Dean Florez for California Lt. Governor 2010: Commitment to Animal Welfare

“You can’t stand for your convictions if you always stand with the crowd.”
-Dean Florez

Animal Cruelty Database

As a strong advocate of animal welfare and protection, Dean supports better enforcement of existing animal welfare laws and will encourage stronger penalties for those convicted of animal cruelty. Experts have proven a strong correlation between violence against animals and incidents of domestic abuse. Dean recognizes this connection and wants protection from violence for both people and animals. If someone has been convicted of animal cruelty, Dean believes they should be prohibited from owning any animals in the future. An animal cruelty database could be an effective tool in preventing ownership of animals by convicted animal abusers.

Ending Puppy Mills

Dean will create a special state humane animal enforcement taskforce to crack down on the growing problem of companion animal overpopulation fostered by unlicensed puppy mills and backyard breeders who contribute to the homeless animal population and animal shelter euthanasia and who do not follow the most basic animal welfare regulations. Hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are spent every year catching, housing and euthanizing unwanted dogs and cats, so every effort must be made to humanely reduce the number of homeless pets through spay/neuter and stricter oversight of companion animal breeding.

Enforcing Prop. 2

Proposition 2 was a big step towards more humane treatment of farm animals in California. Dean supports a measure that will require all animal products purchased by the state be produced in compliance with Prop 2's requirements.

No Downed Animals

There is no room in California for those who profit by circumventing public health standards at an animal's expense. No longer will animals who are diseased and are dying be forced by cattle prods and bulldozers into slaughterhouses for greed and profit. Dean will ensure that California is a “Downed-Animal” free state by requiring the licensing of all slaughterhouse workers, implementing improved training and reporting requirements, and assessing hefty penalties for moving and processing any and all downed animals.

Dean was an ardent supporter of Proposition 2, the ballot initiative passed overwhelmingly by California voters to establish the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. The Act prohibits any confinement of farm animals that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs.

When the Humane Society of the United States revealed undercover video of slaughterhouse workers forcing cattle which could not stand on their own, a practice which is inhumane and poses a serious public health threat, Dean called those responsible to testify before the Senate Select Committee on Food-borne Illness. Based on the information garnered through those hearings, Dean pushed for video surveillance at California slaughterhouses and fought to make whole school districts who were the victims of the costs of the impending nationwide recall.