California Animal Enterprise Protection Act Threatens Lawful Advocacy
Thursday, June 19, 2008

Act TODAY to oppose legislation targeting animal advocates as "terrorists"

A California bill AB 2296, known as the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, has passed the state Assembly and is making its way to the state Senate. This bill would have a chilling effect on the rights of animal advocates who are legally and responsibly collecting evidence of animal abuse by people engaged in animal “enterprises.” The enterprises include agricultural use, pet shops and puppy mills, researchers, and other uses of animals.

This type of legislation spells out criminal penalties for actions such as threatening or harming an individual—or their family—who are engaged in animal enterprises, activities that are already punishable by existing law. While withholding the public disclosure of home addresses for employees working in animal enterprises seems reasonable if indeed there is a threat from extremists, this bill goes beyond that, prohibiting the showing of the image of an employee of animal enterprise.

If this bill is passed, the video footage that revealed abuses at the California slaughterhouse operated by Westland/Hallmark Meat Company may have been unlawful, as the perpetrators of the abusive treatment of livestock may claim that airing the exposé put them reasonably in fear for their safety, even if no threat was made against them.

This bill is scheduled for hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 24th. It is important to contact your state Senator prior to this hearing date!

If you are a California resident, please call your California state Senator to let them know that you object to the passage of laws that serve no purpose other than to intimidate animal advocates, since any act of violence is already against the law.

Look up your California State Senator to place a call to your Senator. Be sure to choose the option for “State Official” at the top of the results page because this is a state, not a federal, bill. Or go to the NAVS Advocacy Center to send a letter in support of this initiative.