Big Oregon ruling!

This from HSUS Oregon state director Scott Beckstead:
 
IMPORTANT RULING TODAY BY THE OREGON COURT OF APPEALS: The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that the emergency aid exception to the search and seizure warrant requirement applies to animals. This is a case that originated in Douglas County, Oregon, and involved Grace, the little brown mare who became a worldwide celebrity for her will to survive after being horribly abused. Combined with the ruling in State v. Nix, which held that individual animals are crime victims just like people, I must say Oregon courts are definitely moving in the right direction.... The case is State v. Fessenden.

West Hollywood fur ban takes effect today!

The City of West Hollywood leads the nation again!

Local merchants are outraged... yadda yadda yadda (meh, get over it!).  Read all about it in this L.A. Times article.

One Northern CA PD forges forward into the 20th century....

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the Merced Police Dept. is changing its policy from literally allowing officers to take "severely injured" animals out back to be shot... to requiring them to bring in a vet to determine whether the animal should be treated or euthanized (by injection).

This is a step forward, of course.  But it's mind-blowing (at least to me) to be reading this 13 years into the 21st century already.  You can read the article for yourself here.  Thanks to Ledy VanKavage for the heads-up on this one.