I’m not one to watch a whole lot of news; however, I do read the newspaper and subscribe to a few newsletters regarding the different sectors in agriculture. Perhaps one of the biggest stories in the past week was the resignation of Wayne Pacelle, now the former CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The resignation comes came after pressure from donors following an internal investigation of HSUS which identified three complaints of sexual harassment by Pacelle.
For those of you that remember back in 2010, Pacelle brokered a deal with Governor Strickland to remove an animal welfare issue from the ballot and maintain the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. Most of us will remember Mr. Pacelle as an activist that staunchly opposed animal agriculture and revenue generator for the organization that was described once to me as, “PETA in suits”. While agriculture says ‘good riddance’ to Mr. Pacelle, I do think this is an opportune time to reflect on the 2010 landmark deal and the regulations since passed by the Livestock Care Standards Board. Continue reading