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Animal Protection

Congressman Moran is a leading advocate for animal protection issues in Congress. He believes that animals have been given into our care and we must treat them with respect and dignity. For his steadfast support of animals, he is recognized by the Humane Society of the United States as a Humane Advocate, one of the highest honors bestowed by the venerable bipartisan organization.

During his time in Congress, Representative Moran has led the charge on a number of issues related to the protection of animals. His most recent actions include:

• Championing legislation to stop the illegal practice of selling cat and dog fur. Over two million dogs and cats are killed each year in Asia for use in the international fur trade. In the United States, it is illegal to sell products made with cat and dog fur. But a loophole in the law does not require products valued at less than $150 to be labeled. Congressman Moran has introduced legislation to put an end to that practice and require that all fur products be correctly labeled.
• Co-chairing a bipartisan briefing regarding farm animal welfare. Under current law, farm animals must have a humane death. However, there is no federal law affecting how chickens, pigs, cows and other farm animals live while on the farm. Conditions on many corporate farms are too horrific to describe. Congressman Moran is dedicated to improving conditions for animals in factory farms. He was a co-sponsor of the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act (H.R. 1726) in the 110th Congress, legislation establishing basic animal welfare standards for the meat, egg and dairy industries.
• Playing an instrumental role in banning horse slaughter. After years of being blocked from consideration, the House of Representatives finally passed a ban on horse slaughter. While Americans do not eat horse meat, a lucrative market exists overseas. American horses are being slaughtered in the U.S. and shipped to Asia and Europe as a delicacy. The Congressman feels that it is an unjust practice. He was an original co-sponsor of the legislation to ban horse slaughter and served as a Whip during its consideration, rallying support for the bill.

In addition to these more recent issues, Congressman Moran has spoken out against the seal hunt in Canada and has supported additional funding to enforce the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal animal fighting laws. Among the major pieces of legislation of legislation cosponsored by the Congressman include a ban on animal fighting, a bill to close puppy mills, legislation to end canned hunts, a proposal to require that antifreeze makers include a bittering agent in their formula to prevent animals from ingesting the coolant, and an effort to require localities to make a plan to evacuate animals in the event of a natural disaster.

Latest News On Animal Protection

June 5, 2008
Moran, Shays Introduce Farm Animal Anti-Cruelty Act

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