Local Residents and their Pets Gather to Stop Animal Torture Videos

Local Animal Lovers and their Pets joined Rep. Gary Peters, Humane Society Officials in Pressing for Ban on "Crush" Videos

Local animal lovers and their pets today joined U.S. Representative Gary Peters, Humane Society of the United States officials and directors of local animal shelters in Pontiac to fight to once again ban animal torture videos. So-called "crush" videos and other animal torture videos were previously banned by federal law but the Supreme Court struck down the statute in April. The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on Peters' new bill to once again outlaw animal torture videos this week. Local residents (with their pets) and animal protection leaders gathered in advance of the vote to voice their disdain for these abhorrent videos and discuss why this bill is necessary.

"As an animal lover and pet owner, I can't believe this sort of thing exists. It's so disturbing," said Barbara Hogan of Troy, accompanied by her Corgi mix, Barney. "Congress has just got to act and act now. There is no way we can allow this sort of thing to go on in our country."

"These animal torture videos are heinous, barbaric and completely unacceptable, and we're going to stop them once and for all," said Rep. Peters. "As a pet owner myself I believe animal torture is disturbing and has no place in a civilized society. The bill I've drafted addresses the Supreme Court's concerns so that we can once again outlaw these deplorable videos. The people who engage in this behavior shouldn't be profiting from it, they should be in prison."

"Congress should act swiftly to make sure the First Amendment is not used as a shield for those committing barbaric acts of cruelty, and then peddling their videos on the Internet," said Jill Fritz, Michigan State Director for the Humane Society of the United States. "We are grateful to Congressman Peters for working to protect animals from malicious acts of cruelty."

The federal government outlawed so-called "crush" videos--a type of sexual fetish video that show small animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits, even kittens or puppies being intentionally burned, drowned, suffocated or crushed to death by women wearing stiletto heels for sexual pleasure--in 1999. The Supreme Court, however, struck down that law earlier this year, saying the bills' broad wording may restrict First Amendment rights, meaning there is now no federal law prohibiting these videos. The Court indicated a more narrowly written bill could pass constitutional muster, and Rep. Peters has written such a bill and it will be before the full House for a vote this week. Peters bill would outlaw the production and distribution of any video depicting animal torture.

Estimates suggest that approximately 3,000 crush videos were in circulation, some selling for as much as $400, at the time the original law was established in 1999. The original law was considered to be generally effective at stopping crush videos. More than a decade later, with far more Internet users than there were during the 1990s, it is feared that the videos could become even more widespread than before if a bill like Peters' is not passed quickly.

B-roll excerpts of crush videos obtained by the Humane Society are available upon request. Contact Cullen Schwarz in Rep. Peters' office at 202-641-3781 for more information.

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