Cruelty to Animals in Texas Claims Spurred by Animal Rights Activists

July 23, 2010 - PRLog -- An agreement between the Ohio livestock industry and activists who charge producers with animal cruelty sparked a recent blog entry by Texas Farm Bureau Public Relations Director Gene Hall. The agreement, which was recently struck between the two opposing sides, “may eventually hamstring” producers while “giving them some breathing room” for a short time. Animal rights groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were behind the campaign against traditional livestock production in Ohio, but with a different end goal, and a much wider scale, in mind.

Proper animal welfare and care is always on the minds of livestock producers and they are constantly striving to improve these standards within the industry. However, animal-rights activists will probably never be satisfied with progress made because the end goal for many of these activists is not simply ending what they view as “cruelty” to animals. Getting people to stop eating meat is their goal. Stricter regulations on animal care are simply the first step for these groups, says Hall. “They will take what they can get for now and keep working toward that goal. For them, this is a marathon, not a sprint.”

“Even without misguided ballot initiatives in Texas—where we still believe in representative government—we are not without worries. It’s possible that when HSUS has forced enough state initiatives, they can hoodwink Congress into passing a national law,” writes Hall. “That’s the beginning of the end for livestock production in the U.S. It would also signal the end for family livestock farms and many hundreds of thousand jobs.”

PETA and HSUS often use misleading statistics and emotional arguments to gather support for their cause, while reason and science is left out. Hall specifically points out the tactics of HSUS:

“HSUS has enjoyed a skillfully deployed false front, using alleged cruelty to animals in Texas and other states as a weapon. Fundraising appeals are all cute puppies and kittens, sadly neglected. But the money raised for this alleged purpose is mostly spent to raise more money, lobby against animal agriculture and fund pensions. About 1 percent of the take will fund animal shelters.”

Animal cruelty in Texas is an important topic, one that is addressed by the Texas Farm Bureau. Read the rest of Gene Hall’s entry by visiting the Texas Ag Talks blog at http://www.txfb.org/TxAgTalks.

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About Texas Farm Bureau:
The Texas Farm Bureau is committed to improving the lives of America’s farmers through advocacy, education and awareness. It is our goal to tell not only members, but the general public, about TFB's mission and commitment to providing a voice for farmers, ranchers, rural citizens and everyone interested in preserving and protecting this way of life. Learn more about the Texas Farm Bureau on the Web:

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