Mutts, a blog by John Woestendiek of The Baltimore Sun


Both Democratic candidates have demonstrated compassion towards animals, but Hillary Clinton gets higher marks than Barack Obama on "The Humane Scorecard," the Humane Society Legislative Fund’s (HSLF) annual look at the voting records on animal welfare issues in the House and Senate.

As a U.S. Senator, Clinton received a 100 percent ranking by the HSLF for the 108th Congress and “100-plus” for the 109th Congress.

She has co-sponsored legislation dealing with horse slaughter, animal fighting and to crack down on abusive puppy mills. Obama scored 20 percent on the 2005 Humane Scorecard, 60 percent in 2006 and was expected to rank even higher in 2007. Since being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Obama has co-sponsored legislation to upgrade the penalties for dogfighting and cockfighting, and to ban the possession of fighting dogs.

As an Illinois state senator, Obama supported measures to allow the creation of pet trusts to provide for the long-term care of companion animals, ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, upgrade the penalties for cruelty to animals, require psychological counseling for people who abuse animals, and require that veterinarians report suspected acts of cruelty and animal fighting.

In response to a questionnaire sent out by HSLF, Clinton says she has supported every major animal protection bill in Congress and says she will work with executive agencies to implement humane policies and adequate funding and enforcement for animal welfare laws.

“I believe animal welfare is an important issue to Americans, and I would work to address these problems when I am president, as I have during my time in the Senate,” she wrote. “From preventing dog fighting to preventing horse slaughter to addressing global warming, I will work to ensure that these issues get the attention and support they deserve.”

In his questionnaire response, Obama pledges support for nearly every animal protection bill in Congress, and he says he will work with executive agencies to make their policies more humane. Obama also commented on the links between animal cruelty and violence in society:

"I've repeatedly voted to increase penalties for animal cruelty and violence and, importantly, to require psychological counseling for those who engage in this behavior as part of the punishment. In addition to being unacceptable in its own stead, violence towards animals is linked with violent behavior in general, especially domestic violence … As president, I'd continue to make sure that we treat animal cruelty like the serious crime it is and address its connection to broader patterns of violence."

While Clinton scores higher on the "Humane Scorecard," Obama comes out on top in the Animal Welfare Institute's "Compassion Index"

This year Clinton scored 33 percent, down from 67 percent last Congress. Obama scored 67 percent this year, up from 33 percent last year.

The Animal Welfare Institute is an international non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans.