The bills that would make it a crime to videotape and to show footage shot inside puppy and kitten mills and factory farms did not advance during the Minnesota Legislative 2011-2012 biennium. Read more here.

Ag-gag bills have been introduced in state legislatures around the country, and so far in 2012, ag-gag laws have been passed in Iowa and Utah. The demise of ag-gag legislation in Minnesota is something we should be very glad about, so let’s celebrate!

Let’s celebrate!

When: Wed, May 23, 2012

Time: 5-7pm

Where: The Bulldog N.E., 401 East Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Who: Anyone who wants to celebrate the demise of ag-gag in MN! Everyone is welcome

Hosted by: Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection, Compassionate Action for Animals, Humane Society of the United States, and Minnesota Humane Society

Cost: No charge to attend, cash bar and food available for purchase

Note on food: There are vegetarian and vegan items available at Bulldog NE! Vegan items include:  a ‘not dog’ ordered ‘Chicago style’ or with ‘Maxwell Street Polish’ fixings, portabella sandwich ordered without the cheese, Bavarian pretzels, fries, garden salad.  Buns are vegan. The black bean burger and the tater tots are vegetarian.

Mark your calendar for Wed, May 23, 2012. See you there!

On May 10, 2012, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned, marking the end of the 2011-2012 biennium. Minnesota’s ‘ag-gag’ bill was introduced in April, 2011, but did not progress during the biennium. Strong opposition, from many sectors in Minnesota, contributed to the demise of this legislation.

Thank you to all of you who contacted your Minnesota legislators in opposition to the ag-gag bill!

Undercover investigations will not be banned in Minnesota

May 10, 2012- The bills that would make it a crime to videotape and to show footage shot inside puppy and kitten mills and factory farms (SF 1118/HF 1369) were introduced in April 2011. The bills encountered stiff opposition from the media, the public, and many animal advocacy organizations, and did not advance during the 2011-2012 biennium. Read more here.

Bills similar to the one introduced in Minnesota have been introduced in states around the country (and passed in Iowa and Utah). This underscores the need for continued vigilance in Minnesota. If you have not yet, please take the time to let your state legislators know you oppose this type of legislation: Sign the online petition to keep humane undercover investigations legal in Minnesota.

Sparboe Farm Investigation

In 2011, Minnesota- based egg producer Sparboe Farms was the subject of an undercover investigation. Mercy for Animals’ investigation at several Sparboe farms in MN, IA, and CO, revealed unsanitary conditions and animal welfare concerns that prompted two responses.

First, companies, including McDonald’s, Target, Lunds, Byerly’s, and Sams’ Club severed their relationship with the supplier, thereby improving upon the safety of the food they were selling to consumers. Second, Sparboe Farms was prompted to conduct internal reviews and initiate worker trainings with the intention of improving animal welfare at its facilities.

The Sparboe Farms investigation is a local, timely, and important reminder of the importance of undercover investigations. These investigations help protect the safety of the food supply and the welfare of animals, and should not be made illegal.

Kathy Bauck Investigation

Photo courtesy of CAPS

The Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) has done extensive investigation, including undercover investigation, into the owner and operator of Pick of the Litter in Minnesota, Kathy Bauck. As a result of their undercover investigation in spring 2008, which showed sick, wounded, emaciated and dying dogs, a jury convicted Bauck in 2009 of animal cruelty and torture. In 2011 the United States Department of Agriculture permanently revoked her federal license.

The Bauck investigation is an example of how undercover investigations in Minnesota have exposed cruelty to animals that otherwise may have remained hidden. It reinforces the case that these types of investigations play a crucial role in protecting animal welfare, and should not be made illegal.

What is the ag-gag bill?

Senate File 1118 and House File 1369, also called Minnesota’s ‘ag-gag’ bills, would criminalize blowing the whistle on animal cruelty, food safety problems, or labor or environmental abuses inside puppy and kitten mills or factory farms by making it a crime to take video inside such facilities, or even for the news media to possess or distribute these images. Read more about MN’s ag-gag bill here.

Thanks to the advocacy of thousands of Minnesotans who spoke out against the ag-gag bill, the 2011-2012 legislative session has come to a close without any action taken on the bills since their introduction in April, 2011. Thank you!

Livestock expansions:  Boom or rebound? by Julie Buntjer

PIPESTONE — After a multi-year lull in livestock and facilities expansion in southwest Minnesota, area counties are seeing increased demand for special permits that allow farmers to build new barns and expand existing feedlots.

New Horizon Farm Pipestone

Stories about new building projects in Nobles County in recent weeks show that growth is taking place in the swine, dairy and cattle industries. The same seems to be happening in neighboring counties, as well.

In Murray County, zoning administrator Jean Christoffels said 13 livestock producers have either completed the public hearing process or are in the midst of it now. Swine barn expansion has been the most prevalent in Murray County, and the same can be said for building activity in Pipestone County.

Robert Taubert, managing partner for New Horizon Farms LLP, an 11,000-sow farrow-to-finish swine production operation with barns in Pipestone, Rock, Murray, Nobles and Lincoln counties, said the pork industry is showing a rebound after a period of downsizing that began in 2006.

Taubert said the reason for growth now stems from a multitude of factors. “Our export market keeps increasing, and (the pork industry) has improved demand on the product,” he said. “Corn is still the cheapest in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, and you can’t afford to haul feed around.”

Also leading to growth in livestock facilities is that sow productivity has increased two to three percent in the last six or seven years, Taubert said.

“You just need more facilities to put them in,” he added.

Read the full article here.

Thanks to each of you who made a donation to MVAP during the month of April! During April donations to MVAP were matched by a generous donor. Every dollar donated to MVAP in April (up to $1,000) was matched by a donation to our sister organization, Minnesota Animal Protection. We are especially pleased that many new people donated to MVAP during April.

Your donations enable us to monitor bills affecting animals in Minnesota, hold politicians accountable for their votes on animal bills, reach out to Minnesotans around the state, host events like Humane Lobby Day, and elect animal-friendly politicians to office. You have enabled MVAP to work even harder building a sustainable political presence for animals in Minnesota.

Thank you!

Dayna Bell

April 27, 2012

From Star Tribune article by Jim Adams

Advocates seek new laws after dog deaths

A Northfield, Minn., dog breeder charged with drowning more than a dozen dogs and puppies is under investigation by a federal animal inspection service, and animal activists say the case shows the need for state monitoring of commercial dog and cat breeders.

Dayna K. Bell, charged last week with 16 counts of felony animal cruelty in Dakota County, has been inspected three times since last September by federal inspectors who cited her for improperly euthanizing 10 dogs by drowning on Sept. 27.

Three of her employees called the Dakota County sheriff that day to report that she had drowned small dogs in buckets and in her swimming pool and had broken the neck of another, the complaint said.

Bell, 61, a breeder for decades, owns and operates Bell Kennels and Farm in Sciota Township northeast of Northfield.

Need for regulation?

Minnesota has no licensing or regulation of commercial dog and cat breeders, said Keith Streff, senior humane agent for the Animal Humane Society, based in Golden Valley. He said he has testified over the past five years at legislative hearings on breeder regulation bills backed by a coalition of humane societies and animal rescue and activist groups.

Such a bill was introduced in both houses of the Legislature this year, said Nancy Minion, leader of the groups backing it. Minnesota has “nothing proactive, like licensing inspections of breeders” as do Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska, Minion said. She said enforcing state animal humane laws would result in healthier dogs and cats in pet stores.

Chief House author Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, said the bill faces “an uphill climb” to get approved before the Legislature adjourns. He said that in recent years the measure often has been mired in agriculture committees, usually led by rural legislators whose constituents fear that the bill would affect their small-scale pet sales, which Lesch said isn’t the case.

Lesch cited the Dakota County case, if proven, as an example of why the law is needed. “Some people are irresponsible and need to be regulated to ensure they are following the same standards that everyone else follows,” Lesch said.

Read the full Star Tribune article here.

CBS News April 17, 2012

Dayna Bell

HASTINGS, Minn. (WCCO) – A Northfield, Minn. woman has been charged with 16 felony counts of animal cruelty after being accused of drowning dogs — both puppies and adults — and putting their corpses into her freezer.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Dakota County, 61-year-old Dayna Bell owns and operates Bells Kennels in Sciota Township.

Witnesses — who, according to the complaint, included some former employees at the kennel — contacted authorities in Dakota County after observing Bell killing puppies in an inhumane manner.

The complaint describes one witness arriving at work in 2011 and seeing that one dog had given birth to six puppies. Two of the puppies were already dead, and another two had severely injured legs. The witness said Bell put all four puppies in a bucket of water and put another weighted bucket on top of them.

Officers with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Department searched the property and found 10 small-breed dogs in a freezer chest. Each had been wrapped individually in plastic bags.

Bell said she didn’t know how those dogs got there, but admitted to drowning puppies in a bucket.

Bell is charged with 16 felony counts of animal cruelty. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine upon conviction.

Full story and video is here

March 28, 2012

There have been numerous bills introduced in 2012 proposing a season on wolves.

One of them, the 2012 Game and Fish bill, which includes provisions for wolf hunting and trapping seasons, including allowances for licensed trappers to take wolves by snare, could be debated by the full House after the House Ways and Means Committee recently approved the omnibus game and fish bill on a divided voice-vote.

The bill includes a $26 license for the opportunity to take one wolf — the same cost as a deer hunting license. Hunting seasons for both animals would be held simultaneously.

Prospective wolf hunters would pay a $4 fee to enter a lottery to receive a license. Up to 400 wolves, less than one-seventh of Minnesota’s estimated wolf population, could be taken, under the bill.

Also in the bill is a provision allowing road authorities to kill beaver that are causing damage without first notifying a DNR conservation officer, as is currently required.

Read the full article from the Session Daily here.