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Posts Tagged ‘Humane Society’
Monday, February 6th, 2012
Joining Florida and Iowa, the Nebraska legislature is considering legislation that would limit the ability of animal rights activists to make undercover videos.
State Senator Tyson Larson, a Nebraska rancher, sponsored the legislation. It would close the legal window between observing animal abuse and reporting it to authorities, which is currently at two days, to twelve hours. In addition, the bill would require whistleblowers to surrender all video, photo, or audio evidence to authorities.
Larson says that these new requirements would prevent activists from using evidence to support their own causes, a goal that would better protect animal welfare. Opponents, on the other hand, say that the bill is a naked attempt to silence animal rights activists and cover up animal abuse.
According to officials from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, animal welfare investigations can sometimes take weeks, and requiring a twelve hour reporting window could limit the ability of investigators to demonstrate a pattern, allowing farmers to claim that the abuse was an isolated incident.
Nebraska is the latest state to attempt to limit the creation and distribution of animal rights videos. A bill that would require express permission from farmers in order to film is moving through the Florida Statehouse and Iowa legislators are attempting a revive a stalled bill that would criminalize seeking farm employment under false pretenses.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, Humane Society, nebraska
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Saturday, January 28th, 2012
Earlier this week, several house Representatives introduced legislation that would standardize animal treatment requirements regarding hens on egg farms across the country.
The proposed legislation would expand and standardize the amount of space required for egg-laying hens. Current standards vary from state to state, but are at least 67 square inches for most egg producers in the United States.
The proposed bill would nearly double that space, requiring egg producers to provide at least 124 square inches for white egg producing hens, the majority of birds in the U.S., and at least 144 square inches for brown egg producing hens. In addition, the bill would require separate areas for nesting, perching, and dust bathing. Most egg producers would have 18 years to implement these new changes.
The bill is part of a compromise reached last spring between United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States, whose alliance shocked many agricultural groups across the country. While the bill does not go as far as many animal rights groups had hoped, the HSUS originally wanted at least 214 square inches per bird, it is a major step forward for animal rights activists.
Leaders of the HSUS and several egg producers around the country are praising the bill. Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the HSUS, recently stated, “Passing this bill would be a historic improvement for hundreds of millions of animals per year,” and representatives from J.S. West & Co., a major California egg producer, stated, “A national standard reflecting the public’s desire for a standard of care for egg-producing hens is very important.”
Some agricultural groups have criticized the bill. The National Pork Producers Council, for example, has condemned the legislation as an unwarranted federal takeover of local agricultural issues.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, egg farms, Humane Society, United Egg Producers
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Sunday, December 11th, 2011
Earlier this week, members of the Humane Society of the United States and the Farmers Union met in Nebraska. The meeting hailed by some and condemned by others, is an effort to improve dialogue between animal rights activists and farmers.
In particular, the meeting represents an effort to create an acceptable policy regarding the treatment of livestock on Nebraska farms. Several months ago, the Humane Society of the United States began gearing up towards a fight to improve the treatment of livestock in Nebraska. In several other states, such as California, Oregon, and Ohio, animal rights groups have successfully used petition drives to change radically regulations regarding the treatment of livestock.
Although the Humane Society says that they will not use such tactics in Nebraska, many farmers refuse to take them at their word and have formed a pro-agriculture group, called We Support Agriculture, to portray Nebraska farming in a positive light and to gather funds and support to block any animal rights related ballot initiatives.
The Humane Society-Farmers Union alliance was seen by many as a way to bridge divides in the state and increase genuine cooperation. However, many members of the Farmers Union remain skeptical about the Humane Society, with some Farmers Union members insisting that it will take time to establish trust between the two groups.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, Farmers Union, Humane Society, nebraska
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011
The North Dakota Farm Bureau is currently pushing to amend the state constitution to include a right to farm. The amendment is part of an effort to limit the power of local animal rights activists.
Last year, the Humane Society of the United States spearheaded a ballot proposal to ban fenced hunting preserves. Over the last several months, the Human Society, working with other animal rights groups, has attempted to pass animal welfare laws that would significantly alter livestock practices across the country.
This activism has irked farmers across the state, many who see animal rights organizations as outside interlopers. Central North Dakota farmer Doyle Johannes stated, “[the amendment] doesn’t allow someone from the East Coast, the West Coast, to come in here and tell you what you can and can’t do because of their idealistic notions. We want to be able to farm in North Dakota, the way we think we should be able to.”
The amendment would add language to the state constitution, stating “The right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state. No law shall be enacted which abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production and ranching practices.”
While many farmers are supportive of the measure, some worry that its overly broad language could hinder efforts to protect against a neighbor’s livestock odor or prevent the spread of genetically engineered crops. The Farm Bureau needs to collect roughly 27,000 signatures in order to place the amendment on the November ballot.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, farm bureau, Humane Society, north dakota
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Thursday, October 20th, 2011
An unlikely alliance between a farm advocacy group and an animal rights organization has created a firestorm in Nebraska. The Nebraska Farmers Union and the Humane Society of American have recently teamed up to find common ground regarding humane treatment of livestock and ethical meat production.
The controversy stems from fears among Nebraska farmers that animal rights groups, particularly the Humane Society, were trying to craft restrictive animal protections that will hinder meat production in the state. In other states, groups like the Humane Society have been successful in petitioning governments to institute various crate and space policies, requiring better treatment of livestock.
In response to fears of a similar push in Nebraska, farm several farm advocacy groups and local politicians formed We Support Agriculture. This organization has stood on the front lines in opposition of any increased government regulation of animal treatment.
The response from We Support Agriculture over the cooperation between the Farmers Union and the Humane Society has been overwhelmingly negative. Pete McClymont, director of We Support Agriculture, recently stated, “We are shocked and disappointed that any Nebraska agriculture group would align itself with an extreme animal rights organization such as the Humane Society of the United States.”
The Farmers Union, however, sees their move as beneficial to small family farms, which frequently practice more humane treatment of their livestock than their large-scale counterparts.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, Farmers Union, Humane Society, nebraska
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Sunday, September 18th, 2011
Several of Nebraska’s major agricultural organizations have joined together to combat animal rights activism. With many Nebraska farmers faring that the animal rights activists will persuade voters and state legislators to toughen regulations on farms and ranches across the state, these agricultural groups are hoping to preempt potential activism.
Over the last several months, animal rights activism has been a hot-button issue on American farms. In the wake of several controversial undercover farm videos, two states, Iowa and Florida, have considered legislation that would outlaw videotaping farm activities without the consent of the farm owner.
Several other states have seen their regulations toughened as a result of petitions by animal rights groups like the Humane Society of the U.S. Petition drives in Arizona and California both resulted in restrictions on tight confinement spaces on animal farms. In Ohio, the threat of a petition drive drove the state government to voluntarily impose restrictions.
The newly formed Nebraska group, We Support Agriculture, has already received $5,000 contributions from the Nebraska Cattlemen, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, and the Nebraska Poultry Industries. The money will go to opposing a feared campaign by animal activists to outlaw certain confinement practices.
While the CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S. says that his organization is not planning a petition drive and wants to work with farmers to develop human standards that are acceptable to farmers, WSA and several state officials, including Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, are skeptical.
In a speech to the Nebraska Cattlemen, Heineman stated, “They’d be better off going somewhere else, because they’re going to lose if they stay in Nebraska.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, farm bureau, Humane Society, nebraska
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Friday, July 8th, 2011
In a stunning announcement by the Humane Society and the United Egg Producers, the two old adversaries agreed to work together to support tougher federal regulations on egg farms. The agreement comes in the midst of what had been a contentious struggle in Oregon over conditions on egg farms.
The Humane Society had supported a ballot initiative which would have forced egg producers to improve conditions for animals on their farms. The initiative would have banned battery cages (confinement systems used in most egg farming) and would have doubled the space required for each bird.
The Oregon law, which is gaining momentum in other states, has been hailed by some animal rights groups as landmark legislation that will revolutionize the treatment of livestock in the United States.
The alliance between the Humane Society and the United Egg Producers seems to indicate the inevitability of these new regulations. With one of the largest egg producer advocacy groups in the country working with major animal rights groups it seems likely that these laws will spread. Already, both groups are supporting federal laws modeled on the Oregon initiative (which would be the first federal law regulating the treatment of animals on farms)
Other major livestock producers are worried about the potential impact of this legislation. The National Pork Producers Council recently issued a statement denouncing the planned legislation, stating, “one-size-fits-all approaches will take away producers’ freedom to operate in a way that’s best for their animals, make it difficult to respond to consumer demands, raise retail meat prices and take away consumer choice.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: animal rights, egg farms, Humane Society
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Thursday, February 25th, 2010
In November Ohio voters passed Issue 2 which instates the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board (OLCSB). The OLCSB is working to create a set of standards for the treatment of livestock.
Currently the board is headed by producers (both produce and livestock), members of various farm organizations and the American Humane Society. However, the Humane Society is lobbying to have full control of decisions made by the board.
John C. Fisher, president of the Ohio Farm Bureau, said the lobbying is not a shock and that many expected the Humane Society to oppose.
“Ohioans are smart. They’ll see that HSUS’ latest tactic isn’t about reasonable animal care, it’s about power. Ohioans took control of the animal care issue, and HSUS doesn’t like it one bit,†Fisher said.
The OLCSB goes into effect this spring.
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Tags: Humane Society, John Fisher, ohio
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