In 2004 Wayne Pacelle took over as the president of the Humane Society of the United States. His appointment has ruffled the feathers of several organizations who say that this Vegan doesn't just want to protect animals he wants to turn the food chain upside down.When talking about the people who oppose him, Pacelle is quoted by the Washington Post - "They all go wild on me," he says, adding that he has even received death threats. "My ex-boss . . . said you could tell a lot about a person by his friends and also by his enemies. I'm happy to have some of these people as my enemies."
The US Sportsman's Alliance calls him "enemy number one." The National Animal Interest Alliance says that he is a "wolf in sheep's clothing". All this because Pacelle has vowed to aggressively pursue the HSUS's goals. He's determined to stop the mistreatment of livestock, decrease the use of animals in research, protect wildlife and foster responsible pet care.
He says that for as long as he can remember, he's felt a sense of kinship and empathy toward animals. "Animals are different from us, but in a good way. They deserve not only our appreciation but also our respect," he says.
While attending Yale University in the mid-80's he made the trip to Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. While there he witnessed a pigeon shoot, a fund raising event by the local fire department. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw happening. Men lined up with guns, a few pigeons were released from cages and the men fired. After the birds dropped from the sky the children were encouraged to stomp on the birds and twist their necks. Not only was the event extremely violent, it indoctrinated the youth of the town by encouraging cruelty among the children.
Pacelle went back to Yale with a purpose. He started an animal advocacy group on campus and when he graduated he devoted himself to stopping animal cruelty.
He feels that since that time things are slowly getting better. There seems to be a shift in public opinion about the value of animals. In the last few years he's seen more than a dozen successful ballot initiatives, including the first ever ban on the use of gestation crates, as well as bans on leg-hold traps. More than a half dozen federal laws to protect animals have been passed, most recently the ban on interstate shipment of fighting birds and dogs.
Pacelle is proud of his testimony before Congressional committees on more than ten occasions. He's briefed them on topics such as canned bird hunts (the type Dick Cheney uses to hunt pheasants), the Animal Welfare Act, the exotic pet trade, cockfighting, bear baiting (leaving food for wild bears then shooting them while they eat), and dog fighting.
What does he see for the future? He figures all 50 states will one day treat animal cruelty and animal fighting as felonies, euthanasia of dogs and cats in shelters will dwindle, and the marketplace will diversify with humanely produced products. "I think we will see a real reduction in the number of people wearing fur and the number of major retailers selling fur," he says to the Washington Post. "We will see the end of wild animals in circus acts and the end of horse slaughter for human food. Humane sustainable agriculture, that should happen. So should phasing out animals used in research. As for the future of hunting as sport, he thinks we will see a steady decline in numbers, and we'll see the elimination of particularly extreme practices like canned hunts and baiting.
Pacelle writes articles on the HSUS website. Here is the link if you'd like to learn more about his views. There are links to the different articles at the bottom of the page. My hope is that he will continue to be successful in his fight for the welfare of animals on our planet.
