Update April 15: The Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee has decided to hold this bill, H.B. 7769, for further study. The bill would eliminate some of the worst factory farming abuses.   For more on this bill and how you can help pa ...

Article - lauraallen - 15 Apr 2010 - 2:44pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

The effort to strengthen animal fighting laws, to give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools to go after those who would so cruelly torture dogs and other animals, continues in the 2010 legislative session. Find information at these links abo ...

Article - lauraallen - 12 Apr 2010 - 10:14pm - 2 comments - 0 attachments

While Michael Vick has returned to playing professional football and even starred in his own reality show, state governments have continued to build during the 2009-2010 session on 2008 gains in giving law enforcement the tools needed ...

Article - lauraallen - 12 Apr 2010 - 8:26pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update April 1, 2010: The Hawaii and Massachusetts bills did not pass.   Update Oct. 12, 2009: California AB 242  has now been signed into law by  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger .The law increase sthe penalty for the crime of be ...

Article - lauraallen - 12 Apr 2010 - 8:00pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Despite its own warnings and criticism about animal gas chambers, the AVMA still finds their use acceptable. The 2000 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) report on animal euthanasia states carbon monoxide gas chambers are an acceptable ...

Article - lauraallen - 10 Oct 2007 - 5:11am - 1 comment - 1 attachment

An interview with Peter MacQueen III by Denise LeBeau Peter MacQueen III is president of the Humane Society of Eastern North Carolina and has been compassionately advocating on the behalf of the companion animals of North Carolina for over 20 ...

Article - lauraallen - 10 Oct 2007 - 5:11am - 2 comments - 0 attachments

Update Mar. 1, 2010: Virginia S.B. 648 was stricken at the request of its sponsor, State Sen. Jim Vogel, and the other bills, H.B. 884 and H.B. 1143 wer left in committee at the end of the session.   Original report: Bills pending in Virginia ...

Article - lauraallen - 11 Apr 2010 - 3:32pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update April 1: Maryland bill, S.B. 505, that would have prohibited pet stores from selling dogs under 9 months of age, failed to pass the Finance Committee and is dead for this session.  Original report: A bill is pending in the Maryla ...

Article - lauraallen - 11 Apr 2010 - 3:19pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update April 1, 2010: These bills never passed their respective committees and died upon adjournment of the legislature.   Original report: The West Virginia puppy mill bills, House Bill 4333 and a Senate version, S.B. 147 , are both stuck in A ...

Article - lauraallen - 11 Apr 2010 - 3:12pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Allen Grider, Glenn Belcher and Valerie Piltz have filed suit in federal court, challenging the pit bull bans in Denver and Aurora, Colorado. The Animal Law Center is representing these plaintiffs and plans to have the case certified a ...

Article - lauraallen - 11 Apr 2010 - 2:52pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update Nov. 4, 2009:  The unofficial results show 63.65% of Ohio voters (1,958,646 people) voted yes for Issue 2, while 36.35% or 1,118,484 voters, voted no. It's probably no surprise this power grab by large agri-business succeeded. Ohio Ag ...

Article - lauraallen - 4 Nov 2009 - 2:40pm - 3 comments - 0 attachments

Plaintiff Leonard Shelton , a former resident of Lakewood, Ohio, has filed a fourteen count lawsuit   against the city, its animal control officer, Michael Stewart, and police officer, Kenneth Kulczycki , the police department and variou ...

Article - lauraallen - 9 Apr 2010 - 6:23pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update April 5 : This bill, S.B. 105, has now passed the Kentucky House of Representatives by a vote of 89-8 and was returned to the Senate for approval of 3 amendments. The Senate declined to approve the amendment changing the method for ...

Article - lauraallen - 9 Apr 2010 - 2:23pm - 0 comments - 1 attachment

Update April 1: The Tennessee House Agriculture Committee rejected H.B. 3386 which would have made torture and depraved and sadistic treatment of farm animals as well as companion animals a felony.   There was even an exception for ...

Article - lauraallen - 6 Apr 2010 - 2:07pm - 1 comment - 0 attachments

New York bills, S.B. 751 and A.B. 5512   would prohibit the sale or slaughter of nonambulatory cattle, sheep or pigs and allow them to be moved only for veterinary care or humane euthanasia. Veterinary care or humane euthanasia would be r ...

Article - lauraallen - 6 Apr 2010 - 1:34pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update Oct. 13 on bills introduced by California state Sen. Dean Florez: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law S.B. 135,  a ban on tail docking in cattle , and vetoed S.B. 173, a bill that would have required ...

Article - lauraallen - 6 Apr 2010 - 1:03pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update: This bill, H.B. 529, has now been signed into law by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue . H.B. 529 will stop local communities from regulating factory farms through ordinances, rules, regulations and resolutions.  This law ...

Article - lauraallen - 5 Apr 2010 - 9:02pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update June 22, 2009: By a vote of 95-10 the legislature has overridden South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of S.B. 453. The bill is now law. For more on this bill, read Animal Law Coalition's reports below.  Upda ...

Article - lauraallen - 5 Apr 2010 - 8:59pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

There were several bills and resolutions introduced and some passed in 2009 in state legislatures. The resolutions call for the defeat of the federal anti-horse slaughter bill, H.R. 503 (Senate version is S 727), and some bills proposed to support hor ...

Article - lauraallen - 1 Apr 2010 - 3:31pm - 0 comments - 2 attachments

Update Mar. 26: Just as Issue 2 passed quickly in the legislature with no debate before it was presented to voters, the implementing legislation, H.B. 414 , has also passed in record time. The final version did not include any specif ...

Article - lauraallen - 31 Mar 2010 - 6:50pm - 0 comments - 1 attachment

Update Mar. 31, 2010: A Hawaii Senate legislative committee has approved the restrictions on tethering in H.B. 2724. The bill has passed the House.  H.B. 2724  would ban tethering in a " cruel and inhumane manner ", and any te ...

Article - lauraallen - 31 Mar 2010 - 3:15pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update Mar. 24, 2010: The Minnesota puppy/cat mill bill, S.F. 7 / H.F. 253 , has failed to pass. The Senate Agriculture and Veterans Committee has said no to the bill, and it is dead for this year.  For more details on this bill ...

Article - lauraallen - 31 Mar 2010 - 2:30pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

It can be disastrous for the animals when a pet owner or the operator of a small shelter dies and leaves them with no one willing or able to care for them. It can be just as problematic when a shelter including a non-profit decides to close.  It is imp ...

Article - lauraallen - 20 Mar 2010 - 2:03am - 0 comments - 0 attachments

U.S. District Court Judge Emmett G. Sullivan has ruled that a former employee of a circus and an animal welfare organization, Animal Protection Institute, lack standing to challenge the abusive treatment of elephants held by the circus.  The ...

Article - lauraallen - 19 Mar 2010 - 10:38pm - 1 comment - 0 attachments

Many of us grew up going to circuses , rodeos , exhibitions like Sea World or have taken our children to these events where we can see animals perform and entertain us.  We may have dreamed of running off to join the circus or even tried rodeo ...

Article - lauraallen - 19 Mar 2010 - 10:46pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Update Mar. 19, 2010: After failing to pass once again a repeal of the state's 2007 ban on horse slaughter, Illinois state Rep. Jim Sacia has introduced   H.R. 1022 , a resolution calling for the defeat of the federal bill, H.R. 5 ...

Article - lauraallen - 19 Mar 2010 - 6:18pm - 2 comments - 0 attachments

by Karen Delise (reprinted with permission)   Update Aug. 1: Math Saves Dog in Challenge to BSL in Miami-Dade   In 1989, Miami/Dade County passed an ordinance banning from the county all "pit bull" dogs. The county claimed that ...

Article - lauraallen - 28 Oct 2009 - 5:31pm - 2 comments - 0 attachments

CHICAGO, (EWA) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued the long awaited health requirements for all horses bound for slaughter in Canada. In 2009, 56% of the 93,812 horses slaughtered in Canada were U.S. exports. The requiremen ...

Article - lauraallen - 16 Mar 2010 - 6:33pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

The Ohio legislature should take note: If legislators fail to pass humane standards for farm animals in the implementing legislation for Issue 2 , voters may vote this November, 2010 to amend the state constitution and ban the Livestock Care Standa ...

Article - lauraallen - 13 Mar 2010 - 3:26pm - 0 comments - 0 attachments

Part 1 of a 3 part series by Katia Louise (reprinted with permission)  There's an alarming and aggressive campaign of deception sweeping the country to establish HORSE SLAUGHTER plants nationwide. Illinois State Rep. Jim Sacia waste ...

Article - lauraallen - 28 Jan 2010 - 10:38pm - 2 comments - 0 attachments