As both major political parties outline their visions for the next four years, American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, is challenging both political parties to integrate comprehensive policies to protect both animal and human health into their platforms. To further that effort, American Humane unveiled A New Deal for Animals, People and the World We Share: A 10-point Plan to Build a Humane and Ethical World.
“As the world grapples with the novel coronavirus, which originated from a broken human-animal contract, it is clear that the global status quo for animals is unacceptable,” said American Humane President and CEO Robin Ganzert. “For too long, policymakers have neglected to acknowledge the ripple effect of animal policy – how we treat animals impacts our economy, health, trade and so much more. Political leaders of all stripes must muster the moral courage to forge a new path, one that will benefit animals and humans alike.”
As the largest certifier of animal welfare in the world, American Humane underscores the point that humans have “failed to honor the human-animal bond which has resulted in a breakdown of our social contract with the animal world.” This wide-scale, generational failure has led to exactly where we are today. In the United States alone, as of July, more than 31 million are collecting unemployment – roughly a fifth of the workforce. Globally we have seen more than 668,000 deaths and the world economy is bracing to lose up to $21.8 trillion in 2020. What all of the human and economic destruction means in the long-term is not yet clear, but what is clear is that we need to build a new world – one grounded in humane values that can easily be demonstrated through science, ethics, compassion and love for animals, people and the world we share.
The New Deal focuses on rectifying widespread animal abuse and cruelty, most recognizable in illegal wildlife trafficking, poaching, wet markets and the global cat and dog meat trade. Much of the world’s animal cruelty is interconnected, requiring a broad solution rather than a piecemeal approach. American Humane’s 10-point proposal for building a more humane world is:
- End the World’s Wet Markets
- End the Global Cat and Dog Meat Trade
- Immediately Stop Unnecessary Taxpayer-Funded Testing on Animals
- Ensure Independent, Humane Inspections of Farms Worldwide and Related Biosecurity Measures for Animal Agriculture
- Ensure Independent Humane Oversight of Animals in All Forms of Entertainment
- Ensure Independent Humane Inspections of Zoos and Aquariums Worldwide
- End the Highly Lucrative, Organized Poaching and “Bush Meat” Trade That Is Decimating Wild Species and Spreading Devastating Diseases
- Enforce Ethical Standards for Global Animal Tourism
- Enforce Safety Standards for Animals in All Forms of Transportation
- Expand the Use of Service and Therapy Dogs
A white paper, expanding on the urgent need for these policy prescriptions can be found at AmericanHumane.org/NewDeal.
“It is past time for rebuilding the human-animal bond – we need action now. American Humane is calling on policymakers from both sides of the aisle to elevate the interconnectedness of animal policies with all other issues,” said Dr. Ganzert. “It’s time for our nation’s leaders to step up to the plate for animals and people. Building a more humane world isn’t a lofty aspiration, it’s a necessity for our shared future.”
