Missouri has overturned the puppy mill ban that was passed by voters in a state-wide ballot initiative last November. Yesterday, Gov. Jay Nixon signed Senate Bill 113, which removes the limit of 50 breeding dogs per facility. Instead, breeders will pay a higher fee to become licensed, and those fees will be used to hire more inspectors. Nixon says he hopes that an additional bill, his proposed "Missouri solution," Senate Bill 161, will now pass. Senate Bill 161 would also remove the 50-dog limit, and would also overturn Prop. B's ban on puppy mills. However, since the session ends on May 13, it seems unlikely that Senate Bill 161 will pass.
Why did the state legislature and governor overturn the will of the voters? They claim they they didn't. Nixon states, "The Missouri solution upholds the will of the voters by protecting the welfare of dogs, while also ensuring the future of Missouri agriculture." A legislator who voted for Senate Bill 113, Jerry Nolte, said, "What I was trying to do was interpret what the voter intent was, and what they wanted to do was to lessen the suffering of these animals . . . And I believe that this, on balance, will reduce the suffering of these animals."
No, Senate Bills 113 and 161 do not uphold the will of the voters. The voters voted for a ban on puppy mills, and that's what they wanted. More specifically, a ban on facilities with more than 50 breeding dogs. Missouri voters know the difference between more inspectors for puppy mills and a ban on puppy mills, and know when legislators are caving to a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Yes, that's "billion" with a "b." Missouri has been called the Puppy Mill Capital of America.
Part of the problem, politically, is that the voters who supported Prop B six months ago are mostly in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, but most of Missouri is more rural, so the majority of state legislators represent districts with strong agricultural interests.
The Humane Society of the US, which was the major force behind Prop B, vows to put the issue on the ballot again.
While puppy mills are horrible and notorious for their crowded, filthy conditions, it's important to keep in mind that buying any dog from any pet store or breeder spells death for a dog in a shelter, no matter how well that breeder treats their dogs. Also, if you're opposed to the way dogs are treated in puppy mills, please think about the suffering cows, pigs and chickens on farms all over the world, and go vegan.
Puppy mill photo courtesy of National Geographic's Dog Whisperer.
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I think it's great how the word "vegan" is now a part of mainstream America's vocabulary. Twenty years ago, I had a tough time explaining veganism to people who couldn't believe I didn't eat any animal products at all. There are definitely still some misunderstandings, as people will still ask, "You don't even eat fish? Eggs? Milk? But you eat ice cream, don't you?" But it's so much better than it used to be.
While Farm Animal Rights Movement has a Vegan Earth Day campaign, it's not just animal rights groups that point out the environmental benefits of veganism any more. Can you guess which organizations and institutions these quotes came from? (Hint: One is a major U.S. city, one is a university, and another is an institutional food service provider.)
- "The livestock sector may well be the leading player in the reduction of biodiversity, since it is the major driver of deforestation, as well as one of the leading drivers of land degradation, pollution, climate change, overfishing, sedimentation of coastal areas and facilitation of invasions by alien species."
- "Eco-friendly foods in general, are plant foods. Overall, animal products are not "green" because they require intensive resources to produce. By eating lower on the food chain and savoring fresh veggies, fruit, grains, beans, nuts and seeds you are eating healthy and green."
- Meat is "a Hummer on a plate."
- "Eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hamburger for a simple reason: one sandwich can save 133 gallons of water and 24 square feet of land over a burger, and each one served will save 2.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the same benefit as driving a hybrid car for half a day."
- "Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single most "green" move a person can make. Producing meat requires huge amounts of water, grain, land, and other inputs including hormones and antibiotics, and leads to pollution of soil, air, and water. A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 60 gallons for a pound of potatoes. Going vegetarian or vegan is a profoundly meaningful environmental choice so if you're a meat eater, try cutting out just one serving of meat each week."
Find the answers here.
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Giving your child a live Easter bunny may seem like a cute idea, but taking care of a rabbit for 8-12 years is a big commitment. The House Rabbit Society knows all about it - they see the rabbits who come flooding into the shelters in the weeks and months after Easter. HRS's "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign raises awareness of the issue, and now they've teamed up with Rescue Chocolates, a vegan chocolate company that donates all profits to animal rescue charities. For the entire month of April, their profits are going to HRS.
Pictured at right is their vegan chocolate Easter bunny. They also have vegan candy bars with names like Peanut Butter Pit Bull (countering the negative public image of the pit bull-type dogs), Foster-iffic Peppermint (highlighting the need for people to provide foster care for shelter animals), and The Fix (highlighting the importance of spay and neuter).
Learn more about live Easter bunnies and the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign here.
Photo courtesy of Rescue Chocolates
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