According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2018 is the year of the dog. Loyal, intelligent, and full of joy—dogs are one of humans’ most beloved companions and are deserving of compassion and protection. Unfortunately, the loving and forgiving nature of dogs is routinely exploited by industries for profit and other selfish interests.
For decades, LCA has worked to protect dogs from cruelty and expose animal abusers. LCA is dedicated to bringing an end to industries of animal exploitation, and your advocacy is crucial to that outcome. Animal advocates can help make a difference for dogs this year by taking a stand against their suffering and speaking up for their rights.
Help End the Dog Meat Trade
China’s dog meat trade is a horrific and unregulated industry that brutally tortures animals year-round. An estimated 10 million dogs are slaughtered annually in China for meat. Dogs are tied up, trucked long distances in cramped wire cages stuffed with dozens of other animals, then beaten, burned or boiled alive. Many of these helpless animals have been heartlessly stolen from loving homes.
The U.S. government is starting to pressure China to end the slaughter and consumption of dog meat. In May 2016, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) introduced a resolution into the U.S. House of Representatives condemning China’s Yulin Dog Meat Festival and calling on the Chinese government to end the dog meat trade. Legislation to end the dog and cat meat trade has also been proposed in China, and almost 9 million Chinese citizens have voiced their opinion online in support of the legislation. Despite these steps in the right direction, dogs in China still face agonizing deaths in the dog meat trade and your support is urgently needed.
Take Action
- Sign the petition here urging Cui Tiankai, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, to call for a ban on dog and cat meat.
- Write a letter to the Chinese Embassy expressing your concerns about dog meat (address and sample letter here).
- Find your representative here, and urge them to support the following bills:
H.Res.30 - Condemning the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China, and urging China to end the dog meat trade
H.Res.1406 - Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017
H.Res.401 - Urging Chin, South Korea and all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade
Help End the Use of Dogs in Research
LCA investigations have revealed the grave mistreatment of dogs exploited in the animal research industry. Investigators have documented how dogs are housed improperly, brutally abused, and thrown away when their “usefulness” expires. Similar investigations continue to display egregious animal welfare violations at universities, contract testing facilities, and federal research institutions which conduct cruel studies on dogs. In 2017, footage revealed dogs enduring horrific experimentation at an NIH-funded Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, leading to the introduction of the bipartisan PUPPERS Act which would prohibit the VA from conducting painful and distressing research on dogs. Help stop these horrific experiments and let the government know you disagree with your tax dollars funding animal cruelty by speaking up for canine victims of animal research.
Take Action
- Contact your representative to request that they support the PUPPERS Act, which will prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from carrying out painful research on dogs.
- Widespread awareness is essential to create substantive change for lab animals. Please share LCA’s newly released footage to spread awareness about the plight of dogs exploited by the animal research industry.
Help End the Puppy Mill Industry
After countless animal advocates took a stand against the mass breeding facilities that produce millions of dogs and other animals each year to be sold in pet stores and online shops, California passed a groundbreaking bill banning the retail sale of animals from puppy mills. This legislative success proves the efficacy of collective animal advocacy, and it is crucial that similar ordinances are passed in other states.
Notorious for their filthy, overcrowded conditions and lack of protection from the elements, puppy mills subject animals to a nightmarish life in cramped cages, depriving them of adequate food, water, and veterinary care. Thousands of these facilities continue to legally subject animals to horrific conditions for profit, while shelters and rescues across the country are filled with companion animals of every breed and age waiting to be brought into a loving home. Millions of shelter animals are killed every year, and eliminating puppy mills would drastically reduce this number.
Take Action
- Residents outside of California can contact their state elected officials and urge them to introduce legislation banning the sale of commercially bred animals.
- If you are considering bringing a companion animal into your family, always adopt. While legislative efforts are an important component of bringing about meaningful progress, individual consumers have tremendous power to create change as well. By choosing to adopt and refusing to purchase companion animals from pet stores, you can take a stand against puppy mills and prevent a great deal of animal suffering.