PETA Testimony to US Congress On Marine Animal Captivity

Here is a link to PETA's testimony submitted to the US Congress regarding marine animals in captivity. There was a hearing held this past Tuesday.

Congressional Hearing on Marine Animal Captivity

The hearing was held today (Tuesday.)

Congressional Hearing on Sea World Incident

So, remember the incident in which an orca whale attacked and killed its trainer at Sea World? Now there's going to be a Congressional hearing this week about it. I sincerely hope this leads to a change in law regarding animals in captivity. At a minimum, they should stop the captivity of orca whales.

We'll see. It may just be more Congressional hot air.

Senator Maria Cantwell Receives Award for Animal Welfare Work

She is a US Senator from our home state of Washington. My husband worked for her years and years ago, when she was just a State representative.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) received the Humane Society’s Legislative Leader award for her leadership in protecting animals. The Humane Society of the United States cited Senator Cantwell’s efforts to improve marine mammal rescue capability, including such challenges as disentangling marine mammals from fishing nets. The Society also noted Cantwell’s work on climate change.

House Bill to Prevent Primates as Pets

No! Ya think?

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) announced that, at his request, the House of Representatives will consider on Monday, February 23, the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 80). Consideration of the needed legislation comes just one week after a woman was critically injured in a vicious chimpanzee attack in Stamford, Connecticut - leaving no doubt that the danger of nonhuman primates in homes and to communities must be addressed.

Keeping primates as pets threatens public health and safety, as well as the welfare of the animals. The legislation is a proactive federal response that would amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit individuals from buying or transporting primates across state lines as pets. While the bill does not prohibit possession of chimpanzees and other primates, it would serve as a needed complement to state laws outlawing primates as pets and to federal health regulations banning the import of these animals into the country. H.R. 80 would not affect the transportation of animals for zoos and licensed research facilities.

The Captive Primate Safety Act is bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with 17 other co-sponsors.

Harsh Critique of Congressmember's Animal Welfare Record

Here's an Op-ed from Michael Markarian. He's president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund and the author of the blog "Animals & Politics" online at www.michaelmarkarian.org.

He is not a fan of U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Ninth District.

Michigan readers take note. It's worth learning more.

According to the piece,

**He has time and again opposed efforts to halt the slaughtering of America's horses for export to Europe and Asia so the animals' meat could be consumed as a delicacy.

**He sought to continue processing "downer" cattle -- animals who are too sick or injured to walk to slaughter, and are often dragged with chains, ropes, bulldozers, and forklifts

**Last year, he voted to allow wealthy American trophy hunters to shoot polar bears in the Arctic -- where they face threats from global warming and vanishing ice floes -- and bring their heads and hides back across the border to America.

**He voted to use your tax dollars to promote the trophy hunting of elephants in Africa, and to give a $2 million annual subsidy to the luxury mink coat industry.

Photo by jimbowen0306.