Update July 10, 2008: This bill limiting dog breeders to 75 breeding dogs at a time has become law! It passed the Senate and became effective without the governor's signature on July 8, 2008.

For more on this new law read Animal Law Coalition's original report below.

                                             Update: This bill has died. 

From the Anti-Fur Society:

Extreme brutality is used in slaughtering horses in Mexico - in particular the Market of San Bernabe.  Horses - former pet horses - young, old, sick, healthy, stolen, pregnant mares...none are sacred!   Most people do not know the torture inflicted upon these intelligent creatures.  It is the ultimate betrayal to those which so trust and love us. 

Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley in a maneuver reminiscent of the politics of his infamous father, former Mayor Richard J. Daley, refused to allow debate of a measure voted on this week by the City Council to repeal the city's ban on foie gras. Alderman Thomas Tunney, a restaurant owner and supporter of the mayor, maneuvered the repeal to a vote, and the measure passed this past week by a vote of 37-6.

Update July 30, 2008: Following a bench trial, a Carroll County, Virgnia judge has found Lanzie "Junior" Horton guilty of animal cruelty and neglect and failing to have a license for the nearly 1,000 dogs held in his commercial breeding facility. Again. 

Update: This resolution did not pass before the end of the legislative session.

Original report: Missouri state Sen. Wes Shoemyer is pushing Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 35 which refers to horse slaughter as "horse harvesting" as if these animals are beets or carrots to be removed from the fields when they are ready for market.  

Bibb County, Georgia has joined the anti-tethering movement!  The county council has unanimously adopted a ban on all tethering or chaining of dogs or cats when the owner is not present.  This includes tying the dog or cat to a pulley.  Yes!

Even if the owner is there, the animal cannot be tethered in "unsafe or unsanitary conditions" or allowed to become tangled in the tether or when the weather might cause harm to the animal.

If you need more reason to support the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty initiative on this November's ballot or propose a similar initiative or law in your state, watch the video below.

Mercy for Animals went undercover at Gemperle Enterprises, a Turlock farming operation that supplies NuCal Foods, Inc., the largest egg supplier in the western United States.

Update Oct. 10, 2008: Governor Ed Rendell  has signed the puppy mill bill, H.B. 2525, that he and the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement championed through the legislature. 

Adapted & posted with permission by Sheryl Rapee-Adams, Best Friends Network
Photo by Sheryl Rapee-Adams

Just hours before Vermont's legislative session ended for the season, the Student Choice bill passed the Vermont Senate unanimously. Longtime friend to nonhuman and human Vermonters Senator John Campbell (D-Windsor) advocated strongly for this bill and negotiated with the House Education Chair on its behalf.

Need a dog or a cat, may be a ferret to keep you company?  But don't want to take care of it for more than a few hours, days or weeks? 

A burgeoning new industry advertises that you can now rent a pet.

                                                                  Update July 9, 2008: The Boston City Council has voted to ban pet rentals in the city! The vote was unanimous.

It is now up to Mayor Thomas Menino to sign the measure.

by Jonathan Stone Rankin, Esq. reprinted with permission

Pet rental or "flexible ownership" companies may be coming to Massachusetts soon; one in particular has announced an opening in Boston this year. With this new, unregulated industry comes a Pandora's box of legal considerations that could potentially devastate consumers.

Update: These bills have died.

The Missouri legislature is considering changes to the state's dog fighting laws. One change would make it a Class D felony instead of a misdemeanor on a second and subsequent offense of being present for a dog fight including preparations leading up to it.

Alaska is no longer one of the states where animal cruelty is not a felony under any circumstances.

Until now it was no more than a Class A misdemeanor to abuse an animal in Alaska no matter the intent of the perpetrator or the extent of the abuse. Alaska Stat. §11.61.140. The most punishment anyone could face on a charge of animal cruelty is a $5,000 fine and 1 year in jail. Alaska Stat. §12.55.015

Update May 16, 2008: Governor Bill Ritter has now signed this landmark bill!

Original report: Colorado has become the fourth state along with Florida, Arizona and Oregon to ban gestation crates for pregnant pigs.  It has become the second state along with Arizona to make it illegal to keep veal calves in too small enclosures.

Update Dec. 31, 2008: The federal bill to ban airborne shooting of animals did not pass during this Congress and is now dead. 

Update August 30, 2008:   The voters in Alaska did not pass the ballot initiative to stop aerial gunning of wolves, wolverines and grizzly bears.

The slaughter of buffalo around Yellowstone National Park continues unabated. In the latest round of killing since 2002 these beautiful creatures, icons of the American plains have been killed or rounded up and taken to slaughterhouses in large numbers.

By:  Jenny Stephens, North Penn Puppy Mill Watch, www.nppmwatch.com (reprinted with permission)
 

Update: The Iowa House passed this bill to make attendance at an animal fight a felony, and it is now the law!

Original report: The Iowa Senate has passed a bill, S.F. 2203 that would increase the penalty for being a spectator at an animal fight from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony. The bill is now pending in the Iowa House as H.F. 2381.

Update September 15, 2008:   Jack McCall was finally arrested. On August 26, 2008 MCall pled guilty to 3 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty and received a sentence of 90 days in jail.  This despite the abject cruelty and his prior record.

By JOANNE BOURBEAU (reprinted with permission)

(The Vermont puppy mill bill did not make it out of committee this year. Click here for more on that bill and the politics that helped defeat it.) 

Do you remember last year when there were rumblings last year that Rep. John Lesch would introduce a bill to ban 5 breeds of dogs and Rep. Dennis Ozment actually did introduce a bill that would have repealed Minnesota's current ban on BSL, Minnesota Chpt. 347.51 Subd. 8,and also allowed local governments to recommend to a task force that certain dogs be declared potentially dangerous or dangerous based solely on breed?  

That was then. This is now.

                                       Update: The Whitehall, Ohio City Council has decided not to pursue a breed ban!

Original report. A proposed pit bull ban is set for hearing in Whitehall, Ohio. The ban is sponsored by Councilperson Jackie Thompson.

 "I'm a changed woman," says Oprah. The famed talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, says she will never buy another dog, that she will only adopt dogs from shelters.  This after Oprah produced a show about puppymills. The show aired on April 4.

                                        Update April 24, 2008: It is now clear Sen. Kent Williams may have violated the state and county law.

                                       Update April 13, 2009: During a hearing on October 13, 2008, Union County stipulated it was complying with all laws including regulations governing euthanasia and would in the future abide by all such regulations, as modified. The case was dismissed on the basis of that stipulation. 

Update June 27, 2008: the Arizona legislature adjourned for this session without considering this bill.

Original report: Several Arizona representatives are sponsoring a bill, H.B. 2516, that would mandate spay/neuter for all dogs and cats over 6 months old unless the owner qualifies for and obtains an intact permit. Fees for the intact permit will be set by each county.

Update March 27, 2008: Mayor Don Kiser has  said he still wants restrictions on pit bulls but he is willing to accept these dogs can continue to live in the town. 

Animal Law Coalition will keep you updated on the final ordinance. In the meantime, keep writing or calling city officials below and urge them to consider alternative to any BSL.

Update: Both of these bills have died. 

Original report: Like a number of states, for purposes of the animal cruelty laws, Iowa classifies equines as livestock.

In Iowa it is illegal for someone to injure or destroy someone else's livestock intentionally such as by poisoning, shooting or trapping. Iowa Code § 717.1A

The National Horse Protection League has initiated a petition calling upon American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and AVMA President Gregory Hammer to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act pending in Congress.

By Jenny Stephens, http://www.nppmwatch.com/ (Reprinted with permission)

On March 4-5, 2008, over 100 people gathered at the nation's Capitol to lobby members of Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 311. 

                                       Update: These bills died; the legislature is adjourned.

Original report: Tennessee is taking on animal fighting in a big way this legislative session.  There are bills pending that will:

Update: The state Senate passed this bill to increase penalties for animal fighting, and it is now law.

Original report: The Wyoming  House of Representatives has passed H.B. 46, a bill that would amend the dog and cock fighting law, Wy. Stat. 6-3-203, and make it a felony on the first offense. 

"I Left the Mill that night.. yet it has never left me...  and never will.."

                              Nicole Joncas 12/20/2007

by Doc Wheeler and Laura Allen

Update: This bill has died. 

This one should be a no brainer. 

Bill No. 5656 pending before the Connecticut General Assembly would ban the declawing of cats. The only exception would be for therapeutic reasons, meaning an infection, injury, disease or "abnormal condition" that was jeopardizing the cat's health.  

                                       Update: This bill has died.                      

Original report: All of animal fighting may soon be a Class 5 felony in Arizona.

I [have] read [Nathan Windograd's book,] Redemption. 

I spent almost a year as the director of the local so called "humane" society in Wooster, Ohio.  I came into a high kill shelter and in one month stopped all the killing of dogs and ran a no kill for space county shelter (taking all the stray dogs)  with a daily average of 38 dogs in the kennel.  (The kennel is designed to hold 50+ dogs.) 

Until now, Idaho was one of a handful of states where dog fighting was only a misdemeanor. And that law was pretty vague as to what activity associated with dog fighting would be illegal.

You can help protect these animals.

Update: February 25, 2008: Officials at Westland/Hallmark Meat have announced the company will shut down permanently because of financial difficulties following an undercover investigation that revealed cruel treatment of downed cows at its facility in Chino, California.