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An Advocate for Animals
| New Mexico's laws are becoming more animal-friendly |
by DEBORAH TORZA
Animal advocate Elisabeth Jennings, 47, has worked many years to change people’s attitudes toward animals in New Mexico. She is responsible for mobilizing many groups and legislation to change the way animals are treated.
For Jennings, helping animals is a way of life and she encourages others to do the same.
Elisabeth Jennings was born in northern New York in the Adirondack Mountain region. Even as a child she had a strong affinity for animals. Jennings recounts a story that says plenty about what led her toward the life she would embrace.
When she was 8 years old, the family went on a road trip. They stopped off a highway to visit a roadside zoo. Jennings came upon a porcupine that was in a small circular pin that was guarded by a cinderblock wall. She noticed that a boy began to throw rocks at the porcupine and there was no place for it to hide, so she got angry and chased the boy away.
“Why someone would do that is unimaginable to me, but even as a child, I always had the tendency to stick up for the underdog and there’s no bigger underdog than animals,” Jennings said.
Her passion for animals grew. By high school she was writing an article for the school paper about animals. She remembers writing and article about people who would chase animals with snowmobiles.
Looking back, Jennings attributes the love for animals to her parents.
“Our family used to always take in strays. My parents taught us to be kind and always stand up for what you believe in,” Jennings said.
After she graduated from high school, Jennings attended Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges and received a degree in physics. After that, she attended Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. and earned her second degree in civil engineering. She worked as an engineer in the private sector for 10 years.
While she was working as an engineer on the east coast in Frederick, Md., she volunteered for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, more formally known as PETA, in the early 1980s. She would spend her weekends in Washington, D.C. participating in protests. In 1984, she became a vegan. Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind.
In 1987, Jennings moved to New Mexico. While she was here she began to volunteer with Sangre De Cristo Animal Protection. After six years, she then became a member of the board, which allowed her to be more active. Soon after, she became president of the board.
In 1993, she found a donor who was willing to give a pledge that would allow her to get paid for her work, so she quit her job and became a full-time advocate for Sangre de Cristo Animal Protection.
When Jennings first came on board as an employee there was hardly any animal-friendly laws in New Mexico.
One of the first bills she worked on was a pound seizure bill in 1989. During this time, the Albuquerque shelter was selling its excess animals to research labs. The bill never passed, but a city ordinance stopped that practice from continuing.
In 1995, she began to aggressively lobby the legislators on a horse tripping bill. Current Attorney General Gary King sponsored when he was a state legislator.
Horse tripping is a Mexican rodeo tradition. During horse tripping events, contestants score points by tripping horses, cattle or steer. Mexican cowboys or “Charros” use electric prods to force the animals into full gallop and then lasso their hind legs or forelegs, causing the animals to come crashing down to the ground. Charros will continue to trip the animals until they are lame.
Thousands of American horses are severely injured and are then sent to horse slaughters.
Since the legislation passed, King and Jennings have continued to work together on animal issues across the state.
“Lisa has the ability to gather people from often disparate general viewpoints and unite them into coalitions to support a specific cause: that skill and her hard work make her very influential in animal protection efforts. I have worked with Lisa on legislation that benefited animals, so her concern for them is easily quantified in the results,” King said.
Horse tripping was just a start for Jennings, but one of Jennings most difficult bills that was the ban on cockfighting. For nearly 20 years, animal advocates worked to ban cockfighting in New Mexico.
Jennings was told that the bill to ban cockfighting was the third rail of politics, which means these bills are very controversial. She was encouraged to not take on this Goliath, so she invested in a poll to see how New Mexican citizens really felt about cockfighting.
Albuquerque-based Research and Polling, Inc. conducted the 2001 poll, and the results showed that 81 percent of New Mexicans didn’t want cockfighting in this state. This poll and its results were something that was tangible to wrap the anti-cockfighting campaign around. It helped when legislators had proof that constituents wanted to ban cockfighting in their communities.
In 1999, House Minority Whip Joe Thompson sponsored the bill to pass a ban on cockfighting.
“Lisa Jennings is a rare breed: smart, tough, committed and yet unflinchingly pragmatic. She gets results without sacrificing her essence. She is the ultimate advocate,” Thompson said.
After many years of battles at the Legislature, Gov. Bill Richardson signed the 2007 bill that banned cockfighting in New Mexico. It was a big victory to Jennings. She believes that the success was due to the Catholic Church’s endorsement, the support of the governor, legislators, domestic violence advocates and law enforcement who all worked together to build the momentum to get the bill passed.
Jennings believes that the future for animals in New Mexico is looking bright. She has never seen a time where animals have become so important to people.
“I would like to see that we take on issues that really demonstrate to people that what is good for animals is better for the community,” she said.
Jennings would like to continue to work in conjunction with law enforcement on animal cruelty issues.
She said she has learned a lot from being an advocate. Jennings is a firm believer of giving back to your community, whether it’s volunteering at animal shelters, homeless shelters, churches or any other area where help is needed.
“Be grateful and have a grateful heart. Expose yourself to others who aren’t as lucky as you. If you get outside your world, it will allow you to feel powerful and effective,” she said.
Written
April 24, 2008
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Cockfighting Facts
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson signed legislation on March 12, 2007 that outlawed cockfighting in New Mexico.
Cockfighting is a centuries-old blood sport in which two or more specially bred birds, known as gamecocks, are placed into an enclosed space to fight – primarily for the purpose of gambling and entertainment.
The legislation was introduced by Sen. Mary Jane Garcia (D-Dona Ana), and Animal Protection of New Mexico partnered with her to get the legislation passed.
A cockfight usually results in the death of one or both of the birds. Common injuries include punctured lungs, broken bones, and pierced eyes. The birds are usually fitted with razor-sharp steel blades or with gaffs, which resemble three-inch long, curved ice picks. These artificial spurs are designed to puncture and mutilate the opposing bird.
Law enforcement raids across the country reveal that gambling is the norm at cockfights. Thousands of dollars are exchanged between spectators and the animal owners. Firearms and other weapons are present at the fights due to the large amount of cash present at the events. Many times illegal drugs are also found at the events. According to the Humane Society of the United States, drug enforcement agents often learn about animal fighting operations as a result of narcotics investigations.
Children are also present at the fights. It is believed that this exposure to these types of fights can promote insensitivity toward animal suffering, an enthusiasm for violence, and gambling. Watch video of a cockfight on
Why Veganism?
Veganism is a lifestyle and philosophy that excludes the use of animals from food, clothing, or any other products. Animal products include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, honey, fur leather, wool, and silk.
The common reasons of why people practice veganism are for moral convictions concerning animal rights and the environment.
People who turn to veganism to preserve the environment believe that veganism consumes fewer resources and causes less environmental damage then an animal-based diet. Animal farming is linked to climate change, water pollution, and land degradation.
The United Nations released a report that links animal agriculture to environmental damage. Livestock contributes to the most serious environmental problems. It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases at 18 percent, while passenger vehicles are responsible for 12 percent.
Find good vegan recipes on The Humane Society of the United States’ Web site: www.hsus.org in the search column, type vegan. |
