Laws for Paws e-Newsletter
April 2022
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
As the Missouri Legislature enters the last few weeks of the session the animals have survived the brunt of the attacks so far in what has been a very nasty legislative session - including personal attacks against animal welfare representatives. Lobbyists for animal industries and for veterinarians did not take kindly to being called out for the inhumane actions by members of their respective industries and associations.

The vice-president of the Missouri Pet Breeders Association falsely accused a humane society of shooting dogs that they had rescued from an abusive situation. The lobbyist for the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association made outrageous and slanderous comments directed at Alliance staff. Another association repeatedly lied to Senate and House Committees in an effort to advance its anti-animal agenda. 

Regrettably, even a state representative called the Alliance’s Executive Director “rude” for calling out the disreputable practices of a veterinarian. He reminded Mr. Baker that the person in question is a “professor” at the University of Missouri and he therefore should not be publicly criticized for his behavior no matter how despicable.

All of these attacks only reveal the frustration that these industry groups are encountering as they continue their endless efforts to overturn our animal welfare laws. In this session, there have been serious attempts to eliminate the disposition process for abused and neglected animals as well as an effort to prohibit counties and municipalities from outlawing abusive veterinary practices.  
  
At this juncture, we are optimistic but cautious that the animals will once again prevail against these shameful efforts to weaken our animal welfare laws. You can be assured that we will be monitoring the remaining weeks of the session very closely. Thanks to your generous support we have employed three separate lobbying firms to help us help the animals this year in Jefferson City. 
The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation is not welcome at the USDA’s annual meeting with animal welfare organizations.
In May of every year, the USDA conducts a public meeting with animal welfare groups from across the country. In the past couple of years, due to COVID, there have been webinar meetings instead where one must submit questions in advance and the USDA can accept or reject answering such questions. This year, however, the USDA has agreed to have an in-person meeting allowing for what we had hoped would be an opportunity for a free exchange of ideas, questions, suggestions, input, etc., with all interested animal welfare groups.  

With one exception, this year the Alliance will not be invited to attend as the USDA makes another attempt to silence its most vocal critic. The Alliance has continually advocated for effective enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act by the USDA whether such advocacy efforts were lobbying the USDA directly, or if necessary, initiating legal action through the courts or lobbying Congress.  

This rebuff of the Alliance by the USDA is a follow-up to the Agency’s failed attempt to block the Alliance from emailing USDA staff including communications informing the USDA inspectors that they were violating federal law by falsifying inspection reports of animal facilities. While such emails to individual inspectors eventually resulted in halting this illegal practice, the USDA did not appreciate our correspondence and requested the USDA’s Chief Security Officer to silence the Alliance. (See Alliance e-newsletter of December 2021).  

While the USDA was unable to block our emails, regrettably they have resolutely refused to respond to any inquiries submitted to the USDA by the Alliance, not just emails sent to groups but even emails directed solely to a particular individual or office at the USDA.   

Fortunately, our legal efforts in the courts have successfully halted the USDA’s illegal “self-reporting” rule and our lobbying efforts with Congress have halted the USDA’s illegal “teachable moments” rule and thus provided much-needed transparency of animal welfare industries such as puppy mills and animals used in research. (See Special Report)  
While the USDA’s head of enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act, Dr. Betty Goldentyer, attempts to silence and obstruct the work of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, fortunately, Congress and the federal courts are listening to the Alliance and are responding to our concerns by mandating that the USDA enforce laws protecting animals. 

Ironically, while the USDA found the Alliance an unsuitable participant for a USDA meeting, the Agency recently invited a professor of veterinary medicine to speak at the USDA’s Canine Care Conference who instructed the commercial dog breeders on how to perform cruel methods of artificial insemination. The USDA at this same conference invited a tax accountant who advised breeders to ignore notices from the IRS, to be sure and write off their dead puppies, as well as deduct expenses for their personal manicures. Yet, the USDA disinvites the Alliance to a meeting ostensibly to avoid uncomfortable questions about the USDA’s past failures to effectively enforce the Animal Welfare Act. 
SPRING AND SUMMER EVENTS
Here at the Alliance we are so ready for the warm weather! At the Earth Day festival this past weekend we were very successful in obtaining new sign ups for our action alerts and educating festival goers about the work of the Alliance. We are looking forward to many more events in the coming months. See all of our upcoming events here.

Our next event will be Bark in the Park on May 21st. If you would like to volunteer you can sign up for a shift here. We hope to see you there!
Some of our terrific volunteers at Earth Day.
Congrats to Cici, our 2022 Face of the Alliance!
Remember the Alliance in Your Estate Planning
Leaving money to the Alliance through your will or trust is a profound way to create a legacy of compassion and ensure positive change for animals. An even easier way is to name the Alliance as the beneficiary of an IRA or other retirement plan. In any event, we are grateful to be considered as a beneficiary of your overall estate plans. Want to learn more? Email us!
HELPING ANIMALS!

If you find yourself in a situation where you question the treatment of an animal, or the conditions, or maybe you're wondering about helping wildlife or assisting in a rescue, or you have witnessed something that needs to be reported - go to our website because chances are you will find a number and/or a link that can help address it.
A Great Way to Support the Alliance
With so many people shopping online these days, you can now support the Alliance each time you make a purchase on Amazon. Click here or on the icon. Once you've identified "Missouri Alliance for Animals" as your charitable organization of choice, a portion of your purchase will be donated by Amazon to the Alliance each time you shop on Amazon! What a great way to contribute!