Skip to main content

Vilsack for Agriculture. Salazar for the Interior. Obama's Choices for the Farms and Animals and the Land.

The word is out. It's former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (photo) for Agriculture Secretary and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar from Colorado for Interior Secretary. I think that Gov. Vilsack doesn't raise any red flags among animal lovers, but Sen. Salazar does. Okay, he's a mixed bag which I think is what happens to you if you want to survive in Washington. For example, in 2005, Salazar opposed legislation to ban horse slaughter. This year, he co-sponsored legislation to strengthen the penalties for animal fighting plus signed a letter requesting more funds for the adequate enforcement of animal welfare laws. What are we to think of this? In Defense of Animals (IDA) recommended Rep. Raul M Grijalva (D-AZ) for the post, arguing that Rep. Grijalva has a 100% record on animal issues. IDA further claimed that while Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, Grijalva was " instrumental in advancing fair and balanced use of federal parks, recreational areas, and public lands with ranching, hunting, mining and oil interests." Rep. Grijalva has also been described as " a champion of all wildlife and companion animals." Sounds like a good man to me, but good people sometimes do not finish in first place ( not to say that Sen. Salazar is evil! ).

The President-Elect has made his decision, and we can only hope that Sen. Salazar does not disappoint.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Philippines. Reporting Animal Cruelty. Emergency Numbers. RA 8485.

Because I belong to an group of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines, I can read the numerous discussions between group members and people who, seems to me, just signed up to make an urgent plea for help. There were two this week who begged for assistance concerning two dogs who were tied up under rain and sun with no food nor water. One was described to be on the verge of a heat stroke. The images that filled my mind disturbed me immensely, but I am also encouraged at the same time. There is a growing number of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines and ordinary citizens are beginning to reject animal cruelty, willing to take personal action against it. Just from this website, I can see from the visitor data that many are seeking information on how to report animal cruelty in the Philippines. You can find my previous post on the subject HERE . Keep in mind that your complaint has legal standing via the Philippine Animal Welfare Act which is also known as the RA 8485 ....
56 comments
Read more

William Baber, Tennessee Vet Gone Bad.

Euthanasia is suppose to be merciful. When William Baber had his way, it was far from it. Baber used the very cruel " heart stick " method minus the sedation. This means that the animals could spend as long as 30 agonizing minutes before death actually occurred. Undercover video showed that William Baber even stepped on the animals to immobilize them for the injection. Do I sound like I am describing an executioner and not a veterinarian? Very sad, isn't it? The video showed dogs’ tails visibly wagging and cats are flailing before they’re given the lethal injection . "It’s just a horrible, horrible way for an animal to die,” said former euthanasia technician June McMahon. Tennessian.com reported that " still conscious, the cats were described by inmates as 'going wild' after being placed in a container, with as many as 10-15 of them being dumped on top of each other in a 'cruel manner,' authorities allege.These animals were allegedly placed ...
4 comments
Read more

Philippines. Committee on Animal Welfare. Tambucho Gassing. Oscar Macenas. Fight for Compassion, Not Cruelty.

Believe it or not, the Committee on Animal Welfare (CAW) is again pushing for the reinstatement of Tambucho Gassing as an accepted form of euthanasia in the Philippines. This comes after CAW dragged its feet from August 2010 to April 2011, stultifying a directive from Secretary Proceso Alcala of the Department of Agriculture to rewrite a previous CAW-endorsed administrative order that embraced Tambucho Gassing like it was a God-sent cure-all for stray or unwanted animals. For those coming into this matter only now, Tambucho Gassing is not carbon monoxide gassing as CAW would like the world to believe. Tambucho Gassing is death by vehicular exhaust fumes. No gas cylinders are used, just a rubber hose connected to a clunky, old, usually badly tuned gas engine. The animals are entombed in a sealed metal container and toxic fumes are pumped into it. In terms of expediency, the process is slow, inefficient, and ineffective against the problem. In terms of humanity, it is depraved, utterly c...
15 comments
Read more