YES on Proposition 127 | Episode 68

The episode comes from a webinar hosted by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy relative to the Yes on Prop 127 | Cats Aren’t Trophies ballot initiative in Colorado.

The two groups are members of a broad coalition supporting the initiative, which would make illegal the cruel, inhumane, and unsporting practice of trophy-hunting mountain lions in the state. The practice is egregious because it uses packs of dogs equipped with telemetry devices to chase the cats up trees, where they remain terrified and unable to escape until a “hunter” shoots them down just to mount them as trophies.

Hosted by Joseph Grove from the Animal Wellness Podcast, the event featured several guests. Wayne Pacelle is the founder and president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. The Non-Profit Times has named him seven times as one of the nation’s top 50 non-profit executives, and he is the author of two NYT bestselling books about animals and animal welfare. Wayne has led efforts to pass 1,500 state laws for animals, more than 100 federal laws and amendments, 30 ballot initiatives, and 500 corporate agreements.

Samantha Miller leads our Yes on 127/Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign and is Colorado state director for Animal Wellness Action. Her previous roles include Government Affairs Specialist for Miller Public Policy; Executive Director for Washington Wildlife First, and Wildlife Coexistence Campaigner for WildEarth Guardians.

Dr. Jim Keen is the head of veterinary sciences for the Center for a Humane Economy. He worked as a veterinary infectious disease and public health researcher at the USDA in Nebraska and at the University of Nebraska for more than 30 years. Over the past decade has intensified his work as a proponent of sustainable agriculture and an advocate against livestock abuse. His current interests include working towards more animal-friendly agricultural-food systems and improving the welfare of industrial factory-farmed livestock and of animals used in biomedical or agricultural research.

The group discussed the necessity of making the change to Colorado law, the broad support behind the initiative, and the role of mountain lions as part of a stable ecosystem and as important checks against the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.