The Cavalry Group, an organization whose mission it is to "protect and defend animal enterprise" has made it their priority to pass the Working Animal Protection Act in as many states as they can. Ironically, this bill would do nothing to protect "working animals" (which is defined so broadly it would actually encompass every animal), and would do much to harm them.
While the bills vary across states in their exact language, they share the common theme of taking away the ability of municipalities/counties to ban inhumane animal activities and events regardless of the potential cruelty to be inflicted upon the animals. Earlier in session our Executive Director testified against the working animal bill in Missouri, and provided this real life story:
A rodeo promoter who wanted to have a horse tripping event came to Missouri. The promoter could not come to several other neighboring states because they had banned this cruel event which involves lassoing the feet of horses who are running at full speed, and bringing them crashing to the ground, often causing injury and sometimes even leading to death. Because the local government became aware that this cruel event was coming to their town they set out immediately to prohibit it. Before they were even able to officially prohibit the event the promoter pulled out due to the resistance. However, if these working animal bills had been law at that time, the town would not have been allowed to prohibit the event.
The Alliance has successfully fought these working animal bills for approximately 8 years now, and was successful again this year. Tragically, working animal bills were passed in Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Arkansas version of the bill goes so far that in the plain text language of the bill it would legalize dog fighting. We will continue to work hard to defeat this terrible legislation every session it is proposed.