you have a different opinion on this when you actually see the aftermath of neglect and cruelty up close. It's not just irrational, overly emotional people who see the benefits of creating and enforcing anti-cruelty legislation.
Thanks for sharing your great post,wish you have a nice day,happy every day!
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