Besides this morning's sentencing of Michael Vick, there were other impressive victories for the Humane Society of the United States in 2007:
- The last two states -- New Mexico and Louisiana -- outlawed cockfighting, and Congress passed a seminal law strengthening penalties for animal fighting. HSUS supporters also pressured Nike to drop a multi-million-dollar endorsement deal with Vick after his role in illegal dogfighting was uncovered.
- Horse slaughter was finally eliminated on U.S. soil when Texas and Illinois shut down the last remaining slaughterhouses in the nation.
- Animals were rescued from natural disasters, and HSUS provided care for hundreds of pets and farm animals threatened by California's recent wildfires.
- Some of the worst cruelties of factory farming were stopped when the largest veal and pig producers committed to abandon the use of tiny crates and cages, more companies and consumers switched to cage-free eggs, and Oregon's legislature made history by passing legislation outlawing the use of gestation crates to confine breeding pigs.
What's most important for next year? Leave a comment to discuss!
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A quick update on my post about Japanese whaling last year: According to the BBC, Australia has sent a large customs ship, as well as an Airbus plane, to monitor Japanese whaling activities and collect photos and video surveillance in preparation for a possible legal battle against Japan's whaling practices. Go Aussies!