Bill aims to halt largest commercial slaughter of native wildlife in the world for soccer cleats

SALEM, OREGON, UNITED STATES, January 23, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Center for a Humane Economy, Animal Wellness Action, and the Animal Wellness Foundation applauded Senator Floyd Prozanska, D-Eugene, for introducing new legislation that takes direct aim at Nike for its role in the world’s largest commercial slaughter of wildlife to make soccer shoes. The bill is SB 764.

Nike and other footwear manufacturers are responsible for driving the nighttime shoots that kill up to 2 million kangaroos a year, just so the companies can use the skins for soccer cleats.

"It’s unconscionable that millions of native wild animals in Australia have been killed for the sake of high-end soccer cleats worn by a subset of elite soccer players,” said Prozanski, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I understand this legislation may have financial impact on some Oregon shoe manufacturers, but in the balance Oregon should be standing on the humane side of this issue. There are other materials that can be used in making these high-end cleats.”

The vast majority of soccer players, including professional players, wear cleats made from synthetic materials, with kangaroo-skin (or “k-leather” as it is called by manufacturers) comprising just a small fraction of the soccer-cleat market.

The bill is similar to a law in California that bans any sale of kangaroo products.

“Nike and other shoe companies know that synthetic shoes sell far better than kangaroo-based shoes, but the companies persist in offering these shoes and at the same time tout their supposed animal-welfare and environmentally friendly policies,” said Scott Beckstead, who lives in Sutherlin, Ore., and is director of campaigns for the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action. “Commercial exploitation of the killing of millions of kangaroos, including joeys in their mothers’ pouches, is wasteful, inhumane, and a breach of the values of most Oregonians.”

Beckstead noted that in 2016, Oregon voters by overwhelming margins passed Measure 100, which outlawed the trade in endangered animal parts and products. Beckstead said the new bill “aligns neatly with that wildlife-trade-related ballot measure.”

“It’s time for these shoe manufacturers to evolve their business model to eliminate extreme animal cruelty in their product offerings,” said René Tatro, a board member of the Center for a Humane Economy who has long been active in Oregon on wildlife protection issues. “We commend Sen. Prozanski for introducing the bill and hope Oregon lawmakers will take swift action to pass it into law.”

So far, lawmakers in Connecticut and New Jersey have introduced similar legislation to stop the trade in kangaroos. In the last Congress (just concluded), U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., introduced national legislation to ban any trade in kangaroo parts in the U.S.

The organizations are referring to the new Oregon legislation, SB 764, as the No Inhumane Kangaroo Exploitation Act, or the NIKE Act.

ABOUT
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty. The group champions causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife, and it advocates against dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty. It also confronts factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, Animal Wellness Action promotes enacting good public policies and monitors the enforcement of those in place. To enact good laws, the group believes citizens must elect good lawmakers, and it helps educate voters on which candidates care about animal issues as well as those who are hostile to them. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all.

Animal Wellness Foundation is a Los Angeles-based private charitable organization whose mission is to help animals by making veterinary care available to everyone with a pet, regardless of economic ability. The group organizes rescue efforts and medical services for dogs and cats in need and help homeless pets find a loving caregiver. The Foundation advocates for getting veterinarians to the front lines of the animal welfare movement; promoting responsible pet ownership; and vaccinating animals against infectious diseases such as distemper. They also support policies that prevent animal cruelty and alleviate suffering. The Animal Wellness Foundation believes helping animals helps us all.

Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all.

Scott Beckstead
Center for a Humane Economy
+1 541-530-3460
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.