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https://community.hsus.org/humane/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=3747618May 25, 2006
Dear Karolyn,
This year, we have seen the power of your participation in making real strides for animals on Capitol Hill. I wanted to briefly update you on some of the progress The Humane Society of the United States and our lobbying arm, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, are making in Congress on some of our key legislative priorities.The HSUS is a leader in protecting animals from cruelty and suffering, and our bold legislative agenda reflects our commitment. But none of what we've accomplished this year would have been possible without you and other members of our online community. By contacting your lawmakers, making a donation or telling your friends and family about our legislative work, you make a real and lasting impact on the lives of animals.
Here are the highlights from the past week:
Victory for America's Horses
We won unanimous approval in the U.S. House of Representatives for an amendment to the spending bill for the Department of the Interior to restore federal protections for wild horses and burros and to bar the commercial sale and slaughter of these animals for foreign food exports. This unanimous approval will build even more momentum for our work to pass a permanent ban on horse slaughter. You can help end horse slaughter forever by urging your legislators to pass H.R. 503 and S. 1915, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.No Pet Left Behind in Disasters
The House also passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, H.R. 3858, in a landslide 349-24 vote. The PETS Act requires state and local emergency management agencies to take into account the needs of individuals with pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster. The HSUS and the HSLF are working hard to pass this legislation before the next hurricane season begins. If you have not yet contacted your two U.S. Senators about S. 2548, the Senate version of the PETS Act, please act now to help save pets before disaster strikes again.Speaking Out Against Animal Fighting
A two-hour hearing was held in the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on H.R. 817, the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which strengthens the federal penalties for illegal dogfighting, cockfighting, and hog-dog fighting. I testified at the hearing and I believe it went extremely well for our side. In fact, the chairman of the subcommittee signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill immediately after the hearing ended. Click here to watch a webcast of the hearing. The U.S. Senate has already approved this legislation. You can help move the bill through final House passage by urging your Representative to end animal fighting now.Two more important federal bills made significant progress this week. Help keep up the momentum by taking action:
Protecting Primates from the Pet Trade
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works unanimously approved S. 1509, the Captive Primate Safety Act. This legislation seeks to end the interstate and foreign commerce in captive primates for the pet trade. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration. Please urge your Senators to help protect chimpanzees, monkeys, and other primates from the cruelties of the pet trade.Keeping Children and Animals Safe
The House Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on H.R. 2567, the Antifreeze Bittering Act, which would require the addition of a bittering agent in sweet-tasting engine coolant and antifreeze to prevent pets, wildlife, and children from being poisoned. We're supporting our friends at the Doris Day Animal League who are leading the charge to pass this bill. You can help by asking your federal lawmakers to help save thousands of children and animals who get ill or die each year from antifreeze poisoning.And finally, not all the legislative progress for animals is happening in Congress. We are seeing real movement on bills to ban cockfighting in Louisiana (one of only two states where this barbaric practice remains legal), to strengthen the penalties for illegal animal fighting in South Carolina, to ban cruel "coursing" events in California, and to protect animals in disasters in many states across the country.
It's incredibly exciting to see meaningful progress on several of our federal and state priorities. With your continued support, we are expecting to get some of these bills over the finish line before the legislative session ends this year. Thank you for your important work on these issues.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
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