April 14, 2008 • Word On The Street [1] Email [2] Print [3]

There's a lot of confusion between animal welfare on one hand and the rights of people who are pet owners. For example, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area wants to keep dogs out of some areas to protect the Snowy Plover [4]. Unlimited access for dogs on the beach is not an animal welfare issue. Protecting the Snowy Plover's nesting grounds is.

If there's one big thing happening it would be that people are talking about it more, that is, animal welfare. The ideas are becoming more mainstream, such as thinking about the food on your plate and what suffering might have been involved in the production of that dinner.

J.R. Yeager
Animal welfare volunteer advocate and
former San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commissioner