VA SB 1026 and HB 1541 Would Legalize Total Cruelty to Farm Animals. Don’t Let This Happen! The Gov. has not yet acted. Call, email, fax
Gov. McDonnell today!
Contact Governor McDonnell ASAP through his website at:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm.
Phone: (804) 786-2211. Fax: (804) 371-6351
Quick Background
: Two bills were quietly pushed through the Virginia General Assembly and sent to Gov. Robert McDonnell for his signature. If enacted, the proposed
legislation will effectively relieve farm animal owners (farmers and corporations) of all humane care obligations. It will be legal for owners to
deprive their animals of food and water right up the point of “emaciation” and “dehydration.” Farm animal owners will be exempt
from providing shelter for their animals in bad weather (“an act of God”) and will be legally permitted to hurt and neglect farm animals so
long as the abuse is a “customary” farming practice. A Senate amendment that would have allowed for prosecution of a person for
“depriving an agricultural animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment” was REJECTED!
At this writing, SB 1026 and HB 1541 are sitting on Gov. McDonnell’s desk for his signature. HELP STOP THAT SIGNATURE! Urge Gov. to VETO SB 1026
& HB 1541.
Note
: On February 6, 2011, Virginia resident Marianne Roberts published a letter in The Daily Progress, “Bill weakens animal cruelty
law,” and on February 7 The Daily Progress published an editorial, “Bill starves protections for animals.” These can be read
at
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/07/bill-starves-protections-animals-ar-824684/
and
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2011/feb/06/bill-weakens-animal-cruelty-law-ar-824697.
On February 24, 2011, UPC president Karen Davis published a letter in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “New Bills Will Endanger Farm
Animals”:
http://www.upc-online.org/whatsnew/110224bills_endanger.html
