WHS Adoptable Animals

The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness. For more than 128 years, WHS has been saving the lives of animals in need. We offer adoption services that place 9,000 animals in new homes annually, veterinary services that save thousands of lives, educational programs that instill respect for animals, behavior services to assist guardians and a myriad of other initiatives that help end suffering for animals. We depend entirely on private donations to fund our programs and rely on volunteers in nearly every department. If you are interested in adopting, volunteering, enrolling in a class, taking a tour or making a donation, check out our comprehensive web site at wihumane.org. The adoptable animals' web pages are updated every 30 minutes!

Animal cruelty exemptions in Tues Budget Bill

Today, we are calling Wisconsin legislators asking them to protect the basic needs of animals. The budget bill, which will be voted on tomorrow, gives researchers exemption from all state animal cruelty laws.  

Please, contact your legislators today.  The budget bill is slated for an assembly vote tomorrow and senate vote on Thursday.

The Wisconsin Humane Society strongly opposes this change.  Wisconsin law already exempts bona fide scientific researchers from the statutes prohibiting animal mistreatment in section 951.02 of the Wisconsin statutes, and poisoning in section 951.06. 

The budget bill amendment is broader and would exempt researchers from the entirety of Chapter 951, the criminal laws relating to animal cruelty.  Chapter 951 includes provisions that require proper shelter, food and water and prohibit stealing animals, animal fighting, and abandonment.

"We recognize that animal research has made important contributions to science, but Wisconsin law already allows researchers several exemptions from animal cruelty laws to permit that research to happen. The bill goes beyond that and says that researchers can do anything without worrying about any state legal protections for animals at all.  They wouldn’t have to follow state laws requiring that animals in captivity be given food and water, be transported humanely, not be kidnapped, and other simple protections we can all agree on.  There is no reason in the world why researchers should not have to follow those laws," said Anne Reed, executive director of WHS.

The budget bill is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday.  Please be a voice for Wisconsin's animals and call your representative and senator today to tell them that you oppose exempting researchers from animal cruelty laws.  Contact your legislators now!

The 130-year-old Wisconsin Humane Society is one of the largest and oldest humane societies in the country, finding homes for 9,368 animals in 2010.  The mission of the Wisconsin Humane Society is to build a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness.

This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.

Page Tools

Advertisement

Archives