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As we close out 2010, let’s look at some great end of the year news for animals. The ASPCA has released a list of their legislative victories from the past year. The majority of the laws passed are by individual state governments, but there was one successful federal bill signed into law by President Obama on December 9.
In April animal rights received a blow when the Supreme Court invalidated an 11-year-old law called The Crush Act. The act banned videos depicting the sick practice of crushing; the name itself refers to when a woman in high heels would step on a small animal like a kitten or a rat. Any videos depicting animal cruelty, however, fell under The Crush Act. A new version of the act, with narrower wording, became law at the beginning of the month.
This year Missouri passed the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. When it comes into effect next year the act will ban commercial breeders from owning more than 50 female dogs, obliges them to take their dogs for yearly medical exams, and increases the required living space for each dog. Each of these rules targets problems that frequently hallmark puppy mills.
In California, a state that often sees animal-friendly legislation, last year’s Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act was updated. In 2010 Californians amended the policy to include Assembly Bill 1437, which demands that all whole eggs sold in the state come from farms that meet humane standards for hen care.
Most states have passed legislation outlawing greyhound racing, a sport that frequently involves cruel exploitation of the dogs and abandonment of them when they are no longer useful. In July of this year New Hampshire became the latest state to join the ban, passing the Greyhound Protection Act.
Connecticut actually teamed up with the ASPCA this year, enacting a law developed in part by the ASPCA. The national animal cruelty prevention group, the organization Connecticut Votes for Animals, and animal control officers from the state wrote a law prohibiting dangerous and inhumane chaining/tying out of dogs. The law went into effect at the beginning of October.
Finally, the Tennessee General Assembly this year passed TN HB 238/SB 555, legislation meant to curb dog fighting. It bans those convicted of specified violent and drug-related crimes from owning vicious dogs (a determination that will be made based on each individual dog, not its breed), and requires the aforementioned individuals to spay/neuter and microchip any canine they own.
What great news on which to close out 2010! I tend to follow the efforts and actions of The Humane Society, but it’s wonderful to see other organizations doing similar work. This makes me want to check out what animal-related bills might be pending in my state.
Many of the ASPCA’s legal efforts owe their existence to the organization’s Advocacy Brigade. Those who join the brigade write letters to lawmakers, receive updates from the ASPCA on the latest animal-related legislation, and spread the word to friends and family to increase local animal advocacy. Those who are interested in joining the brigade, or who just want to keep abreast of its efforts, should check out the ASPCA’s Advocacy Center.
Related Articles:
What You Can Do for Animal Shelters
Five Ways to Be an Angel for Animals This Holiday Season
Household Plants Poisonous to Pets
*(This image by Tony the Misfit is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
