Let's Hear It for the Hogs - Animal Law Advocates Score SCOTUS WIN for Animal Welfare!
Hello Everyone!
Saint Blaise, patron saint of hogs and pigs has undoubtedly been looking out for his pork bellied friends.
As a lawyer and loyal friend and fan of Lewis and Clark Law School, https://law.lclark.edu/centers/animal_law_studies/ I’m happy to let everyone know that Animal Rights Activists have successfully fought hard to have animals treated in more humane ways.
The Supreme Court of the United States of America has issued an opinion in favor of animals.
All of the animal loving saints like Saint Francis of Assisi, author of the Canticle of the Creatures, and patron of birds and animals, Saint Kevin of Glendalough, the "Animal Whisperer,"Saint Gertrude, the patron saint of cats and mice, Saint Rocco, patron of dogs, Saint George, patron of horses, and Saint Brigid, patron of chickens, and all the other animal loving saintly caretakers must be having a big party for Saint Blaise as the patron of pigs and hogs.
Pigs and hogs were the subject of a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The issue was whether it was humane and reasonable to make hogs stand, sit, sleep (and then go to the slaughterhouse) in a cage less that 3 feet wide and long.
“NO,” said the people of California. They voted and said the animals needed a lot more room, 24 square feet each to be precise. Pigs and Hogs needed room to turn round, the people convincingly said, with their resounding votes.
Of course, it turned into a major legal debacle with the animal rights people saying humane treatment should be required and the other side suggesting giving less space for animals that were going to be eaten anyway, was fine, ostensibly because pigs and hogs are “only animals.”
Now, by law, if a company wants to sell their pork chops and bacon to people in California, the animals must first be treated better, a lot better!
Chickens are getting a benefit too because more and more states are requiring chickens to be taken out of gestation crates. Saint Brigid, patron of chickens, must be ecstatic!
The current status of the laws regarding animals is that they are “chattel,” with little or no legal rights. Yet, the tide seems to be turning and many are noting that animals are more than chattel. That bumper sticker you sometimes see on vehicles that says “Abuse An Animal, Go to Jail,” may be having a bit of societal impact!
For the remainder of June, when you order a saint mentioned in this e mail, we are going to send you that saint and also another animal-related saint!
Let’s hear it for the animals! Thanks for reading to the bottom line.
