HSUS still wins in Ohio

The Human Society of the United States (HSUS), which lacks any type of affiliation to the human societies located in numerous cities throughout the United States, will not put an initiative on the November ballot abolishing the confinement of various types of livestock. In the past several months, HSUS has expended extraordinary amounts of money and monstrous amounts of time seeking to obtain more than 500,000 Ohio signatures to put an initiative on the ballot as a referendum this upcoming November.

On July 1, 2010, the state of Ohio and HSUS reached an agreement. The terms of the agreement provide for:
• A ban on veal crates by 2017;
• A ban on new gestation crates after December 31, 2010. Existing facilities are grandfathered, but must cease use of these crates within 15 years;
• A moratorium on permits for new battery cage confinement facilities for laying hens;
• A ban on strangulation of farm animals and mandatory humane euthanasia methods for sick or injured animals; and
• A ban on the transport of downer cows for slaughter.

While on the surface, this may seem like a successful battle against HSUS. Each of these five provisions were, in one form or another, part of the HSUS initiative. The only thing that Ohio gets in return is that HSUS will not pursue a ballot initiative this fall seeking to institute those restrictions through a constitutional amendment.

HSUS will continue to engage in its sleazy tactics. By painting a picture that it is “reasonable” by entering into this Agreement, HSUS only continues to distort the picture. HSUS is incredibly talented at painting an inaccurate and deceptive picture about modern agriculture practices. Rather than telling the facts, HSUS interrogates those people who are third and fourth generation farmers who are working day and night attempting to preserve their family farms through engaging in modern agricultural practices. HSUS will stop for no one. Let’s just hope they don’t seek out another Big 10 state.