Send Us Your Bill

How many times have you heard about a cruel or abusive practice involving animals, and wondered, "How can that be legal? Isn't there a law against that?"

Now, the Humane Society Legislative Fund has an opportunity for you to take your idea and help shape future public policy reforms for animals. HSLF has launched its first-ever "There Oughta Be a Law" contest, and we're asking animal lovers like you to submit your concept for a federal animal protection bill.

Every good law starts as an idea, and people who care about animals know first-hand the problems and challenges they face. Many lawmakers run similar contests each year and some great new laws have bubbled up through that process.

Some of the most significant animal protection laws, too, have been the result of compelling personal stories. In 1966, after America learned the fate of a female Dalmatian named Pepper who was stolen from a farm in Pennsylvania and sold to a research facility in the Bronx, Congress passed the federal Laboratory Animal Welfare Act. And in 2008, 11-year-old Haley Ham led the charge to pass "Haley's Law" in Tennessee, requiring the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze and engine coolant, after her own beloved dogs, Jessie and Sam, were killed by the sweet-tasting liquid.

As a citizen, you have the power to influence your elected officials, and you can participate by submitting your idea -- it could become the next federal bill to help animals around the country. We've already received more than 1,200 entries, demonstrating a surge of interest in lawmaking to protect animals, and I hope you'll add yours to the mix.

The winning entry will be selected by a panel of judges including legislators and lobbyists, and will be announced at our next Party Animals event on October 25th. The winner will receive an exciting two-day trip to the nation's capital that will include a meeting with me and the rest of the HSLF staff to discuss his or her proposed bill, a visit to Capitol Hill to lobby federal lawmakers and congressional staff with us, a special feature in an upcoming edition of our bimonthly newsletter "Humane Activist," and an opportunity to see the sights of Washington, D.C.

And if you haven't participated in Party Animals before, it's another great way to get involved, bringing people together on one night at the same time for a party with a purpose. Using tools provided by HSLF, party hosts create their own website, establish a fundraising goal, send invitations to friends and family, and collect donations through a secure online server. It's fun and easy and it brings people together to stand up for animals. To join the fun, let us know if you're interested in hosting a Party Animals house party.

The core principle of democracy is a belief in the wisdom of the people. I can't wait to see the ideas that your wisdom will bring, and I look forward to the new animal protection policies that will be generated by animal advocates around the country. The contest ends at midnight on October 5th -- submit your idea today!

Follow Michael Markarian on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mmarkarian

Comments

[JeanRR]

I think the best way to protect animals would be to outlaw HSUS and PETA. HSUS soaks up money for its self-publicity that could and should be used for local shelters. And PETA kills 85% of all the animals that it gets its hands on.

[RMankovitz]

Here are a few of my issues regarding cruel and abusive animal practices related to food choices.

Even if you buy only organic eggs, what happens to the roosters? How do they eventually die? Is it ethical to force-separate them from hens? Also, what happens to the hens when they can no longer produce eggs (after about one year)? How do they eventually die?

Even if you buy only organic dairy, how do you feel about keeping cows artificially inseminated for years so they will continue to produce milk? How about keeping them hooked up to machines for hours every day? Is that ethical? What happens to the cows after they can no longer produce milk? How do they eventually die?

Even if you buy only organic annual monocrops such as grains and beans: from my candid discussions with commercial farm operators, an off-hand estimate is that tens of millions of ground-living animals are brutally killed each year as a result of being mangled and smashed by cultivators, tillers, and harvester machines used to mass produce these foods. Compare that with the crushing of chicks.

Personally, I am a grassitarian because I believe it is the most ethical, sustainable, and healthiest diet on the planet. A description of this diet (an experiment based on nature), along with supporting references, can be found in "The Wellness Project", or "The Original Diet - The Omnivore's Solution".

Roy Mankovitz, Director
http://www.MontecitoWellness.com

[EmanuelWazar]

With all due respect this seems a silly concept.

First of all, there already are laws governing the treatment of animals. How much more "protected" would these organizations want animals to be? To the point where I cannot even eat meat?

That is unreasonable.

But at a more general level,... this idea that laws are such trivial things, that we enact laws with so fanciful a need, that we should just imagine up laws out of thin air,... I dont feel that is a healthy attitude for a society to have.

Laws need to come from deep felt needs of a community. Laws should seek to statisfy in borad terms the demands a society makes. They should not be some cute pet toys conjured up by a few for a few.