October 31, 2006

Animal Welfare Group Urges 3rd District Voters to Re-Elect Jones on November 7th

WASHINGTON — Citing him as a leader on animal protection policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) announced that it has endorsed U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones in North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District race.

“In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Representative Walter Jones,” said Richard Patch, political director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Voters in North Carolina’s 3rd District who care about animal welfare should support his re-election.”

Representative Jones has scored high marks on the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s Humane Scorecard, and has been a consistent supporter of animal welfare issues, including the following:

• 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 cast his vote five times to end the slaughter of tens of thousands of American horses for food exports to France, Belgium, and other countries. And he co-sponsored the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.
• Pets in Disasters: He supported the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act to require emergency planning for pets and service animals, keeping people and pets together during disasters.
• Cape Lookout Horses: He sponsored successful legislation to protect wild horses on National Park Service land on the Outer Banks. He has continued to improve protections for these magnificent animals through the legislative process.
• Bear Baiting: He voted to stop the trophy shooting of bears over piles of grease and jelly doughnuts on federal lands, an unsporting and dangerous practice that is prohibited during North Carolina’s bear hunting season.
• Big Cats: He supported legislation that ended the interstate commerce in lions, tigers, and other big cats for the exotic pet trade.

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.com.

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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.