Let's Be Smart Animal Lovers About Who We Vote In and Support The HSUS Efforts To Help.....

Can I tell you a quick story? If you’re from Iowa, you probably already know it. It goes something like this. An out-of-touch politician in Des Moines opposed nearly every common-sense animal welfare policy presented to her. She voted to allow puppy mills to operate with impunity—and wouldn’t even agree to hold them responsible for the costs to care for their dogs when the dogs had to be seized by law enforcement. She voted to authorize the target shooting of mourning doves, songbirds who’d been protected for 100 years in Iowa. She voted for the “ag-gag” bill to silence and jail whistleblowers and journalists who expose cruelty on corporate factory farms. According to the latest polls, this candidate, Joni Ernst, is in a neck-and-neck race with Bruce Braley, a strong supporter of animal protection. Braley’s record on animal welfare couldn’t be more different than Ernst’s: He worked in Congress to crack down on puppy mills. He stood up for chimps and horses and helped pass a law to make it a crime to attend a dogfight or cockfight. He supports strong enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. And he doesn’t side with those who are abusing animals. This race is close and it could go either way. In little more than two weeks voters will send a Senator to office who either sides with puppy mills or one who works hard to protect dogs and other animals from abuse. If we're going to help elect humane candidates to office around the country we have to act now.

As you know, the Humane Society Legislative Fund is the leading political advocacy organization for animals. We endorse and support candidates not based on political party, but based on their records and positions on animal issues. And right now we’re working around the clock to help humane leaders win on Election Day so they’ll defend animals once in office.  The industries that want to shoot polar bears for trophies, slaughter horses for human consumption, and deregulate puppy mills are pouring money into elections to support their favored candidates. In fact, the so-called “Protect the Harvest PAC” just released a TV ad attacking Bruce Braley in Iowa—this super PAC is run by oil multimillionaire Forrest Lucas. Lucas and his group have an awful record of fighting againstlegislation to crack down on puppy mills, establish felony penalties for malicious cruelty, provide shelter to dogs, and other common-sense reforms.  We’re running TV and radio ads, sending mailings, and going door-to-door in states all over the country to tell voters which candidates will protect animals. Those candidates are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who have a proven record of standing up for kindness and compassion to animals, and cracking down on cruelty and abuse. The Iowa race isn’t the only nail-biter where animal welfare is on the line. There are hundreds all across the country. In Michigan, Mark Schauer is in a close race against Rick Snyder—the incumbent governor who signed legislation to allow the trophy hunting of the state’s small population of wolves and signed a second bill to stop the voters from having any say on the issue. Mark Schauer supports animal protection and will defend the right of the people to have a say on wildlife issues. But if Snyder wins, the animals will lose, and the special interests will continue to have a stranglehold on wildlife policy.