Humane Society Mourns Death of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd

[Beringia]

The HSUS awarded its highest honor to Byrd in 2008 for lifelong commitment to improving animal welfare





The Humane Society of the United States joins in mourning the death today of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., who was a leader on animal protection issues and a man who spoke frequently on the topic on the Senate floor, grounding his concern for animals on a Christian conviction of stewardship and responsibility.

"There was no one in Congress ever like Senator Byrd, a man who used his seniority in the Senate and his gifts of oration to make a commanding moral and legal case for animal protection," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "He condemned the increasingly barbaric treatment of animals in industrialized agriculture, and spoke of a Christian responsibility to be decent and merciful to all of God's creatures. We are deeply saddened by the loss of this great champion and friend of animals."

He spoke on the Senate floor on many occasions about the need for improved moral consideration of animals. In 2001, he said, "Let us strive to be good stewards and not defile God's creatures or ourselves by tolerating unnecessary, abhorrent and repulsive cruelty." In that same year, he commented, "Our inhumane treatment of livestock is becoming widespread and more and more barbaric."

He was the leading advocate for more vigorous enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and also a powerful voice to end the slaughter of "downed" animals too sick and injured to walk. He led the way on increased funding to ensure viable oversight of the Animal Welfare Act and other key laws. He won enactment of a measure to allow the adoption of horses no longer used by the U.S. Border Patrol and other federal agencies, and provisions calling on the Department of Defense to rethink its use of live primates for training related to chemical and biological agents. He was also a leader on efforts to end the cruel slaughter of horses for food, winning a decisive floor vote that aided in the closure of horse slaughterhouses, and introducing legislation to increase protections for wild horses from cruel roundups and commercial sale and slaughter.

In 2008, The HSUS presented Byrd with its highest honor, The Joseph Wood Krutch Medal, for his work to improve animal welfare. Other recipients have included U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, Jane Goodall, James Herriot and Richard Leakey. The award is named after Joseph Wood Krutch (1893-1970), a distinguished public intellectual who devoted his last years to defending nature and animals. The award recognizes individuals who have made a "significant contribution toward the improvement of life and the environment."


http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/06/senator_byrd_remembered_062810.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. he was a man of many facets. He was an admirable and awe-inspiring man

even in his ability to see his own shortcomings.

[hlthe2b]

2. now THAT's a photo worth keeping.

Bless, Senator Byrd, you for your tireless support of our animals.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. K&R. Terrific thread, yet another reason to mourn him... ;(

And what a cute dog! :loveya:

Welcome to DU, Beringia! It's great to have you with us! :toast:

[Beringia]

4. Thanks n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

6. You're more than welcome!

Great post! :hi:

[ceile]

5. Thanks for posting this!

[shockra]

7. So Special.

I made a Memorial gift to a West Virginia Sanctuary in his honor.

http://www.pigs.org/default.asp

[Withywindle]

8. Byrd on dogfighting

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Speech_Following_the_Indictment_of_Michael_Vick_on_Dog-fighting_Charges

"Undercover investigators who have infiltrated dog-fighting rings have found blood-soaked dogs with life-threatening injuries that are left to die as soon as they're no longer able to compete. Undercover investigators have found dogs with ripped ears, torn lips, genitals dangling from their bodies, eyes swollen shut, and faces riddled with punctures so severe that they were barely able to breathe. How inhuman! How inhuman, how sadistic!

Dogs who survive a fight often die days or even hours after the fight from blood loss, shock dehydration, exhaustion or infection. What a shame, what a shame, what a shame! If the losing dog survives the ordeal, get this, it is usually so mangled that it is no langer, no longer of any use and therefore it is put to death, put to death. I seen a human being put to death for killing another human being. But why put a poor dog, poor dog, poor dog. If the losing dog survives the ordeal it is usually so mangled that it is usually no longer of any use. How sad, sad, sad. It is put to death.

Even the winner of a dog-fight commonly suffers from massive bleeding, ruptured lungs, broken bones, or other life-threatening injuries. The training of these poor creatures, weigh those words, the training of these poor creatures, weigh them, the training of these poor creatures to turn themselves into fighting machines is simply barbaric, barbaric, BARBARIC! BARBARIC! Let that word resound from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, from valley to valley, across this broad land, barbaric, barbaric. May God help, those poor souls, who'd be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me! Barbaric!

Such practices as starvation of the poor animal to encourage malice and beatings to build endurance are common. It involves teaching the dog to maul by using smaller animals such as cats or rabbits or small dogs as training bait. The results of this most cruel business reaches beyond the fighting ring itself. There are cases of dogs trained to kill that have broken loose and mauled human beings to death. It is reported that dog-fighters have often involved children in their bloody activities with severe damaging psychological impact. What a sin. What a sin! Studies have revealed that children exposed to dog-fighting activities develop a greater acceptance of aggressive activities and behavior. They are taught to believe that violence, violence is entertaining, and that it is okay to inflict the cruelties they have observed. Dog-fighting, reports the Houston Chronicle, simply breeds violence."

~end quote~

Please, if you want to donate to a charity in his name, Humane Society would be a good one; he would like that.

[shockra]

12. I'd put the WV Sanctuary at the top of my list a couple days ago...

for a donation, because it had been awhile. So I took that as a sign. :)

The Humane Society has gotten a couple donations from us already this year.

I found this about how Sen. Byrd being on the Appropriations Committee had been key in getting money directed towards animal welfare. He is going to be sorely missed.

http://www.hslf.org/press-releases/100406byrd.html

[Raine]

9. What a loss

I didn't even know he was such an advocate for animals. I'm even more saddened than I already was about losing him. :cry:

[Mimosa]

10. Wow. Thanks!

I didn't know that about Sen. Byrd. HSUS is my fave charity.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. Thanks for posting this thread. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

13. K&R!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

14. The heartbreaking, horrific deaths of the sealife and birds of the Gulf...

can imagine how Senator Byrd suffered with that knowledge