Animal Protection

As co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, Christopher is working in Congress on a bipartisan basis to provide federal protection to animals. He is committed to animal welfare because he believes humankind has an obligation to all animals.

 

In 2007, the Humane Society of the United States named Christopher the “Humane Legislator of the Year” for his work to help protect animals. He is grateful for the recognition, and will continue to do everything he can to give a voice to the voiceless.

 

On May 26, 2006, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, which Christopher co-authored, passed the House. We learned from Hurricane Katrina that many pet owners refused to leave their pets and may have been needlessly impacted. In response, Congress passed legislation that the President signed on October 6, 2006. The law requires state and local preparedness evacuation plans to account for pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster.

 

The humane treatment of animals speaks to our nation’s core morals and values. Christopher is the co-author of the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, which requires farms supplying food to the federal government to meet modest standards of treatment for the animals they raise. Under this approach, the federal government will lead by example, and will create a marketplace for producers who raise their animals in a more humane way.

 

Christopher is also the co-author of the Farm Animals Anti-Cruelty Act, which would make it a crime to – without justification – intentionally inflict pain or suffering upon an animal raised for food, or to fail to provide food, water and shelter. This legislation is a powerful tool in states that exempt farm animals from coverage under their anti-cruelty statutes.

 

Horses are our companions and a vital part of our nation’s culture and history. Christopher is working to prevent the slaughter of horses and has cosponsored and voted for legislation that would restore protections previously in place that prevented horses from being sold to producers or countries where they would be slaughtered for human consumption.

 

Christopher supports the preservation and protection of endangered species, and will continue to oppose efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is credited with preventing the immediate disappearance of more than 1,000 wildlife species, including the bald eagle, grizzly bear and Pacific salmon.

 

Christopher is a strong proponent of listing species that are threatened. For instance, he wrote to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) last year and cosponsored legislation to include the polar bear as a threatened species under the ESA. Christopher was pleased that in May 2008, the USFWS recommended listing the polar bear as a threatened species.

 

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s conviction brought attention to the problem of illegal dog fighting. As co-chair of the Friends of Animals Caucus, Christopher cosponsored a Congressional briefing called, “Dog Fighting: A Subculture of Cruelty” to educate members of Congress and staff on what can be done to eradicate dog fighting and to prosecute those who engage in it. Christopher also cosponsored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Act, which was signed into law on May 3, 2007, and increases the imprisonment penalty for animal fighting violations from one year to three years.