Dear editor:
In the late 1800s, Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in response to the inhumane treatment of carriage horses in New York City.
Despite over a century of work by the ASPCA and other animal welfare organizations, a recent case of carriage horse abuse in New York highlights that we still have a long way to go to protect all animals from these horrific acts.
So when a legislator recently introduced a bill in Wyoming to exempt industries like carriage horses and rodeos from local ordinances designed to prevent cruelty and abuse, it raised concerns about unintentionally undermining both animal welfare and local control.
House Bill 0063, the Working Animal Protection Act, was introduced in Wyoming based on the false premise that the state’s rodeo and carriage industries are under threat.
In reality, this bill poses significant risks to animal welfare by granting broad protections to any animal-use enterprise without clear definitions or safeguards.
The bill is dangerously vague, failing to define what constitutes a "working animal" or a legitimate enterprise.
This opens the door to exploitation, from backyard breeders to roadside zoos. Worse, it could embolden bad actors in industries like puppy mills.
The bill is sponsored by the Cavalry Group, a national organization that has worked to defeat legislation aimed at curbing the cruel practices of puppy mills.
Wyoming’s already weak animal cruelty laws would be further weakened by HB0063, forcing local governments and nonprofit organizations to incur significant costs in response to these bad actors.
Currently, Wyoming’s enforcement of animal cruelty laws is minimal, and when cases do arise, local authorities often refuse to prosecute them due to lack of resources.
Furthermore, HB0063 strips local communities of the right to regulate industries that affect their welfare.
Local ordinances—such as the ban on commercial puppy sales in Rock Springs—would be overridden by this state-level legislation.
The bill's sponsor has failed to provide evidence of any local ordinances restricting rodeos, yet continues to claim it’s necessary to protect these industries from unjust local regulations.
The bill also hints at future amendments that could undermine zoning laws, such as those preventing agricultural operations from endangering public health by being located too close to water supplies.
It’s crucial to recognize that the push for this bill is rooted in an unfounded fear of animal rights activism.
As someone who has worked on animal welfare issues in Wyoming for over 20 years, I can assure you that our state’s animal welfare community — many of whom have deep ties to ranching and rodeo traditions — has no desire to dismantle the agricultural heritage central to Wyoming’s identity.
However, this bill’s ambiguity poses a very real threat to our equally cherished tradition of responsible animal stewardship.
Time is running out for Wyoming voters to contact their senators and ask them to vote no on HB0063. This bill threatens both our animals and our local communities, and we must ensure that our state’s laws protect the welfare of both.
Sincerely,
Britney Tennant
CEO, Cheyenne Animal Shelter
