A New Jersey pound has rejected a request by caretakers to foster visibly pregnant cats in order to allow the kittens to be born, weaned, adopted, and then have the mother spayed. Not only does the surgery put the mother at heightened risk, but full-term kittens are removed one by one and killed through an overdose of barbiturates. Even when not individually killed, when a mother is spayed, the puppies and kittens die from anoxia (oxygen deprivation) due to lack of blood supply from the uterus once the vessels are clamped. They suffocate.

A New Jersey pound has rejected a request by caretakers to foster visibly pregnant cats in order to allow the kittens to be born, weaned, adopted, and then have the mother spayed. A bill in California would end businesses that “house hundreds of dogs, mostly greyhounds, for the sole purpose of draining [and selling] their blood.” The Texas House of Representatives passed legislation banning the sale of commercially-bred puppies and kittens in pet stores and it is now being considered by the Senate. The New York Senate did the same (and included rabbits) and it is now onto the Assembly for consideration. Sen. Richard Durbin has (once again) introduced the Puppy Protection Act to regulate commercial mills “where caged dogs, one on top of the other, are often deprived of socialization, fresh air, and good hygiene.” New York legislators are also debating a bill requiring courts to consider “the best interest of the animal” when awarding custody of pets in divorce cases. New Hampshire legislators may require motorists to stop for injured cats. The No Kill Advocacy Center asked Colorado’s Governor to veto a bill that promotes killing in pounds based on an animal’s “mental and emotional” state. Fewer shelters are posting their statistics online. The Amarillo, TX, pound is once again in the news for its mishandling of a dog. A federal lawsuit contends that California law prohibiting veterinarian telehealth appointments violates the First Amendment. In another lawsuit, a federal judge ruled that the CDC does not have the legal authority to issue a nationwide eviction moratorium in response to the pandemic, putting millions of dogs and cats at risk of losing their homes. And who could possibly defend the sadistic abuse of dogs? Tragically, an increasing number of academics do.

In case you missed it:

A New Jersey pound has rejected a request by caretakers to foster visibly pregnant cats in order to allow the kittens to be born, weaned, adopted, and then have the mother spayed. California is the only state that bans “voluntary” blood donations, relying instead on businesses that “house hundreds of dogs, mostly greyhounds, for the sole purpose of draining their blood.” A bill making its way through the legislature would put an end to the abuse.The Texas House of Representatives passed legislation banning the sale of commercially-bred puppies and kittens in pet stores. If it passes the Senate, Texas will become the fifth state to do so.Meanwhile, New York is also vying to become the fifth state to ban the sale of commercially-bred dogs and cats (and rabbits) in pet stores. It’s bill passed the Senate and is now being heard in the Assembly.At the federal level, Sen. Richard Durbin has (once again) introduced S. 1385, the Puppy Protection Act. The bill is designed to regulate puppy mills “where caged dogs, one on top of the other, are often deprived of socialization, fresh air, and good hygiene.”If New York Senate Bill 4248 becomes law, animals will no longer be considered property for purposes of custody in divorce cases. Instead, the court will consider “the best interest of the animal.”Currently, many states, like California, make it a crime to leave the scene if someone accidentally hits a dog or cat with their car without calling the police or the “owner” (if known). But New Hampshire requires that only if the injured victim is a dog. That may change as lawmakers are considering a bill to also include cats. The hope is that more injured cats would get medical attention and families of dead cats would get “closure.” The No Kill Advocacy Center asked Colorado’s Governor to veto a bill, introduced at the behest of some of the most regressive pounds in the state, that promotes pound killing based on an animal’s “mental and emotional” state.Fewer shelters are posting their statistics online. In order to fulfill oversight responsibilities, animal lovers, advocates, and taxpayers need to introduce and pass legislation requiring data transparency to determine how local pounds are performing.The Amarillo, TX, pound is once again in the news for its mishandling of a dog who was given — or allowed to keep, the name “Covid” — hampering his adoption prospects.A federal lawsuit contends that California law prohibiting veterinarian telehealth appointments violates the First Amendment. If the lawsuit is successful, millions of animals will benefit, including those in pounds.In another lawsuit, a federal judge ruled that the CDC does not have the legal authority to issue a nationwide eviction moratorium in response to the pandemic and vacated that moratorium, putting millions of dogs and cats at risk of losing their homes. 

And finally, this week was the anniversary of the signing of The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act (2007), which made organizing a dog fight a federal felony. It was sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators, led by California Senator Diane Feinstein, and signed into law by President George W. Bush. It had little opposition. It passed the House by an overwhelming margin and the Senate unanimously. Who could possibly defend the sadistic abuse of dogs? Tragically, an increasing number of academics do.

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