Good news from New Hampshire on the Animal Welfare front:
"Governor John Lynch has signed into law House Bill 630, a humane proposal to outlaw greyhound racing in New Hampshire. New Hampshire now joins a majority of states where greyhound racing is illegal.My favorite framework for thinking about policy issues is to define the interests at stake and then weigh them. The best policy minimizes harm to all of the competing interests while advancing the benefit. In this case, we would weigh the interests of (1) animal welfare against (2) entertainment. Thus, while it's true that greyhound racing isn't as cruel as other animal exploitations like industrial farming practices, it is weighed against a very arbitrary benefit and some animals are inevitably injured, euthanized, or sold to research labs during their careers. There are countless ways to entertain ourselves, but only so many types of food to eat. Similarly arbitrary forms of animal exploitation include circuses and cosmetic testing on animals.
"This is a victory for everyone in the state who cares about animals. It sends a clear message that we will not tolerate cruelty, regardless of whether the perpetrator is an individual or a profit-driven industry.
"Greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane. At New Hampshire racetracks thousands of dogs endured lives of terrible confinement and many suffered serious injuries. According to state records, nearly 1,200 greyhounds were injured in New Hampshire since 2005, including dogs that suffered broken legs, paralysis, and head trauma."
My dog's not a greyhound, but she is a chocolate lab and hound mutt mix (and adorable):
