Julian Castro To Announce Ambitious Animal Welfare Plan: the first from any candidate

[hlthe2b]

Last edited Mon Aug 19, 2019, 04:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Julián Castro is announcing an animal welfare plan as part of his presidential campaign. The plan, @yashar reports, calls for ending the euthanization of domestic dogs and cats in shelters and seeks to improve federal housing policy for those with pets.

I wish to see nationwide regulations against police willful and totally unnecessary shooting of pets during household raids. Colorado passed some legislation on this recently. I wish someone would take this on

Link to tweet

Julián Castro, who previously served as the San Antonio mayor and Housing and Urban Development secretary, is announcing an ambitious animal welfare plan Monday as part of his presidential campaign. The plan, which the campaign provided exclusively to HuffPost, calls for ending the euthanization of domestic dogs and cats in shelters and seeks to improve federal housing policy for those with pets. It also says Castro would sign into law legislation that would make animal cruelty a federal crime, establish federal minimums for space for farm animals, prohibit the testing of cosmetic products on animals, and ban the unlicensed ownership of large cats like lions and tigers.

Castro’s plan, called “PAW: Protecting Animals and Wildlife,” is the only comprehensive and detailed animal welfare plan released by any of the presidential candidates. Support for animal welfare policies has increased steadily over the last two decades as more states and municipalities have passed laws to protect pets and farm animals. Castro’s plan offers several strategies and proposals that would work toward ending euthanization in shelters. The number of dogs and cats that are euthanized in animal shelters across America changes depending on whom you ask, from just over 700,000 to 3 million annually. But that figure has decreased over the last three decades as spaying and neutering have increased dramatically.

Castro’s plan calls for $40 million in federal funding for a “Local Animal Communities Grant Program,” which would help defray the costs of vaccinating, spaying and neutering animals. The money would also go toward programs that promote animal adoption.

The plan also says that new affordable housing units will be pet-friendly. As part of his campaign, Castro has laid out a housing plan that would create 3 million new affordable housing units over 10 years. Castro also says he will work with homeless shelters that receive federal support to “ensure pets belonging to homeless individuals seeking refuge are not prohibited entry.”

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. K & R!

[Green Line]

2. I love this

[IrishEyes]

3. I like him. I hope he gets in the next debate.

I would like to hear more from him.

[bluedovepdx]

4. Wrong use of the word 'euthanization'

The wrong use of that word drives me crazy...amongst other things. Euthanization is
the ending of life when a heath condition isn't fixable and the dog, cat, human, or other
animal is suffering. What goes on in the shelters is killing....just killing. Healthy adoptable
animals that have the misfortune of not being provided a home. We shouldn't be sanitizing
it with our use of the 'e' word.

Castro's plan is a good thing. I am the parent (not owner) of 17 feline children.....9 adopted
and 8 formerly feral (2017 and 2018) born behind the bamboo in my back yard. Trapped by
me, socialized by me and are now part of the family. Much more reform is needed when it
comes to animal welfare. Castro's plan does nothing to improve the lives of farm animals.
Life is horrendous for them and there is much the government could do to make their lives
better. There have been very few legislative victories for farm animals. There is a long history
of inaction and complete failure to do good for them. I will be impressed when a candidate
presents a plan to reform animal ag....factory farms/confined animal feeding operations, the
operation of slaughterhouses (often with additional abuses beyond the killing of the animals),
etc. Full disclosure...I'm a 25+ years vegan person. My kitties aren't and can't be. I'm
conscientious about their food too.

[mopinko]

5. anything that adds to the mental and emotional health of this nation

is greatly welcome.
esp this sort of low hanging fruit. every bit of this is cost effective. ost of it is just plain easy.

thank you sir.

[Raine]

6. WOW ... good for him!

I'm so happy to hear about a candidate that cares about animals!