Ways to help

- draft horses

Yesterday I looked at some of the mail I get from organizations that try to reduce animal suffering. Most of the time I just save this mail in a pile because I know I can't afford to help them all and because I feel too guilty to just throw the stuff away. But yesterday I did look and it was harrowing - from abandoned dogs and cats, to retired draft horses that people want to eat, to the extermination of wolves. I chose some places to be the recipients of my paltry contributions but it seemed like too few.

One encouraging thing, though, is the help I can give that doesn't depend on cash flow ... email advocacy. I get email from the National Anti-Vivisection Society that alerts me to legislation that will help animals and makes it easy to notify my political representatives about how I feel on the subject. Here's one of the latest I received ...

Federal Legislation

A companion bill to the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, HR 3798, has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Dianne Feinstein. S. 3239 and HR 3798 would establish a process for phasing out battery cages for laying hens and providing truth in labeling while that process moves forward. These bills would require existing and new cages to be fitted with adequate environmental enrichment (adequate perch space, dust bathing or scratching areas, and nest space), would require larger cage sizes to be phased in over a 15-year period, and would end the forced molting of birds through deprivation of food or water. The requirement for accurately labeling the housing status of laying hens on cartons of eggs—including whether the eggs are from hens who are “caged”—would become effective immediately. While this measure would override any state provisions to improve the living conditions of laying hens, including those with laws with shorter effective dates and more progressive caging requirements, these protections would apply across the country instead of being limited to those few states that have already passed protective measures for laying hens.

Please contact your U.S. Representative and your U.S. Senators and ask them to SUPPORT this legislation!

If anyone is interested in this kind of thing, you can visit the NAVS website to learn more.