Latest news with #HumaneWorldforAnimals
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump administration sues California over egg prices and blames animal welfare laws
'It is one thing if California passes laws that affects its own State, it is another when those laws affect other States in violation of the U.S. Constitution,' U.S. Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement Thursday. 'Thankfully, President Trump is standing up against this overreach.' Advertisement Egg prices soared last year and earlier this year due in large part to bird flu, which has forced producers to destroy nearly 175 million birds since early 2022. But prices have come down sharply recently. While the Trump administration claims credit for that, seasonal factors are also important. Avian influenza, which is spread by wild birds, tends to spike during the spring and fall migrations and drop in summer. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Pointing fingers won't change the fact that it is the President's economic policies that have been destructive,' the California Department of Justice said in a statement Friday. 'We'll see him in court.' The average national price for a dozen Grade A eggs declined to $5.12 in April and $4.55 in May after reaching a record $6.23 in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the May price was still 68.5% higher than a year earlier. Advertisement 'Trump's back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything,' Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a social media post. The federal complaint alleges that California contributed to the rise in egg prices with regulations that forced farmers across the country to adopt more expensive production practices. The lawsuit also asserts that it is the federal government's legal prerogative to regulate egg production. So it seeks to permanently block enforcement of the California regulations that flowed from the two ballot measures. 'Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. 'Under President Trump's leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity.' While 2018's Proposition 12 also banned the sale of pork and veal in California from animals raised in cages that don't meet minimum size requirements, the lawsuit only focuses on the state's egg rules. Humane World for Animals, which was named the Humane Society of the United States when it spearheaded the passage of Proposition 12, says avian influenza and other factors drove up egg prices, not animal welfare laws. And it says much of the U.S. egg industry went cage-free anyway because of demand from consumers who don't want eggs from hens confined to tiny spaces. 'California has prohibited the sale of cruelly produced eggs for more than a decade — law that has been upheld by courts at every level, including the Supreme Court. Blaming 2025 egg prices on these established animal welfare standards shows that this case is about pure politics, not constitutional law,' Sara Amundson, president of the Humane World Action Fund, said in a statement. Advertisement The American Egg Board, which represents the industry, said Friday that it will monitor the progress of the lawsuit while continuing to comply with California's laws, and that it appreciates Rollins' efforts to support farmers in their fight against bird flu and to stabilize the egg supply. 'Egg farmers have been both responsive and responsible in meeting changing demand for cage-free eggs, while supporting all types of egg production, and continuing to provide options in the egg case for consumers,' the board said in a statement.
UPI
4 days ago
- Science
- UPI
Watch: Ray takes flight to escape pursuing shark in Australia
July 9 (UPI) -- An Australian man fishing off the coast of Queensland captured video of a ray leaping out of the water and appearing to briefly take flight to escape a hammerhead shark. Brody Sutton, whose video of the incident went viral on Instagram, said he was off the coast of Cape York when he started filming the shark's high-speed pursuit of the ray. He recorded the moment the ray jumped out of the water, flapping its fins like wings, to give the shark the slip. "I've seen it many times, just not that close to the boat," Sutton told Yahoo News Australia. Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist from Humane World for Animals, said the would-be prey was likely a cownose or mobula ray. "What it's doing is breaking the line of vision that the hammerhead has on it, so just by quickly exiting the water, it can break that focus that the shark has, and you can tell the predator loses it shortly after because of it," Lawrence said. Sutton confirmed the ray successfully avoided becoming a meal. "The ray escaped under my boat," he said.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- General
- USA Today
Animal shelters are overrun with pets after July 4. You don't have to adopt to help.
Independence Day fireworks will fade, but lost or abandoned cats and dogs will suffer long after the final boom. Fear of fireworks is one of the most common challenges faced by dog owners. Animals will often display visible signs of anxiety − like shaking, pacing the room or hiding − when faced with the booms and flashes. Some pets will even run away, which is why it should come as no surprise that July 5 is among the busiest days of the year for pet shelters. Americans can take preemptive steps to keep furry family members secure during the festivities. But with an estimated 45% of households owning a dog, successful canine escape artists are inevitable. That's why it's so important to foster a robust network of local pet shelters. The frontline volunteers at these facilities will care for lost or abandoned pets until they can be reunited or paired with loving homes. Sadly, we are missing the mark in that regard. Local pet shelters across the country are drowning. Headline after headline describes how pet shelters operating on shoestring budgets are being overwhelmed with animals. 'Pet surrenders soar in Chicago, pushing city shelter to the brink,' one reads. Another warns: 'South Georgia animal shelters struggle with overcrowding as euthanasia rates climb.' A Colorado headline: 'Dog surrenders are soaring at Denver Animal Shelter.' While established, national charities are well suited to tackle certain societal problems, sheltering homeless animals is a different story. It's a national crisis that is most effectively tackled by community solutions. Your dog wants us to ban fireworks. Do you agree? Take our poll. | Opinion Give to organizations that provide the most help The key is directly supporting local pet shelters, rather than sending money to national groups headquartered in New York or Washington, DC. Large animal charities like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) or Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, will produce flashy fundraising appeals and hobnob with politicians. But humble, laborious activities like caring for homeless cats and dogs all year are low on their priority lists. Neither group is affiliated with local pet shelters, despite sometimes having similar-sounding names. And while both of the large organizations feature compelling imagery of homeless cats and dogs to solicit donations, only a small fraction of fundraised dollars go to local pet shelters as financial grants. The ASPCA contributes about 2% of its more than $350 million budget. Humane World for Animals gives only 1% of its nearly $180 million budget. The best thing Americans can do to help alleviate the homeless pet crisis is to donate directly to, or volunteer at, their local shelters. Diverting a chunk of donor generosity that currently supports national groups to instead help local pet shelters would go a long way toward saving the lives of thousands of cats and dogs. A Fourth of July message from dogs: Why the loud fireworks? Can't you just wag your tails? | Opinion Companies and influencers also have a responsibility to support local shelters over large, national animal nonprofits. For example, one recent contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" competed to win $1 million for Humane World for Animals. The game show's grand prize would more effectively help homeless cats and dogs if it funded a handful of local pet shelters that are strapped for resources. Evite, an online virtual invitation platform, is another example. The website currently offers users the opportunity to donate to the ASPCA after RSVPing to events like birthday parties or weddings. The pop-up message says it would 'give more animals the food, water, and shelter they need to survive.' Evite could better help homeless cats and dogs by directing visitors to support local pet shelters. Independence Day fireworks will fade, but lost or abandoned cats and dogs will suffer long after the final boom. Generous Americans should directly support local pet shelters to help these animals because national charities are dropping the ball. In the land of "pup-portunity," no homeless animal should be left behind. Edwin Sayres was president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from 2003 to 2013. He is a senior adviser to the Center for the Environment and Welfare.
Euractiv
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
More policy flavour is needed for an EU plant-based diet strategy
Switching to a plant-based diet in Europe is a strategy increasingly called for by EU organisations such as Humane World for Animals. An action plan has been put forward, events have been held, and now, they say, it's time for talks at an EU level. 'There's a huge amount of EU money spent on promoting the consumption of various food products, but we could also be investing a lot of money into the promotion of legumes, rather than promoting meat. Why not promote beans and peas and those kinds of foods?' asks Jo Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Humane World for Animals. Humane World for Animals was one of over 130 organisations that put forward a letter calling for an EU Action plan for plant-based foods, in January this year. This emerged from the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture's acknowledgement that something has to change; the letter called for Commissioner Hansen and the European Commission to develop an 'EU Action Plan for Plant-based Foods' by 2026. Earlier this month, an action plan event was held in the European Parliament, which was opened by Christophe Hanson, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food; five MEPs participated in the talks with representation from Slovakia, Finland, Italy, Germany and Denmark. The plan calls for support to be 'accompanied by appropriate funding that boosts the production and consumption of plant-based foods, with a focus on organic and agroecological products'. New business environment Advocates say it should bring new business opportunities for farmers, cost savings, health benefits, better climate and environment support, and improve policy coherence. 'We're looking at something that would be a comprehensive food systems approach, which would look at the entire agri-food value chain, from production, processing, to retail, public procurement, to issues like consumer availability and affordability.' 'Essentially, it's to unlock the full potential of plant-based foods and to facilitate a transition to a more plant-based diet. We are really looking at the ways in which we can build a more healthy, more sustainable, more competitive and self-sufficient, resilient food system,' said Swabe. 'Many food crops are produced, but cereals, for example, are often used in animal feed – humans should be consuming those food crops and ingredients, not animals. We need to be reducing our dependency on meat and animal products,' she added. According to a research report from Leiden University and Chatham House last year, more than 80 percent of the EU's agricultural subsidies go to the production of animals or animal feed. Activists are asking if that money could be better spent on a sustainable future for farming and EU food security. Plant-based market opportunity Encouraging more plant-based foods for European consumers is not a novel idea, the Danes are already a couple of years into the Danish Action Plan for Plant-based Foods. In 2023, the Danish government vowed to support the entire value chain from farm to fork by way of grants and public funding, driving an entrepreneurship strategy and supporting health and climate forums. Danish Agriculture Minister Jacob Jensen spoke with Euractiv ahead of the incoming Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. He says the Danish presidency will steer clear of culture wars over fake meat and avoid a major confrontation on the bloc's next seven-year budget. 'I'm pragmatic (...) I would like to give the choice for farmers and consumers to produce and buy what they want,' he said. '[Farmers] will produce whatever will make a buck for them,' he said, adding that he would like to see Denmark's strategy for plant-based foods mirrored at EU level. Supporting farmers Any positive changes towards and plant-based diet are going to impact Europe's farmers, which is recognised in the action plan proposals. The industry already has its struggles, so persuading change requires science-based action, something Green MEP Cristina Guarda, a farmer herself, recognises. 'One of the issues facing farmers is the lack of a fair income. So we need to fight, particularly in Europe, in the battle against undercutting pricing,' says Guarda. 'And we need to also realise that farmers in this moment are recognising that the climate crisis is creating problems, not only because of drought or big weather crises, but because of the changes of temperature - we are changing the way we are doing agriculture in our places.' She says, 'We need to create a roadmap based on data that can give us a picture of the agriculture of the future, what we are going to need in the next 25 years in Europe for food security. I recognise that we are not working on data, on scientific analysis - and this is a big problem for farmer, because we need politicians that can provide this and not only answer to the groups applying the most pressure.' Attitude adjustment Guarda also sees the issue that asking for this type of change is being met with resilience in her home country of Italy, due to the argument that those supporting a new future in farming are being accused of abandoning the traditions and cultures of the country. 'This is a big polarisation between the two parts, and it's instrumentalised. It's used to block change and to block conversation by creating some emotional extremes. That doesn't help us to talk about this theme in a strategic way, for food security in Europe,' she explained. 'We feel that we need to make this transition work, also for farmers - we need to ask ourselves, which kind of strategy can we create politically in order to provide the credible answer to the question for farmers of what their place in this change,' she says. The traditionalists are not the only ones trying to block such conversations. 'I think the narrative that is being driven [by the meat industry] on plant-based foods is that presents these things as ultra-processed and highly processed foods. And yes, some of the products that are placed on the market are processed, whereas there are plenty of unprocessed or minimally processed products like cans of beans or chickpeas, or tofu.' Consumer actions Consumer watchdog, BEUC, an umbrella group for 45 independent consumer organisations from 32 European countries, is also in full support of an EU action plan for plant-based foods. Particularly when it comes to consumer health. 'In Europe, we don't eat enough fruit and vegetables - this is our entry point, something like one in five people in Europe eat their five vegetables a day, so that is quite shocking,' explains Irina Popescu, Food Policy Officer, BECU. 'Consumer food choices are not made in a vacuum, but they're influenced by a lot of different factors, such as marketing, advertising and price, but it could be availability, or even the physical layout of supermarkets. Looking at it from this more holistic view, we see that it's actually quite difficult for consumers today to choose a more sustainable, healthy product, which includes plant-based, so we see this plan also as a way to make sure that it becomes an easy choice for consumers,' said Popescu. She suggests that one way of improving the health of Europeans is making 'fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, all of these products that we know we should consume more of' more affordable by lowering VAT. But the news is not all that grim when it comes to a shift in attitudes, particularly now the EU has plant-based opportunities in its sights. 'I think we have a really good momentum at the moment,' she noted. [Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]
Time of India
30-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Abandoned by society, pets search for home: NGOs on mission to find them safe & loving shelters
HYDERABAD: Soy, Bean, Daisy, Subby, Phool, Peaches and Chaithra were among the furry friends up for adoption at an event organised by Humane World for Animals and Citizen for Animals at Lamakaan on Sunday. Breeds like Pomeranians, Rottweilers and Labradors, as well as indies and cats, were put up for adoption. These dogs, who were victims of animal cruelty and other health issues, d were found abandoned by these NGOs. Among them was Chaithra, an Indie dog who had been thrown from a bridge in Sangareddy district. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Six months later, with the help of the NGOs, the dog had made a full recovery. The other dogs, which were suffering from various ailments, were also rescued after being found abandoned. Along with the dogs, three cats were also up for adoption. The animals at adoption centre have been sheltered and brought back to full health by NGOs and now have the opportunity to become part of a family. 'You don't buy dogs; you adopt them. Dogs are part of the family,' said Shriti, a textile retailer who wanted to adopt the three cats. 'There is a common misconception that rescued dogs are not suitable for family life. My first dog was adopted too, and he was fine,' said Aslam Mirza, who wanted to adopt the Rottweiler. The NGOs will first conduct a screening test for prospective owners. Once they are satisfied that the pets will have a safe home, the adoption process will be finalised.
