The Semiotics of a Deer Beheading in Houston

I read today that a tame deer was beheaded at the Bear Creek Pioneer Park “wildlife sanctuary” in Houston.  Having spent some time in Houston, it surprised me to learn of the existence of a wildlife sanctuary there.  So I looked it up.  Wikipedia describes Bear Creek Pioneers Park thus (the park itself has no [...]

Turkey Pardons

Much has been said about the ritual of Thanksgiving and its accompanying slaughter of hundreds of millions of defenseless birds, most of who lived short lives of unrelenting and abject misery.  I have little to add to what’s already out there except my own indignation and sorrow. But I do have something to say about [...]

Yet Another Reason to Never Vote For Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin implemented a program to encourage the hunting of wolves in order to eliminate the natural predators of moose and caribou. Why? So that Alaskan hunters could have more moose and caribou to kill. She also asked Bush to exclude polar bears from the endangered species list. Watch this recent video of Palin’s interview while turkeys [...]

Thanksgiving Turkey

Every year close to 300 million turkeys are raised for slaughter in the United States. Over 45 million are eaten on Thanksgiving. Nearly all of them spend their entire lives with little or no room to spread their wings. Most of them are bred to gain incredible amounts of weight which often leads to heart attacks [...]

Advocacy, Rights, & More Dilution of Language

I want to say a brief word about animal rights.  Or rather I want to say a brief word what they are not about.  The media often brands advocacy organizations opposing the mistreatment of nonhumans as “animal rights groups” regardless of the groups’ actual purpose or philosophy.  For example, here discussing opposition to the proposed [...]

Should Animal Advocates Have an Official Position on Abortion?

Some animal advocacy groups contend that “just as the pro-life movement has no official position on animal rights, the animal rights movement has no official position on abortion“. It is easy to see why there is no necessary connection between being pro-life and believing in animal rights. As Peter Singer has suggested, the typical argument [...]

Hot Off the Email: National Institute for Animal Advocacy

I know nothing about this organization.  Can anyone fill us in? NIFAA:  Because the most important factor in how a lawmaker votes on legislation is whether it could lose him or her Election Day votes NIFAA:  Because grassroots organizing and political groups that endorse candidates are KEY to winning strong laws for animals—and teaching us [...]

More Art, Animals & Politics

Another friend of mine just turned me on to The Animal Lounge , where artist Jane O’Hara blogs about animals and art. –David Cassuto

Some Pro-Animal Guerilla Art

I learned from a friend of mine about this exhibition.  Apparently the exhibit is closed but the website is well worth a visit: The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill http://thevillagepetstoreandcharcoalgrill.com/ Guerrilla artist Banksy has opened his first official exhibition in New York. The fake pet shop aims to question “our relationship with animals and [...]

The Ethics of a Spay/Neuter Policy

While the societal benefits to the spay/neuter movement seem eminently clear, I remain vexed about the ethical issues it raises. For example, this law in Dallas requires those wishing to keep an animal unaltered or “intact” (n.b.: some in the human anti-circumcision movement refer to themselves as “intactivists”) to obtain a permit. Even acknowledging the [...]

Presentation on Animal Cruelty Offenses in Chicago

John Keene – founder of the informative “Cruelty is a Crime” blog – asked me to announce a presentation on animal cruelty offenses sponsored by the Alliance Tackling Animal Crimes that will take place in Chicago on Sunday, November 16. I encourage all Animal Blawg readers residing in the Chicago metro area to attend. It sounds [...]

Abusing Animals and Language

Reports of animal abuse at industrial operations are so frequent that they attract less and less notice.  This recent abuse of pigs at an Iowa swine facility, revealed through a covert PETA video is but one of many such tragic instances.  And, of course, the facility reacted with shock and sadness that such events could [...]

Animal Protection Laws: Protection for Whom?

I recently read an article about a Belgian man, Wim Delvoye, who tattoos live pigs in China as an “art” form. After completing his tattoos, he has each pig killed, and displays the pig’s skin as art. Additionally, some skins are sold to private buyers, just as painting might be. This operation is based in [...]

Memphis Police Department Commits More Resources to Combating Animal Cruelty

Fox News reported today that three officers of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) have gone through training to more effectively investigate animal cruelty cases. These officers will ”take the case, gather evidence properly, do the interviews properly, just like any criminal matter, so when we get to court we have a good solid foundation.” The MPD [...]

RSPCA Report Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK

According to a report released today by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), concern about animal suffering in the UK has increased substantially over the last couple of years. David Bowles – the RSPCA’s head of external affairs – believes that the findings of the report  ”are extremely impressive as they [...]

Egg Production in a Post Proposition 2 World

Will the passage of California’s Proposition 2 lead to an increase or decrease in egg production? The answer is not obvious. Some animal advocates contend that egg consumption will increase because the public will feel better about the way that egg-laying hens are treated in the post Prop 2 world. If this turns out to [...]

Tribal Animal Law

I often tell my students that all law is animal law and cite a laundry list of legal disciplines — from matrimonial through constitutional to support my thesis.  We then spend the semester reading cases that run that gamut.  However, I had never included tribal law in that list, nor have I ever taught a [...]

The Enviro vs. Animal Advocacy Conundrum

It has often been said (by me) that environmentalists and animal advocates have more in common than in conflict and that we should subordinate differences in favor of working together on issues of shared concern.  However, that ideological and practical overlap need not and should not preclude a thorough discussion of underlying philosophical differences.  In [...]

Animals: Persons, Property or In Between?

In mid-October, I attended the annual Animal Law Conference at Lewis and Clark Law School. Hearing panelists Steven Wise and David Favre address animals’ legal status as property made me excited to share some of their points, as well as my own thoughts, with you.   In the United States, animals are classified as property [...]

Announcing the Humane Research Council’s Free Online Resource Database of Research Studies relating to Animal Issues

I encourage animal advocates to access the Humane Research Council’s (HRC) database of research studies relating to animal issues. I recently received the following e-mail from Katrina Munsell – the HRC’s Project Director – exaplining the benefits that animal advocates may reap from accessing the database: ———— Greetings Prof. Chiesa, I came across your writings on your [...]

Some Election Musings

Last night’s election was remarkable for all kinds of reasons, including the passage of California Proposition 2, which outlaws gestation crates, battery cages and veal crates over a period of seven years. Reasonable people can differ over whether the initiative well serves interests of farm animals. However, I think it beyond dispute that the electorate [...]