The article highlights troubling setbacks in animal welfare enforcement, particularly regarding horse soring and farmed animal protections. Despite longstanding laws like Proposition 12, which the Supreme Court upheld, federal agencies including the USDA and DOJ are actively undermining these protections through lawsuits and regulatory delays. These agencies wrongly blame animal welfare laws for industry issues like high egg and pork prices, ignoring factors such as price fixing and disease outbreaks. Additionally, mixed messages from government officials—such as promoting trophy hunting while combating wildlife trafficking—reflect inconsistent and industry-influenced policies that fail to prioritize animal welfare.

The authors emphasize that elected officials must prioritize the public’s widespread support for comprehensive animal protection over special interests like the pork industry, horse soring advocates, and trophy hunting lobbies. They call on the USDA to enforce the Horse Protection Act fully by implementing updated rules that eliminate industry self-policing and establish federal oversight to end the cruel practice of soring horses. The article urges citizens to demand stronger federal action to protect all animals, reflecting the moral and practical obligations shared by millions of Americans.