Rage-filled vice-presidential hopeful shoots and kills animals

News and headlines for April 28 - May 3, 2024

PETA is criticizing North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for shooting her dog in what some claim was a fit of rage. While PETA is right that the killing was inexcusable and Governor Noem should have found a trainer or a new home for Cricket, it is also a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. PETA also kills healthy dogs who could be rehomed. And PETA also refuses to train dogs who may need it, choosing to kill them instead. Indeed, PETA runs the functional equivalent of a slaughterhouse, killing roughly 90% of the animals it takes in despite over $80 million in annual revenues. They even have a history of stealing people’s pets to kill them. Both the Governor and PETA staff who do this should be in jail.

In other news: If you have questions, The No Kill Advocacy Center’s new No Kill AI tool has answers. Meet the 19th-century pioneers of animal protection. Florida’s Governor just signed legislation prohibiting the manufacturing, sale, holding, or distribution of cultivated meat in the state, sacrificing animals, free markets, innovation, and independence from China. Animals suffered injuries and death at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Veterinary costs are rising because of private equity firms.

These are some of the stories making headlines in animal protection:

No Kill AI

If you have questions, The No Kill Advocacy Center’s new No Kill AI tool has answers. You can ask any question about animal shelter issues by clicking the button:

Please note: The AI model is still in beta and does not produce official results or statements. While it is learning, it may get some answers wrong. For this reason, the answers cannot be cited. For verified answers that can be cited, please refer to The No Kill Companion.

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America’s humane pioneers

As reported last week, Kristen Hassen and Katja Guenther wrote a journal article that calls for abolishing animal shelters and leaving the welfare of dogs and cats to whatever fate befalls them on the streets.

My rebuttal to their cruel suggestion is here.

To make their case, Hassen and Guenther offer a revisionist history of the humane movement. Specifically, they argue that 19th-century reformers — like Henry Bergh, Caroline White, and George Angell — were racist capitalists intent on doing the bidding of bankers and financiers by oppressing black people and other “marginalized communities.” Bergh founded the nation’s first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York, White founded the second in Pennsylvania, and Angell founded the third, the Massachusetts SPCA (MSPCA).

Because Hassen and Guenther lack a language for progress, they claim — without evidence — that all organizations revert to their founding missions. Not only is this unduly pessimistic, but the claim that reformers like Bergh, White, and Angell were racists serving the moneyed classes is untrue.

Here’s the real history of these humane pioneers and their abolitionist roots.

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North Dakota Governor kills puppy

North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem admitted she shot and killed Cricket, her 14-month-old puppy. Although she claims she did it because he was “worthless” and “untrainable,” others say she has anger management issues and did it in a fit of rage. Either reason is not only cruel but criminal. After receiving backlash from virtually everyone, including those in her party, she changed her story, claiming Cricket was “dangerous,” a claim no one believes. In fact, she also boasted of killing a goat who smelled “musky.” Instead of being in the Governor’s mansion or on the shortlist as her party’s vice presidential nominee, she should be in jail for animal cruelty.

Rest in peace, Cricket.

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PETA kills healthy dogs, too

Maya, a beloved dog, was stolen from her home by PETA representatives and then illegally killed that very day. A lawsuit by the family led to a $49,000 settlement. She is one of over 40,000 animals killed by PETA.