South Dakota's most famous turkeys will strut their stuff on the national stage Tuesday as they receive clemency by President Donald Trump in the 2018 Turkey Pardon. Peas and Carrots, both weighing about 40 pounds, stood out from the flock and were raised specifically for this moment — being treated almost as well as any human. The "presidential flock" was presented to the public for the first time Nov. 14 during their press tour around their hometown of Huron. South Dakota's stars traveled to Washington D.C. on Saturday in the back of an SUV. More: With turkey pardon, Trump spares Drumstick and Wishbone from Thanksgiving dinner Jeff Sveen, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and Chairman of the Board of Dakota Provisions, is in charge of Peas and Carrots as they meet the public and national media this week. He joked that the VIP turkeys enjoyed a more comfortable road trip than their drivers. To read more on this story, click here: Two South Dakota Turkeys Get Pampered Before Trump's Turkey Pardon
The federal government has issued more than three dozen permits allowing hunters to import lion trophies from two African nations since 2016, according to copies of the applications obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents, obtained by the group Friends of Animals, provide insight into the often secretive permitting process to import threatened or endangered species killed abroad during luxury hunting trips. Thirty-three Americans were issued permits to import 38 lion trophies between 2016 and 2018, at least half of whom have donated to Republican lawmakers or are affiliated with the hunting lobby Safari Club International. It’s unclear how many permit applications are currently before the agency or how many were issued in past years. In a statement, the Fish and Wildlife Service said that all permit applications are carefully reviewed and granted only if they meet several legal standards in accordance with international treaties and other requirements of the country in which the animal was hunted. “Legal, well-regulated hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation,” the statement read. To read more on this story, click here:Dozens Of Lion Trophy Permits Issued To Hunters As Trump Rolls Back Import Hurdles
Trump’s overturning of the Obama administration ban on elephant trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia being imported into America sparked outrage from animal rights activists. Ellen used her talk show yesterday to proclaim her love for elephants and detail her shock at the Trump’s administration’s decision. She said: ‘I love elephants. And if you take the time to learn about elephants, you would love them too.’ To read more on this story, click here:Ellen DeGeneres Launches Campaign to Save Elephants After Trump Ends Trophy Ban
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WASHINGTON — In the face of widespread public backlash, President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he has suspended his decision to reverse an Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. “Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts,” he posted to Twitter. He adding that the issue has been “under study for years” but that he would soon provide an update. As HuffPost reported Wednesday, the administration decided to lift the ban after determining that sport hunting in those African countries will help conserve the species, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed. To read more on this story, click here:Facing Public Outrage, Trump Puts Elephant Trophy Decision ‘On Hold’
WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - The Trump Administration plans to remove an Obama-era ban on importing elephant head trophies. That means big game hunters could soon bring their elephant head trophies into the U.S. if they were killed on legal hunts in Zimbabwe and Zambia. For decades, African countries have struggled to save elephants. An estimated 30,000 are slaughtered by poachers every year for their ivory tusks. In the 1970s, Africa had an estimated 1.3 million wild elephants. Now only a half a million remain. But a statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says legal, well-regulated sport hunting of elephants can help save the animals by giving local communities a financial incentive to protect them. To read more on this story, click here:Hunters Will Soon Bring Elephant Head Trophies Into U.S.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will reverse an Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia after determining that sport hunting in those countries will help conserve the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed Wednesday. The decision was made public not by the federal agency but via a celebratory news release early Tuesday from Safari Club International, a trophy hunting advocacy group that, along with the National Rifle Association, sued to block the 2014 ban. Greg Sheehan, principal deputy director of the FWS, broke the news to the hunting organization during the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) in Tanzania, an agency spokesperson told HuffPost. The forum, which runs through Friday, is being hosted by the Safari Club International Foundation and the United Republic of Tanzania. African elephants have been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1978. A provision of the law, however, allows for sport-hunted trophies to be imported if the government determines that hunting will help safeguard the population. To read more on this story, click here:Trump To Lift Ban On Import Of Elephant Trophies From 2 African Nations
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There is a long and storied history of presidential pets and the roles that they play in an administration. Checkers, a cocker spaniel, helped (briefly) save Richard Nixon’s career. The Clintons’ chocolate Lab, Buddy, and cat, Socks, provided ample, family-friendly distractions from less pleasant matters. Not content to live a life of leisure, President George H.W. Bush’s springer spaniel, Millie, “wrote” a best-seller called Millie’s Book that offered insights into the life of the first family. Martin Van Buren had tiger cubs. Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt had bears, and Calvin Coolidge had a pygmy hippopotamus! Presidents have frequently cottoned on to the pleasure of pet ownership, not least for their warm and fuzzy public relations opportunities. (After listening to Nixon’s “Checkers” speech, a tearful Mamie Eisenhower reportedly told her husband that any man who loves dogs has to be honest.) And perhaps the Trumps will be no different. A Palm Beach–based philanthropist named Lois Pope told the Washington Post that she has been training a 9-week-old Goldendoodle to become the Trump family’s First Dog. Pope, who has named the puppy Patton, after General George Patton, the World War II general whom Trump often publicly admires (most recently in the installment of his “victory tour” in Cincinnati), said that she has known the family for the past 20 years. She even showed the president-elect a picture of the dog at Mar-A-Lago, she said, in the hopes that the family will take him on as a companion for their 10-year-old son, Barron, who will likely face a tough adjustment ahead. “It’s going to be hard for me to let him go,” Pope told the Post of Patton, who is to receive what she calls “hero dog training,” and who, at the time of their interview, was gnawing on a basket. “But I will do it. Because [Barron] is more important than I am.” Trump’s camp has not issued any public decisions about Patton, but it may be worth noting that his family has a history of preferring to hunt animals rather than care for them. And while a Goldendoodle (a historically clever, friendly breed favored by young families who abhor shedding) is certainly on brand for a president-elect with a predilection for that particular metal, one has to wonder: Would a Trump endorsed ’doodle help that breed or hurt it? Back in 2009, pet owners fretted that an Obama-provoked spike in Portuguese water dog popularity would incite “101 Dalmatians syndrome.” At a dog park in lower Manhattan, one Goldendoodle owner wrinkled her nose at the suggestion that Trump would soon be synonymous with her pet. “God,” she said, “I hope not.”
The 2016 election has become one of the most heated and divisive primaries in American history.
But no matter which party you align with, all animal-loving voters should be aware of the stances their candidates take in regards to animal rights and humane policies that protect pets.
So how do the presidential and vice presidential candidates stack up when it comes to historical pet-friendliness and all-around animal activism? Here are some of the major things to know:
Hillary Rodham Clinton:
The Democratic presidential nominee has an entire page on her website about how she plans to "promote animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty and abuse."
One of the bullet points of Clinton's promises says that, as President, she would "Protect pets and domesticated animals by making sure facilities like animal breeders, zoos, and research institutions create plans to protect the animals in their care during disasters; strengthen regulations of 'puppy mills' and other harmful commercial breeding facilities; and support the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act." During her time in the Senate, Clinton co-sponsored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007, as well as a bill to amend the Horse Protection Act.
Clinton, a pet parent to three dogs (Seamus, Maisie, and Tally), has previously recieved a perfect score from the Humane Society's Legislative Fund. In a press release in 2007 for the HSLF, Clinton said, "Our policies should reflect the important role that animals play in our lives and our environment. I believe we should treat animals humanely and that is why I support anti-cruelty laws."
A central Vermont company is having some fun with a serious topic: the 2016 race for the White House. The toys are available in caricatures of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Fuzzu, based in Waterbury, is selling pet toys lampooning the presidential candidates. "I think it's a natural stress reliever," said Anne Lika of Fuzzu. "We look at ourselves as an entertainment company. We love the humor." Lika said sales are skyrocketing, with customers as far away as Japan. The toys are made in China, using heavy, reinforced canvas, and are available in caricatures of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.l The Clinton toy, clad in a pantsuit, has a "smile switch" on its back, while the Trump doll has wild hair and is carrying directions on how to build a wall. The Sanders toy, meanwhile, wears a watch that says "time for a change." "It's lightening it up," explained Fuzzu designer Sarah-Lee Terrat, describing the company's goal to inject some humor into the election cycle. "It's time to have fun with it." When asked if buyers are likely to pick products based on the party they love — or the one they love to hate — Terrat said "people are buying them for both reasons." "I think the Hillary camp is buying Hillary, and the Donald camp is buying Hillary, for completely different reasons," she explained. Trump toys are the top sellers right now, she noted. Also available from Fuzzu: cat toys with catnip inside and jumbo versions of the political dolls for decoration. Styles retail for between $10 and $35. The company said it will stay in business after the election and has many more design ideas in the works.
