Missouri Dogs Big Winners in Election 2010

Voters came up big for animals in Missouri and Arizona yesterday, approving a measure to regulate Missouri puppy mills and defeating a proposal to give hunters and fish killers more power in Arizona.

It's still too close to call the Illinois governor's race. Republican Bill Brady is trailing Democrat Pat Quinn by only 8,000 votes -- although the chance of Brady pulling out a win is looking slim.

As a state legislator Brady sponsored a bill that would allow the mass euthanasia of dogs and cats in gas chambers, where animals watch their companions convulse and die and where some suffer slow, stressful deaths. After being hit with a torrent of criticism, Brady withdrew his sponsorship and another colleague picked it up, but the measure has been tabled.

Here's a rundown of animal-related measures from Election 2010:

Good for Animals

Missouri
Despite efforts by the Tea Party and Joe the Plumber to quash it, Missouri voters passed Prop B, a measure that limits breeders to no more than 50 breeding dogs. The state has 3,000 puppy mills -- the most of any state, according to The Humane Society of the United States. And the nation's largest puppy broker, The Hunte Corporation, is based in that state.

Arizona
Arizona voters gave a big win to animals by rejecting Prop 109. If it had passed, hunting and fishing rights would have been amended into the state constitution and hunting and fishing would have been the "preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife."

Oklahoma
Voters in Oklahoma narrowly approved a measure that makes it easier to get an initiative on the ballot. This change could be good if activists want to introduce a pro-animal proposal but bad if used by anti-animal people. Nevertheless I'm glad it passed.

Bad for Animals

North Dakota
Voters in North Dakota failed to pass a measure that would have banned captive hunting, such as game preserves where people pay to kill large animals.

Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee
A large percentage of voters in Arkansas (85%), South Carolina (89%) and Tennessee (90%) chose to amend their state constitutions to include the right to hunt and fish.

Thanks to everyone who voted on behalf of those who can't!

(Image courtesy of AnimalSlavery.net.)