Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation

House Passes Wild Horse and Burro Protections

Today, the House voted handily in favor of a bill, H.R. 1018 introduced by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), to provide sweeping new protections for wild horses and burros inhabiting public lands in the West. The vote was 239-185.

Rahall’s bill, known as the Restore Our American Mustangs (ROAM) Act and co-authored by Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), comes in response to woeful mismanagement of wild horses and burros by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). BLM has been rounding up thousands of horses from our public lands, and then adopting out fewer than half of the animals they capture. As a result, BLM is now holding about 31,000 wild horses in captivity, with taxpayers footing the bill. If the program isn’t revamped, there will soon be more wild horses in captivity than in the wild (there are now estimated to be approximately 35,000 horses and burros roaming federal lands in 10 Western states, with a majority of the horses in Nevada and Wyoming).

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It’s inhumane for the horses, who are subjected to regular rounds-ups and long-term captivity, and ultimately life-threatening for them because BLM last year claimed it might even resort to slaughtering the animals. It’s also a fiscal mess and it’s spiraling out of control, with two-thirds of all dollars set aside for horses going to feed and house captive wild mustangs and burros. That percentage is expected to increase to 75 percent this year. In short, the program has strayed far from its original purpose, which was to protect wild horses and burros on the range and maintain them as symbols of American culture.

Thanks to a major grant from the Annenberg Foundation, The HSUS has been working with the BLM to expand fertility control as a humane population control tool, which will reduce the need for round-ups and thereby reduce the flow of horses from the range to captive settings. The Rahall bill, if approved by the Senate and signed by President Obama, will provide momentum to our efforts, and address other problems with the horse and burro program. The Rahall bill will also ban commercial slaughter of wild horses, reversing a rider pushed by former Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and protecting the animals now in captivity. It has the stated goal of allowing horses to occupy public lands they previously used, but which BLM has closed off to the horses after rounding up entire herds. And finally, Rahall’s bill will also help promote the horse and burro adoption program, so that the current population of captive horses can go to suitable homes and get out of overcrowded holding facilities run by BLM.

In addition to passing H.R. 1018, the House defeated an amendment by Ranking Minority Member Richard “Doc” Hastings (R-Wash.) to narrow the bill and omit critical provisions relating to fertility control, adoption, and range expansion for the horses. That amendment was rejected 348-74.

I was distressed to see House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) yet again go down to the floor and assail yet another animal welfare bill. Boehner said it was “an insult” to the American people to consider an animal protection bill during the nation’s economic crisis. This is the same man who opposes every animal protection measure—in good times and bad—that comes up for consideration, including efforts to crack down on dogfighting and cockfighting, to halt the trade in exotic pets, and end the trophy hunting of polar bears. The HSUS will do its best to let the American public, and his constituents, know about his dismissive and hostile attitude toward all animals.

Now, it’s on to the Senate, where there will be a tough battle to advance the legislation. But anyone who’s paying attention knows that the status quo is absolutely unacceptable as a matter of fiscal responsibility and animal welfare. Something must be done to stop the waste and abuse.

Talk Back: Stop Fighting

On the heels of last week's dogfighting sting, members of The HSUS's Emergency Services team are working with staff from the Humane Society of Missouri and other groups to care for more than 400 dogs at an emergency shelter in St. Louis. It was the largest one-day coordination of raids in U.S. history, and the perpetrators are likely to be charged under the upgraded federal animal fighting law that The HSUS steered to passage. The dogs will soon be evaluated to determine whether they are suitable candidates for placement with rescue groups or permanent adoption, in accordance with HSUS policy.

© The HSUS

In our efforts to keep the pressure on animal fighters, we also this week announced a national tip line for information about persons involved in illegal animal fighting: 877-TIP-HSUS. Our rewards program (up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in dogfighting or cockfighting) and state-based tip lines have already dealt a major blow against these criminals, and this week we rolled out yet another tool in our campaign.

You had much to say about this eight-state raid and today I share some of your enthusiastic comments:

The people behind dogfighting should be held to the highest degree of accountability for their cruelty and malice. Thank you, HSUS, for not only freeing and protecting the dogs left in this cruelty's wake, but also for working to make laws and penalties for dogfighting strong and severe. —Alia

I just wanted to thank you guys sooo much for all of your hard work. I own, love and cherish my American pit bull terrier, and could never imagine my baby in a place like that. It breaks my heart. God bless all of you, and all of your hard work. —Christy

Huge applause to you for the work that you have done and continue to do. I could not stomach the thought of having to witness something so barbaric and I hope you take some relief with the forward steps you have taken. It’s people like you and causes like yours that make people like me happy to donate. You do the work that we wish we could do—but cannot. Keep up the good work and we'll keep up the donations to assist you whenever we can. —SK

This story is heartbreaking and at the same time heartwarming… Please keep speaking for the voiceless. Thank you. —Myriam Giovannini

Thank you so much for your courageous and lifesaving work. The horror within the dogfighting world is something the public needs to be educated on. Thank you for bringing this out in the open and hopefully bringing justice to the perpetrators. Unfortunately, the punishment they will receive (if any) will be mild in comparison to the pain and suffering they have caused these innocent animals. —Laurie Mitchell

Thank you for all that is being done to save these helpless dogs. Just look at their eyes. So empty of hope, and so longing for love. How can humans have such cold, cold hearts? —Shelley

Scotlund, Chris and ALL of you involved in this raid—THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. This cannot go on any longer and these criminals need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Every time I see those poor dogs with those HUGE collars and chains on I get so upset. It is just heartbreaking. Each and every one of you involved are so brave and you have my utmost respect. Words cannot express my heartfelt gratitude. May God bless all of you, the animals and may he keep all of you safe! —Karen Wagner

Second Quarter Blog Favorites

As I produce my daily postings, I'm always eager to gather your feedback and gauge the topics that resonate most with you, whether through the reaction each post receives, a surge in traffic, or the number of times the blog is shared (with the "Share or Email" button at the bottom of each of my blog posts you can easily share the blog on your social networking pages or send it by email).

Sometimes the biggest hits are predictable; other times you catch me by surprise. This quarter, the ten most popular blog posts are dominated by discussions about public figures who have an intersection with animal issues—whether President Obama’s dog selection process, Michael Vick’s interest in participating in our on-the-ground anti-dogfighting efforts, Rush Limbaugh’s public service announcements in favor of animal protection, or Ellen DeGeneres’ continuing efforts to raise awareness about animal protection. But you are also interested in our continuing achievements and progress—which tells me you are fully behind our results-oriented management approach at The HSUS. I thought you'd enjoy browsing the list:

1. What’s Next for Michael Vick?
2. Second Chances for President Obama, His Pup
3. More Thoughts on Michael Vick
4. Talk Back: Michael Vick As Messenger
5. Gentle Ben: Before and After
6. Pushing Forward for Primates in Research
7. Reaching Across the Aisle for Animals
8. The HSUS Strategy for Success
9. A Possible Connection: Swine Flu and Factory Farms
10. Supreme Court to Decide on Depictions of Animal Cruelty

Eight-State Dogfighting Raid Largest in U.S. History

When The HSUS decided a number of years ago to put major resources into a campaign to eradicate organized animal fighting, I wanted there to be no gaps or loopholes in the law, to encourage law enforcement to treat this conduct as a serious crime, and to establish a zero tolerance policy for the activity. And I also wanted dogfighters and cockfighters to be looking over their shoulders—wondering if they’d be next in line for arrest and prosecution.

© The HSUS/Sisneros
At a dogfighting raid in June.

After the law enforcement interventions that occurred yesterday in eight states throughout the nation, there can be no doubt that the criminals at the center of every organized dogfighting ring are now looking over their shoulders. Four United States Attorneys and a bevy of federal law enforcement agencies, along with The HSUS, The Humane Society of Missouri, and the ASPCA, raided multiple dogfighting operations, and seized at least 450 dogs, in what was the largest single day of actions against dogfighting in American history.

I have two reports below from our people who helped lead the action in the field. Due to confidentiality constraints we can’t include many details, but we’ll share more information as it becomes available.

From Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services, who was stationed in Missouri:

When our crew woke up yesterday before day break I knew the task before us was unprecedented, and that the day’s work would change the face of dogfighting forever. Nothing in our 50-year campaign against animal fighting—or in any other organization’s fight against the cruel industry—has ever sent as strong a message as this record-breaking enforcement and rescue operation.

For many of us the operation began months ago, but early this week members of our animal fighting, emergency services, communications, and video and investigations departments gathered to provide support and equipment necessary to undertake this historic rescue. Because of the scope of this unique rescue, confidentiality was crucial to our success, and as recently as yesterday morning many staff and volunteers were still in the dark on the details of our impending mission.

After a morning briefing meeting four teams fanned out across Missouri, while we also acted as the lead animal welfare agency on rescues conducted in Texas and Oklahoma, and similar raids went down in Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, Mississippi and Nebraska.

After months of coordination and preparation, the sweet release of relief is finally beginning to wash over our exhausted team. This feeling is ushered in by the comforting sight of dogs being settled in at the emergency shelter. Knowing that without our intervention these same animals would have faced a future of untold horrors is my ultimate reward. Tonight I can truly celebrate a belated Independence Day, as I contemplate the 450 lives that have been saved from the clutches of the dogfighting industry.

By shutting down these operations we have saved untold generations of fighting dogs the pain and misery of being bred only to quench the blood lust of those involved in this hideous industry.

From Chris Schindler, deputy manager of our Animal Cruelty & Fighting Campaign, who was stationed in Texas:

You’d never guess that in Texas, amid farm houses and well-kept estates, laid a hidden world of animal suffering. Yet behind the palatial exterior of an alleged dogfighter’s countryside home, my colleagues and I, along with federal agents, found the unmistakable horror of a dogfighting operation.

At every dogfighting raid, there’s always one dog whose face stays with me long after the day is done. Again yesterday, one dog broke my heart. Right now law enforcement authorities have asked us not to talk about details, but when we can I’ll share this story with you.

As we made our way from dog to dog, taking photographs, completing veterinary checks, and documenting scars and wounds—all evidence for the prosecution—it seemed the dogs wanted only a kind hand, freedom from pain, and, most of all, companionship.

It’s one thing to read about the horrors of dogfighting, but it’s another to witness the sheer disdain and antipathy of dogfighters towards man’s best friend, to put individual faces to the suffering. Those tormented faces continue to haunt me daily, reminding me of the worst parts of human nature.

At the same time, these faces urge me to forge ahead against what once felt like a problem with no solution. I know that the goal of eradicating organized dogfighting from the U.S. now lies well within our reach.

Thanks to the immense efforts of so many people, we have devastated the dogfighting network in the Midwest and beyond.

If you'd like to support our campaign against animal fighting with a special gift today, you can do so here.

Barking Orders: Your Dogs at Work Photo Captions

A few weeks ago I asked you to put words in the mouth of Soco, one of our office dogs, in celebration of Take Your Dog to Work Day. It’s always fun to read your photo captions as they come in and I had more than a few laughs narrowing it down to ten favorites. Thanks to all of you who shared suggestions.

10. I also double as a shredder... —Felix Titanius Lowry
9. You leave me home all day for this?! —Nik Mattingley
8. Letters to Congress: check. Letters to the editor: check. We'll get protection yet! —Barb Huning
7. I'm not signing anything until I get a treat. —Aurora Cooney
6. Do you think Bo Obama will answer my letter? —Barbara
5. No! I will not sign this petition to ban squirrel chasing! —Michelle Holdgreve
4. Just sign right here, Mr. Pacelle, to make my pay raise effective retroactively. —Eileen G.
3. Please don't tell me I hit "Reply to All" on that email. —Kathlene Henry-Gorman
2. I thought this was take your dog to work day, not make your dog work day... —Sarah Horan-Sedelmeier
1. And, the winner: One more task today and someone is going to have a surprise in their shoe. —Shonte Warhurst

They Shoot Endangered Animals, Don't They?

The recent decision by a federal court in the District of Columbia to overturn a controversial federal policy allowing the killing of captive and endangered exotic mammals at some of the nation’s estimated 1,000 “canned” shooting ranches was a particularly satisfying victory in our long-term campaign to end the unethical practices of Safari Club International, the world’s largest trophy hunting organization.

This is the group that has manufactured a set of awards programs to encourage competitive killing of rare animals—such as “Bears of the World” or “Cats of the World.” To secure all of SCI’s awards, including the “grand slams” and "inner circle," a trophy hunter would have to kill more than 320 different species and subspecies of mammals.

It’s a selfish, all-consuming passion to kill and display trophies and to occupy a higher place in the hunting pantheon—whether they are shot in the wild or dispatched in one of these drive-by shootings on a fenced preserve. Typically, those involved have the means to pursue any form of entertainment or pastime, yet they choose to spend their dollars and their limited time shooting the world’s rarest and most beautiful animals. How sad.

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The endangered addax is targeted by SCI.

Our lawsuit, filed jointly with several conservation groups, successfully challenged a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruling that permitted the shooting of three critically endangered species bred and raised on game ranches—scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and dama gazelle. These antelope have magnificent horns which trophy hunters prize.

SCI argued that charging high fees to kill endangered animals creates a market that encourages money to flow to overseas conservation programs that could benefit the beleaguered species. That bit of twisted logic—kill them to save them—didn’t stop the court from striking down the program.

Last year, The HSUS won another major victory over SCI, which had earlier persuaded Congress to allow U.S. sport hunters to kill Canadian polar bears and import their trophies. We helped persuade the USFWS to list the bears—imperiled by climate change—as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This prohibited the import of polar bear trophies, removing a major incentive to shoot them. But SCI and its trophy hunting cohorts are so bent on killing these imperiled animals, they have filed several lawsuits challenging the decision to list polar bears, and are even lobbying Congress to reopen the polar bear trophy trade. That's right, these groups would rather see the polar bear stripped of federal protection, and potentially go extinct, than temporarily refrain from shooting just one of the hundreds of species regularly sport-hunted around the globe. Yesterday, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced a bill to authorize the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies.

John J. Jackson III, a former SCI president, once tried to explain what motivates the group's members: “A trophy of any species attests that its owner has been somewhere and done something, that he has exercised skilled persistence and discrimination in the agile feat of overcoming, outwitting, and reducing game to possession.”

This is a chilling rationale for participation in this so-called sport. Is it “skilled persistence” on display when the trophy collector is driven to a feeding station at one of these canned hunting operations to shoot semi-tame, captive animals with the kill all but guaranteed?

SCI thinks these kinds of captive shoots are fine and permits them to be counted in its record books. In fact, SCI has one hunting achievement award—"Introduced Trophy Animals of North America"—that can be claimed only by patronizing captive hunting ranches. It’s in effect a marketing effort that drives hunting participation at the ranches in Texas and elsewhere around the country. Yet even other hunting groups that encourage and maintain trophy records, such as the Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club, do not permit the listing of trophies from fenced enclosures.

The fight to weaken Endangered Species Act protections and its Orwellian “killing is conservation” theme are woven throughout SCI’s 38-year history. The Tucson-based organization once sought to circumvent the federal law by seeking government approval to import an astonishing 1,125 trophies of 40 species on the endangered list. They included gorillas, cheetahs, tigers, orangutans, and snow leopards.

With a straight face and not a hint of irony, SCI claimed its goal was “scientific research and incentive for propagation and survival of the species.” There was one small problem. The animals they wanted as trophies weren't yet dead. Request denied by the USFWS.

Now a U.S. District Court judge, agreeing with The HSUS, once again held the line on animal protection. An organization that in reality operates as an enemy of the world’s endangered species while masquerading as a conservation organization has been stymied yet again.

There Oughta Be Laws Against Exotic Pets

Though it’s still hard to accept any hedging when cruelty is involved, you can understand the reluctance of politicians to take on some issues, such as confinement of animals on factory farms or animal testing.  There are monied interests on the other side, and they work hard to preserve the status quo. It often takes a big lift for us to get that sort of legislation moving, since many politicians want to avoid confronting tough issues.

But there’s no reasonable political explanation for dithering on the issue of keeping dangerous exotic animals as pets. It seems perfectly foolish on its face to keep a lion, a chimpanzee, or a Burmese python as a pet. These wild animals live by the unforgiving code of nature and they are fully capable of killing adults. A woman in Connecticut was severely disfigured earlier this year by a pet chimp. They can make especially quick work of children.

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Every state and the federal government should establish policies to crack down on keeping dangerous wild animals as pets, but some states continue to be outliers, including Missouri, Ohio, and other centers of the exotic pet trade. Oregon did just pass a tough, comprehensive law in 2009, and Congress did enact a law in 2003 restricting the trade in big cats. But Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) continues to block the Captive Primate Safety Act, which would ban the trade in chimps and other primates as pets. The House passed the bill earlier this year, as introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), and Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and David Vitter (R-La.) are leading the issue in the Senate, but haven’t been able yet to overcome Coburn’s stalling tactics.

Yet, the human toll from wild animals kept as pets continues to mount. Last week, an eight-foot Burmese python escaped from an aquarium, slithered into a bedroom, and asphyxiated a 2-year-old toddler. She was the fourth person to be killed by a pet python in the United States since 2006. It follows an incident earlier this year in Las Vegas, when a 3-year-old boy was squeezed to the point of unconsciousness by an 18-foot reticulated python the father was keeping in their home.

These huge constrictors are not pets. In addition to the serious risks to people, Burmese pythons are upsetting the balance of Florida's ecosystems as they prey on endangered species and even challenge alligators for apex predator status. From a small population of escaped or abandoned pets, Burmese pythons have become established in the Everglades, numbering perhaps 25,000, according to some estimates.

The HSUS applauds Sen. Bill Nelson's proposed legislation (S. 373) and the companion bill introduced by Rep. Kendrick Meek (H.R. 2811) to add pythons to the federal injurious species list, prohibiting their import and interstate commerce for the pet trade. The Congress should not delay in enacting that bill, along with the Captive Primate Safety Act.

State laws are important, and we work aggressively on that front, but the Congress too needs to speak on this subject. These dangerous animals are sold through a national and international network of exotic animal dealers and even over the Internet, and effective policy action must include imports and interstate transport of exotic animals.

Reeling in Shark Tournaments

Some parents believe that spectacles involving animal cruelty are a family affair. To my astonishment, we see adults with children in tow time and again at some large cockfights, and it is hard to believe that witnessing the revelry and the gambling as animals are torn apart in staged fights would not leave emotional scars, as well as a drawing down of the natural reservoir of empathy that children have for animals.

Social opinion may not be as decidedly negative on shark hunting tournaments as on cockfights and dogfights, but the point still holds. There is something desensitizing in having children present as adults whoop it up as they hoist up sharks they’ve killed and put them on display. These are contests kills of wildlife, and when our ProtectSharks campaign staff documented the scene at the Star Island Yacht Club in Montauk, N.Y. recently, there were plenty of kids present.

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In one particularly unsettling scene, a blue shark was hoisted onto the dock, bloodied from being gaffed, his stomach hanging out of his gaping mouth, as children gawked. The message to the kids: killing animals for prizes is a cause for celebration.

It’s the wrong behavior, and the wrong message, and decent people should know better. Sharks are in trouble throughout the world, with perhaps 100 million sharks killed a year in commercial and sport fishing activities. Commercial fishermen kill the sharks for their fins—for soup. And the sport fisherman kill them for trophies. Both are wasteful and cruel. In fact, many of the sharks brought back to the dock at Star Island aren’t even heavy enough to qualify for the tournament and are ultimately killed in vain.

The good news is, we’re finally shining a spotlight on these spectacles and we are gaining allies. People like Jean-Michel Cousteau, Nigel Barker and Johnny Le Coq, cofounder of Fishpond USA, a major recreational fishing products company, are speaking out. And outrage from the community has turned the tide in some towns, like in Fort Myers, Fla., where a shark tournament recently became catch and release.

You too can get involved in helping to stop these cruel events, and we have more information at humanesociety.org/protectsharks.

New Member of Our Animal Care Family

When I took the helm at The HSUS about five years ago, I looked at the landscape of animal protection and thought that the movement’s resources were spread too thin among too many groups. I thought we needed to consolidate some of these operations, to squeeze out inefficiencies, and to redirect the savings into new capacity, in order to achieve greater effectiveness. Since that time, we’ve combined operations with The Fund for Animals, the Doris Day Animal League, and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (now the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association)—and each combination has strengthened us in innumerable ways.

© SPCA Wildlife Care Center
Saved by the SPCA Wildlife Care Center.

Last Saturday, we completed a combination with the SPCA Wildlife Care Center in Broward, County, Florida. It is a 4.1-acre property near Fort Lauderdale with a staff of 60, including wildlife veterinarians and veterinary technicians, who treat more than 13,000 injured, orphaned, abandoned and abused wild and domestic animals a year. They provide rescue, rehabilitation and release services for more than 250 species of wildlife, including raccoons, owls, egrets, tortoises and pelicans.

The Wildlife Care Center is now our fifth animal care facility, aligned with our wildlife centers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and San Diego County in California, our Duchess Sanctuary in Oregon for horses, and the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, which cares for more than 1,000 large mammals, in east Texas.

The HSUS is the leader in public policy work, enforcement of current animal protection laws, corporate outreach, and education. But it is also the movement’s leader in hands-on care programs. In addition to our animal care facilities, our Emergency Services unit rescues thousands of animals a year, from fighting operations, puppy mills, hoarding crises, and natural disasters. Our HSVMA veterinary staff treat animals in rural areas where there are few medical services for animals and where people are impoverished. And we provide millions in grants to organizations that do hands-on care. Just yesterday, we announced a $250,000 grant to build a new shelter in St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana. Our work in Bhutan to sterilize street dogs, our humane slaughter work in developing nations, and other international programs alleviate suffering for tens of thousands of other animals. And our more than 100 wildlife sanctuaries, which are managed by our Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust, protect countless other animals from human-caused harm.

Here at The HSUS, I so value our work that strikes at the root causes of problems and that draws public attention to the wide range of threats that animals face. We have the strength to stand up to the powerful forces that profit from exploiting animals on a large scale. But we don’t forget the orphans, the homeless, and others in crisis. Simply put, there is no group that has the range of hands-on care services for animals, or helps so many animals directly. We are proud to add the Wildlife Care Center to our portfolio and hope you’ll support its work.  

P.S. Your caption suggestions are piling in for the photo of our office dog Soco. Keep them coming, and I'll post my favorites next week.

Betting the Farm Against Reforms

There are two groups that politicians fawn over in ways that make sensible people shake their heads: the gun lobby and agribusiness. First, let me say that I have no problem with private ownership of firearms, but I do think there should be reasonable regulations (e.g., a prohibition on the sale of machine guns). But it’s the gun lobby’s defense of captive hunts, bear baiting, polar bear trophy hunting, carrying firearms in national parks, and other extremist positions that defy common sense and common decency. Regarding agriculture, I am a fan and a consumer, like everybody else who wants a square meal. But again, there must be some limits on conduct, especially when it comes to the care of animals used for meat, egg, and milk production.

© SXC/merlijn72

The political reputations of the gun lobby and of agribusiness are way of out of proportion with their numbers and actual voter influence, yet there is some mythic notion of their electoral clout. We’ve proved that it’s overblown in head-to-head fights with them in state ballot initiatives, where we have typically prevailed by wide margins. But today, I’ll deal with the agribusiness industry, perhaps because the issues are top of mind, having just finished an appearance on an agricultural radio program today and watching with astonishment as a couple of agriculture policy issues have played out in Ohio and in Congress within the last week.

For starters, in Ohio, The HSUS has publicly discussed the prospect of launching a campaign to phase out the confinement of veal calves, breeding pigs, and laying hens in small crates and cages on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), or as they’re more commonly called, factory farms—similar to our ballot initiative, Proposition 2, which both rural and urban Californians overwhelmingly approved last year. Despite entreaties from The HSUS, the Ohio Farm Bureau refused to engage in any negotiations to find a political solution to the conflict over these confinement systems, unlike more foresighted agriculture groups in Colorado and Maine where they engaged in actual compromise.

Instead of having a serious sit-down with us, the Farm Bureau hatched a plan with lawmakers to try to thwart the prospective initiative. And in an act of willful obedience, the Legislature approved a resolution in two days that places a measure on the November 2009 ballot to amend the constitution to create an industry-dominated council that will decide all rules related to farm animal handling. It’s a transparent attempt to forestall an initiative, codify industry norms, and to place a handful of people—nearly all of whom are expected to support the status quo—in charge of all farm animal welfare rules and to let the CAFOs operate without further limits.

Mind you, the Legislature passed this resolution to amend the constitution in two days—faster, in legislative terms, than a greased pig could slip through your hands. There were hearings and votes in the House and Senate agriculture committees on the same day—suggesting that the hearings were just a pro forma exercise. And both chambers passed the bills the day after they came out of committees. It was as if the resolutions were a pile of particularly foul-smelling manure and they wanted them out of the building as fast as possible. Lest you think they’re just quick workers there in Columbus, this is the same legislative body that has for years been sitting on and not acting on legislation to strengthen one of the five weakest anti-cockfighting laws in the country, to crack down on rampant puppy mills, and to halt the private ownership of dangerous wild animals as pets. When it comes to stopping cruelty, they really take their time, but when it comes to the wishes of agribusiness, they get the job done with war-time efficiency.

But what’s going on at the federal level is as remarkable, particularly as it relates to historic climate change legislation, which narrowly passed the House on Friday and faces a steep climb in the Senate. Agriculture groups and their allies in the Congress threatened to block the legislation unless agriculture was completely exempt from an accounting of its contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation doesn’t just exempt CAFOs and other farms from the cap on greenhouse gas emissions, it also rewards them by allowing them to sell carbon credits to other emitters. In an effort to pass the broader legislation, Democratic leaders counted the votes and gave a complete pass to agriculture even though, according to the United Nation’s report Livestock’s Long Shadow, animal agriculture contributes 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In the U.S., that percentage may be a little lower, but the principle is the same—agriculture is part of the climate change picture, but the community doesn’t want to do its fair share to address the problem. Unbelievably, even after Big Agriculture won these concessions in the process, they are still opposing the bill!

As the climate legislation was being debated, lawmakers aligned with agribusiness also tried to prevent, through the Interior Appropriations bill, the Environmental Protection Agency from making an accounting of the greenhouse gas emissions of CAFOs in America. The House Appropriations Committee voted narrowly to tie EPA’s hands, but thanks to Senator Dianne Feinstein, a similar effort was fended off in the Senate. That issue will continue to play out as the Interior bill moves forward.

In the end, this is all about accountability. Industrial agriculture groups want no government rules when it comes to their treatment of animals, or their role in climate change. That’s not an acceptable position, it’s not supported by the vast majority of Americans, and you can bet they’ll get a fight from us as these issues play out in the months and years ahead.