The Endangered Species Act is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it's being spent under attack from anti-wildlife politicians. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a committee meeting this past week where the Endangered Species Act was attacked with false or baseless claims by politicians who are eager to see the Act modified to benefit hunters and put a nail in the coffin of protected species. 

Republicans are often pro-gun, and pro-hunting, which means that protecting species like the gray wolf or grizzly bear is in direct contrast to their desire to allow these animals to shot and killed for sport. When you look at the plight of the gray wolf in the United States, it's evident that Republicans would rather see them extinct versus being protected. The gray wolf was listed as a protected species for 45 years while it was rehabilitated only to be callously delisted by the Trump Administration. After being delisted, Republican led states immediately allowed for wolves to be hunted and in some states, a whopping 90% of wolves were eradicated. Considering Republicans are supposedly about being conservative fiscally, it's interesting that they'd allow the slaughter of a species that money was funneled in to protecting for 4 decades.

Extinction is a permanent status. We are literally on track to lose thousands of species in our foreseeable future if we don't work tirelessly to protect them. Slashing necessary funding for an organization that dedicates its time to protecting species from extinction is completely lacking in any logic or compassion. Without the Endangered Species Act, hundreds of species on our planet would cease to exist today. Republicans should be ashamed of their lack of empathy towards the survival of our planet's species in favour of gun & hunting lobbyists. 

The Endangered Species Act is a necessary organization and without it, species like the gray wolf, pangolin, Savannah elephant, and jaguar would undoubtedly be extinct at this point. Attacking the Endangered Species Act is attacking our planet's species and their fight for survival on a planet dominated by greedy humans. There is no other explanation for why they would want to see it dismantled outside of their allegiance to hunting and gun lobbyists. It's sickening and shameful that they are more interested in pleasing hunting organizations than protecting species from extinction. As I said, extinction is a permanent status and preventing that should be on every politicians agenda.

​Learn more through the attached link at the top of this post.

​worldanimalnews.com/victory-belgium-announces-a-ban-on-trophy-hunting-imports-to-protect-save-endangered-species/

This past Friday, Belgium approved a legislative proposal for a ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered species. The proposal was put forth by the country's Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development, and Green Deal Minister, Zakia Khattabi. The proposal would ban the import of trophies from protected species such as hippos, Savannah elephants, Southern white rhinos, and polar bears, among others and adds to a current resolution regarding the issuance of hunting trophy permits and the ban of issuing permits for endangered or protected species.

As someone who is vehemently against trophy hunting, I would like to point out that endangered species are as their name suggests, endangered. To try and use the "logic" that shooting and killing these animals for sport is somehow helping to protect their future is both ignorant and self serving. It's a malignant cycle where wealthy people shoot, kill, pose proudly with corpses, and return home with body parts to put on display. There's something unsettling about someone who is hanging an elephant's entire head on their wall, believing that in some sickening way, they've somehow helped protect elephants. There is also something rather unsettling about wealthy white people, heading to predominantly poorer countries to take advantage of the country's animals. The whole thing from start to finish is gross and weird.

Endangered species have found themselves on these lists as a result of humanity. Whether we've taken their habitat, killed them for interfering with our livestock or villages, or killed them for fun, they've been put in peril by humans. If we're truly going to prevent the extinction of these species, we have to stop pandering to hunters and protecting this ideology that these animals are here for us to shoot and kill for fun. These animals are losing the battle and extinction is something we cannot come back from. I've said this before, but, every single species on the endangered list was at one time, abundant on our planet until we decimated them. Whatever we're currently doing is not working, and has never worked as more species plunge towards extinction. It's quite obvious that the things we're doing are failing endangered species on our planet. We must change our approach if we're going to commit to preventing extinction and permitting trophy hunting is simply not the way to do that.

Learn more about Belgium's ban on imports by visiting the link at the top of this post. Here's to a world where trophy hunting is buried in our history.

​worldanimalnews.com/south-korea-introduce-bill-to-ban-the-dog-meat-trade-hailed-as-historic-moment-for-animal-welfare/

In what is being described as a historic move, the South Korean Democratic Party has introduced the "Special Act", a bill intended to eliminate the dog meat industry within the country. If passed, over a million dogs annually will be spared needless death for the dog meat industry, one that nearly 87.5% of Koreans do no support / consume. This bill is crucial in helping to end an industry internationally recognized as being cruel and needless to dogs. 

The dog meat industry has long been viewed as abhorrent from the International community as dogs are often seen as pets / family, not food. Dogs in this industry are kept in poor conditions until it is their time to be executed. Typically, they are bred in these facilities, although it is not uncommon to see dogs with collars, pets who will never be returned to their owners. They are kept in small, wire cages with little access to food, water, or stimulation, and due to a lack of veterinary care, are often found with untreated illnesses. When it is their time for sla7ughter, they are painfully electrocuted to death. Witnessing other dogs being executed is emotionally & mentally turbulent for the remaining dogs and causes immense stress. The situation from start to finish is bad news for innocent dogs.

The Special Act must pass. With overwhelming support from South Koreans & the International community alike, the only acceptable outcome is to see dog meat farming in the country come to an end. Farmers will be given guidance to transition, dogs will be spared horrifying death and a life of sadness prior to execution, and South Korea can say goodbye to an industry that is long overdue to end. There is simply no place in today's society for the consumption of dogs. It's time to end this industry once and for all.

​animaljustice.ca/blog/ontario-penned-hunting

The Ontario Government is working to reverse a ban on penned hunting dens issued back in 1997. The law prohibited any new dog hunting dens, but grandfathered in those that were already operational, assuming they'd eventually shift their business, or retire. Now, the possibility of a reversal has animal welfare groups & citizens alike, speaking out in anger of this decision and the horrendous cruelty that will ensue.

There are so many things wrong with penned dog hunting. First of all, you're slapping a life sentence of violence on to these dogs who in search of human approval, will be tearing apart innocent animals for as long as they'll remember. Secondly, we're literally permitting living creatures to be viciously torn apart, and for what? Is this for the dog's benefit? Not at all. It's entirely for the entertainment and enjoyment of humans. We're going back in time if we allow this sort of animosity to once again take place. We are demonstrating a complete lack of compassion for another living creature by subjecting it to unimaginable terror and violence for our own entertainment.

The general populous does not support sports that involve blatant cruelty and violence to animals. As a country, we have just passed a ban on cosmetics testing on animals that was widely supported, deeming it unnecessary and cruel. We cannot in the same breath be promoting a sport rooted in so much cruelty and violence against animals. Canada's people want better welfare standards. We don't support this style of violence and if Ontario reverses the ban, I suspect there will be outrage that leads to protests and demonstrations. Premier Doug Ford has an abysmal record on welfare issues and I suspect lobbying hunting organizations will continue to pressure him until he folds.

Visit the link at the top of this post to the original story from Animal Justice Canada. There's opportunities to donate as well as signing a petition urging the government of Ontario to maintain the ban. We cannot quietly allow such violence against animals to occur.