I’ve been meaning to write to celebrate Arizona’s new Governor Doug Ducey. This Republican governor issued his first veto a month ago to the great benefit of animals and Arizona. House Bill 2150 was rushed through the legislature and sought to remove farm animals from the definition of “animals” under the state’s cruelty laws. This bill would have lowered and/or removed penalties for cruelty and even permitted abandonment of farm animals. This means farm animals could have been left to die in the desert with no criminal repercussion for the humans involved. Similarly, the denial of medical care for farm animals was removed from the list of criminal offenses.
Senator Steve Pierce is the author of this horrid bill. I strongly encourage those in his district to vote him out of office. Conversely, I hope my fellow Arizonans join me in thanking Governor Ducey for both the wisdom and heart for animals he displayed in this veto. My thanks too for all the animal advocates who rallied on short notice to contact the Governor’s office. It is great to know that in our state, farm animals like horses, cows, pigs and chickens are still considered animals and legally protected from cruelty.
Sources: State of Arizona Office of the Governor, The Daily Courier, In Defense of Animals