October 31, 2006

Animal Welfare Group Urges Voters in California’s 17th District to Re-Elect Farr to Congress on November 7th

WASHINGTON — Citing him as a leader on animal welfare policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced today that it has endorsed U.S. Representative Sam Farr in California’s 17th Congressional District race.

“In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Representative Sam Farr,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Voters in California’s 17th District who care about animal welfare should support his re-election.”

During his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Sam Farr has been one of the most dedicated supporters of animal protection.  As a primary sponsor of the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS), H.R. 2669, Farr has worked to provide protections for dogs sold by large, commercial breeders to the public and to crack down on abusive “puppy mills” that treat the dogs like they are production machines. He has also introduced the Sportsmanship in Hunting Act, H.R. 1688, to halt the interstate traffic of exotic animals for the purpose of shooting them for trophies at drive-thru “canned hunts.” 

Representative Farr has been a strong advocate on a number of other animal protection issues and has consistently scored high marks on the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s Humane Scorecard. Some of the animal welfare issues supported by Representative Farr include:

• Animal Fighting: He co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act to strengthen the penalties for illegal dogfighting and cockfighting, making it a felony to transport animals across state lines for these gruesome and barbaric fights.
• Horse Slaughter: He voted consistently to end the slaughter of tens of thousands of thoroughbreds, family ponies, and other horses for food exports to France, Belgium, and other countries. He also co-sponsored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.
• Pets in Disasters: He co-sponsored the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, to require emergency planning for pets and service animals, keeping people and pets together during disasters.
• Downer Livestock: He co-sponsored the Downed Animal Protection Act, to stop the sale of sick and injured farm animals who are dragged to slaughter with ropes, chains, bulldozers, and forklifts. These “downers” pose a greater risk of “mad cow disease” and other threats to our food supply.
• Primate Protection:  He co-sponsored the Captive Primate Safety Act which seeks to prohibit the interstate commerce in dangerous apes and monkeys for the pet trade. Some 15,000 primates are in private hands, and recent high-profile attacks, as well as disease threats, underscore the need for this legislation.
• Bear Baiting: He voted to end the unsporting and dangerous trophy shooting of bears over piles of grease and jelly doughnuts on federal lands, a practice that is prohibited during California’s bear hunting season.
• Yellowstone Bison: He voted to stop the killing of American bison in Yellowstone National Park.
• Enforcement of Animal Welfare Laws: He has consistently supported efforts to increase funding to improve enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal animal fighting law.

HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue. A complete list of HSLF’s endorsements is available online at www.humanevoting.org.

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Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Contributions or gifts to HSLF are not tax deductible. Your donation may be used for lobbying to pass laws to protect animals, as well as for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing candidates. HSLF does not accept contributions from business corporations or labor organizations. On the web at www.fund.org.