As voters prepare for November 2008, volunteer campaigners in several states are working hard to place measures on the ballots in their states to give voters a chance to significantly improve the lives of animals. It's a form of citizen action that has proven highly successful, from Arizona to Massachusetts, Washington to Michigan.
Volunteers in California have successfully collected signatures to prevent cruelty to animals in industrial factory farms, and help protect food safety and California's environment. Campaigners in Massachusetts are in the final stages of the signature gathering campaign to place a measure on the ballot in hopes of protecting dogs from unnecessary suffering. Alaskans will have the opportunity in August 2008 to prevent the aerial killing of wolves. And North Dakotans are collecting signatures for the November ballot to prohibit trophy shooting at captive hunting ranches.
Animal advocates hope voters will continue to side with the animals and with direct democracy at the ballot box next year.
Alaska: Ban Aerial Killing of Wolves
In Alaska, the legislature continues to overturn the will of the voters to ban the aerial killing of wolves despite several successful ballot measures prohibiting this practice. Aerial hunting involves shooting wolves from the air or chasing them down to the point of exhaustion and landing to shoot them point blank. In August 2008, Alaskans will have the opportunity to vote on this initiative for a third time to prevent this excessive “wolf control” using aircraft.
California: Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act
The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act has been certified for the November 2008 general election ballot. This measure would provide basic protections requiring that animals confined in industrial farms have enough room to freely turn around and extend their limbs.
Many animals on industrial farms are confined in small cages or crates, and suffer tremendously. Breeding pigs are kept in gestation crates, unable to turn around for months on end; egg-laying hens are confined in battery cages, unable to spread their wings; and young calves are kept in crates so tiny, they are hardly able to move for their entire lives. The overcrowded conditions on factory farms have also been found to pollute the air, contaminate groundwater and threaten human health. Visit Californians for Humane Farms to learn more about this initiative.
Click here to read about Jim Corriere, one Californian who worked hard to get this initiative on the ballot.
Massachusetts: Greyhound Protection Act
The Greyhound Protection Act aims to phase out commercial dog racing in the Commonwealth by 2010. Racing dogs are housed in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around, and in the past five years, more than 700 dogs have been injured on the racetrack. The Committee to Protect Dogs is leading the effort to pass the Greyhound Protection Act in Massachusetts.
Click here to read about Anne Albanese, a woman whose mission is to shut down greyhound racing in Massachusetts.
Update: Campaigners in Massachusetts need to collect 30,000 more signatures to place this initiative on the 2008 ballot. Volunteers will begin this final signature gathering campaign in mid-May. Email info@protectdogs.org to sign up to volunteer.
North Dakota: Prohibit Canned Hunting
A group called North Dakota Fair Chase is working to gather 20,000 signatures to place a measure on the 2008 ballot that will enact a law to prohibit shooting captive deer, elk and other exotic mammals behind escape proof fences.
Canned hunts involve the shooting of animals in a fenced enclosure for a fee. Canned hunt operators breed big game animals and exotic animals, hand rear the animals so they have no fear of people, and release them into a fenced enclosure to be shot and killed. "Fair chase"—a concept central to the philosophy of many in the hunting community—doesn't exist in canned hunts.
Visit www.northdakotafairchase.com to learn more about the initiative and how you can get involved.
If you live in any of these states, please make sure you are registered to vote in the 2008 elections. Your vote is a voice for the animals, so please let them be heard.
