News from the Animal Welfare Institute

Urge Your Representative to Vote NO on HB 5382

2012-02-27T18:08:00.005-05:00

A Bill to Reopen Cruel Horse Slaughter Plants in Illinois

Dear Illinois Humanitarian,

Urgent calls are needed to protect equine welfare in the state of Illinois. Please contact your Illinois State Representative to help preserve the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter, which ultimately resulted in the closure of the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the United States.

On February 9, State Representative Richard Morthland (R) reintroduced a bill to overturn the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter. The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Agriculture and Conservation, which has not scheduled a hearing on the measure. A similar bill has been introduced every year since the original ban, only to be soundly defeated each time. It is an issue that has been discussed and voted on many times before and the facts remain the same – the slaughter process subjects horses to extreme cruelty and an inhumane death, and should remain illegal.

During debate on the last bill to restore horse slaughter, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn reiterated his desire to protect the welfare of animals, "As long as I am governor, we're never going to pass any kind of legislation that allows cruelty toward animals, whether it be dogs, cats or any other living things."

We are confident the Illinois House is strongly opposed to HB 5382, and will vote NO on the bill. However, Representative Morthland and the previous sponsor of the bill, Representative Jim Sacia (R) are determined to undermine this important and broadly supported horse slaughter ban. We must act now to ensure no horses are slaughtered in Illinois.

The Illinois General Assembly, as well as individuals from Illinois and around the country, unfortunately must continue dealing with this issue year after year, but we must remain vigilant against any and all attempts to overturn the 2007 ban on horse slaughter. It is a shame that our limited resources must be used to repeatedly engage in this fight, rather than expend the resources further protecting horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The Illinois House Committee on Agriculture and Conservation will take up HB 5382 within the next few weeks. The exact date has not been set but may happen soon, so your immediate calls and emails are critical. If your Representative serves on the Committee on Agriculture and Conservation, please contact him/her today to register your strong opposition to HB 5382. To find House member contact information, visit www.ilga.gov/house or see below.

For your convenience, below is a list of talking points to aid in placing calls and drafting emails. You can also visit www.awionline.org/horseslaughter for more information. Again, please take action for the horses today. They are counting on us!

Talking Points:

No matter what claims are made by horse slaughter advocates, please vote NO on HB 5382. Soundly defeating this bill will send a message across Illinois and the United States that horse slaughter and efforts to promote it are not acceptable.
The Illinois General Assembly banned horse slaughter by an overwhelming majority in 2007, and Representative Morthland’s bill, HB 5382, must be rejected.
Ending horse slaughter stopped an overt form of animal cruelty and has only been good for the horses. The state ban is important.
The animal welfare community, equine rescues, and the majority of Illinois residents DO NOT support the overturning of this ban.

Please ask your Representative to urge Representative Morthland to discontinue his attempts to overturn the horse slaughter bill. Your Representative should also urge Representative Morthland to support the federal bill, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, in order to advance the welfare of equines in Illinois if he is truly concerned with the welfare of our horses. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act ensures horses from Illinois and all over the United States will no longer be hauled to Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

Please share this "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert with all family, friends, colleagues and fellow horse enthusiasts! For more information on horse slaughter, you may visit www.awionline.org

Thank you for all you do on behalf of the horses!

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
Animal Welfare Institute

Member Name	Phone Number	Email
Rep. Lisa M. Dugan, Chairperson (D)	(217) 782-5981
Rep. Patrick J. Verschoore, Vice-Chairperson (D)	(217) 782-5970
Rep. Jim Sacia, Spokesperson (R)	(217) 782-8186	JimSacia@aeroinc.net
Rep. Jason Barickman (R)	(217) 558-1039	jason@jasonbarickman.org
Rep. Kelly Burke (D)	(217) 782-0515	kellyb@ilga.gov
Rep. John D. Cavaletto (R)	(217) 782-0066
Rep. Jerry F. Costello, II (D)	(217) 782-1018	staterepcostello@gmail.com
Rep. Mary E. Flowers (D)	(217) 782-4207	flowersme@ilga.gov
Rep. Norine Hammond (R)	(217) 782-0416	rephammond@macomb.com
Rep. Chad Hays (R)	(217) 782-4811
Rep. Frank J. Mautino (D)	(217) 782-0140	patti76th@ivnet.com
Rep. Jack McGuire (D)	(217) 782-8090	jmcguire86@sbcglobal.net
Rep. Donald L. Moffitt (R)	(217) 782-8032	moffitt@grics.net
Rep. Brandon W. Phelps (D)	(217) 782-5131	bphelps118@gmail.com
Rep. Wayne Rosenthal (R)	(217) 782-8071

Victory for Wild Horses in North Carolina

2012-02-08T11:42:00.001-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends the House of Representatives for unanimously passing H.R. 306, the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act, introduced by Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC). This bill will provide for a new management plan for the free-roaming Corolla wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The Corolla horses’ presence on the island is thought to coincide with the arrival of the Spanish explorers on the American coast in the early 16th century. Today, these beautiful horses roam over 7,500 acres of public and private land in coastal Currituck County, North Carolina.

"This critical piece of legislation will enable the protection and responsible management of a prized herd of Colonial Spanish Mustangs," noted Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. "Wild horses have held a significant role in North Carolina and our nation’s history and this bill will ensure their preservation."

The current Currituck Outer Banks Wild Horse Management Plan of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides for a maximum of 60 horses, with the population controlled through adoption, relocation, or contraceptive fertility methods. According to Gus Cothran - a leading equine geneticist at Texas A&M University who has conducted extensive research on American wild horses - the genetic variability of the Corolla horses is among the lowest seen in any wild horse population in the country.

H.R. 306 will incorporate Dr. Cothran's recommendation to increase the herd to a minimum of 110 animals, with a target population of between 120 and 130. In addition, the legislation will provide for cost-effective management of the horses while ensuring that natural resources within the refuge are not adversely impacted. The Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act will mandate a viable population control plan for the horses - including auctions, adoptions, contraceptive fertility methods, and other viable options.

AWI supports the bill's goal of increasing the population in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge while addressing concerns over conflicts with endangered species on refuge lands, and commends Representative Jones for his commitment to the protection of both wild and domestic horses. We hope the Senate will likewise move swiftly to approve the measure when it comes up for consideration in that chamber.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, (202) 446-2142, chris@awionline.org

Horse Sense Prevails: House Committee Approves Bill with Ban on Double-Deck Trailer Transport

2012-02-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to report that the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, H.R. 7, approved earlier today by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee includes a prohibition on the hauling of horses via double-deck trailers. The move to incorporate this prohibition within the larger transportation bill was strongly supported by AWI and championed by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) and Committee Ranking Member, Nick Rahall (D-WV). The entire bill now goes before the full House of Representatives for a vote.

While the overall transportation bill is by no means an unqualified success and contains many unsavory elements from an animal welfare perspective, final passage of this ban on double-deck transport in interstate commerce would represent a clear and important victory for horse protection. AWI has long fought to have this inhumane practice outlawed, and in the present instance AWI worked to fend off a last-minute attempt by committee member Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR) to amend the bill so as to strip out the double-deck transport ban.

Chris Heyde, Deputy Director of Government and Legal Affairs for AWI, said, "We are very pleased that this ban has been approved by the House Committee. For far too long, unscrupulous individuals have been legally permitted to pack horses into dangerously cramped trailers with ceilings so low that horses are unable to stand properly. The horses are hauled on long-distance journeys that very often cause serious injuries and even deaths. Today, thanks to Representatives Harris and Rahall along with others on the Committee, we moved one step closer to putting an end to this inhumane and utterly unnecessary practice."

Equine rescue, advocacy, and professional organizations including the American Veterinary Medical Association, National Black Farmers Association, and Veterinarians for Equine Welfare support a ban on double-deck transport of horses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expressed opposition to double-deck hauling of horses, stating that, "We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided into two or more stacked levels."(9 CFR Parts 70 and 88). In fact, the USDA has prohibited using these trailers for transporting horses to slaughter, but its rule doesn't cover horses being transported for other purposes. All horses, regardless of where they are going, deserve this important precaution, and the language included in the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act will provide it.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, (202) 446-2142, chris@awionline.org

AWI Press Release: The Face of American Horse Slaughter: Shady Dealer Shifts Species but Modus Operandi Remains Unchanged

2012-01-23T16:13:00.002-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- Some politicians in Washington feel that restarting a horse slaughter industry on American soil is a good idea. We’d like to offer a small window into how the horse slaughter industry currently operates, as shady players make deals amongst themselves while duping innocent people into giving up their horses to be butchered. Read on...

A story recently surfaced about a 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman, Kelsey Lefever, who faces felony charges after allegedly collecting over 120 retired racehorses from well-meaning owners, promising them she would find good homes for the horses. Her intention all along, however, was to sell them to killer buyers. Their “good homes” turned out to be a slaughterhouse in Canada, where they met with a gruesome death in order to become a “delicacy” at restaurants abroad. In the police report, a witness indicates that Lefever told her, "I killed every one of those (expletive) horses - over 120 of them. If they only knew, every one of them is dead."

Her middleman is alleged to be one Bruce Rotz, Jr., who operates his killer buyer business from barns in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He is under contract to buy horses for the Canadian meat company Viande Richelieu.

Long before Rotz was a killer buyer, however, the Rotz family gained notoriety via another avenue of animal abuse: as Class B dealers. Rotz worked for his father, Bruce Rotz, Sr., who acquired dogs via an illicit supply chain and made tens of thousands of dollars a year selling the poor victims - many of whom were likely former companion animals - to research facilities for experimentation.

As dog dealers, the Rotzes had numerous run-ins with the law. The elder Rotz was fined $1,240 in 2005 for failing to meet minimum requirements under the Animal Welfare Act. The Rotzes acquired many of the dogs they sold from a family of notorious dealers in Missouri whose license was eventually revoked and a fine imposed for violations of the federal law, including failing to keep accurate records on hundreds of the dogs they sold.

In 2006, Bruce Rotz Sr. let his license to operate as a random source dog dealer expire, and he sold his business. Although Bruce Rotz, Jr. continued to work for the new owner for a while, he was already moving on to horses by then. Though he’s shifted species from dogs to horses, Rotz’s methods appear to be the same. He is part of a dirty business where animals come to him from questionable sources, and he sells them for profit. He frequents the nearby New Holland horse auction to acquire horses, including former racehorses, for the trade in their meat. Recently, according to the criminal investigation, Rotz bought horses from Ms. Lefever.

Rotz doesn’t appear to be any more concerned with where the horses come from than he was with the dogs - and because he is once removed from the known illegal activity, he appears to be successfully ducking prosecution. While Lefever faces prosecution for her fraudulent acquisition of the horses, Rotz remains free - a fine example of the sort of individual poised to take a lead role in a revised American horse slaughter industry.

“This makes you wonder why some Members of Congress are fighting so hard to restore an industry filled with crooked individuals like Rotz and Lefever, while thumbing their noses at those responsible owners who lost their horses into slaughter against their will,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. “Thankfully, the majority of legislators are supporting passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act which would protect horses from corrupt profiteers.”

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, chris@awionline.org, (202) 446-2142

Animal Welfare Institute Honors Prosecutors with Schweitzer Award

2011-11-29T14:27:00.001-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- On Monday, November 14, 2011, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson, who heads the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, presented the Animal Welfare Institute’s (AWI) Albert Schweitzer Award to three outstanding prosecutors. Michelle Welch, Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Raj Prasad and Amy Slameka from the Wayne County (MI) Prosecutor’s Office, are leaders - indeed, pioneers - in aggressively pursuing animal cruelty and animal fighting cases and raising awareness about the need to take such cases seriously.

In welcoming the guests to the event, held at the Hill Center in Washington, D.C., AWI President Cathy Liss recalled Dr. Schweitzer’s words exhorting humans to greater compassion for animals. She recalled that Dr. Schweitzer believed that we must watch “for opportunities to bring some sort of help to animals in recompense for the great misery that men inflict upon them....” The Schweitzer medal itself is engraved with the image of the doctor and his dog, along with his statement: “We need a boundless ethics which will include the animals also.” Liss introduced Assistant Attorney General Robinson by acknowledging her leadership in addressing violence in the community by addressing animal cruelty.

In remarks before presenting the awards, Assistant Attorney General Robinson spoke firmly of the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence and of the need to "instill in practitioners - law enforcement officers, victim advocates, animal control officers - a heightened sense of urgency about violence against animals."

The recipients spoke movingly of their commitment to their work and to instilling that sense of urgency in their colleagues and the community.

The 2011 Schweitzer Award Recipients with Congressman Sam Farr.
(L-R: Amy Slameka, Raj Prasad, Michelle Welch, Congressman Farr)

In 1951, Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave his permission to AWI to strike a medal in his honor to be presented for outstanding achievement in the advancement of animal welfare. In granting his permission, Dr. Schweitzer wrote, "I would never have believed that my philosophy, which incorporates in our ethics a compassionate attitude toward all creatures, would be noticed and recognized in my lifetime."

This was the first time that AWI has honored members from this branch of law enforcement. The first honoree to come from law enforcement, in 1964, was, interestingly, also from Detroit: Patrolman John Mobley of the Detroit police department, who was recognized for his prompt reporting of the suffering and neglect of animals in an experimental laboratory, which led to improvements in their care. In 1965, Associate Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas received the award for his previous work as author of the first bill requiring the humane treatment of animals in research.

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Media Contacts:
Cathy Liss, AWI, (202) 446-2121, cathy@awionline.org
Nancy Blaney, AWI, (202) 446-2141; nancy@awionline.org

Additional Resources:

Animal Welfare Institute Announces 2011 Schweitzer Awards
-- AWI Press Release (November 2011)

Cases Prosecuted by 2011 Schweitzer Award Recipients
-- AWI Press Release Additional Resources

Animal Welfare Institute Urges Nationwide Action on We the People Petition to Save Bats!

2011-11-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- Over one million dead animals. A disease that is affecting 9 species in 19 states. Nearly 100 percent mortality at some sites.

Time is running out for the bats - and for us to get this issue in front of the President! If you haven’t already signed this petition, please do so RIGHT AWAY and forward it to everyone you know - we have only until November 25 to collect 22,000 more signatures!

White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is decimating bat populations, and the Animal Welfare Institute wants everyone to step up to help stop it by signing a petition to the White House BEFORE NOVEMBER 25 to tell the President we cannot afford to ignore WNS.
White-Nose Syndrome spreads farther each year, with dire consequences for North American bats. Scientists are predicting regional extinctions of the little brown bat in the northeastern United States by 2026 because of this disease. Critical hibernation sites of endangered Indiana, gray, and Virginia big-eared bats are at risk. Twenty-five of the United States’ 47 bats species hibernate in caves and mines and could be affected by WNS.

WNS-related bat losses will affect us all. By eating insects that damage crops and carry disease, bats provide an invaluable service. Losing bats would cost U.S. farmers at least $3.7 billion in lost crops and increased pesticide use, increasing the financial strain on farming families, raising the price of food for consumers, and releasing more chemicals into our environment. In addition, regulations stemming from adding more bats to the Endangered Species List would impact such industries as mining, defense, energy, forestry, infrastructure, tourism and outdoor recreation.

The Animal Welfare Institute asks President Obama to include WNS funding in his Fiscal Year 2013 budget. Given the current economic and political climate, however, we know that he needs to hear how concerned all Americans are about WNS and the survival of our country’s bats. So we are using the White House’s new “We the People” petition tool to make our request. White House staff will review our request if we obtain 25,000 signatures by November 25!

AWI urges everyone who cares about bats, and cares about not losing the valuable services they provide to our economy and the environment, to act now!

If you already have a whitehouse.gov account, click "Sign In" enter your information and then click "Sign this Petition." If you are new to the whitehouse.gov webpage, click "Create an Account." After you have filled in the form, you will be sent an automated email to verify your new account and then you can return and click "Sign this Petition." When you sign up for an account, you can select whether or not you want to receive emails from the Administration.

The November 25 deadline is just around the corner! Spread the word by asking your friends and family to sign on, too.

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Media Contact:
Nancy Blaney, (202) 446-2141, nancy@awionline.org

AWI Press Release: Handful of Legislators Condemn Horses to USDA Approved Abuse

2011-11-15T16:23:00.001-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- It would appear that some in Congress are all talk when it comes to seriously reducing federal spending and decreasing the size of government. Despite overwhelming objections from the American public and the horse community, and despite Congress’ own supposed belief in fiscal restraint, the fate of America’s horses was undermined by three Members of Congress and their staffs behind closed doors this week. For years, an amendment to the annual Agriculture Appropriations bill has prevented tax dollars from being used to "inspect" horse slaughter facilities in the U.S. The House of Representatives voted this year to again include it in the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill, but three members of the Conference Committee, Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA), Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), removed it from the final bill. A fourth member of the Conference Committee, Representative Sam Farr (D-CA), was the lone objector.

"I have been in Washington for a long time and this move baffles me. Both parties talked about making the hard cuts in federal spending and yet behind closed doors, three of the four men thought it was a good use of taxpayer dollars to ignore their colleagues and restore a federal program that will cost Americans at least $5 million a year and pull limited USDA inspectors from ensuring the humane treatment and safety of our nation’s food supply. To make matters worse, this was all done to appease a few foreign companies and Big Ag," said Chris Heyde, deputy director of AWI’s government and legal affairs department. "This action shows the true nature of some elected officials - that they are more concerned about helping special interests than doing what they were elected to do.”

Some legislators are trying to disguise what they did as helping the horses, but there is substantial evidence of horses suffering at taxpayers’ expense when slaughter was permitted in the U.S. While a recent GAO report attempted to connect an increase in abuse to a cessation of horse slaughter in the U.S., the authors noted that there was no actual proof other than claims put forward by pro-horse slaughter proponents.
With this cynical move, there is now only one avenue left for ending the tragedy of the slaughter of horses for human consumption: Swift action on the GAO’s other recommendation - passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

"AWI commends Representative Farr (D-CA), ranking member of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, for being the sole member of the Conference Committee to stand up for America’s horses and fiscal responsibility,” noted Heyde. “We look forward to working with Representative Farr and other Members of Congress on passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.”
The Animal Welfare Institute is calling on everyone who has horses and cares about the welfare of America’s horses to demand that Congress pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act immediately.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, chris@awionline.org, (202) 446-2142

Animal Welfare Institute Announces 2011 Schweitzer Awards

2011-11-09T14:27:00.002-05:00

Washington, D.C. -- On Monday, November 14, 2011, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson, who heads the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, will present the Animal Welfare institute’s (AWI) Albert Schweitzer Award to three outstanding prosecutors. Michelle Welch, Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Raj Prasad and Amy Slameka from the Wayne County (MI) Prosecutor’s Office, are leaders - indeed, pioneers - in aggressively pursuing animal cruelty and animal fighting cases and raising awareness about the need to take such cases seriously.

In 1951, Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave his permission to AWI to strike a medal in his honor to be presented for outstanding achievement in the advancement of animal welfare. In granting his permission, Dr. Schweitzer wrote, "I would never have believed that my philosophy, which incorporates in our ethics a compassionate attitude toward all creatures, would be noticed and recognized in my lifetime."

This is the first time that AWI has honored members from this branch of law enforcement. The first honoree from law enforcement, in 1964, was, interestingly, also from Detroit: Patrolman John Mobley of the Detroit police department, who was recognized for his prompt reporting of the suffering and neglect of animals in an experimental laboratory, which led to improvements in their care. In 1965, Associate Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas received the award for his previous work as author of the first bill requiring the humane treatment of animals in research.

Event Details:

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011

Time: 5:30 p.m.; program commences at 6:15 p.m.

Location: The Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. (1 block up from the Eastern Market Metro station)

Contacts:

Cathy Liss, (202) 446-2121; cathy@awionline.org

Nancy Blaney, (202) 446-2141; nancy@awionline.org

GUEST PRESENTER:

Laurie O. Robinson
Assistant Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice

The Honorable Laurie O. Robinson is Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). Since joining OJP in January 2009, she has overseen the award of $2.7 billion in Recovery Act funds, launched an agency-wide initiative to integrate evidence-based approaches in OJP programs, and held a series of listening sessions with state, local, and national constituents. Ms. Robinson also served as OJP’s Assistant Attorney General from 1993 to 2000. Prior to her current appointment, she directed the Master of Science Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Criminology.

AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Rajesh Prasad
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Wayne County Prosecutor's Office

Raj Prasad has been an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office since 2005, currently assigned to the Homicide Unit. Raj co-founded the Animal Protection Unit with Amy Slameka. The Animal Protection Unit is a volunteer unit now consisting of four attorneys and an advocate who review and handle every animal related case from warrant stage to completion. Amy and Raj also work closely with local Humane Society investigators and animal control officers in training and advising them for their investigations. The Animal Protection Unit has achieved a 98 percent conviction rate over the past three years.

Raj is currently on the State Bar of Michigan's Animal Law Section. He is the chairman of the Animal Law Section's Prosecutor's Committee, and on its Legislative Committee. Prior to coming to Michigan, Raj was an Assistant State Attorney for five years in Tampa, Florida. He received his JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law and his BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Raj is a proud owner of two humane society dogs, Han Solo and Scout.

Amy Slameka
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Wayne County Prosecutor's Office

Amy Slameka has been with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office since January 2001. She has been assigned to the felony trial division for the majority of her career. Amy is currently assigned to the Special Prosecutions Unit on a grant involving energy theft. Throughout her ten-year career, Amy has been paying special attention to all animal cases in the office. This culminated in her co-founding the Animal Protection Unit in 2008 with Raj Prasad. The Animal Protection Unit is a volunteer unit now consisting of four attorneys and an advocate who review and handle every animal-related case from warrant stage to completion. Amy and Raj also work closely with local Humane Society investigators and animal control officers in training and advising them for their investigations. The Animal Protection Unit has achieved a 98 percent conviction rate over the past three years.

Amy is an executive member of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, a Character and Fitness Committee Member of the State Bar of Michigan and a board member of the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society. Amy received her J.D. from Michigan State University Law and her B.S. from Michigan State University.

Michelle Welch
Assistant Attorney General
Virginia Attorney General's Office

Michelle Welch is an Assistant Attorney General in the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. She is the Assistant charged with taking all animal law questions in Virginia. She is called on by agencies all over the Commonwealth to act as a special prosecutor in animal cruelty and animal fighting cases. She has been appointed a special Assistant U.S. Attorney to aid in dogfighting prosecutions. She frequently gives advice to local law enforcement authorities and prosecutors all over Virginia and across the nation. She also trains prosecutors and animal control and law enforcement officers on the state of Virginia animal law.

Michelle is a frequent speaker at many conferences, including the Virginia Animal Control Association, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, and the Florida Animal Control Association. She also has spoken at ABA Animal Law Conferences and is asked to speak frequently at vet schools and many other groups. She is the vice president of the Virginia Animal Fighting Taskforce and a board member of VFHS. She is a vice-chair of the Animal Law Committee of the ABA. She frequently works with many animal organizations, including the Animal Welfare Institute. She is a senior faculty member for the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), and chairs the Animal Law Curriculum Advisory Committee for the APA. She is adjunct faculty for Animal Law at the University of Richmond Law School. She has served as adjunct faculty in the Criminal Justice Program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Welch also served as Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in the City of Richmond in charge of all animal abuse and dogfighting prosecutions, among other cases. She has testified before a Congressional caucus examining the enforcement of animal laws and the cooperation between state and federal partners. She has many other responsibilities in her current role with the AG’s Office, including agency work and civilly committing sexually violent predators under Virginia’s civil commitment statute. She is the point person for all animal law questions and is considered an expert on animal law.

View case examples from the 2011 Schweitzer Award Recipients here.

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Media Contact:

Nancy Blaney, AWI, (202) 446-2141

Illegal Trade in Whale Meat from Iceland's International Airport Exposed

2011-10-26T11:03:00.008-04:00

Animal Protection Groups Call on U.S. for Decisive Action

Washington, D.C./London, U.K. -- Defying a worldwide ban on trade in whale products, Iceland is openly selling whale meat packaged for export in the departure area at Keflavik airport to travelers who, if they make the purchase, risk stiff penalties on arrival at their home destination for importing an internationally protected species.

Representatives of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) recently purchased minke whale meat steaks at the "Inspired by Iceland" store in the departure lounge of Iceland’s international airport in Keflavik, Iceland. The purchases took place on two separate occasions, one week apart, and in both cases staff at the airport store gave inaccurate information to purchasers.

The U.S. citizens were told erroneously by store staff that they could legally import the product into the United States. In fact, such citizens could face arrest and prosecution under several U.S. laws for illegal wildlife trade. Travelers returning with whale meat to the European Union or many other nations that comply with a ban on international trade in whale products would face similar penalties.

Last month President Obama responded to the advice of his Commerce Secretary that Iceland’s commercial whaling and trade in whale products diminishes the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) - the body that provides for the conservation of whale stocks and regulates whaling. He directed his administration to take a series of actions against Iceland under the U.S. "Pelly Amendment," but stopped short of economic measures while fin whaling remains suspended. Iceland’s minke whaling season is still underway.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is currently reviewing a separate request under the Pelly Amendment, related to the export of more than 1,500 tons of whale products to Japan and other countries in recent years, and will make its own recommendations to the President concerning whether Iceland's actions diminish the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty that bans international commercial trade in whale products.

AWI and WDCS believe this new evidence of a blatant illegal trade in whale products compels the DOI to recommend that the President take even stronger action against Iceland. The groups are calling for trade sanctions against Iceland.

"For U.S. citizens to be told that minke whale meat could be legally imported into the United States was stunning considering U.S. laws protecting the species and prohibiting trade," said Susan Millward, Executive Director of AWI. "With this new evidence of airport whale meat sales, the Department of the Interior must surely conclude that Iceland is undermining the effectiveness of CITES."

"It is impossible that Iceland is unaware that U.S. law prohibits imports of whale meat," said Chris Butler-Stroud, CEO of WDCS. He went on to say, "Iceland is making a mockery of international law and it is time for President Obama to take the gloves off and to block the import of Icelandic products into the U.S. until Iceland ends its commercial whaling and trade for good."

WDCS has recently been running an awareness campaign directed at tourists visiting Iceland after revealing that a staggering 35-40% of the meat from minke whales slaughtered by Icelandic whalers is eaten by tourists visiting the country, most of whom have no idea that their actions are propping up commercial whaling in Iceland.

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Media Contacts:

US - Susan Millward, AWI Executive Director: 1-202-446-2123

UK - Chris Butler-Stroud, WDCS CEO/ Danny Groves, WDCS Press Officer: 44 (0) 7834 498277

Victory! California City Votes to End Coyote Trapping

2011-10-14T15:18:00.000-04:00

More than 9,000 sign online petition calling for end to coyote killing; Calabasas adopts model coyote management plan.

San Francisco, CA -- The City Council of Calabasas, California, voted unanimously on Wednesday to prohibit any city funds from being spent on coyote trapping and to instead adopt a coyote management plan that shifts the focus from killing to coexistence.

The news follows a popular campaign on Change.org created by Project Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). The online petition campaign offered to help the city create and implement a humane management program and asked it to support a progressive coyote coexistence plan. By Wednesday’s council meeting, more than 9,000 people had joined the campaign on Change.org.

"We commend the city for adopting the changes that Project Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute put forth to make this a model plan," said Fox, executive director of the California-based Project Coyote and wildlife consultant with AWI. "We believe this is one of the best coyote coexistence plans out there and we look forward to working with the city, the National Park Service and other agencies in assisting in public education."

Fox delivered the 9,000 petition signatures and presented testimony on behalf of Project Coyote and AWI at the October 12 public hearing prior to the council’s vote.

Camilla Fox and local Calabasas resident Randi Feilich Hirsch, who first brought this issue to the attention of city council, worked with city officials to strengthen the plan and shift the focus from killing to emphasize long-term education, reduction of wildlife attractants, and implementing hazing for habituated coyotes. The city is already using Project Coyote's educational resources and airing its film American Coyote: Still Wild at Heart weekly on its public access TV station.

"It really shows that concerned citizens can speak up at the local level and make changes in city policy," said Feilich Hirsch, Calabasas resident and Project Coyote's Southern California representative. "We are optimistic that local residents will embrace this plan and become actively involved in coexisting with our wildlife neighbors."

Calabasas Mayor Pro Tem, Mary Sue Maurer, said, "With the expertise of Project Coyote, the Animal Welfare Institute and the National Park Service, Calabasas residents and coyotes will mutually benefit and live more harmoniously together. I encourage all Californians that live alongside coyotes to learn more about these wondrous creatures and how we coexist together."

"Project Coyote started the campaign on Change.org to give a voice to both the people and coyotes of Calabasas," said Stephanie Feldstein, Director of Organizing for Change.org. "More than 9,000 people from around the world joined their call for coexistence, and the Calabasas Environment Commission and City Council listened. It has been impressive to watch residents, activists and officials come together to take action on this issue."

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Media Contacts:
Camilla Fox, Petition Author, Project Coyote/AWI, (415) 690-0338, cfox@projectcoyote.org
Randi Feilich Hirsch, Calabasas Resident and Project Coyote Southern California Representative, rfeilich@yahoo.com
Stephanie Feldstein, Director of Organizing, Change.org, (734) 395-0770, sfeldstein@change.org

To view Project Coyote and AWI’s campaign on Change.org:

http://www.change.org/petitions/help-stop-indiscriminate-coyote-killing-in-calabasas-ca
For more information on Project Coyote, please visit:
http://www.projectcoyote.org/
Project Coyote promotes educated coexistence between people and coyotes by championing progressive management policies that reduce human-coyote conflict, supporting innovative scientific research, and by fostering respect for and understanding of America's native wild "song dog."
For more information on the Animal Welfare Institute, please visit:
http://www.awionline.org/
The Animal Welfare Institute is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 to alleviate the suffering caused to animals by humans.
For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about
Change.org is the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change - growing by more than 400,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.

Thousands Urge California City to End Coyote Trapping

2011-10-11T12:21:00.000-04:00

Explosive campaign on Change.org calls on Calabasas City Council to adopt plan that would end coyote trapping in favor of progressive, humane management.

San Francisco, CA -- More than 8,800 people have joined a popular campaign on Change.org calling on the city council of Calabasas, California, to adopt a coyote management plan that favors coexistence instead of killing.

Camilla Fox, executive director of the California-based Project Coyote and wildlife consultant with the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), launched the campaign on Change.org following a citizen-led movement to end indiscriminate coyote trapping in Calabasas. Once local residents convinced officials to pass a temporary moratorium on trapping, Project Coyote and AWI offered to help the city create and implement a progressive, humane management plan that emphasizes public education, reducing coyote/wildlife attractants and hazing of habituated coyotes instead of trapping.

"We commend Calabasas for its decision to suspend coyote killing and we are urging the city to make the ban permanent,"said Camilla Fox, who launched the campaign on Change.org, the world’s fastest growing platform for social change. "Indiscriminate trapping of coyotes is not an effective or humane solution to reduce real or perceived conflicts between people, coyotes and domestic animals. Coyotes are here to stay. We must learn to coexist. Education and reducing attractants are key."

After 6,000 people signed the online petition campaign, the Calabasas Environment Commission voted unanimously to support a progressive coyote coexistence plan that emphasizes public education. Project Coyote plans to deliver the petition, now over 8,800 signatures, to the Calabasas City Council in advance of an October 12 public hearing and vote on the issue.

"What these concerned citizens have accomplished is remarkable," said Stephanie Feldstein, Director of Organizing for Change.org. "It started with Calabasas residents speaking out against coyote trapping, and now they have the expertise of Project Coyote and the support of more than 8,800 people behind them. Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to demand action on the issues that matter to them, and it’s been incredible to watch this campaign take off."

"The City of Calabasas has an opportunity to become a trend-setter with regard to coexisting with our wild neighbors and continuing to emphasize the strong environmental values held by the community," said Fox. "We hope they choose this path and have offered our assistance to help them attain this goal."

Camilla Fox will present testimony at the public hearing, and both Project Coyote and AWI are encouraging local residents to attend and testify.

Live signature totals from Project Coyote’s campaign:
http://www.change.org/petitions/help-stop-indiscriminate-coyote-killing-in-calabasas-ca

Details on City of Calabasas coyote management hearing (Resolution No. 2011-1308):
http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/agendas/council.html
Time/Location: October 12, 2011, 7 p.m.
City Council Chambers of City Hall, 100 Civic Center Way, Calabasas, California

For more information on Camilla Fox’s group, please visit:
http://www.projectcoyote.org/
Project Coyote promotes educated coexistence between people and coyotes by championing progressive management policies that reduce human-coyote conflict, supporting innovative scientific research, and by fostering respect for and understanding of America's native wild "song dog."

http://www.awionline.org/
The Animal Welfare Institute is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 to alleviate the suffering caused to animals by humans.

For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about
Change.org is the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change - growing by more than 400,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.

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Media Contacts:
Camilla Fox, Petition Author, Project Coyote/AWI, (415) 690-0338, cfox@projectcoyote.org
Stephanie Feldstein, Director of Organizing, Change.org, (734) 395-0770, sfeldstein@change.org

AWI Helps Domestic Violence Victims Get Pets to Safety

2011-10-03T09:28:00.000-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- In special recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Animal Welfare Institute announces the launch of the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, an online listing by state of safe havens for pets programs, available on the Animals & Family Violence section of the AWI website.

Domestic violence affects everyone, including the family pet. Because of the strong attachments they have with their pets, victims of domestic violence may delay leaving a dangerous situation because of fear for the pet’s safety. Abusers are well aware of these attachments and will use violence or the threat of violence against companion animals to control, intimidate, and seek retribution against their spouses/partners, children, or even elderly parents. Victims and their families need help; so do their companion animals. In response to this need, groups in local communities have created safe havens for pets throughout the U.S. - places where the victims of domestic violence may shelter their pets while they and their children seek safety.

Through the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, a national listing of known safe havens for pets programs will be available online to domestic violence agencies, law enforcement, humane societies, domestic violence victims, and all those individuals and groups who provide services to families in crisis.

Currently, the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project lists over 1,000 safe havens for pets programs. By the end of the year, this database will cover all states and will be searchable by zip code.

"AWI wants to provide practical tools and information to protect animals and their families," stated AWI President Cathy Liss. "We are pleased to have initiated this national online listing, which will be an important resource for the many dedicated people who come in contact with victims of domestic violence and their companion animals."

David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys welcomes the new resource. "When there is violence in the home, everyone suffers," observed LaBahn. "As prosecutors, we know that abusers take out their rage on the family pets as a way to exert more power and control over children, spouses, even their elderly parents. AWI is providing a great service by developing a national listing of safe havens for pets available in one place for victims of family violence as well as for prosecutors, law enforcement, and service providers. We appreciate their ongoing leadership in this area."

In addition to the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, the Animals & Family Violence section of the AWI website provides other tools related to pet abuse and family violence, including: Safety Planning for Pets; Asking Questions about Pets at Intake; Children of Domestic Violence Victims; and "Guidelines for Human Service Personnel: Pets, Domestic Violence, and Children," as well as information about states that allow inclusion of companion animals in Temporary Restraining Orders, a model Temporary Restraining Order, and model legislation for Temporary Restraining Orders. AWI also provides a link to a listserv of directors of safe havens for pets programs, organized and maintained by Ahimsa House in Georgia.

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Media Contacts:
Mary Lou Randour, Ph.D., AWI, (202) 446-2127
Nancy Blaney, AWI, (202) 446-2141

House Moves to Protect American Horses Here and Abroad

2011-09-19T13:19:00.002-04:00

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 2966) Reintroduced

Washington, D.C. -- As Congress heads into their busy fall season, Representatives Dan Burton (R-IN) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), along with 55 bipartisan cosponsors have reintroduced H.R. 2966, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. The bill, similar to the one approved by a strong bipartisan vote in the House several years ago, would outlaw the slaughter of American horses here and - most urgently - would stop these horses from being exported for slaughter.

"I personally believe in the importance of treating all horses as humanely and respectfully as possible," said Rep. Burton. "That being said, I look forward to working with Rep. Schakowsky to end the cruelty, after decades of effort to stop these practices."

"The Animal Welfare Institute commends Reps. Burton, Schakowsky and their colleagues from both sides of the isle for their continued leadership and commitment to protecting America's horses," said Chris Heyde, the Institute's deputy director of government and legal affairs. "They realize the cruel slaughter of horses must stop. It is certainly not fiscally responsible or humane to resurrect slaughter in the U.S. Doing so would require new federal regulations and increased bureaucracy while spending millions of taxpayer dollars - all in an attempt to 'manage' rather than simply outlaw the abuses perpetuated by this industry."

Recently, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report assessing horse welfare since 2007 and the closure of the last three foreign-owned horse slaughter plants in the U.S. However, the GAO was not asked and did not consider the impact slaughter had on America's horses while plants were operating in the U.S., or the impact should slaughter be restored - both vital to understanding the welfare implications. In the end, one of two recommendations was to ban slaughter in the U.S. and the export of horses for the same purposes - what the Animal Welfare Institute has said for years and the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would do. Our elected officials should follow GAO's recommendation that Congress "...consider instituting an explicit ban on the domestic slaughter of horses and exports of U.S. horses intended for slaughter in foreign countries."

"I am proud to join Rep. Burton in supporting this bill to put a stop to the cruel practice of shipping horses abroad for slaughter," said Rep. Schakowsky. "As a strong supporter of animal rights and a horse lover, I recognize the need to protect animals that aren't able to protect themselves. Protecting animals ought to be a bipartisan issue and this bill is a strong step in the right direction."

The Animal Welfare Institute is calling on all Americans to demand that Congress halt horse slaughter by passing H.R. 2966, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, immediately. For far too long, the few who profit from this cruel industry have been misleading Congress and the public, to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of horses. Since the Animal Welfare Institute began its national campaign to end horse slaughter in 2001, horse owners, veterinarians, agriculture organizations, equine rescues and the American public have all come together to help advocate for our horses. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act represents a critically important opportunity to safeguard American horses. The choice is clear. Rather than sanction cruelty, Congress must provide American horses permanent sanctuary from the slaughterhouse.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, AWI, (202) 446-2142

Be sure to take action on the Senate version of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S. 1176, and check back for the H.R. 2966 version as soon as it is available.

Protect America's Horses and Promote Responsible Government!

2011-09-12T17:05:00.000-04:00

Please tell your Senators to Support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

Dear Humanitarian:

Turn on the news and much of what you will hear from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. is "cut federal spending," "stop wasteful federal programs," or "decrease federal regulation." For those truly interested in cutting waste, we have a winning issue: banning horse slaughter. Not only does the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1176) help end the abuse of over 100,000 American horses being hauled to and slaughtered in Mexico and Canada for human consumption, but this bill would also eliminate a federal program while saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars a year.

Amazingly, however, while some in Congress talk about cuts, a few of the same politicians are quietly trying to restore a USDA program that was eliminated six years ago. At the time Congress shut this program down, it was costing taxpayers $5 million a year, almost exclusively for the benefit of foreign interests. Restoring it now would cost much more - and require an increase in federal bureaucracy to boot. It is time for the American people to stand up for horses while taking a stand against those in Congress working both sides of the issue when it comes to federal spending.

Contact your Senators TODAY in support of S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. For more background on the issue and the legislation, please visit www.awionline.org/horseslaughter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Call both of your Senators today and urge them to help end horse slaughter, while saving the American taxpayer millions of dollars a year, by cosponsoring S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

To find your Senators' contact information, please visit AWI's Compassion Index. While there, you can also send them an email in support of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Remember, Paul Revere, a member of the original tea party, didn't walk from town to town alerting the colonists that the British were coming, he rode a horse! Please help us to alert everyone that the time has come to end horse slaughter. Be sure to share this Dear Humanitarian eAlert with friends, family and coworkers, and encourage them to take action today!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

Endangered Designation Sought for Thorny Skate

2011-08-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- Today the Animal Welfare Institute petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service to add the thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata) to the list of federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act.

Thorny skates are one of seven skate species that inhabit the waters of the northwest Atlantic Ocean, and their populations in Canada and the U.S. have declined dramatically over the past four decades. In Canada, thorny skate populations persist at perilously low levels. The species is even more imperiled in U.S. waters where population numbers have declined unremittingly since the mid-1970s and are currently at historic lows.

Since 2003, thorny skates have been designated a "prohibited" species in U.S. waters under the Skate Fishery Management Plan in an attempt to promote species recovery. Despite the prohibition on possession/landing of thorny skates, population numbers continue to decline. According to recently published reports, unsustainable bycatch mortality and illegal landings continue to imperil the species' survival in U.S. waters. Thorny skates are assessed as "Critically Endangered" in U.S. waters by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In Canada, where the IUCN assessed the species as "Vulnerable," a directed skate fishery continues to capture and kill thorny skates.

Skates, including thorny skates, are captured and sold as human food or cut up and used as bait in lobster traps. Many skates, while still alive, have their wings cut off after capture with the remainder of the body thrown back into the ocean. "Winging" of skates, like shark "finning," is remarkably inhumane.
"Considering the thorny skate’s precipitous decline in the Northwest Atlantic, the continued killing of this species is clearly unsustainable and biologically reckless," reports Trevor Smith, a Florida State University law student and primary author of the petition.

The current U.S. federal regulatory scheme has proven woefully inadequate to promote rebuilding of the species' populations and to reverse the thorny skate’s precarious status in U.S. waters. The petition, if successful, would provide the species with more stringent protections and regulations afforded by the Endangered Species Act and, potentially, critical habitat designation as well.

"It is not too late to turn the tide on the thorny skate’s fate in U.S. waters," says Susan Millward, Executive Director of the Animal Welfare Institute. "The best available science clearly supports federal endangered status, and the National Marine Fisheries Service should use the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act to facilitate the species' recovery."

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Media Contacts:
Susan Millward, Executive Director, AWI, (202) 446-2123, susan@awionline.org
Trevor Smith, Second-year law student, Florida State University, (850) 454-5629, tjs10c@fsu.edu

Frog Leg Trade Decimates Species and Causes Ecological Chaos

2011-07-28T10:40:00.001-04:00

New report highlights dangers of international frog leg trade

Washington, D.C./Munich -- International wildlife conservation groups Pro Wildlife, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Animal Welfare Institute, issued a report today titled Canapés to Extinction: The international trade in frogs’ legs and its ecological impact. The report is the first comprehensive study of the frog leg market ever conducted and reveals an industry that is systematically devastating frog populations throughout the world and, subsequently, causing severe environmental impacts to natural ecosystems.

"Humans have been eating frogs for ages. But today the practice is not sustainable on a global scale," said Alejandra Goyenechea, acting director of international conservation programs for Defenders of Wildlife. "Billions of frogs are traded internationally each year for human consumption, and that industry is responsible for depleting wild populations, spreading deadly disease, and allowing invasive species to destroy the health of native ecosystems."

In recent years, the United States has imported an average of 2,280 tonnes (4.6 million pounds) of frog legs each year - the equivalent of 456 million to 1.1 billion frogs - and another 2,216 tonnes (4.4 million pounds) of live frogs for Asian-American markets. Most frog and frog leg imports to the U.S. come from China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Mexico and Indonesia.
During the last decade, the European Union imported an average of 4,600 tonnes (9.2 million pounds) of frog legs each year - the equivalent of 1 to 2.3 billion frogs. Indonesia is the world’s leading supplier, providing 84 percent of total imports to the EU with the vast majority of frogs being caught in the wild. Belgium, France and the Netherlands are the top importers in the EU.

"The decline of many frog species is a global problem that is being greatly accelerated by just a handful of European nations," said Sandra Altherr, director of wildlife programs for Pro Wildlife in Germany. "The capture and killing of native frogs is prohibited within the EU, so it is incomprehensible that we would be supporting environmentally disastrous practices abroad."

Until the mid-1980s, India and Bangladesh dominated the international frog leg export market. Severe exploitation resulted in the collapse of many wild frog populations in those countries, including two of the most sought-after species, the green pond frog and the Indian bullfrog. In turn, the decline of those species resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of pesticides, due to an explosion of insects and other agricultural pests previously kept in check by frogs. In 1985, the two frog species were protected with an Appendix II listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). India and Bangladesh subsequently banned exports, their native species have since recovered and the use of pesticides has been reduced.

However, in recent years, other countries have stepped in to fill the void and their frog populations appear to be headed for a similar fate. Indonesia, where billions of frogs are taken from the wild annually, and to a lesser extent China, Taiwan and Vietnam, where frogs are farmed very intensively, have now taken over the export market.

"We must take immediate action to protect frog species from being exploited for international trade," said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist with the Animal Welfare Institute. "Wild populations across Asia are already in trouble, and unregulated trade puts native species in the U.S. at even greater risk from deadly diseases that have been wreaking havoc on amphibians worldwide. It will take a coordinated effort from governments and the world’s conservation community to prevent the extinction of imperiled frog species and to protect our native species from harmful invasives."

The report will be distributed to key government decision-makers, including those responsible for the implementation of CITES, with a request that they take immediate action to bring this unregulated trade under control. Considering that the frog species dominating the frog leg trade are not currently protected under CITES, there is an urgent need for governments to secure CITES protections for them.

Click here to download the full report.

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Media Contact:
D.J. Schubert, AWI, (609) 601-2875, dj@awionline.org

U.S. House of Representatives Takes Action to Protect Animals Against Cruel Traps on National Wildlife Refuges

2011-07-26T09:22:00.000-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) introduced legislation to end the use of brutal traps on furbearing animals within federal wildlife refuges. The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act, H.R. 2657, is intended to help to restore the original intent of the National Wildlife Refuge System by placing a ban on the use of cruel body-gripping traps on these public lands.

"The use of steel jaw leg-hold traps and other barbaric mechanisms has no place in National Wildlife Refuges or other public lands," said Congresswoman Lowey. "Body-gripping traps are cruel and inhumane, and it is time to end this brutal practice once and for all."

Currently, animals living within National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) are at risk of falling victim to body gripping traps where they may be tortured for hours or days - struggling to be free of the long-drawn-out pain inflicted on them by the traps. More than half of our country’s refuges currently allow trapping using steel jaw leghold traps, Conibear traps and snares. Steel jaw leg-hold traps are designed to restrain the animal by the leg, and some animals who are caught may chew off their own limb to escape on three legs. Conibear traps are designed to crush the animal’s spinal column for a quick kill. However, the trap often misses and clamps down on the chest or pelvis, crushing bones and causing the animal excruciating pain and prolonged death. Snares are among the oldest form of trap, a simple noose made of thin wire, which tightens around an animals neck or body as the animal struggles to get away.

Federal legislation is needed to stop this barbaric practice, currently allowed on more than half of our nation’s 550 refuges. These inhumane traps have been banned or severely restricted in 89 other nations and in 8 states throughout the United States. According to a 1989 study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal Damage Control division, such traps are indiscriminate and on average take 10.8 non-target animals for each trapped target animal. Referred to as "trash" animals by the trapper, non-target wildlife often are simply thrown away. Non-target animals that may be caught include raptors, songbirds, and deer.

"The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act is a critical step toward reducing the suffering inflicted on our nation’s wildlife," said Cathy Liss, AWI President. "The Animal Welfare Institute applauds Congresswoman Lowey for her leadership in seeking to protect both target and non-target animals from traps that cause extensive physical trauma."

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Media Contacts:
Chris Heyde, AWI, (202) 446-2142

U.S. Declares Iceland in Defiance of Global Commercial Whaling Ban

2011-07-20T11:49:00.000-04:00

Conservation and Animal Protection Groups Welcome Action and Demand Sanctions

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today in a formal declaration that Iceland is undermining the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by hunting whales in defiance of the IWC’s global ban on commercial whaling. As a result, President Obama now has 60 days to decide whether to impose economic measures including trade sanctions against Iceland under conservation legislation known as the "Pelly Amendment." Conservation and animal welfare groups commend Locke’s declaration and urge the President to pursue sanctions.

"U.S. citizens overwhelmingly oppose commercial whaling," said Kitty Block of Humane Society International. "It is both inhumane and unsustainable."

Kate O’Connell of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said, "President Obama has a unique opportunity to demonstrate U.S. leadership on whaling. The American public expects nothing less."

"Iceland has now been deservedly identified as a rogue whaling nation," adds Susan Millward, Executive Director of AWI. "President Obama can end whaling in Iceland by imposing, as he is authorized to do, strident sanctions against Iceland until it complies with international rules."

The U.S. and other IWC member countries have tried for years to persuade Iceland to end its commercial whaling, which includes hunting of the endangered fin whale - the world’s second largest animal. Although the U.S. has previously deemed Iceland and other whaling nations to be conducting commercial whaling in defiance of the IWC ban, it has never imposed trade sanctions. Following a series of failed negotiating efforts, the Obama Administration may finally choose to take strong action against Iceland.

"It’s clear Iceland won’t stop whaling until the world demands it through strong economic pressure," said Taryn Kiekow of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The U.S. must impose serious sanctions."

"Whales don’t belong to any one nation," said Leigh Henry of World Wildlife Fund. "Whale conservation requires global effort and the credibility of the IWC is of the utmost importance if it is to remain effective."

In 2009, Iceland dramatically increased its fin whale quota to 150 animals a year - more than three times the catch limit that would be recommended by the IWC’s approved quota calculation method if the commercial whaling moratorium was not in place. In December 2010, as Iceland’s self-allocated whaling quotas and exports reached record levels, 19 U.S. NGOs, representing tens of millions of U.S. citizens, filed a "Pelly petition" urging the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior to certify Iceland pursuant to the Pelly Amendment and encouraging the President to impose trade sanctions against Iceland and specifically against fisheries-related businesses linked to its whaling industry.

Iceland has killed 280 endangered fin whales and more than 200 minke whales since it resumed commercial whaling in 2006. In the last two years alone, it has exported over 1,200 tons of whale, blubber and oil, worth more than $17 million to Japan, as well as additional shipments to Belarus, the Faroe Islands, Latvia and Norway.

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Media Contacts:
Susan Millward, AWI, (202) 446-2123
Martin Montorfano, HSI, (301) 258-3152, mmontorfano@hsi.org
Jessica Lass, NRDC, (310) 434-2300, jlass@nrdc.org
Caroline Behringer, WWF, office: (202) 495-4514, cell: (443) 285-1928, caroline.behringer@wwfus.org

The Animal Welfare Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1951 and is dedicated to alleviating suffering inflicted on animals by humans.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world's largest animal protection organizations - backed by 11 million people. For nearly 20 years, HSI has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide - On the Web at hsi.org. Follow HSI on Twitter. See our work for animals on your iPhone by searching "HumaneTV" in the App Store.

About World Wildlife FundWWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at http://www.nrdc.org/.

Established back in 1987, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), is the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales and dolphins. http://www.wdcs.org/

BACKGROUND

The Pelly Amendment

Pelly Amendment of the Fishermen’s Protective Act 22 U.S.C. §1978, as amended Pub. L. No. 95-376, 92 Stat. 714 (Sept. 18, 1978)

The United States has acknowledged that the Pelly Amendment "has been one of our most effective tools in the effort to conserve the greatest [sic] whales" and, in addition to Iceland, has certified Japan, Norway and Russia for diminishing the effectiveness of the ICRW (the convention that established the IWC). The United States imposed trade sanctions under the Pelly Amendment against Taiwan in 1994 for diminishing the effectiveness of CITES for illegal trade in rhino and tiger parts.

Iceland’s Whaling

In 1982, the IWC imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling, effective from 1986/7. Iceland did not formally object to the moratorium, but left the IWC in 1992. In 2002, it rejoined the IWC and its accession documents included a reservation to the commercial whaling moratorium. Under international law, a party seeking to accede to a convention cannot take a reservation to a measure that is incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention. The IWC’s convention does, however, allow objections to Schedule amendments by its members within a proscribed period after the adoption of the amendment. Iceland chose not to file an objection to the 1982 adoption of the moratorium and therefore became bound by it. By including a reservation in its accession notification, Iceland tried to change its previous acceptance of the moratorium. Eighteen countries, including the United States, registered a formal objection to Iceland’s reservation to the moratorium on commercial whaling, and Mexico, New Zealand and Italy do not recognize Iceland’s membership of the IWC.

Iceland’s continued, and expanding, commercial whaling (including of an endangered species) under its reservation to the moratorium on commercial whaling is conducted without IWC supervision and control of the whaling operation. Its commercial whaling is conducted in defiance of objections to its reservation recorded by eighteen contracting governments. These actions clearly diminish the effectiveness of the ICRW/IWC. Iceland has ignored all diplomatic criticism of its hunting, including several strongly worded official diplomatic protests (demarches) from a wide range of countries in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2011.

Timeline

2002: Iceland rejoined the IWC with a reservation to the moratorium on commercial whaling.
2003: U.S. objected to the reservation contained in Iceland’s instrument of adherence. Iceland resumed special permit whaling, taking 36 minke whales.
2004: Iceland took 25 minke whales under special permit. The U.S. certified Iceland under Pelly for its special permit whaling but opted not to pursue trade sanctions.
2005: Iceland took 39 minke whales under special permit.
2006: Iceland took 60 minke whales under special permit and resumed commercial whaling under its reservation to the IWC’s moratorium; it took seven fin whales out of a self-allocated quota of nine and one out of 30 minkes under its reservation.
2007: Iceland took no fin whales and six minke whales under its reservation, and 36 minke whales in the last year of its special permit whaling.
2008: Iceland took 38 minke whales out of a quota of 40 and no fin whales under its reservation.
2009: Iceland dramatically increased its annual whaling quotas to 150 fin and 150 minke whales for 2009-2013. It took 126 fin and 81 minke whales.
2010: Iceland killed 148 fin and 60 minke whales.
March 2011: Iceland exported 289.13 tons, its largest single shipment of whale products to Japan since the IWC ban took effect.

Iceland’s Trade

CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, responded to the IWC’s moratorium on commercial whaling by transferring all whales species to its Appendix I, thereby prohibiting international commercial trade in whale products. Japan, Norway and Iceland lodged reservations that allow them to trade legally in whale products with each other. Iceland’s recent exports of whale products to Latvia and Belarus which do not hold reservations to the CITES listing were illegal. Together with its escalating exports of whale products under reservation, Iceland is diminishing the effectiveness of CITES’ trade controls - grounds for Pelly certification and sanctions.

Iceland illegally exported 2.7 tons of whale oil to Belarus in 2006 and 2010 and 259 kg of whale meat to Latvia in 2010; Iceland has exported 1,200 tons of fin whale meat to Japan since 2008 under their respective CITES reservations; Iceland has exported eight separate shipments of whale oil to Norway since 2008, totaling 708 kg, under their respective CITES reservations; Iceland has exported 1,309 kg of whale meat to the Faroe Islands, a non-party to CITES.

The ‘Hvalur Group’

Iceland’s ‘Hvalur (meaning 'whaling') Group’, comprising Hvalur hf; Fiskhlutfelagið Venus; Vogun; Vænting; HB Grandi and Hampiðjan, is the product of decades-long corporate and familial connections linked to Iceland's fishing and whaling industries. In turn, these companies are themselves tied to major players in Iceland's seafood, banking and investment firms. Hvalur hf, the fin whaling company, is also one of Iceland's leading investment companies. HB Grandi is Iceland's largest fishing and seafood export company, controlling nearly 10 percent of the country's fishing quotas. The U.S represents four percent of Grandi's overseas markets. Hampiðjan is one of the largest fishing gear suppliers in the world.

AWI’s 60th Year Honored by Congressional Animal Protection Caucus Leaders

2011-07-07T15:22:00.002-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- Sunday will mark the 60th anniversary of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). In honor of this, the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus co-chairmen, Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA) and Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), recognized AWI with a resolution commemorating the organization’s 60th year.

The resolution, entitled Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Animal Welfare Institute (H. Res. 309), highlights AWI's unparalleled leadership in animal protection issues, speaks to AWI programs, and underscores AWI’s current bipartisan and responsible legislative initiatives.

Since its inception in 1951, AWI has been a leader in the field of animal welfare. It was the first group of its kind to approach Congress and urge members on both sides of the aisle to consider their responsibility to be kind to animals and to enact laws to stamp out senseless cruelty while putting an end to needless suffering. Along the way, founder Christine Stevens - who guided the organization for over 50 years until her passing in 2002 - became known as the "mother of the animal protection movement." She and the dedicated staff at AWI have helped raise awareness and pass some of the most landmark animal welfare laws in the U.S. - the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act, the Endangered Species Preservation Act, and the Horse Protection Act, to name a few.

"We are especially grateful to the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and all of the many Members of Congress who have helped lend a voice to those who would otherwise not be heard," noted AWI’s president, Cathy Liss. "A special thanks is also due to the resolution sponsors, Congressman Gallegly and Congressman Moran, for their unwavering commitment to animal protection legislation over the years. Both have been incredible champions for the welfare of animals."

"As the co-chairman of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I have come to view the Animal Welfare Institute as a vital institution, providing me and my colleagues with critical and timely information on fundamental animal welfare issues," said Congressman Gallegly.

Today, AWI continues its critical mission, working in a bipartisan fashion with Members of Congress to address animal suffering in a number of areas, including horse slaughter, laboratory animal handling and housing, trapping, marine mammal harvesting, farm animal husbandry, and animal transportation.

"I am pleased to recognize the Animal Welfare Institute on its 60th anniversary," said Congressman Moran. "AWI has been a tremendous asset on Capitol Hill - consistently on the vanguard in the fight to end senseless cruelty of animals - and I look forward to working with them in the future on the key animal welfare issues debated in Congress."

The Animal Welfare Institute is honored to be recognized for 60 years of service and commitment to animals and is energized now, more than ever, to carry on with the mission set forth by our founder, Christine Stevens - to alleviate the suffering inflicted on animals by people.

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Media Contact:
Christine Sequenzia, AWI, (202) 446-2140

AWI Asks Retailers to Consider Animal Welfare in Choosing Meat Suppliers

2011-06-29T07:27:00.001-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is encouraging grocery store and restaurant chains to monitor the animal welfare record of their meat suppliers and refuse to deal with any company that repeatedly violates humane standards. In a letter to retailers, AWI president Cathy Liss urged retailers to not do business with companies on AWI’s list of repeat offenders of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the federal law regulating the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses.

"Consumers are increasingly aware that they hold the power to impact animals' lives through their food choices, and they want retailers to only offer products from humanely treated animals," said Liss. "Until now, unless a retailer conducted its own audits, it had little or no information about a producer's animal welfare record to help the retailer make purchasing decisions. AWI is now making that information available to retailers and consumers alike."

To assist in assessing the welfare record of a meat supplier, AWI has created a list of all slaughter establishments that have been suspended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violations of the humane slaughter law. Plant suspension is one of the most serious enforcement actions the USDA can take and typically occurs in response to an egregious incident. In some cases, the suspension list provides a link to actual enforcement documents, obtained from the USDA through the Freedom of Information Act.

Examples of repeat offenders of the humane slaughter law include a large Minnesota plant with 18 noncompliance records and three suspensions within an eight-month period and a very small North Carolina plant with six suspensions in 18 months. Violations include using an electric prod to shock a pig multiple times on the face, beating and kicking a disabled pig, chaining and hoisting a still-conscious steer, and shooting a bull with a firearm a total of five times before rendering the animal unconscious.

"Retailers should strive to provide high-quality, sustainable and socially responsible products for their customers, and that means only offering meat from animals that have been humanely raised and slaughtered," added Dena Jones, farm animal program manager for AWI. "Unfortunately, the treatment of animals on the farm is not currently regulated in the U.S. - but slaughter is regulated and a meat company’s humane slaughter record should inform retailer procurement decisions."

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Media Contact:
Dena Jones, AWI, 202-446-2146 or dena@awionline.org

Senator Kirk Introduces Bill to End Inhumane Transport of Horses Via Double Deck Trailers

2011-06-28T17:10:00.002-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- Late Monday night, Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 (S. 1281) to ban double deck trailer transportation of horses in the United States. Senator Kirk has worked to end the use of double deck transports for hauling horses since serving in the House of Representatives, following a horrific double deck trailer accident that took place in his state.

"The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is elated that Senator Kirk has chosen to reassert his strong commitment to the issue since his election to the Senate last year," said Christine Sequenzia, federal policy advisor at AWI. "Humane horse transportation is one of our top priorities and we felt that committee passage of a standalone bill during the 111th Congress was an important step forward. We now look forward to seeing the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 signed into law."

Double deck livestock trailers on the road today were built to meet the specific design and engineering requirements of short-necked livestock species, like cattle, sheep, and swine. Unfortunately, a few irresponsible haulers have used these trailers against manufacturer intent to transport horses, leading to inhumane travel conditions for equines and unsafe roadways for drivers. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the National Agriculture Safety Database (NASD) have recommended ceiling heights no lower than 7'-8' to transport horses safely, while average double deck trailer ceiling heights range from 4'7"-5'11". The U.S. Department of Transportation only requires bridges to have a vertical clearance of 14' in both rural and urban areas, making it impractical to build or modify a trailer large enough to transport equines on two levels.

"Besides being an inhumane way to transport horses, double-deck trailers pose a major safety threat to the drivers of the imbalanced, oversized vehicles, as well as to other motorists," said Senator Kirk. "Unfortunately, crashes due to these factors have occurred, and the results of the accidents are devastating. Following an accident in 2007 in Wadsworth, Ill., authorities worked for five hours before they were able to free the horses from the wreckage."

Today, most professional horse haulers believe double deck trailer transportation of horses has been banned. While there are a few state laws prohibiting the use of double deck trailers, there are no federal guidelines regarding the humane transport of horses, other than those going to slaughter. Even those are flawed; current USDA regulations banning double deck transportation only cover horses heading directly to a slaughterhouse. Horses bound anywhere else, or en route to a midpoint in their journey (such as an auction house or feedlot) legally may be hauled in a double deck trailer - notwithstanding the cruelty. The USDA has expressed a desire to strengthen regulations banning this inhumane practice, but has yet to take action on the matter.

The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 (S.1281) is necessary to protect horses from being transported across the United States in a trailer having more than one level. To learn more about this issue or to write a letter to your Senator in support of S. 1281, please visit www.compassionindex.org.

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Media Contact:
Christine Sequenzia, AWI, (202) 446-2140

GAO Study Wastes Time and Tax Dollars

2011-06-27T08:59:00.000-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- After almost two years and tens of thousands of tax dollars, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its report, HORSE WELFARE: Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences from Cessation of Domestic Slaughter with two conflicting conclusions: restore horse slaughter or ban horse slaughter. Really?

The GAO was given the responsibility of assessing horse welfare from 2007 forward following the closure of the last three foreign-owned horse slaughter plants in the U.S. However, and vital to understanding horse welfare, the GAO was not asked to consider the impact slaughter had on America’s horses while plants were operating in the U.S. or what it would be like for the horses if restored. In the end, one of two contradictory recommendations was to ban slaughter in the U.S. and the export of horses for the same purposes (what the Animal Welfare Institute has said for years).
In addition to this being the best alternative for the horses, this will also virtually eliminate any regulatory burden whatsoever to the USDA. In this time of economic strife, it is ludicrous to expend taxpayer dollars to benefit a few foreign investors (whether the plants are located in the U.S. or abroad). The only way to stop the abuse inflicted on American horses by the slaughter industry is for Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, banning horse slaughter domestically and prohibiting the export of horses to Mexico and Canada.

To offer the option of restoring horse slaughter in the U.S. as the other recommendation ignores the cruelty inflicted on American horses’ right under the nose of grossly underfunded and highly inadequate USDA inspection capabilities. There is ample documentation from the USDA, private investigations and the first hand observations by AWI staff, substantiating the inhumane treatment of horses at plants when they were operating in the U.S., and there is documentation of the inhumane treatment of horses at plants that are operating outside the U.S. First and foremost, it should be acknowledged that slaughter is not a form of humane euthanasia as claimed by horse slaughter advocates. Second, though the report touched on neglect and abuse of horses, all this does is introduce a separate horse welfare issue with no substantiated relevance to slaughter. Everyone agrees that neglect and abuse of horses is horrendous, however, it is happening irrespective of the horse slaughter issue and needs to be addressed - as the separate welfare issue it is.

The Animal Welfare Institute urges Congress to swiftly pass the S. 1176, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). To do otherwise will only perpetuate animal abuse.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, (202) 446-2142, chris@awionline.org

Bill Takes Aim at Animal Dealers with “Atrocious Record of Illegal Activity”

2011-06-22T08:11:00.000-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- The Animal Welfare Institute is pleased to report that Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) - in an effort to protect companion animals from illegal use in laboratory experiments - today reintroduced, H.R. 2256, the Pet Safety and Protection Act. This bill would prohibit notoriously shady Class B dealers from selling dogs and cats to researchers.

By law, Class B dealers are supposed to acquire the animals they sell only from other dealers, pounds, and individuals who have bred and raised the animals themselves. However, these dealers and their suppliers (called "bunchers") routinely flout the Animal Welfare Act, obtain animals through fraud, deception, and outright theft, and falsify their records. They keep the animals in horrendous conditions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture spends hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars each year unsuccessfully trying to regulate them and has acknowledged that it can’t guarantee that dogs and cats are not being illegally acquired for use in experimental procedures. Five of the eight dealers currently in operation are under investigation by the USDA, with one of them having recently been indicted on a number of federal charges, including identity theft. Another one who has been under investigation turned in his license though the case against him is still pending, and a third is halfway through a five-year suspension.

"Class B dealers have racked up an atrocious record of illegal activity and cruelty to animals," Congressman Doyle said today in reintroducing the bill. "Allowing this failed program to continue is simply unacceptable. That's why we're re-introducing the Pet Safety and Protection Act -- to shut down the Class B dealer disaster once and for all."

In May 2009, the National Academy of Sciences released a report entitled "Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random Source Dogs and Cats in Research." At the request of Congress, NAS assessed whether there is a scientific need for NIH grant recipients to purchase dogs and cats from B dealers. It found that animals with similar qualities are available from alternative sources. The report stated: "The Committee therefore determined Class B dealers are not necessary as providers of random source animals for NIH-related research." In response to this report and continued Congressional concern, NIH is now phasing out the use of these dealers by its grant recipients.

The Pet Safety and Protection Act is essential to ensuring that there is a permanent end to this abuse-ridden pipeline. "Class B dealers have routinely failed to meet basic Animal Welfare Act Standards and there is no sign they will ever improve," remarked Congressman Smith. "Reputable research institutes do not use Class B dealers because of the serious problems associated with them and their troubled past. Closing them down once and for all will give people greater confidence in our research programs and go a long way toward reducing animal cruelty."

Animal Welfare Institute President Cathy Liss welcomed the bill's reintroduction: "Most researchers do not use Class B dealers to acquire dogs and cats, and it is time for the remainder who do to end their embarrassing association with these habitual violators of the law."

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Media Contacts:
Cathy Liss, (202) 446-2121
Nancy Blaney, (202) 446-2141

Senate Reintroduces Bill to Permanently Ban Horse Slaughter

2011-06-09T21:00:00.002-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- A bill to ban horse slaughter was reintroduced in the United States Senate today. Sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), S. 1176, the "American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011" will end the slaughter of American horses here and, most urgently, will stop these horses from being exported abroad for slaughter. The sponsors, who have long championed the cause, have the bipartisan support of 14 colleagues who are co-sponsoring the bill.

"As a lifelong horse lover and rider, this practice is appalling to me, and more importantly, the majority of Americans oppose it. We raise and train horses to trust us, perform for us, and allow us on their backs, and as such, they deserve to be treated with human compassion. When horse owners are faced with the sad reality of having to put their animals down, it should be by humane euthanasia," said Senator Landrieu. "I intend to work with Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina and my other colleagues to get this bill passed and permanently end the slaughter of our American horses."

The legislation comes at a time when horse slaughter no longer occurs on U.S. soil, but each year approximately 100,000 American horses are hauled to Canada, Mexico and beyond. Reports show that horses regularly travel for hundreds or even thousands of miles to the slaughterhouses on double-deck cattle trucks without food, water or rest. At some Mexican slaughterhouses horses are stabbed repeatedly in the spine until they are paralyzed, after which they are butchered while still fully conscious. This country’s three remaining horse slaughter plants - two in Texas and one in Illinois - were shut down in 2007 under state law.

"The slaughter of horses is not a substitute for humane euthanasia though it is often mischaracterized as such by opponents who are more concerned with wringing a few bucks from a suffering animal than doing what is right," said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute. "AWI commends Senator Landrieu and Senator Graham for their continued leadership and for reintroducing this very important measure."

For years, the pro-slaughter camp has led a concerted and disingenuous effort to resurrect the industry domestically and has used scare tactics in an attempt to defeat the federal ban. The federal legislation is desperately needed to stop the slaughter of American horses, irrespective of where the killing takes place.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, (202) 446-2142, chris@awionline.org

House Appropriations Committee Approves Amendment Blocking Tax Dollars from Being Used to Continue Horse Slaughter

2011-05-31T22:22:00.005-04:00

Washington, D.C. -- In yet another resounding victory for America's horses, the House Appropriations Committee voted in favor of language sponsored by Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) prohibiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture from spending tax dollars on inspecting horse slaughter facilities. The language, originally passed into law back in 2005, has halted horse slaughter operations for years, but for some reason, was not included in the current Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations bill approved by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee late last week.

"The Animal Welfare Institute commends Representative Jim Moran for his introduction of the amendment restoring this important language before the full Committee," said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. "Representative Moran and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) spoke strongly about the need for this bill while pointing out now is not the time to start spending tax dollars to prop up a foreign owned and driven industry that prays on the suffering of American horses."

While the amendment was approved by the House Appropriations Committee, AWI will remain vigilant to ensure horse slaughter proponents do not try other tactics to have it removed as the bill makes its way to the full House for a vote or even in the Senate when the time comes.

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Media Contact:
Chris Heyde, AWI, (202) 446-2142, chris@awionline.org