[FEL-L] Fw: Congressional Hearing on Animal Welfare

[Jill Booth]

ok to crosspost. If it does not forward (groups) let me know and I'll send it to you privately.

Jill


-----Original Message-----
From: LSFC2 at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 1:33 PM
To: LSFC2 at aol.com
Subject: Congressional Hearing on Animal Welfare

 
 
To Michigan Dog Clubs &  Members 
The U.S. House of Representatives conducted a review on May 8, 2007 on the 
subject of Welfare  of Animals in Agriculture. 
Below is the testimony of the Honorable Charles W. Stenholm of  Texas.  He 
clearly identified the problems  created by the Animal Rights proponents 
concerning animals in Agriculture.  His remarks apply equally to our dogs  and cats. 
Please read his testimony in its entirety.  It will help you understand what 
the  future holds for our relationship with domestic animals.  Providing the 
humane needs of animals  that have played such a major role in our society 
throughout history has been  the goal of modern animal husbandry.  Both animals 
and man have benefited from the mutual welfare benefits from  their 
relationships.   
The best answer to animal welfare questions will come from those that  work 
with the animals who provide us with food, clothing, entertainment, and  
service.  It will not come from the  animal rights proponents whose main interest is 
promoting emotional, feel-good  solutions that invite unearned monetary 
contributions used to promote their  political agenda. Destroying the human-animal 
bond will NOT be in the best interest of either  men or animals. 
Your comments are welcome. 
Al W. Stinson, DVM.,  MS 
Professor Emeritus,  College of Veterinary  Medicine 
Michigan  State  University 
Director of Legislative Affairs 
Michigan  Association for Pure Bred Dogs 
Michigan  Hunting Dog Federation 
Phone:  517-655-5363.  E-mail:  _LSFC2 at aol.com_ (mailto:LSFC2 at aol.com)  



Congressman Charles W.  Stenholm 
Ericksdahl, Texas 
Chairman Boswell, Ranking Member Hayes, and Members of the Committee, I  
appreciate the opportunity to testify here today on behalf of all animal  
agriculture.  There is an old saying  that there are two things you should not see 
being made: laws and sausages.  This Committee has the job of making  laws about 
sausages – laws that help animal agriculture in protecting animal  welfare. 
If you eat or wear clothes, you are affected by agriculture.  The industry 
remains an important part  of the United  States economy, and according to the 
U.S.  Department of Agriculture (USDA), animal products account for the 
majority (51  percent) of the value of  U.S.  agricultural products, exceeding $100 
billion per year.  As a farmer and rancher, I believe in  the significance of 
the agriculture industry and in the value animal agriculture  producers put on 
the safety and welfare of their livestock. 
The Kentucky Derby was this past weekend, and I’m sure many of you  watched 
it.  With over 130 years of  racing history at Churchill Downs, it is clear 
that the owners, trainers, and  riders of the Derby care about the  welfare of 
their animals.  I’m sure  many of you went to zoos as a child or will bring your 
children and  grandchildren to one this summer.  In fact, more people attend 
zoos every year than all sporting events  combined, and the caregivers at zoos 
nationwide care about the welfare of their  animals.  Many of you probably  
remember the first time you saw the circus and may attend when it comes  here.  
The Ringling Brothers and  Barnum & Bailey  Center for Elephant Conservation 
has  one of the most successful breeding programs for endangered Asian 
elephants  outside of Southeast Asia.  They care about the welfare of their  animals. 
 Just like these groups of  animal owners, production agriculture has not 
been given the credit it is due by  animal “rights” activists, and we, too, care 
about the welfare of our  animals.  There is one thing that  everyone agrees 
on: all animals should be treated humanely from birth to  death. 
Background 
You will hear testimony today from several livestock  producer associations, 
and they all care about the same thing: ensuring the  health and well-being of 
their animals is their number one priority.  The livestock industry has 
worked hard  both from a legislative standpoint and through industry guidelines to 
improve  animal welfare conditions.  Animal  agriculture constantly works to 
accept new technologies and science and apply  them to the industry, investing 
millions of dollars every year to ensure the  wellness of their livestock.  
Producers recognize the need to maintain animal welfare regulations for  the 
safety and nutrition of their livestock, for the conservation of the  
environment, and for the profitability of their operations.  But those regulations should 
be based  on sound science from veterinary professionals that best understand 
animals,  working together with legitimate animal use industries. 
Many of the livestock groups have quality assurance  programs in place.  For 
example, the  New Jersey Legislature and Department of Agriculture 
commissioned  Rutgers in 2003 to perform a study on veal calf  production, and experts at 
the land grant university concluded that the Veal  Quality Assurance program 
and the principles behind it were scientifically  sound.  The poultry industry 
also  continues to work on a united front to maintain a high level of 
oversight on  animal welfare issues that ensures all employees practice the industry  
guidelines that were adopted.  The  animal agriculture industry continues to 
strive to improve animal health and  welfare through scientific research,  
educational outreach, advocacy, legislation, and regulations.   
Society of Untruths 
While the livestock industry has a long history of supporting animal  
welfare, many activist groups such as PETA, the Humane Society of the United  States 
(HSUS), and Farm Sanctuary have used falsehoods and scare tactics to push  
their hidden agendas of fundraising and systematically abolishing all use of  
animals, including production agriculture, zoos, circuses, and sporting  events.  
These groups campaign for  animal “rights,” which is not synonymous with 
animal welfare, using half-truths  or complete deception.  For example,  
according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Farm Sanctuary  
charged veal farmers in New Jersey  of malnutrition practices because of the 
absence of fiber in their calves’  diets.  However, a coalition of  dairy farmers, 
animal nutrition specialists, and dairy extension specialists at  Rutgers  
University testified that it is  typical to not give calves fiber because it is 
not healthy for a calf’s  developing digestive system.  
These groups also fail to mention the millions of  dollars in fundraising and 
assets that drive their misguided goals.  HSUS has accumulated $113 million 
in  assets; has a budget three times the size of PETA’s; and according to the  
ActivistCash website, has more than enough funding to finance animal shelters 
in  all fifty states, yet only operates one animal sanctuary, Black Beauty 
Ranch in  Texas, which is at full capacity.  According to the Wall Street 
Journal, two offshoots of HSUS  spent $3.4 million on Congressional elections and 
ballot initiatives, which is  more than Exxon Mobil Corp.  And  there is an 
ongoing investigation by the  Louisiana attorney general to  determine if the $30 
million in HSUS fundraising during the Hurricane Katrina  crisis has been 
handled appropriately. 
These activist groups use the platform of animal  “rights” to advocate for 
regulations so strict that they will put animal  agriculture out of business 
(which is their real goal).  A video recently circulated to Members  of Congress 
and a video produced by HSUS make numerous false claims against the  
livestock industry.  For example,  the videos suggest that horses are inhumanely 
transported on double-decker  trailers.  However, a law exists  that has banned the 
use of double-decker trailers for transporting horses on  their way to 
slaughter, and if a horse does arrive on one of these trailers, the  processing 
facilities will not accept it.  In addition, numerous truck drivers invested in 
new trailers that comply  with the law, and animal agriculture stepped up once 
again to improve animal  welfare conditions. 
Another example of the misleading rhetoric by animal “rights” activists  
involves the process of “captive bolt” euthanasia.  The previously mentioned 
videos claim that captive bolt is not humane.  However, the 2000 report of the 
AVMA’s Panel on Euthanasia specifically approves the use of  captive bolt as a 
humane technique of euthanasia for horses.  It is also an approved method of  
euthanasia for pork, cattle, and lamb.  The captive bolt method meets specific 
humane requirements set forth by  AVMA's Panel on Euthanasia, USDA and the 
HSUS Statement on Euthanasia because it  results in instantaneous brain death, 
and it is generally agreed to be the  most humane method of euthanasia for 
livestock. 
Watching the end of life for any living creature is not a  pleasant 
experience, even when performed in the most humane manner.  However, these groups 
continue to use  human emotion and sensationalism to pry on the public’s 
sensitivity in order to  reach their goal of abolishing animal agriculture. 
Protect America’s  Farmers and Ranchers 
Unfortunately, we all know mistakes happen and laws are broken.  I will not 
try to convince you  otherwise.  But when these  unfortunate incidents occur, 
appropriate actions should be taken.  We should not get in the habit of  
creating arbitrary, uninformed, and emotionally based regulations on an  industry who
’s livelihood depends on the health and well-being of its  animals.  We 
should not tie the  hands of researchers and investors that continually seek 
improvements in animal  welfare practices, and we should not tie the hands of 
producers who work night  and day to ensure the quality of life of their livestock 
so they can provide  this country and others with the most abundant, safest, 
and most affordable food  supply in the world. 
Professional experts such as the AVMA, AAEP, and USDA continue to have  their 
expertise questioned by animal “rights” activists who line their own  
pockets with donations secured by exploiting and distorting the issues.  These 
groups throw sensationalistic and  often staged photos in the faces of those who do 
not understand it and ask them  to give money to save the animals.  But what 
they do not do is  use their millions of dollars in fundraising to build 
animal shelters, provide  research for new technologies and procedures or provide 
truthful  information to consumers about the animal agriculture industry. 
Emotions run  high, and with continued antics by activist groups the ultimate 
outcome will be  devastating.  If animal “rights”  activist groups continue to be 
successful like we have seen in recent months  with the closing of U.S. horse 
processing facilities, abandonment of animals  will increase, animal welfare 
will decline, honest and legal businesses will  close, America’s trade balance 
will worsen, jobs will disappear, family heritage  and livelihood will be 
stolen, and the best interest in the welfare of animals  will be lost. 
As the Agriculture Committee, it is your job to keep  science and best 
management practices at the forefront of your decisions when  developing 
legislation.  Emotional,  feel good policy is not reasonable for the agriculture 
industry.  As a Committee, you are tasked with  providing the type of environment for 
your agriculture constituents that allows  them to have a manageable, 
profitable, and healthy livestock industry. 



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