Humane Society Endorses Lautenberg for Senate

Humane Society Endorses Lautenberg for Senate
Animal Welfare Group Urges New Jersey Voters to Choose Lautenberg for Senate on June 3

The Humane Society today announced its endorsement of Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg for Senate, citing him as one of the top animal protection advocates in the United States Senate.

"There is no stronger animal welfare advocate in Congress than Senator Lautenberg," said Michael Markarian, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "Lautenberg has been one of our best leaders in fighting for public policies to halt cruelty and abuse. In order to pass humane laws, we need humane lawmakers like Senator Lautenberg. New Jersey voters who care about animal welfare should support his reelection."

"I am proud to accept the Humane Society's endorsement. The Humane Society knows I am fighting for them in the United States Senate.  Whether working to stop cruelty and abuse of animals or making travel more safe for pets, members of the Humane Society and animal welfare  advocates across New Jersey know they can count on me to fight for animal protection," said Sen. Lautenberg.

Sen. Lautenberg has not only introduced animal protection legislation but has been responsible for shepherding several of these federal policies to passage. In 2000, Congress adopted some provisions of Lautenberg's bill, the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act, to make flying friendlier for dogs and cats. The law requires airlines to improve animal care training for baggage handlers and to produce monthly reports of all incidents involving animal loss, injury, or death so consumers can compare safety records.

In 2006, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, which Sen. Lautenberg co-authored. Introduced in response to the tragedy of tens of thousands of animals being lost or abandoned during Hurricane Katrina, the PETS Act requires state and local communities to have disaster plans for pets and service animals, and allows FEMA to assist with emergency planning and sheltering of pets.

In the current session of Congress, Sen. Lautenberg is the lead author of the Sportsmanship in Hunting Act, S. 2912, which would ban the interstate commerce in tame, exotic mammals such as lions and zebras for the purpose of shooting them inside fenced pens at captive trophy hunting ranches. He has previously introduced other measures to protect wildlife, such as a resolution calling on Japan to stop "drive hunts" in which dolphins and small whales are chased into shallow waters and stabbed with long knives or trapped with nets to be sold into captivity.

As a longtime champion of animal protection issues, Sen. Lautenberg has consistently earned a perfect score of 100 percent each year on the Humane Scorecard, and he has been the recipient of the Humane Leader Award and Humane Champion Award.  HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

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