Six Things You Should Know About Animal Activists Today
If you aren’t taking the animal welfare movement seriously, this is your wake-up call.
Mike Wilson
Published: Jul 1, 2009
Until now, the ag community has been content to let animal activists shoot themselves in the foot with zany stunts that seemed to make the movement less than credible. But several signs point toward a sea change in public opinion, and U.S. agriculture could lose big time if it does not get its own message through to consumers. Here's a snapshot of the activist agenda today:
1. HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) is now the lead dog in the animal rights battlefield. Originally established in 1954 as a spin-off of the American Humane Association, it is a multinational conglomerate with 10 regional U.S. offices. Despite the words "humane society" in its name, HSUS has nothing to do with your local animal shelter, but it won't object if you want to send them money. According to ActivistCash.com, it does not run spay and neuter programs or take in strays, despite the many photos of dogs and cats in its promotional materials. It could use its $113 million war chest to run animal shelters in every state, but instead, the world's richest animal-rights group uses that money to economically cripple meat and dairy producers, among its many goals.
2. HSUS is led by its charismatic CEO, Wayne Pacelle. The dashing, self-described vegan and 1987 Yale graduate is savvy in all forms of media. When first hired by HSUS as its lead lobbyist he famously said his goal was to make "HSUS the NRA of animal rights." He became CEO in 2004 and since then has brought in several celebrities endorsements and appeared on everything from Oprah to prime time newscasts. Pacelle has perhaps single-handedly helped HSUS establish mainstream credibility over the past several years.
3. Animal rights activists, often under the guise of vegetarianism, have galvanized a broad, grassroots coalition to get their message out. The message is not always accurate or even science-based, but that does not matter when emotion is involved. Who could possibly side against someone who speaks passionately against animal cruelty, even if said 'cruel' practices actually protect the health of the animal? Paul Shapiro, HSUS's "factory farming campaign" senior director, was elated at a gathering of gushing activists immediately following the California Prop 2 victory last fall, calling it "the most important victory for farm animals in the history of the United States." He went on to say HSUS "gave a voice to the voiceless and made their cries heard by millions. We took the side of the vulnerable against the cruelty of the powerful and we shined a bright light on that dark world of factory farming."
4. In June the documentary FOOD, Inc. was released, starring writers Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma), among others. The premise is that intensive agriculture and food science have produced toxic food. According to HSUS, "The film takes a hard look at how massive American factory farms abuse the approximately 10 billion animals they raise and kill each year."
5. Statewide referendums or legislation are gaining momentum. Last November California passed a measure to ban stalls for sows and cages for laying hens. Four other states have passed similar laws, including Colorado, Florida, Arizona and Oregon. The Arizona law passed in 2006, making gestation stalls and stalls for veal calves illegal by 2013. In May Maine banned veal and gestation stalls, while New York has similar legislation moving forward. HSUS goes in to a state and proclaims it is there to take action, and if the statehouse won't listen it will set up a statewide referendum. In Colorado, farmers decided to agree to remove gestation stalls instead of facing the sheer cost of fighting a statewide referendum. HSUS has declared Ohio is next.
6. Major national retailers like Safeway, McDonalds and Burger King say they are increasingly phasing in crate-free and cage-free products. Companies are focusing on their customer's concerns, and anything that interferes with customers enjoying their food products is a worry for these retailers. If customers are telling retailers they want food that is more humanely raised, you can bet those retailers are going to make changes, and that will impact everyone down the food chain.
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Tagged: HSUS, farming, farm, humane society of the united states, dairy producers
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