The Federal Budget in ‘14 Favors Furry Friends

Animal-welfare advocates have a few reasons to be pleased by the Obama administration as of late. The president’s more than $3 trillion annual spending plan, which goes into effect in 2014, will prevent the reinstatement of horse slaughter in the US by barring federal employees from working at horsemeat plants. The administration has also put pressure on Congress to allow the National Institutes of Health to allocate more funds to Chimp Haven. This would get more of the retired primates out of the laboratories and into a sanctuary. Lastly, according to The Humane Society of the United States, next year federal dollars may also go toward ensuring the humane treatment of companion animals, by closing a loophole that exempts online animal retailers from inspections and licensing requirements that normal pet stores are forced to get.