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Google Images Deep within the new farm bill is an amendment to the federal animal fighting prohibition law (7 United States Code 2156) which is effective immediately.  It is now a federal felony to bring a minor (under the age of 16) to a dogfight or cockfight. So often these fights are treated as family affairs which expose and desensitize young children to acts of bloody violence and animal cruelty.  Such exposure can impair a child from developing the ability to empathize with other living things - a characteristic typical of both adult and juvenile violent felony offenders. It is also not uncommon for perpetrators to stash contraband in children's diapers for safekeeping. This change does not preclude law enforcement from still charging the adults with local relevant child endangerment laws. The revision also makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly attend a cockfight or dogfight! So cockfighters and dogfighters - SURPRISE!

Courtesy washingtonpost.com/google images Zoos are no place for animals. Copenhagen Zoo killed, dissected and fed a giraffe, Marius, to their big cats while children watched. The zoo asserted that this giraffe, though healthy, possessed genes too common with the other giraffes in the zoo to be used in their breeding program. This was done despite both the posting of online petitions opposing this course of action and the offers of other facilities to take Marius. The zoo argued that such "culling" occurs in the wild and that they have similarly done this many times with goats, antelope and boar. They further argued that seeing a giraffe this way was educational for youngsters. I understand that we are always confronted with the constant conflicts of choosing between saving the predator or the prey. Do you let a snake starve because you won't kill a mouse? Such contradictions exist everywhere in our lives. Criminals can behave kindly, pit bull fighters can cherish the fami...

Courtesy Google Images With almost 200 million dollars in the bank the aspca has terminated their animal cruelty law enforcement department lamenting that it is too small to handle the demand. Now it will be up to the New York Police Department (NYPD) to worry about cruelty to animals and respond accordingly. I have never been silent regarding my disgust at the aspca amassing such funds by advertising outside New York and capitalizing from the widespread misimpression that they are a national umbrella organization that distributes resources to spcas in every state. Despite requests from spcas across the country to duly inform the public of this fact, they have steadfastly refused and so donors believing they are helping animals in their respective communities are often horrified to learn their gifts went to New York instead. This is particularly unfortunate in the estate arena where it is too late to correct the error. But this is a stunning development. Can they not afford to expand t...

courtesy Google images Those who seek to break the law, study the behavior of the activists in order to block, parry and continue their activities in peace. To that end the   Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act , targeted against activists who interfere with certain animal related enterprises and   Ag-Gag laws   designed to stop a person from applying for certain jobs with the intent of filming cruel practices have been enacted. Recently, the situation has become worse.  A person working for Compassion Over Killing, an animal rights group, secured a job at a cattle company in   Colorado   and filmed abusive treatment of newborn calves. There is no Ag-Gag law in Colorado so on its face this plan seemed promising. Though filmed over the summer, the video was not released by the organization until November 13th after which criminal charges were quickly filed against 3 men shown in the footage abusing the animals. Then the local   sheriff filed animal cruelty ...

courtesy spcaLA The latest salvo to reduce euthanasia in animal shelters is to increase the number of pets legally allowed in households. The theory is to increase output thereby reducing the population inside and presto - problem solved. Though spcaLA neither tolerates even one pet per household who is not properly cared for nor worries about those with an excess number of pets who are, the issue is one of responsible pet ownership, the maximum number of which varies in conjunction with the available resources of the adopters. In other words - some can handle 10 while others should not be allowed even 1. That said, it is critical to understand the source of the problem before crafting a solution. Unregulated breeding, lack of sterilization and irresponsible owners cause pet overpopulation and high euthanasia rates in this country - not the shelters. The question, therefore, is whether increasing the number of pets per household will help. In a perfect humane world the answer is yes. N...

courtesy Google images UPDATE: The nasty King amendment is finished for now!! http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-california-egg-farm-bill-20140127,0,3486002.story#axzz2rdoQPvmW       You were heard.  The time for Congress to pass the farm bill has come and we must make sure that Republican Senator Steve Kings’ amendment, Protect Interstate Commerce Act (PICA), which would strip states of the right to regulate its own agricultural interests by requiring products coming into a state to comply with the standards of that state, is removed from the bill . For example, the egg producers in Kings’ home state of Iowa would not have to comply with California’s law that egg farmers give egg-laying birds room to stand, spread their wings and move around, and that   all eggs sold in California must come from farms that meet California standards . King assertion that California is the only state that would be impacted either indicates his ignorance of the issue...

As we again come upon the busiest fund-raising season of the year I, again urge you to know your charity and to donate locally . Donors often feel duped and upset to learn that their precious funds neither contributed to programs nor helped needy pets in the intended community. Often, a donor unintentionally exported funds to another state! It is essential for you, your lawyers and estate planners to research reputable existing charities and locate those that serve the constituency and community that you wish to help. Determine if that charity provides the specific service that you wish to fund in the place you wish to fund it. Only then should you donate. You can even name your favorite program for a significant contribution. Courtesy spcaLA How many of you reading this did not know that the aspca and hsus are not national umbrella organizations that funnel contributions back to communities by zip code as actual national charities do? A good example of such an actual national umbrella...