Bernie’s impressive animal welfare record deserves attention, may sway voters
I love Bernie Sanders more today than I did a few days ago.
That’s when I began researching his record on animal welfare, and what I found impressed me.
It turns out Bernie is not only a man of the people. He’s a man of dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, etc. The Bern Man is a regular Doctor Doolittle who’s done a lot for our non-homosapien friends.
Where the presidential candidates stand on animal welfare has received little attention from the media, and this oversight is understandable given other pressing issues: income inequality, campaign finance reform, and overturning Citizens United, to name a few.
Bernie has received 100 percent ratings from the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), which works to pass animal protection laws and supports candidates who do, and the Defenders of Wildlife, which seeks to protect wildlife in their natural habitats.
(Incidentally, Hillary Clinton earned a HSLF score of 83. The score is partly due to her abstaining from voting on Senate Bill 714, which would have prohibited for research the use of dogs and cats randomly obtained via “theft … and fraudulent response to ‘free to good home ads’.”)
Bernie’s strong animal advocacy record is something the Sanders’ campaign needs to publicize because many Americans love their pets, consider them family members, and would gladly vote for a presidential candidate who feels the same.
And Bernie has a record of co-sponsoring animal-friendly legislation covering cruelty, breeding and captivity practices, livestock issues, and wildlife protection.
Bernie was one of 41 co-sponsors of the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2013, which would make it illegal for anyone to “knowingly attend an animal fighting venture” or to “knowingly cause a minor to attend,” according to the bill’s language.
This bill was signed into law in February 2014, according to the Tree House Humane Society, a Chicago-based animal welfare organization.
I’m pretty sure most people would agree that dog fighting is a reprehensible activity that has no place in a civilized society. Dogs that under-perform in such fights are often hung or drown. If these dogs survive, they are often left maimed and/or with aggressive personalities that make it nearly impossible to get them adopted.
But Bernie’s legislative record goes beyond helping man’s best friend. Bernie also co-sponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, which would make it illegal for trainers of Tennessee Walking Horses and similar breeds to use barbaric practices in order to get horses to lift their front legs unnaturally high.
The high gait is viewed as an attractive trait in equestrian competitions.
The Humane Society of the United States explains on its website the horrific process of soring: “Caustic chemicals — blistering agents like mustard oil, diesel fuel and kerosene — are applied to the horse’s limbs, causing extreme pain and suffering.”
Additionally, in 2008 Bernie voted against the weakening of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and voted in favor of two amendments to strengthen it.
Bernie also supported:
Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act: sought to end the breeding and possession by individuals of big cats. Only accredited zoos and wildlife sanctuaries could have them in their possession.
Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act: sought to ensure that breeders and pet store owners provide dogs with appropriate living spaces and regular vet care. The PUPS Act sought to close loopholes that allow domestic puppy mills to continue operating in the United States.
Captive Primate Safety Act: Passed in 2014, this bill made it illegal to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce.
These legislative endeavors highlight what I like most about Bernie and what he himself once said when asked for one word that would characterize his presidency: compassion.
Bernie’s solid record on animal welfare issues could make the difference in winning over voters who in 2013 spent $55.7 billion on their pets, according to the American Pet Products Association.
That figure proves that Americans care about their furry family members — and animals in general — and will go to great lengths to provide them with a good life.
So it’s high time Team Sanders started touting their guy’s pet-friendly record. It just may convince voters, both the undecided and those for another candidate, to take a second look at Bernie.
