Yes or No on Proposition 2

With the 2008 elections just around the corner I thought I would share with you a proposition that will be on California ballots, Proposition 2.  According to the Yes! On Prop 2 website, Proposition 2 is known as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, it stops the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals and, will go in to effect in January 2015.  Violators of this proposition will be imposed with a misdemeanor penalty, a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time for up to six months.  It will end the practice of farm animals being crammed into small cages where they cannot turn around, lie down or extend their limbs.  This proposition will ban gestation crates for pigs, veal crates for veal calves and the crowded confinement for egg laying poultry that was shown in an undercover video shot by Mercy for Animals at Norco Ranch in Menifee California.  That video showed thousands of chickens crammed in small cages with no room to spread their wings, dead chickens left on the floor and in the cages with live egg producing chickens.  Many of the chickens shown in the video had open untreated wounds and prolapsed uteruses.  The most horrific thing that was shown was a man trying to break sick chicken’s necks by swinging them around and then throwing them on the floor.  The chickens that did not die right away were left suffering and moving on the ground or in a pile with dead chickens.        

Supporting arguments for this proposition are it will improve food safety and, protect Californians health.  The Yes! On Prop 2 website outlined a study that compared the Salmonella risk in battery cages versus cage free eggs.  What was found was chickens in battery cages have up to a 25 times greater odds of being infected by Salmonella than the cage free eggs.  The American Public Health Association said the enactment of Proposition 2 will reduce the number of animals per operation resulting in the reduction of the untreated waste on the ground that can contaminate our waterways, lakes, groundwater, soil and air. 

The opposing arguments against Proposition 2 (NO on Prop2) say that it is risky, dangerous and costly to ban almost all modern egg production in California.  Currently, California uses a safe housing system for egg laying hens that provides: optimal feed, light, air, water, space and sanitation for the hens.  The modern housing system used in California that effectively separates the eggs from feces will be banned, resulting in a possible Salmonella contamination.  The change in housing the chickens will be costly to the farmers resulting in the cost of eggs to go up.  With the cost of California eggs rising consumers will have to be dependent on eggs from other states and Mexico, where health standards are not as high as California’s. 

The supporting and opposing sides for Proposition 2 are very informative and convincing.  However, after watching the video below about Norco Ranch and, seeing the cages that pigs and veal are kept in, I support this proposition.  No animal should have to live out its life in a small cramped and dirty cage, or be killed by being swung around by its neck.  We don’t treat our own pets like that so why should we treat farm animals any differently?  

Vick's dogs given a second chance

After I posted my previous blog about Michael Vick and his involvement in dogfighting, I began to wonder what happened to the pit bulls taken from him.  Were they euthanized or put up for adoption?

Typically the dogs that are seized from dogfighting rings are euthanized because, they are seen as menacing.  But, 49 of the pit bulls that were taken from Vick were given a second chance.  According to the Washington Post, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered each dog to be evaluated, and that Vick pay close to $1 million to pay for the lifetime care of the dogs that could be saved. 

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) evaluated the 49 pit bulls.  One was deemed too vicious to rehabilitate and was euthanized, and another was euthanized because it was sick and in pain.  25 of the surviving dogs were placed directly in foster homes and many have been adopted.  The other 22 dogs were sent to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah because, they were deemed too aggressive toward other dogs.  After intensive retraining some will move on to foster care and eventually be adopted.  

How can a pit bull raised to fight become a loving and nonaggressive dog?  According to Frank McMillan, one of the veterinarians who are studying the recovery of Vick’s dogs said they do not have an answer.  McMillan said, “We’ve assumed all pits are the same, and we’ve never let this many fighting dogs live long enough to find out.  There are hardly ever studies, because these animals don’t survive.”  Some of the dogs taken from Vick were loving when approached by humans, by licking their hands and wagging their tails. 

John Goodwin, a dogfighting expert with the Humane Society has a different opinion about fighting dogs.  He is a proponent of euthanizing the dogs trained to fight.  He claims that fighting is in their blood and said, “These groups are not rehabilitating these dogs.  They’re training them to behave in a more socialized manner.  But these pit bull should never be left alone with other dogs, because you never know when that instinct to fight another dog is going to surface.”

I am torn between the statements made by McMillan and Goodwin.  I believe it is great that some of the pit bulls taken were able to find loving homes and given a second chance.  But, what if Goodwin is right and you never know when their instinct to fight another dog will surface.  

Michael Vick

As discussed in the previous blog, dog fighting is a common form of animal abuse. One of the most recent, well known dog fighting cases is the one involving Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback Michael Vick and three others, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor. According to an article written by the Washington Post, in July of 2007 Vick and the three other men were indicted for operating the dogfighting ring “Bad Newz Kennels” on Vick's property in Virginia and across state lines. Dogfighting is a felony in Virginia and, because they transported dogs over state lines to fight it makes their offense a federal crime. A portion of the indictment said that eight dogs who did not fight well were executed by various methods including hanging, drowning, or slamming the dog to the ground. The indictment also alleged that Vick consulted with Peace before Peace killed a losing dog by electrocution.

Vick accepted a plea bargain of 12 to 18 months; however, he was sentenced to 23 months in prison in December 2007. Vick received a harsher sentence because of conflicting statements made by him to the FBI. Vick previously denied that he was involved in the killing of the dogs during questioning sessions with the FBI. But after more questioning sessions and a polygraph test he finally admitted that he hung two dogs with Phillips.

According to CNN, after Vick entered in to this guilty plea he apologized for his actions and said that he was, “disappointed in myself…for all the things that I’ve done and that I’ve allowed to happen… dogfighting is a terrible thing and I…reject it…Through this situation I’ve found Jesus…I got a lot of down time…to think about my actions.”

Click on the link below to see his full apology:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzytivQsPGI

Vick’s actions are horrendous and grotesque. I believe that his punishment is well suited for the crime he committed. His apology seems sincere and remorseful, but what other emotion is there for him to display? Vick would be an idiot to display any other emotion than remorse in the public eye. How would that look to a sentencing judge if he went in to a court room with a smug attitude and no remorse for what he did to those dogs?

Well, I hope Vick has changed and does truly feel remorseful for his actions. If he does not he has more than a year to think about his actions in federal prison.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701393.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/11/ST2007121100072.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/08/27/michael.vick/index.html

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Dog Fighting

One of the more popular forms of animal abuse people participate in is dog fighting.  According to the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) about 100,000 people participate in informal dog fights for the chance to win a few buck and bragging rights.  There are also about 40,000 people who participate in organized dog fighting rings with high-stake betting.  Dog fighting is a widespread problem for law enforcement, causing agencies to establish task forces to battle it. 

What to do with the abused dogs

According to the Dog Fighting article written by Nancy Lawson, pit bulls and pit bull mixes comprise up to a third of dogs in animal shelters nationwide.  Most animal welfare groups agree that euthanasia is the safest and most humane route for the dogs bred and raised to fight.  However, the shelters must hold the dogs for months until their owners lose custody of the animal through a court proceeding.  Holding the dogs at animal shelters can become very costly to taxpayers; sometimes costing some counties up to $120,000 a year.  The cost to house dogs seized in dog fights are so high because many shelters need to reinforce their cages that they hold those dogs in.  In a shelter in Dayton, Ohio the dogs were able to pull the cages and the stainless steel doors apart so, they could get to the other dogs and fight.  These dogs would also pull their resting mats and water bowls apart. 

Euthanizing the dogs from dog fighting rings is very sad and heart retching, when you stop and think about the torture they have had to endure.  However, I believe that it is the best way to handle those dogs.  I believe they should be euthanized because, those dogs are raised and train to fight, causing them to be very aggressive in normal everyday situations.