Protecting Animals

Congresswoman Lowey believes that the humane treatment of animals is among the responsibilities of a decent society.

Since coming to Congress in 1989, Rep. Lowey has compiled a nearly flawless record of support for the legislative objectives of the Humane Society of the U.S., Animal Humane Society, and others who support humane treatment of animals.  As a member of the Appropriations Committee and Animal Protection Caucus, Congresswoman Lowey has:

• Supported robust funding for programs focused on biodiversity, conservation programs, climate change, and combating wildlife poaching and trafficking;
• Fought to ensure that federal funds are not used for inappropriate animal research or experimentation;
• Cosponsored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Act, which was signed into law, to strengthen enforcement of provisions that protect against animal fighting;
• Cosponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act to end cosmetics testing on animals; and
• Introduced the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act, to end to the use of steel-jaw leghold traps on our nation’s wildlife refuges.

Congresswoman Lowey has also cosponsored legislation that would:

• End the slaughter of horses for human consumption;
• Establish a federal grant program to assist domestic violence shelters in providing emergency shelter to families with pets;
• Enact tougher regulations for puppy mills;
• Ban the sale of “crush” videos that depict animals being tortured; and
• Toughen sentencing guidelines for dog fighting crimes.