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| Julie McKuras |
| Sen. Scott Dibble addresses attendees at Minnesota Humane Lobby Day. |
On the first-ever national Humane Lobby Day, animal activists from across the country gathered in 20 state capitols and had an opportunity to discuss animal issues with their elected officials. What they all learned was that one voice truly can truly make a difference.
The Central States region had a great turnout, with more than 250 volunteers showing up to lobby state capitols in Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.
HSUS Indiana State Director Anne Sterling had 75 to 80 volunteers descend on the capitol in Indianapolis. The volunteers made good use of their time by educating lawmakers on the issues. They laid the groundwork for future legislation dealing with canned hunts, dogfighting and the live coyote trade.
“It was so great to see people coming back (from meeting legislators) in the afternoon, and they were empowered and had plans to meet again with their legislators in their home districts,” Sterling said.
Minnesota had 45 volunteers. Activists heard speeches by Sen. Scott Dibble, the chief Senate author of a bill to ban mourning dove hunting; Rep. Mike Jaros, chief author of the House mourning dove hunting bill; and Sen. Don Betzold, chief author of the Dog and Cat Breeder’s Act, a bill to license and regulate puppy mills.
“While this was the first time lobbying for the vast majority of the participants, they proved to be very good at it,” reported HSUS Minnesota State Director Jill Fritz. “Many couldn’t wait to do more, and we assured them we’d put them to work in this short but very busy legislative session.”
In Michigan, 38 volunteers turned out to lobby for new legislation that would establish a ban on Class B Dealers who buy animals from shelters and newspaper ads and then resell them for laboratory experimentation. The activists also pushed for legislation that would permit consecutive sentencing for felony animal-cruelty cases, and for a measure that would give pets legal protection in domestic violence cases. Activists also advocated for a ban on dog racing in Michigan—a pre-emptive step, since there are no tracks operating in Michigan.
Michigan volunteers are also seeking additional legal protections for dogs. One measure would make it illegal to use dogs in street fights, another would require safety measures for dogs who are being transported to make sure they can’t fall out of a moving vehicle, and another would help dogs who are tied outside by requiring a minimum five-foot tether with a “swivel” on both ends to prevent tangling, which could lead to serious injury or death.
In Illinois, 20 volunteers came to the capitol in Springfield, reports HSUS State Legislative Specialist Susan Adams. They urged lawmakers to support legislation that would prevent people from transporting horses in double-decker trailers; a bill to make it a felony to be a spectator at an animal fight; and a bill to require that all fur sold in the state carry a label that says what type of animal it is and which country it came from.
Some 25 volunteers braved frigid temperatures and Wisconsin snow to lobby lawmakers to pass a bill dealing with horse slaughter. The bill, which states that no equines will be slaughtered in Wisconsin for human consumption, is a preemptive approach to make sure that the horse slaughter industry doesn’t set up shop in Wisconsin.
In Ohio, HSUS State Director Dean Vickers set up meetings with 29 lawmakers to lobby for bills that would ban cockfighting, mandate counseling for children who abuse pets, strengthen animal cruelty laws, and protect pets involved in domestic violence cases.
After getting some training in how to state their case before lawmakers, the 50 volunteers headed out into the Capitol.
“They were amazed at how receptive the representatives were, and they were excited,” Vickers said. “I’ll do this again—probably in the spring. I’ll plan it for a day when one of our bills is in session.”
