Washington, D.C. — In a major new federal legislative initiative, U.S. Senators Mike Braun, R-Ind., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., John Kennedy, R-La., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Martha McSally, R-Ariz., introduced the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, a bill they forged in cooperation with Animal Wellness Action and the Animal Wellness Foundation to step up federal action against … Read more
Bipartisan Group in the U.S. House Introduced Identical Measure Two Weeks Ago While plenty of perpetrators of cruelty do their deeds in the shadows, others are brazen about the abuse they heap on animals. In Shelbyville, the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration flaunted show horses earlier this month, with the equines festooned with medieval-looking wear, throwing … Read more
Yet More Work Remains in a State Where Bears, Wolves, and Mountain Lions Are Under the Gun by writing Gov Inslee to let him know you want conservationists, ecologists, and wildlife advocates appointed to the commission. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission rightly outlawed wildlife killing contests last week with a 7-2 vote, making it … Read more
Meanwhile, McConnell Introduces Identical Measure in the U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act led by U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Andy Barr, R-Ky., that is now poised to advance to the House Floor following a bipartisan vote of … Read more
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce has officially scheduled a markup hearing for H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity Act, led by U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Andy Barr, R-Ky., for Wednesday, September 9 at 11:00 AM EST. The markup announcement — that is expected to result in the Committee … Read more
For the first time, The Kentucky Derby and the Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Championship will be held on the same evening – one an event known to all, the other a regional event in the more obscure world of showing Tennessee Walking horses. While the soring of Walking Horses has become a high-profile issue … Read more
Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) today asked U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price, representing the District of Hawaii, to investigate allegations that a substantial number of residents in the state are knee-deep in the business of illegal trafficking of fighting animals and perhaps making millions of dollars from the … Read more
Thirty years ago, I wrote a magazine cover story about horse racing, arguing the pageantry and pomp that viewers glimpsed at the Kentucky Derby and other Triple Crown races was a veneer barely concealing a set of hazards for horses. There was widespread doping of horses on race day to enhance performance, frequent breakdowns that … Read more
The question of free expression arises in federal court actions initiated by animal fighting practitioners The First Amendment has been used as a shield by perpetrators of animal cruelty for decades. In recent federal court proceedings, cockfighters claim that staged battles between animals are a protected expression and religious exercise guaranteed by the First Amendment. … Read more
Lexington, Kentucky — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today announced his intent to introduce the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, compromise legislation that would end the doping of Thoroughbred racehorses in the United States. The doping of American racehorses has been a controversial issue over the past five years with hundreds of horses dying … Read more