Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation

Behind the Fire Lines

The fires in Southern California have now, for the most part, abated or been contained. Many animals—both domesticated and wild—lost their lives as the fast moving fires, stoked by the Santa Ana winds, scorched the homes and parched vegetation in their path. The flames engulfed hundreds of thousands of acres and devoured more than 2,000 homes.

But many animals were saved, thanks in part to the quick thinking and advance planning of California residents who took their animals with them or delivered them to some other safe place. The Humane Society of the United States and San Diego Animal Services also provided a safety net, with teams that fanned out throughout San Diego County and attended to the needs of animals.

The recently passed California law including pets in disaster plans, and the new federal law—along with the awareness generated by Hurricane Katrina—made a world of difference, as did highly trained disaster response teams.

As usual, during the crisis our supporters gave generously to enable disaster operations to respond. Please take a look at this video and slideshow about our animal rescue response, and thank you for your support.

As always, the key is to be prepared. Make sure you have a disaster plan for you and your animals.

Riding Roughshod Over Horses

More tragedy for horses this past week.

First, at a sloppy and soaked Monmouth Park in New Jersey on Saturday, European horse racing star George Washington broke down in the home stretch of the Breeder's Cup. As workers rushed to the hobbling 4-year-old colt, who sustained fractured bones in his right front leg and was later euthanized, onlookers were reminded of Barbaro’s heartbreaking injury at last year's Preakness.

This dreadful end to the Breeder’s Cup marked the second year in a row that an injured horse was euthanized at the race. While these injuries are disconcerting and coming too frequently, there's at least no motive or clear intent to cause injury or harm. The same cannot be said for the horse slaughter industry, which is deliberately killing tens of thousands of American horses every year.

© Earlene Fredrick
Responders tend to a horse injured
in the Illinois accident.

Later the same day, a highway near Wadsworth, Ill. became the site of a grisly accident involving a double-decker truck designed for pigs but jam-packed with Belgian horses—a massive draft breed. Belgians can weigh more than a ton.

More than a dozen horses perished in the crash, and most of the surviving horses suffered a range of injuries. With the truck tipping over, and the horses severely injured and jumbled on top of one another, it was a ghastly scene. It is said some of the horses were in the mangled mess for hours while awaiting rescue.

It's not perfectly clear where these horses were headed. But it does remind us all of the many hazards of confining large numbers of horses in long-distance transport. The principal purpose for these types of shipments is slaughter, and now the horses are going hundreds of miles into Canada and Mexico.

Let's redouble our efforts to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S. 311 and H.R. 503.

Break the Chain

We can never relent in our efforts to make people more aware. Even people who love animals often do not know what the best course of action is when it comes to proper care of animals.

My own childhood experience is a poignant and personal reminder of this principle. Ever since I can remember, I loved animals and hated the idea of them being harmed. Yet, in one area of proper care, my own behavior didn't measure up. I didn't know any better. I was ignorant, and so was everybody else in my household.

I shared so much of my childhood with my late, beloved Brandy, a Labrador and golden retriever mix. She was a fantastic and loving and loyal girl.

When she wasn't in the house, she was chained in our backyard. Often for hours every day, and often overnight. Often in the summer and in the winter.

© iStockphoto

Our behavior was wrong. Now I know better. Tethering dogs for long periods is just not humane.

In the wild, wolves live in packs; through domestication, dogs have been bred to form strong attachments to their human families. When dogs are left outdoors on a chain they can become lonely, bored and anxious. Just as they need food, water and shelter, dogs also need our companionship.

The human-animal bond is damaged when we leave our canine friends outdoors to suffer through sweltering summers and frigid winters. In certain areas, chained dogs are at risk of being stolen by dogfighters or others who might cause them harm. They may be taunted by children, or even strangled on a tangled chain.

The Humane Society of the United States is committed to policies that set a standard—and that discourage or prohibit long-term tethering. Legislation to ban or restrict the practice of chaining is gaining momentum at both the state and local levels, all across the country. So far, Texas, Maryland and Tennessee have passed new tethering laws and bills in several other states are still being considered.

If you would like to take action to help chained dogs in your community, The HSUS is now offering a free kit to help you pass such local legislation. More than 100 communities in over 30 states have chaining ordinances and, with our kit, yours can be next.

You Asked: Optimism for Animals

Today, dozens of HSUS staff remain in California helping with disaster response there. Yet, even in the midst of a cataclysmic disaster that requires intense focus, we must press ahead with our other work—often, on a hundred fronts.

We run a complex operation, with experts and activities in so many different subjects and operating in a wide range of geographic areas. We fight against—and see firsthand—the worst abuses facing animals today. We have good days and not so good days. But more and more, we are making gains and tangible progress, yet there is still too much intransigence and knee-jerk opposition to the reasonable reforms we seek. We are impatient for change, but recognize that the sort of lasting change we want does not come easily.

Today, I wanted to take a moment to respond to a question from reader Michele—a question I hear all the time, and a question that I expect you also often ask yourself.

Q. As I become increasingly aware of all the animal abuse that goes on day in day out, I have a difficult time managing my emotions. I go from feeling deeply saddened to extremely angry and then to feeling helpless. How do you keep a positive attitude going when the suffering seems endless?

A. Yes, Michele, this is a very important issue for the health of our movement. Many of our supporters become depressed or paralyzed by the circumstances of animals. It's a combination of the pain that we feel and a sense that we can do little or nothing to turn the situation around.

As individuals, we must be on the lookout for this. When people leave our movement, or do not function well, it diminishes our strength as a cause. We must not only recruit people to strengthen our movement, but hold on to them once we have them.

I have been deeply involved in animal protection work for 20 years, and I have seen absolutely miserable things. In fact, I see them or learn of them almost every day in my post as CEO of the world's largest animal protection group. If I internalized all of the suffering, I'd be eaten up by now. I take my anger and turn it into action. And I also try to focus some of my emotional energy on our progress. I take heart from the gains we are making and that serves as my fuel. I urge you to do the same.

Take stock that in the last two years, we have passed more than 150 new state laws to protect animals. We have made major gains against factory farming for the first time in our movement's history. And never before has the public been so aware of the plight of animals.

Social change of the magnitude we are seeking will not happen overnight. But change does happen in increments. And I assure you, it's happening now. Celebrate the change, and turn your anger and pain into action and resolve.

Talk Back: Gratitude and Grief

As firefighters continue to battle the inferno that has rampaged through Southern California, The HSUS Disaster Services team and San Diego County Animal Services have moved in to help rescue and shelter hundreds of animals. Readers responded to yesterday's blog post and to footage of the wildfires with an outpouring of support and concern. Among the comments we received:

Bless you for what you do!!! I have not stopped worrying about all the animals in the way of this horrendous fire, and knew that groups like yours would be there to help!!! I am a Southern California transport and know how devastating these winds can be, and I just thank you for helping these sweet, defenseless creatures. —Gayle Morris

Wayne: Thanks for putting together this post and for all The HSUS is doing in SoCal as we speak. My parents nearly lost their home in Fallbrook last night. The fire passed through their neighborhood, burning vegetation right on their property but sparing the house. Neighbors moved their horses, goats, chickens and other pets out ahead of the fire, thank goodness. My wife is a horse trainer and we have a horse. I can’t imagine the drama and stressful nature around moving horses under such scary conditions. Thank you HSUS for being there to help. —Jeff Lennan

As I watch the TV cameras scan the evacuees at QUALCOMM Stadium and other shelters I am struck by the number of dogs, cats and even a few birds safe with their people. The animals are calm—not creating a fuss as predicted by those who have for years opposed sheltering pets with their humans in times of disaster. These pictures and video are proof it can work and there is no excuse to leave the animals behind. I'm proud to have been part of lobbying to make it possible. I also feel for the loss of all those homes but most have been able to get out with their families—all of their family. —Dolores Williams

I saw an image on CNN today of a horse running frantically with the flames raging in the background and just received an email from The HSUS with more horrific pictures. My wife and I have a small website for women who love horses and posted a message with links to The HSUS site and articles. We also made a donation and posted a “donate now” link on our site. We're brainstorming with our members to see if there's anything we can do together to help! —Josh Bevan

So glad that you are there! When I retire I swear I will try to join one of your disaster teams. For now all I can do is help with donations and other small things. —Nancy Deyarmie

My 6-year-old son's first response to hearing about the wildfires was: "What will happen to all the animals?" Even before reading this report, I told him The Humane Society [of the United States] would take care of them. He declared that when he was old enough, he would be in the Humane Society, too. You have a young warrior waiting in the wings! —Lisa J

Beating the Blaze

The HSUS's and The Fund for Animals' Wildlife Center—a sanctuary and rehabilitation facility in Ramona, Calif., part of San Diego County—takes in native wildlife species and is situated in one of the most fire-ravaged areas of the state. Thus far, miraculously, the center has survived the fires, but just barely.

Cindy Traisi and her husband Chuck Traisi are two of the most dedicated people I know, and they've been running the facility for more than 20 years. We spoke with Cindy yesterday, two days after she was ordered to evacuate, along with most of the facility's animals. Chuck has stayed behind to care for the animals who could not be readily moved.

What happened after the evacuation order?

© The HSUS/Milani
A sign on a door in Fallbrook, Calif.,
indicates animals have been evacuated.

In the middle of the night, fog horns blasted. All 36,000 citizens of Ramona were told to evacuate. We called our volunteers Monday afternoon to ask them to help us evacuate the critters. We have a team of probably 17 long-time volunteers who are totally dedicated. Everyone responded and said “We’re on our way” but, one at a time, we then got phone calls saying the road was closed and they couldn’t reach Ramona. None of them could get to us. 

What was the scene when you left?

We evacuated Monday afternoon. Our property looked like a dust bowl. Our cars were covered with soot and holes in the yard a foot deep were completely filled in. 

From the back of our house at the top of the center’s 13 acres, we can see the Ramona airport, which is maybe a half-mile away. We could see flames licking the airport.

We were almost encircled by flames. The wildlife center is in a valley and flames were around us but not coming to us—it was just a miracle. Winds were in our favor the entire time. 

When you evacuated, what animals did you bring with you?

We loaded the domestic animals—two dogs, four parrots and 20-some cats—into two vehicles. We’ve split the animals up between four homes in regions of San Diego that aren’t in danger from the fires. Two staff members and I are staying in downtown San Diego—the mother of one of our staff has opened up her heart and her home for us.

Who stayed behind?

Chuck stayed at the center. Chuck is okay, but we’re of course worried sick because we’re not there. Chuck says the air is clear and he doesn’t feel like he’s in danger. Three volunteers who live in Ramona and chose not to evacuate also came to help.

Just as important, the center’s permanent residents remain in their natural enclosures—bobcats, cougars, coyotes, the pigmy hippo Hannah and Sampson, the African lion.

Besides these permanent residents you also serve as a rehabilitation center for wildlife. Were any of those animals affected?

We take in all of the orphan coyotes, bobcats and birds of prey from the area during baby season. Thankfully, most of those babies had been released before the fires came. The only animals to still be rehabilitated and released are a couple of young coyotes and bobcats. They’re fine and as soon as they are old enough we will release them.

What special concerns or challenges have you faced?

Electricity was lost on one part of the property Tuesday, so there was no water there. Expecting electricity might go completely, Chuck started filling up all of the empty jugs and buckets with water. Electricity and water later went off in the other part of the property as well, but Chuck feels he stored up enough water. And volunteers have agreed to bring in fresh supplies. Chuck is doing a jam-up job keeping the animals comfortable and fed, in spite of the fact there is no electricity or water.

Into the Breach

The request arrived at the headquarters of the disaster response team at 3:18 p.m. on Monday afternoon.

Within an hour, Dr. Barry Kellogg, veterinarian and acting director of disaster services for The Humane Society of the United States, “pushed the button.” Local authorities in San Diego needed our help. Our professionals answered. They shouldered their packs and began the race westward and southward—trained people bringing trucks, portable clinics, equipment and a devotion to the task. Hundreds more trained disaster responders have been contacted, and they are standing at the ready if a second wave of personnel are needed.

Every second meant greater risk for animals in trouble.

© Eric Thayer/Getty Images
Horses stand in a pen on Oct. 23 as fire threatens
the Bonita neighborhood in San Diego.

Firestorms were advancing uncontrollably across great swaths of Southern California, displacing tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands of people and their pets—plus an unknown number of farm and wild animals. Although California is no stranger to the autumn cycle of Santa Ana winds and wildfires, this maelstrom stretching from the Mexico border north beyond Los Angeles was like none in memory.

Just slightly more than 12 hours later, the first disaster responders from The HSUS had traversed the continent or come down from our Sacramento office and began assembling in San Diego. They streamed into town by ones and twos all during the day. More arrived through the night, from all corners of the country. On highways from as far away as Florida, The HSUS big rigs rumbled toward California with essential tools and equipment for animal rescue.

By daybreak this morning, virtually our entire front-line disaster team was on station, sleeves rolled up. We also began accepting donations to support our response to the wildfires and future disasters.

You’ll understand my soaring pride in these staffers who give so much for the sake of animals.

Some of these disaster responders had returned just days earlier from another deployment to California—this one to help law enforcement in the largest cockfighting raid in U.S. history. Less than a week before that, we had a crew in Buxton, Maine, helping state officials transport 250 dogs out of the horrors of a puppy mill to a future that promised better lives. At that very same moment, I was in the Gulf Coast with other staffers to launch another phase of our long-standing program to help Louisiana and Mississippi rebuild their animal care facilities in the aftermath of an earlier disaster, Hurricane Katrina.

Friends, it’s been quite a couple of weeks in October.

I’ll have more to say later about people who give so much. But at the moment my mood is tempered. How many thousands of animals are displaced? Or suffering? What do the vagaries of the Santa Ana winds portend in the next 12, 24 and 48 hours? Will the weather tamp down the flames, or feed their fury?

Some areas hardest hit by these fires are home to families with horses. More than a few were unable to evacuate all their animals. I’m told that sometimes the best that people could do was open the gates and let their horses run free—to race ahead of towering flames in a sprint for their lives.

I’m glad we can be there to help. I’m so sorry that we have to. If you’re able to support our disaster and crisis response work with a special donation today, I and our skilled response teams would be grateful.

Retirement Due for Chimps in Research

Subjected to experiments that are often painful and distressful. Confined for decades in laboratory cages.

But not forgotten by us.

© The HSUS
Kitty, one of three chimpanzees formerly used in research
who now live at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch.

Such is the circumstance for about 1,300 of our closest living relatives—chimpanzees who are imprisoned in nine laboratories across the country.

Today, many researchers admit that chimpanzees are an ineffective research model for human diseases such as HIV. But chimps continue to be used in invasive experiments and warehoused in sterile environments that simply do not meet their complex needs—at a great moral cost to our nation and a substantial cost to American taxpayers.

Many of these chimps were captured from the wild as babies and, throughout their life in the lab, have borne offspring who became research subjects. Others were trained for use in entertainment or kept as pets, only to meet an even more grim fate. Long-lived, some of these hapless creatures have been held in labs for more than 50 years.

At The Humane Society of the United States, we’re determined to rescue them from the lonely privations of the laboratory, and to retire those chimps who are currently in labs to appropriate sanctuaries. I invite you to watch a short video message I’ve prepared about why it is so critical we provide a better life for these chimpanzees.

In the video you’ll see Kitty, Lulu and Midge—three chimps who were formerly used in research but are now thriving at The Fund for Animals' Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. Each one of them came to Black Beauty Ranch with a heart-wrenching story. And each has a distinctive personality (take our short “chimpanality” quiz to see which chimp is most like you).

Rescued chimps like Kitty, Lulu and Midge are the lucky ones. I hope you’ll consider supporting our Chimps Deserve Better campaign. Your gift will help provide these emotionally complex, sensitive and endangered creatures with a better life, and also support our other work to stop animal cruelty. And please visit humanesociety.org/chimps to see many more ways to help these chimpanzees—to rescue them from the pitiable circumstances they now endure.

Practicing Compassion

There's excitement at The Humane Society of the United States about our new program on Animals and Religion—and already a slew of news stories about the launch of the program. Its goal is to reach out to and activate religious people and institutions on animal protection issues.

© Fotolia

All of the world's major religions embrace the themes of mercy and compassion and other-centeredness, and these are the same core values that underpin the animal protection movement. Our Animals and Religion program recognizes these shared values, and calls upon religious people to act on these principles in their dealings with animals.

Most of the successful major social movements in our nation's history, including the abolition and civil rights movements, had religious leaders and followers in the forefront. Our movement must reach out to people of faith, too. It's not so much a question of the rights of animals, but a matter of the responsibilities of people of conviction to act in a morally consistent manner.

It was with my excitement about our new program that I attended on Friday a remarkable event featuring the Dalai Lama. The event was sponsored by N Street Village—a homeless shelter for women in Washington, D.C.—and the Washington Humane Society. It was the brainchild of Jennifer Sullivan, a long-time friend of The HSUS and a volunteer with both sponsoring organizations.

Jennifer has long recognized the parallel circumstances of the homeless people and animals, and she thought the Dalai Lama would knit these concerns together. Based on the talk that His Holiness delivered, she was so right (watch a video of his speech here).

The Dali Lama spoke for about 30 minutes, and he started by looking directly at the homeless women and speaking to them. He delivered an empowering message about hope and compassion and hard work before pivoting to the topic of animals. He spoke about his deep concern for all living beings and emphasized that we are all connected, and said that showing kindness spawns even more acts of kindness. He called for a worldwide movement toward vegetarianism. 

The Dalai Lama's powerful, engaging and humorous talk reminded us that the principles of compassion and mercy are indivisible. These ideas ought to be put to work in all of our daily decisions, and not just applied to select people or species or when it is convenient. Animals, too, must be the subjects of our compassion and mercy. 

The Dalai Lama reminded us that advocates for the less powerful are the people who show the greatest resolve and willpower—in short, that people who fight for the underprivileged are the strongest of all. 

He is just one of many religious leaders speaking out more forcefully about animals and our responsibilities to them. With our new Animals and Religion program, we hope to encourage the expression of these sensibilities and to harness the powerful energy of people of faith throughout the nation and the world in the cause of protecting animals from cruelty and exploitation.

Rescue Ruckus Shouldn’t Scare Away Adopters

Sometimes, you can become too fixated on adhering to the rules and throw common sense out the window. That's what happened in the case of a little black Brussels Griffon terrier mix named Iggy and a dispute over the dog between the television host and comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and a Pasadena, California-based private pet rescue, Mutts & Moms.

Apparently Ellen adopted Iggy in September and, for a few different reasons, later gave the dog to her hairdresser, whose two daughters became enamored with Iggy. When the rescue group learned of Iggy’s transfer they took him from his new home, citing a violation of the adoption contract.

They may have been right on the letter of the law, but not in the spirit of the mission of Mutts & Moms.

Ellen broadcast this turn of events on her television show Tuesday, begging that Iggy be reunited with the hairdresser’s family. Ellen pleaded with the rescue to allow Iggy to stay with the new family, since a strong bond had already been formed and because they were capable of providing a great home.

Ellen acknowledged she shouldn't have given Iggy away, but it’s clear she had genuine concerns about providing the pooch with a good home. Ellen has a long and consistent record of being on the side of animals, and that counts for a lot in a case like this. She has the interests of Iggy at heart.

Mutts & Moms was too rigid, even though I am sure they are very fine and dedicated people. They were a slave to form and forgot the real-world circumstances. They lost their chance to have Ellen serve as an advocate for them and for animal adoption, instead turning a potentially positive event into a distressing experience for all involved, including Iggy.

The episode won't help the reputation of animal rescue organizations. And that is a shame. One adoption mishandled should not define their work. Rescues serve an invaluable role for animals, and the vast majority of people who run them and work for them are remarkably selfless people—investing their own time, energy and resources to place unwanted animals who might otherwise be euthanized.

If rescues and shelters want to set high standards for adopters, they should be free to do so. Adoption policies exist and are enforced to protect the adopted animal, who is hopefully being placed into a home for life that is free from harm. But adoption counselors should—and usually do—give the benefit of the doubt to their adopters, and try to work things out in the best interest of the animal. And most do this because it is in their interest, too.

Every day, shelters and rescues are working to hone their adoption processes that safeguard the animals entrusted to their care. I hope would-be pet owners won’t shy away from adopting a homeless animal—there are still so many in need.

Appeal for Pets in Iran

At The Humane Society of the United States, we stick up for petkeeping because we believe in the mutual benefits of the human-animal bond—and not just in the United States. A recent example arose when we learned of disturbing reports of a crackdown on petkeeping by police authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Staff members John Balzar and Bernard Unti, a Ph.D. historian, put their heads together on a response, determined to contest the notion that petkeeping was some kind of Western fetish, inconsistent with Islamic tradition.

With Iran’s controversial president Mahmoud Ahmadenijad recently in New York City to address the United Nations, Dr. Unti sent a letter to Iran’s Permanent Representative at the U.N., deploring the harassment of petkeepers, the prohibition on walking animals in public places, and the confiscation of companion animals by police. In the letter, Bernie made the case that both the Quran and Islamic tradition demand a duty of care for animals. The crackdown, in short, was based on misinterpretations of the history of the human-animal bond and of Islam.

We made the letter public and, just a few days later, Bernie found himself on "Roundtable with You," a Farsi language Voice of America television broadcast that reaches an estimated 14 million Iranians each night. For a full hour, he discussed the universality of petkeeping and the strong positive tradition of Islam when it comes to animals.

Bernie also took questions via telephone and email from Iranian citizens in Tehran, who said they were struggling under the restrictions. Callers said they were scared to take their animals out for veterinary care, or even for a walk around the park, and they praised the show for covering the topic. It was, Bernie reported, a deeply moving experience to speak with people trying to protect their animals from this ill-conceived action.

Busted: Weekend Sting Slams Cockfighters

If you take a look at the video, it's almost surreal. It's a holding and training facility for fighting roosters, with dozens of cockfighters housing birds there. It is now no more, thanks to a raid by HSUS staff and personnel from the San Diego Humane Society, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the San Diego Sheriff's Office, and a raft of others.

© The HSUS/Milani
The HSUS's Eric Sakach at the Oct. 13 raid in San Diego, Calif.

In all, there were more than 5,000 birds confiscated—making it the largest raid in U.S. history in terms of total fighting animals seized.

Our man Eric Sakach, regional director for the West Coast Office of The HSUS and a 30-year expert, was there, with about 20 other HSUS staff called in for the raid. Here's what he had to say.

While operational briefings are designed to help prepare a raiding team for what they should expect to encounter, it was clear that everyone who participated in this weekend’s action in rural San Diego County was awestruck.

In all, search warrants were executed at 11 locations. The result of a six-month investigation by San Diego Animal Services Officers, the raid lead to multiple misdemeanor charges against 50 individuals and the possibility of additional felony charges for animal cruelty. At least 50 additional suspects are still being sought. 

The enormity and extent of the two primary locations, where more than 5,000 gamecocks were being raised and trained for illegal cockfights, was utterly astonishing.

The main facility, which covered approximately 7 acres and housed more than 4,400 fighting cocks, was a confusing labyrinth of dozens of individual compounds where anywhere from 50 to several hundred birds were kept in a hodgepodge of  individual coops, pens and cages. At times, the cacophony of so many crowing roosters made radio communication between team members almost impossible. Many of the individual sections were covered with netting and surrounded by plastic sheeting to prevent outside observation, and topped with barbed wire to keep out unwelcome intruders.

Maneuvering through the maze with our equipment and cameras was extremely difficult. It was a scene that could only be described as otherworldly and, at times, sickeningly real.

© The HSUS/Milani
An injured bird at a raided San Diego cockfighting operation.

While the birds in some compounds appeared to be healthy, we discovered numerous other birds living in conditions that could only be described as appalling. The putrid stench associated with the large accumulations of animal waste, stagnant water and the rotting carcasses of dead roosters was at times overwhelming. I couldn’t help but recall all the times I’d heard cockfighters make the claim in legislative hearings that their feathered warriors receive the best possible care. If only there was a way to preserve the stench for future court trials and legislative hearings!   

In addition to the fighting cocks, a staggering amount of evidence was seized, including razor sharp knives designed to inflict terrible injuries on opposing birds, injectable drugs to enhance fighting ability, a bloodstained cockfighting arena, and numerous cockfighting magazines such as The Gamecock and The Feathered Warrior.

With such a tightly coordinated effort on the part of the involved organizations, the mountain of evidence, and the commitment of the District Attorney’s Office, I’m hopeful that these cockfighters will be out of business permanently. The success of this investigative operation should serve as a harbinger of things to come.   

Talk Back: Help Our Horses

We are at an odd moment in the fight to stop horse slaughter. We've shut down the plants in the United States, and documented horrific cruelty to American horses shipped to Mexico and also to Canada. But the horse and veterinary groups aligned with the slaughter industry won't take an honest look at the new landscape. They keep hewing to their tired mantra that if we stop slaughter, there will be people who starve or abuse horses. Now they seem to be searching for the evidence to support their dark hypothesis.

Let me say unequivocally that there is nothing worse that can be done to these poor horses being shipped to Mexico, and it must stop. These groups need to take their head out of the sand.

Since releasing footage from our investigation of American horses being funneled into Mexico for slaughter, concerned citizens have responded with a flurry of frustration, asking what can be done to stop this grisly transport and torturous slaughter. To help protect horses from this cruel fate once and for all, today we are asking you to participate in our National Call-In Day for Horses.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) would not only ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption, but would also prohibit their export for slaughter. Please take 30 seconds today to call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask for your representative and two senators, then urge them to cosponsor this bill (check here to see if your representative is already a cosponsor, and here to see if your senators are).

If you live in the districts of Reps. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.-9), Ed Whitfield (Ky.-1), John Spratt (S.C.-5) and Nick Rahall (W.Va.-3), or the states of Louisiana (Sen. Landrieu) or Nevada (Sen. Ensign), then please thank your legislators for leading the charge against horse slaughter.   

Many of you have already made your voices heard (a sampler of reader comments is below), but today your phone calls are critical.

I am counting on Congress to get this done! This is the (hopefully) final blow to the horse meat industry in the United States. As horrifying as this video is, it is more horrifying to the horses that have to endure this cruel fate. It is up to us to speak out in rage against American horses being slaughtered within our borders and outside of them! —Denise Anderson

The very thought of our intelligent, emotional, loyal friends going to slaughter in the U.S. was horrible enough. But knowing the torture they face in Mexico or slaughter in Canada breaks my heart. We won the battle here with the ban on horse slaughter in the U.S., and now it's time to secure our borders so our horses can't be piped out to meet a horrific fate. It was stated in your blog and I say it all the time to friends—we just don't slaughter pets for food; THAT is why horse slaughter is so reprehensible. —Lisa J.

The cruelty and sadism is unbelievable—the U.S. needs to help these horses. Poor animals, no mercy for them. How shameful that humans would do this to innocent and noble horses. —Mary Panos

Here you go again, playing on peoples' emotions, rather than the common sense approach. If you had not closed down the plants to begin with, these horses would not have to make the long and arduous trip without the protection of American livestock transportation laws. How many horses are you going to take in yourself, Wayne? When the flood of horses overloads the rescues, where will they go? —Carrie Giannandrea

For the pro-slaughter people to say that horse slaughter is about mercy to unwanted horses is ludicrous. I would hate to be the recipient of their brand of mercy. Horse slaughter is all about money. It's an industry that depends upon the existence of unwanted horses to thrive; it generates unwanted horses. To whatever extent there is a problem of unwanted horses, it will not be seriously addressed until this brutal, calloused business is terminated in this country. —Craig DiBenedictis

California Condors: They'll Be Back

We scored a major win in California this weekend, but also got a dose of bad news, too.

First the good news. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 821, introduced by the stellar Assembyman Pedro Nava, to ban hunters from using lead bullets in condor habitat—a vast area encompassing a large share of central California. Condors are carrion eaters, sometimes consuming animals shot and unretrieved by hunters, and the scientific evidence is incontrovertible that lead poisoning is a primary cause of death for the giant and highly endangered birds. It was a victory for The HSUS and environmental groups, and a rebuke of the selfish politics of the NRA, which fought for the right to keep spewing untold tons of lead into the wildlife food chain.

© U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A California Condor in flight.

The HSUS earlier this month recognized Nava's efforts with a humane award. He is a friend of animals and, thanks to him, the long-struggling California Condor may be spared the fate of California’s state mammal, the grizzly bear, which can be found on the state flag but nowhere else.

We should not forget the distressing events that preceded the signing of this important legislation. Schwarzenegger asked a very fine Fish and Game Commissioner, R. Judd Hanna—a veteran, a hunter and a Republican—to resign his post, apparently because of Hanna's outspoken support for a lead bullet ban in condor habitat. Why Schwarzenegger took this action to oust a fine commissioner is still as inexplicable as it is disappointing. Schwarzenegger dissed the NRA by signing the condor bill and a major gun and crime control bill this weekend, so he obviously does not reflexively bend to the group's whims like too many other politicians do.

Our delight with the signing of the lead bullet ban was also somewhat tempered by the governor’s approval of a bill to allow sale of kangaroo leather products in California for the first time since 1970. This law is a regrettable step backward at a time when far-sighted people have already found acceptable alternatives to kangaroo leather in athletic shoes—such as soccer star David Beckham who wears only synthetic shoes. Adidas and other athletic shoe companies led the fight for the bill—and it is a glaring example of special interest politics. The people of California were certainly not clamoring for the sale of kangaroo products, but a handful of corporations were. Somehow, they got their way.

Governor Schwarzenegger also signed a bill, AB 1614, sponsored by The HSUS and Action for Animals that calls for the presence of a veterinarian at rodeos—a small but important step forward—and a separate bill also sponsored by The HSUS, SB 353, to Include animals in domestic violence orders.

With this year's legislative session completed, our focus now turns to the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act—a proposed statewide ballot measure to ban veal and gestation crates and battery cages. We have just 140 more days left to gather 650,000 signatures of registered voters. We need every HSUS California voter to help us with this campaign. Please go to humanecalifornia.org to sign up as a volunteer. We need your help to put the issue of intensive confinement of animals on factory farms before the state's voters in November 2008.

Cause for Hope in the Gulf Coast

Our first stop yesterday was Vicksburg-Warren Humane Society—whose namesake city was the site of the battle and siege that many historians believe was a turning point for the Union in the Civil War. The shelter president, Georgia Lynn, is a fabulously determined and well-connected humane advocate who has been doing her best to turn around a tough situation for the animals in her community.

© The HSUS/Petros
Presenting a check to Georgia Lynn of the Vicksburg-Warren
Humane Society with Lynne Fridley of Maddie's Fund (right).

This small humane society takes in more than 2,000 animals a year. The stream of puppies, kittens and owner-surrendered animals funneling into the facility reveals that there is a segment of the local population that is either not aware of responsible pet care principles or perhaps just not heeding the message. A staffer said that one morning, he arrived to find more than 30 dogs left in the 6 feet by 8 feet after-hours "drop box."

But Georgia and her team are struggling mightily to turn the situation around. They have plans for a new shelter—at a cost of about $480,000, and she said the $15,000 donation will get them that much closer to their goal.

I have confidence in these fine people. For our visit, Georgia attracted the county sheriff, the district attorney and four of the five members of the board of supervisors (see a video of yesterday's events). It was heartening for our entourage to be greeted by these officials—all of whom truly care and want to make a difference for the animals in their community. Today, Georgia is hosting an animal fighting workshop taught by our own Southeast Regional Director Laura Bevan, and she has 85 law enforcement officers registered for the presentation.

© The HSUS/Petros
A dog at the Mississippi Animal Rescue League.

From Vicksburg, we went to the new shelter of the Mississippi Animal Rescue League in Jackson. The shelter was completed in June, and sits on more than 50 acres. Debra Boswell and Aileene Maldanodo have led the group for more than two decades, and the new refuge is the realization of their lifelong dreams.

Assembled at MARL's shelter were the leaders of nearly every animal care and control agency in central and northern Mississippi and a couple of leaders from northern Louisiana. Folks drove from as far away as 400 miles to be there. We gave out 23 checks to these groups on Wednesday and Thursday, and the humane leaders who gathered yesterday had never assembled under one roof before.

Just as in Louisiana on Tuesday—when we had about 20 shelter leaders in one place—there was earnest enthusiasm and excitement about the grants disbursed by The HSUS and Maddie's Fund—with the gifts providing as much as 10 percent, and in one case as much as 40 percent, of the annual budget of some of the groups.

So many shelter workers told me they feel like they are alone, overwhelmed by their circumstances. But yesterday, as they mingled with others from their state facing similar challenges, they felt hope—with an infusion of resources and the promise of our major $2 million marketing campaign to drive adoptions and promote spay and neuter. They were not alone, they were standing together, and they were also receiving an unprecedented injection of outside support.

As our tour of shelters in Louisiana and Mississippi came to a close, I felt personally buoyed by my experiences here. There are several impressive new shelters in the region, and plans in the works for others. There are fantastic humane leaders working to build strong support for their work in communities in both states. They face many obstacles and challenges, but they are making a difference every day. With our ongoing commitment, with support from Maddie's Fund, and by working closely with each other and the people of their communities, these folks on the front line make it easy to imagine a new and better day for animals in the Gulf Coast region.

Mississippi Animal Groups Rally Post-Katrina

While Louisiana attracted the lion's share of public attention after Katrina struck, Mississippi sustained a direct hit from the hurricane. Many communities, and their structures, were flattened, flooded or otherwise destroyed.

Among the hardest hit was the Humane Society of South Mississippi, based in Gulfport. The storm surge flooded the facility, and a number of dogs in cages drowned at the shelter.

Tara High, one of the board members, stepped in to fill the breach and to rescue the animals of her community. She rallied her board, her staff and her community. She left her real estate job and assumed the role as executive director of HSSM.

© The HSUS/Petros
A cat at the new Humane Society of South
Mississippi facility.

She's a natural. Yesterday, as I toured HSSM, I was just amazed by what she, her staff and her board have accomplished. They now operate from a beautiful new 41,000-square-foot facility, with a large spay/neuter clinic, a pet products store and a thrift store. They are on track to spay and neuter more than 10,000 animals at their facility—an astonishing accomplishment.

The HSUS and Maddie's Fund, in our joint tour of the Gulf Coast, provided a check to Tara and HSSM board president Dr. Andy Parker for $20,000 (we had previously provided $965,000 to HSSM since Katrina struck). We also announced grants to 22 other Mississippi animal shelters this week, and several leaders from those organizations were present for our ceremony yesterday morning at HSSM.

After our uplifting visit to Gulfport, we traveled north to the city of Hattiesburg—driving right past the scene of our Hattiesburg emergency shelter, which operated for more than five weeks following Katrina's landfall, saving more than 1,650 animals—en route to visit the Southern Pines Animal Shelter. There, we spent time with board president Karen Reidenbach, board vice president Valerie Rachal, shelter manager Ginny Cheatham and other staff and volunteers. These folks, too, are stellar human beings, working so hard to help the animals of their community and the 11 surrounding counties. They handle more than 6,000 animals a year at their workmanlike facility. They keep the operation spotless, and there is lots of love coursing through.

Today, we are off to Vicksburg and Jackson for our final set of visits. In all, Maddie's Fund and The HSUS will have committed $852,500 to 54 shelters this week. On Monday, The HSUS also gave a check for $600,000 to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections to establish an emergency pet shelter and veterinary clinic at the Dixon Correctional Institute.

And we are preparing for a $2 million marketing campaign to promote spaying and neutering in Louisiana and Mississippi—to provide long-term assistance to the states and to help the animals and the people who care about them.

It's exciting to find dedicated, selfless people in all corners of the country. The HSUS and Maddie's are both so proud to help these people and institutions. They are partners with us for the long haul, and we cherish their commitment.

Animal Sheltering Poles Apart in the Gulf Coast

It doesn't take much insight to recognize that animal sheltering resources are not evenly apportioned around the country. Some communities have robust privately or publicly funded shelters, while some communities have dismal operations, or none at all. And of course, there are many in between.

© The HSUS/Petros
A Louisiana SPCA resident.

Yesterday in Louisiana was a study in contrasts for me and my colleagues, as we traveled to two shelters whose fortunes seem very different.

In New Orleans, The HSUS and Maddie's Fund, a California-based pet welfare foundation that is working hard to reduce euthanasia rates around the nation, announced grants of $10,000 to $20,000 to 31 Louisiana animal sheltering agencies—both private and public agencies who had come from as far away as Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana to Monroe in the state's northeast reaches. Representatives from 20 of those agencies joined us for an uplifting day at the very modern Louisiana SPCA campus. Thanks in part to a $4.5 million capital campaign gift by The HSUS, the 22,000-square-foot animal care center opened just a few months ago, and it is a symbol of the rebuilding efforts.

At the ceremony, the Louisiana shelter leaders expressed their gratitude for the support and we had a feeling of togetherness in fighting pet overpopulation, promoting spaying and neutering, and reducing euthanasia rates. These folks, all of them, have tough jobs, and I greatly admire them and their dedication.

One shelter director—pretty new on the job in St. Landry Parish—said that when she came in the shelter had an adoption rate of 3 percent—an abysmal and unacceptable rate. That means the animal control facility was euthanizing the rest. Now, she says the adoption rate is more than 60 percent. The difference is that she is bringing animals out into the community, mainly at the local Wal-Mart, and adoptions have surged. Encouraging news indeed.

Also included among the grantees was St. Bernard Parish Animal Control. Our HSUS and Maddie’s Fund delegation headed over there after our time at the LA SPCA. It's just about a 40-minute drive from New Orleans, but it seems a world away. As you cross the Mississippi River and enter into St. Bernard Parish, there is marshland on both sides and it doesn't seem like you are even an inch above sea level. Water surrounds you in the parish. Levees matter in a place like this.

We took a sharp turn to the right, pulling onto muddy terrain just behind a levee and came upon the animal control facility wedged between some trailers and dilapidated buildings. Even parish officials concede it's a run-down and inadequate facility. When the water surged during Katrina, the parish found itself under 8 feet of water. The concrete blocks of the shelter withstood the surge, but not much else did.

The facility does have running water, but we had to ask to make sure. There was a giant fan running in the main room of the shelter, which was aimed in the direction of the 30 dog kennels there. The kennels were full of mostly medium-sized dogs, who made a racket as we looked in and reached our fingers through the mesh gates that held them. There was also a small cat room, and the cat cages were full of kittens and adults. Between these rooms was a small room, cluttered with materials, and that's where euthanasia is said to occur. The other room is a small surgery suite, where a vet occasionally comes in to do spay and neuter and to treat sick animals. None of the rooms had doors between them.

© The HSUS/Petros
A dog at St. Bernard Parish Animal Control.

In the back of the building, there were a few new outdoor runs for the dogs. But with no real cover to shield the animals from the hot sun, the runs were empty. It's very rare when people come in to adopt animals. Frankly, it was an extremely sad sight even for the seasoned sheltering professionals in our group. We were heavy-hearted as we drove away.

Tina Bernard runs the operation. She and one other person make up the staff for the shelter, and she said it's a seven-day-a-week job.

The HSUS and the ASPCA have agreed to fund a position for a shelter manager at this facility for the next three years, with leadership assistance from the LA SPCA. In order to have a good shelter, you must have a strong and dedicated leader.

But this public operation faces many challenges. With only 25,000 people having returned to St. Bernard Parish—down from the 67,000 who lived here before the hurricane—is there a tax base to support the shelter? And what of the more directed forms of public support, such as volunteers, adoptions and the like. That support seems almost entirely lacking. It seems more like a holding and euthanasia facility, not a true shelter with any movement of live animals in and out.

And how do you attract quality staff to a run-down and depressing facility that offers low pay? And do you rebuild on a site that seems highly vulnerable to another major hurricane should it strike the Gulf?

These are the questions we face as we look to extend our work in the Gulf Coast.

Today, we have an event in Gulfport, Miss., at the new home of the Humane Society of South Mississippi. Here we'll distribute checks to 23 animal sheltering organizations in the state and visit with some of them.

Our movement is making progress, but the problems in many communities are acute and not easily solved. Major challenges lie ahead for us, and there is no room for complacency.

Shoring Up Animal Care After Katrina

Yesterday was a day of hope in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. I appeared with top officials from the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine to hatch plans to develop an emergency pet shelter and veterinary clinic at the Dixon Correctional Institute. Later in the day, I met with officials from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry about collaborating on disaster plans for the state.

Today I met with another set of remarkable people—including leaders of more than 20 local humane society and animal care organizations throughout Louisiana. At the beautiful new campus of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals this morning, I joined Rich Avanzino, president of Maddie’s Fund, to announce an unprecedented distribution of funds to tackle the animal overpopulation challenge in the Gulf Coast states.

Together, Maddie's and The HSUS are releasing grants totaling $852,500 to 54 animal care and control entities in Louisiana and Mississippi. They are all partners in our "After Katrina" project—a concerted effort to reduce the number of animals taken in by the region’s shelters. Maddie's has committed about $1 million to The HSUS for the "After Katrina" project, and we could not be more thrilled about partnering with them. Maddie's wants to see a day when no healthy and adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized, and that's a goal we at The HSUS share. 

It was my honor to join Rich—who has one of the finest minds in the entire humane movement—in presenting checks today to 23 different organizations and agencies working in Louisiana. I met old friends and made some new ones, all of whom are working hard and under difficult circumstances to help animals in communities where, in many cases, broad public participation and awareness have been lacking. The folks at Maddie’s agreed with us that the grants should be unrestricted, so that these entities could determine for themselves what their most urgent needs were, and apply the funds as they thought best. I was thrilled to learn about some of the intended uses of the grants.

© The HSUS/Cammisa
Louisiana's St. Martin Parish Animal Control
is part of the "After Katrina" project.

We’ll follow up this capacity-building effort with a social marketing campaign designed to boost adoptions and promote spaying and neutering in the two states. The HSUS plans to invest $2 million in the promotions phase of this campaign. We are doing public attitude research now, and we'll use what we learn to drive home an advertising and marketing message that will resonate most powerfully with the people of Louisiana and Mississippi and seek to influence their behavior. The goal is to promote spaying and neutering and to promote adoptions of homeless animals from shelters.

As part of this collaboration, we’re asking participating shelter and animal control facilities to track the number of animals they handle, an effort that will give us a better picture of what animal overpopulation looks like in the Gulf Coast states. This marks a very tangible application of the Asilomar principles developed by Maddie’s Fund, The HSUS and other groups in 2004.

The animal overpopulation problem forces humane organizations to choose between awful options—euthanizing animals or turning homeless animals away. If we can control the overpopulation problem by limiting reproduction and driving adoptions, we save lives. And we free up these institutions to focus on their broader mission of helping animals in their communities. With thousands of animals teeming into their facilities every year, it’s hard for them to concentrate their energies on humane education, promoting good veterinary care, cracking cruelty cases, and building a body of law to protect all animals.

New Dawn for Gulf Coast Animals

Today, I write from Baton Rouge, still sultry and hot even as the calendar pushes into autumn and as the people of this state hold their breath from week to week to see if their beloved LSU football squad can continue its perfect season. As the son of a former football coach, I understand their state of mind—their blend of joy and hope and anxiety.

Though tropical, it’s not nearly as hot and uncomfortable as it was in the days and weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit, when Mother Nature delivered a devastating blow followed by stultifying weeks of 100-degree heat and humidity, and then a second punishing hit in the form of Hurricane Rita.

© The HSUS/Chad Sisneros
A DCI inmate cares for a dog after Katrina.

For this trip, I'll be in Louisiana for three days, and then off to Mississippi. In all, it's a five-day, whistle-stop tour of the two states as part of The HSUS’s commitment to leave the Gulf Coast stronger than it was before Katrina hit.

This morning, on the steps of the Louisiana capitol, I announced an HSUS grant of $600,000 to the Dixon Correctional Institute—a medium security prison in Jackson, La.—to develop an emergency pet shelter and veterinary medical clinic. I was joined by DCI warden Jimmy LeBlanc and by Drs. David Senior and Joe Taboada from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. We are partners in this multi-faceted, innovative project to enhance the state’s disaster preparedness capacity.

In the early days of September 2005, as so many people were rushing out of Louisiana's stricken areas, HSUS staff and volunteers were rushing in. During the chaotic weeks after Katrina, The HSUS forged bonds with DCI and LSU. LSU managed a pet shelter that we supported, while DCI helped shelter and house rescued pets after we had run out of room at the massive emergency shelter in Gonzales, La.

It’s an understatement to note that Louisiana has occupied a lot of my mind space