By BECKY TALLEY
Sheep Industry News Associate Editor

(March 1, 2010)  “The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has one agenda: to eliminate animal use for any purpose, and right now agriculture is No. 1 on their agenda.”

This was the message attendees of the Production, Education and Research Council (PERC) meeting received from Animal Agriculture Alliance Executive Vice President Kay Johnson-Smith at the 2010 annual convention.

Johnson-Smith spoke to the council on animal rights activism and animal agriculture’s position in the conflict.

“Connect, educate and protect is how we see our mission,” she said about the work of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, an organization formed in response to the animal rights movement. The American Sheep Industry Association is represented on the board of directors of the organization.

According to Johnson-Smith some of the key goals that animal activists are focusing on for 2010 are:

• establishing a new position in the White House called the Animal Protection Liaison, which would supersede the authority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture;
• establish national animal welfare standards;
• regulate transportation of all animals;
• establish federal farm animal anti-cruelty laws;
• establish the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, which would require all government food purchases to come from animals that are certified as humanely raised (although with no reference to what certification program would be required); and
• repeal the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which was passed to extend protection for animal handlers, producers, etc. from direct damages and threats.

HSUS, and other animal activist groups, were able to get 121 new animal protection laws passed in 2009, a significant increase over 2008. Johnson-Smith related that this has happened through undercover work, ballot initiatives and targeting of states with smaller agriculture economies which have enacted welfare laws with pressure from animal rights groups to avoid initiative action.

“Look for that in your states. You never know when it will pop up next,” she said, adding that while HSUS will claim to be working for animal welfare, they will incrementally break down the animal industries with the ultimate goal to eradicate them.

Many of the animal rights groups have been able to wield influence because of the millions of dollars of funding they pull in, often, in the case of HSUS, getting donations from dog and cat owners who believe they function to save these types of pets. In actuality, HSUS spent less than one-half of a percent on contributions to the hands on care of animals in shelters.

Producers, said Johnson-Smith, need to be their own best advocate. Telling their stories is the best way to help the general public understand that ranchers are the best welfare providers for their animals. She encourages all to get involved in their community and utilize social networking sites, such as Facebook, to show pictures and tell stories of their family, their lifestyle and their welfare practices.

“It is important that you are talking to your customers and to policy makers so they know your commitment to caring for your animals,” she related. For more information on the Animal Agriculture Alliance, visit www. animalagalliance.org.