August 12, 2008

Please Contact Your Legislators This Month
to Enlist Their Support for Animal Welfare Bills!

Dear Humanitarian:

Summer in Washington, D.C. means two things: the temperature is soaring, and the U.S. Congress is out of town.  However, before Members of Congress departed, a number of important bills were introduced, and we need your help to build support for them.

Because Members of Congress are in their home districts until after Labor Day, this is the perfect time for you to lobby them directly on behalf of the animals!  Visiting with your Senators and Representative as a constituent in their home offices can have a significant impact.  If you are able, please call their local headquarters today to set up a time to meet in person, asking them to support the following important pieces of animal protective legislation.  Additional materials on each bill can be downloaded from www.awionline.org.

Horse Slaughter

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:  The Conyers/Burton “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008” (H.R. 6598) – Just prior to the July recess H.R. 6598 was introduced by House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN).  The bill addresses the cruelty of horse slaughter by criminalizing the practice.  Although H.R. 6598 is new, the concept of criminalizing horse slaughter is not, with the legislation echoing an earlier bill that also included similar penalty and enforcement language.  For more information, click here.

What you can do:  Ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 6598 and any legislative measure designed to end the slaughter of American horses for slaughter.

Note:  H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, is still pending in the House of Representatives and has AWI’s support.  However, H.R. 6598 has taken precedence given its increased opportunity to move through the legislative process.

IN THE SENATE:  The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 311) – Is a bill sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).  Like its House counterpart (H.R. 503) and the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598), this bill would end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption abroad.

What you can do:  Inform your Senators about the cruelty of horse slaughter and ask them to cosponsor S. 311 and any legislative measure designed to end the slaughter of American horses for slaughter.  

Shark Finning

The Shark Conservation Act of 2008 (H.R. 5741/S. 3231) - The measure would strengthen enforcement of an existing federal prohibition on removing the fins of a shark and discarding the carcass, which was first established in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000. For more information, click here.

What You Can Do:  Ask your Representative and Senators to cosponsor H.R. 5741 and S. 3231 respectively.

Tracking Animal Cruelty

The Animal Cruelty Statistics Act of 2008 (H.R. 6597/S. 2439) – A bill requiring the U.S. Attorney General and federal law enforcement to track and maintain data on animal cruelty in order to facilitate analysis and prevention of such crimes.  For more information, click here.

What You Can Do:  Ask your Representative and Senators to cosponsor H.R. 6597 and S. 2439 respectively.

To find the names of your Representative and Senators and their district contact information, please visit www.compassionindex.org/search.htm or call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and request to be connected to their offices. If you need further information, please contact the Animal Welfare Institute at (703) 836-4300.

If you are unable to visit with your legislators during the month of August a call, letter or email is helpful so they realize you care and want their support on these important issues.  If your Representative or Senators currently cosponsor any of these bills, send him or her a note of thanks and ask for help in moving the legislation along Congress reconvenes in September.  To take action on any of these bills online through AWI’s Compassion Index, you can visit www.compassionindex.org.

Please share our “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their Members of Congress, too.  As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

For over 57 years, AWI has been the leading voice for animals across the country and on Capitol Hill. Please join us in our ongoing campaigns to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. Sign up for AWI eAlerts to receive the latest news on what you can do to help us protect all animals: http://www.awionline.org/joinus.