Animal Welfare
For lovers of animals, animal welfare is an important issue. Cruelty and negligence toward animals is the norm rather than the exception. Animals are mistreated on farms, in the wild, in laboratories and in industries which profit from animal abuse.
Most countries recognize that animals have the right to “Five Freedoms” which were first proposed in the United Kingdom in the 1960s:
- Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
- Freedom from Discomfort
- Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
- Freedom to Express Normal Behavior
- Freedom from Fear and Distress
Promotion of animal welfare can be on many levels. First, there is the legislative level. Laws already exist which prevent certain types of animal cruelty but there is still much to be done. Public campaigns are also important, to convince the public to treat animals humanely and not support those who don’t. On the individual level, volunteering at an animal shelter or animal welfare organization can do a world of good. Getting involved in conservation is also a positive action.
- When euthanasia goes wrong
- Famous Animal Rights Activists
- Nathan J. Winograd
- Help Animals – Support These Sites
- HSUS Report on Orca Shows
- The Exotic Pet Industry and Animal Welfare
- Why Do People Keep Wild Animals as Pets?
- Ohio Prohibits Wild Animals as Pets
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Nathan J. Winograd
Nathan J. Winograd is the Executive Director of the No Kill Advocacy Center which promotes shelter reform and protection for animals. Nathan graduated Stanford Law School and was formerly a criminal prosecutor and a corporate attorney. Nathan has lectured through the United States and internationally in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the Czech Republic […]
Animal Rights and Your Food
Modern agriculture’s factory farm system often involves cruelty to animals. The factory farms focus on maximum output with minimum input. As a result, animals are often confined to small spaces, fed drugs to fatten them up, transported in terrible conditions and genetically altered. Chickens raised for their flesh, or “broilers,” are kept in overcrowded sheds […]
Horse Diving Shows
From the 1920s to the 1970s, horse diving shows were a popular source of entertainment. The shows involved horses jumping off of towers approximately 40 feet high into a pool. Sometimes the horses had riders and sometimes they jumped alone. These shows were popular at the historic Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The […]
How did Members of Congress Vote on Animal Issues in 2009?
THE HUMANE SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE FUND publishes an annual Humane Scorecard to assess the support of federal legislators on a broad range of animal protection issues. This Scorecard provides an easy way to assess how each U.S. senator and representative has acted on these issues during the first year of the 111th Congress (which runs from […]
HSUS-McDonald’s Statement
In a statement made with HSUS and McDonald’s, the largest restaurant chain in the world, it was announced that it will no longer use gestation crates for breeding sows in the United States. It began 10 years ago when Florida voters made their state the first to ban gestation crates for breeding pigs. Since then […]
ASPCA – Georgia’s Humane Lobby Day
The ASPCA, the HSUS and animal lovers everywhere are asked to join the Georgia Humane Lobby Day, held in Atlanta on February 28th, 2012. This is a day you can make your voice heard in support of the animals you care about. The ASPCA will organize meetings with elected officials as well as prepare you […]
Urgent – ASPCA and Horses
The ASPCA advises that double-decked trailers are dangerous and inhumane when used to transport horses. Double-decker trailers can be used to transport short-necked livestock such as cattle. Horses are taller, with larger heads and longer necks and require more headroom which these trailers simply don’t provide. If horses attempt to stand upright, their unstable footing […]
News of Nitro’s Law
The Ohio House of Representatives has passed House Bill #108 – Nitro’s Law. In 2008, Nitro was one of 7 dogs starved to death under the care of kennel owner, Steve Croley, at the High Caliber K-9 kennel in Youngstown, Ohio. Among 19 dogs found on the property, 7 emaciated bodies were found, including Nitro. […]
Rodeos
Rodeos are competitions based on skills that cowboys need for ranch work. They include events like Tie-down roping, Team Roping, Steer wrestling, Saddle bronc riding, Bareback Bronc-Riding, Bull riding and Barrel racing. Informal rodeos were held starting in the 1820s in the Western United States and northern Mexico. The first official competition was held in […]