'Mutts' comic creator campaigns in strips for Prop. 2

 

The statewide campaign to improve conditions for California's farm animals moves from the news section to the funny pages this week.

The creator of the syndicated comic strip "Mutts" sends his farm animal characters to the streets to ask voters for better living conditions.

Patrick McDonnell devotes his strip this week to messages he hopes will sway voters to vote "yes" on Proposition 2, which sets size standards for cages housing hens, veal calves and breeding pigs. The New Jersey artist is on the board of the Humane Society of the United States, the major backer of the proposition.

The eight-day series depicts chickens, calves and pigs going door to door. In the opening strip, a chicken asks a man for "some sun and a little piece of Earth."

Mutts, seen in 700 newspapers, often carries anti-cruelty messages, and the state's proposition is the latest theme in the series.

Earlier this year, L.A. Unleashed also told you about McDonnell's book that features his comic strips alongside the stories of animals adopted from shelters.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

Photo: Los Angeles Times archives

Comments

[Marian Hussenbux]

Many thanks to Patrick McDonnell for his Mutt cartoons in support of Proposition 2.
The members of Quaker Concern for Animals in Britain are very much hoping that this compassionate motion will succeed and that other states will emulate this excellent Californian proposition.

[Chris Lewis]

Editorial endorsing Prop 2
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/opinion/09thu3.html?ref=opinion

LTE's concerning the editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/lweb13animals.html?ref=opinion or

To the Editor:

The American Veterinary Medical Association urges California voters to think
twice before voting on Proposition 2. Just because something sounds good on
the surface does not necessarily make it a wise decision.

While well intended, Proposition 2 is primarily based on emotion and not on
a thorough scientific evaluation of all factors that contribute to animal
well-being.

For example, while Proposition 2 would provide greater freedom of movement,
it would very likely compromise other factors necessary to ensure the
overall welfare of the animals, especially with regard to protection from
disease and injury.

To protect the welfare of the animals as well as the safety of America’s
food supply, the A.V.M.A. calls for a thorough review of housing
alternatives and the limitations that might be imposed by Proposition 2.

Unless experts in veterinary medicine and animal behavior are involved in
the implementation, we fear Proposition 2 could ultimately harm the very
animals it strives to help.

Ron DeHaven
Chief Executive
American Veterinary Medical Association
Schaumburg, Ill., Oct. 9, 2008

[Sari Reznick]

What is wrong with emotion? Is it worse that profit at the expense of the health and of animals? I find the American Veterinary Association caveat against Prop 2 to be very vague. How can the current practices regarding battery cages be worse than what Prop 2 proposes? I do not want California to lose jobs, but agribusiness has until 2015 to re-engineer.

[Kadia]

Prop 2 is, quite simply, the right thing to do. It is the LEAST that the animals we use for food deserve.

The industrialized egg industry has become consistently worse in terms of animal welfare. Voluntary standards and attempts to pass legislation have not worked. That's why voters must stand up to fight animal abuse directly.

There is clear evidence that Prop 2's standards will benefit animal welfare, food safety, and the environment, as well as evidence that coverting to the new standards need not be costly. (An CA egg industry economist estimated it would cost about 1 penny per egg to go cage free.) Since many of the producers opposing Prop 2 already have cage free operations, and since we already import nearly half of our eggs, the claims of catastrophe ring false.

Prop 2 is endorsed by veterinarians, the Center for Food Safety, the Pew Commission on Industrial Agriculture, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Sierra Club, family farmers, religious leaders, and more.

Learn the truth--and the myths--at YesonProp2.org.

[DCF]

Patrick McDonnell will be in Los Angeles this weekend to support Prop. 2: attend and have your 'Mutts' books signed, and view art for sale to benefit the Prop. 2 effort.

Three special events will be held at Jack Gallery in Los Angeles, located at 3rd and Fairfax on the plaza between Farmers Market and The Grove. In conjunction with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a public book signing and art showing is scheduled for October 17, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. In addition, an exhibition benefiting the YES! on Prop 2 campaign to stop animal cruelty will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on October 18. On the night of October 18, an exhibition hosted by Michael Markarian, Executive Vice President of The Humane Society of the United States, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for select invitees and HSUS supporters. Patrick McDonnell will be in attendance for each event.

[Chris]

There are many family farmers who use hen cages to provide safe and healthy food for my family and yours. I don't raise hens but I know hens housed in this manner are free from the pecking order of the flock, do not have to worry about becoming a coyote’s dinner and receive the best of food, clean water and the proper care when needed. Chickens raised in Free Range will eat almost anything, including manure. Of course, this manner of production is far more expensive than caged operations. My family can not afford free range products and I am thankful there are farmers who care about providing me safe and healthy food that I can afford to eat. If we force all farmers to farm in this manner, there will be fewer animals raised in this country for food. Our food will be imported and there will not be safety standards in place to protect our food supply. The true goal of this Prop 2 is to make this country a meat free society, this is the first step. Look how expensive our oil is and we depend on foreign countries for oil, do we want our food coming from foreign lands too? Look at the pet food scare with China last year.