Animal advocates made significant strides in 2008, with pathbreaking reforms advanced on farm animal protection and on a variety of other fronts.
"Every social movement has banner years, and 2008 is a year we will remember as a watershed for animals and efforts to protect them," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "As much as we've accomplished, there is so much still to do. Millions of Americans are demanding change in our treatment of animals, and the reforms can't come soon enough for animals suffering abuse or neglect."
The HSUS compiled a list of a dozen major advances for animals this year:
- An undercover HSUS investigation exposed cruel treatment of dairy cows at a slaughter plant in California. In its wake, Congress held eight hearings on the issues surrounding the investigation; California passed stronger legislation against slaughtering downed cows; USDA announced plans to prohibit the slaughter of downed cows; and USDA initiated the largest meat recall in American history.
- Voters in California overwhelmingly passed Proposition 2 to outlaw the intensive confinement of veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens.
- Voters in Massachusetts approved a ban on the cruel sport of greyhound racing.
- The HSUS and Humane Society International saved thousands of dogs from puppy mills in Kentucky, Quebec, Indiana, Tennessee and West Virginia; passed a ban in Congress on importing puppies from foreign mills; helped pass new laws to combat puppy mills in Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia; and worked with Oprah Winfrey to expose the issue to millions of Americans on national television.
- The HSUS helped to shut down major dogfighting and cockfighting rings throughout the nation as a result of tips provided to law enforcement agencies and a new HSUS hotline and reward program.
Europe moved closer to banning sales of sealskin, pressuring Canada to end its annual baby seal hunt. - The HSUS rescued thousands of animals impacted by natural disasters, evacuating animals from New Orleans in advance of Hurricanes Gustav, rescuing pets after Hurricane Ike devastated parts of the Gulf Coast, and saving animals from floodwaters in Iowa.
- Overstock.com became the 100th retailer on The HSUS' list of fur-free retailers.
- The HSUS worked with eBay executives to develop a policy banning the sale of ivory products on the online auction website.
Polar bears were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, ending imports of polar bear trophies from animals hunted in Canada. - In the courts, The HSUS prevailed in 18 cases. In one case, a judge prohibited opponents of Proposition 2 from misappropriating $3 million of federal funds for an election campaign. Other cases argued by HSUS attorneys blocked the killing of sea lions, knocked animal-fighting paraphernalia off Amazon.com, protected endangered whales from ship strikes and fishing gear, halted major water pollution at an egg factory farm, and blocked the slaughter of endangered wolves in both the Rocky Mountain and Great Lakes regions.
- States passed 93 new laws protecting animals, including a Colorado ban on confining veal calves and breeding pigs in small crates; a Delaware law that requires accurate labeling of garments containing animal fur; and stronger dogfighting laws in several states including Georgia, Idaho, Virginia and Wyoming. Also this year, Alaska and Utah became the 44th and 45th states with felony-level animal cruelty penalties.
On the heels of these advances, The HSUS is better positioned than ever to make new gains for animals in 2009. We intend to pass federal legislation to crack down on abusive puppy mills, launch a nationwide public service campaign to promote adoption of dogs and cats from animal shelters, work to end Canada's annual seal hunt, ban the confinement of animals on factory farms in additional states and through corporate policy changes implemented by major food retailers, work with law enforcement agencies to enforce animal fighting and cruelty laws, and rescue animals from disasters and other emergencies.
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