Making the Connections: Animal Protection as a Domestic and International Public Policy Issue
In this Director's Forum, Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, explains why a proper regard for animal welfare must be at the heart of good public policy.
Opposition to animal cruelty is a well-established ethical and legal principle, but the thrust of reform efforts now is to logically apply that principle to institutional settings and the mistreatment of animals in global commerce. Cruelty to animals—at both an individual level and also on macro-ecological terms—is also profoundly connected to human welfare in the domestic and international arenas. Whether the issue is abating climate change, curbing the spread of violence, assuring the safety of food for human consumption, reducing crime rates, preventing rabies deaths worldwide, ensuring accurate and efficient toxicity testing standards, or mitigating the global risks of bird flu, a proper regard for animal welfare must be at the heart of good public policy. Today, a range of actors in the political, corporate, non-profit and other sectors are coming to terms with the ethical, scientific, and policy-focused challenges presented by the protection of animals as a rising social concern.
Read the full remarks by Wayne Pacelle.
