2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro has comprehensive plans to improve animal welfare in the United States of America. Animal welfare is a subject which is becoming increasingly important to American voters so it may work to get votes.
“The president does not care about animals and his cruel actions prove it. He has put corporate profits over living creatures and individual fortunes over our future. This groundbreaking plan will improve the treatment of animals around the country and the world. And undo Donald Trump’s damage.”
The Huffington Post first reported on this but their pages been deleted so I am have difficulty in acquiring information on the story which is important to animal advocates.
Mr Castro’s plan is called Protecting Animals and Wildlife (PAW). It contains bold proposals. I will try and touch on some of them here.
It includes an investment of $500 billion to build 3 million new federal housing units which are pet-friendly. Homeless shelters (for humans) will allow people to bring their pets with them. Increased regulation of dog breeders is also proposed which would ensure better living standards for the animals.
In addition, he wants to increase regulations under the Endangered Species Act to improve conservation. There will be a permanent ban on killing wild horses.
There will be a further ban to stop Americans importing animal trophies from big-game hunting primarily on the African continent. He wants to reform factory farming to create minimum standards of animal welfare and to stop gagging agreements which protect animal abusers.
Critically for cat lovers, he wants to end the euthanasia of healthy cats and dogs in shelters. Further, his plan includes a prohibition on the testing of cosmetics on animals and to protect at least 30% of US lands and oceans by 2030.
Castro wants to undo the damage done by Donald Trump. That’s admirable. Of all the improvements to animal welfare that could happen in the USA, in the top 3 is the proposal to stop the killing of healthy cats and dogs in shelters. Another which Castro seems to have missed is declawing. Please Mr Castro talk about that too and ban it nationwide.
