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Farm Bureau adopts policy favoring animal cruelty law

The South Dakota Farm Bureau adopted policy this weekend making it a felony to willfully torture animals. South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal tells Brownfield that animal rights groups have cited the state as the last in the Union to not prosecute such crimes as felonies.

“Should we define the issue and run some legislation through and change our law so it reflects that, or should we give an animal rights group a chance to come in here and basically run us over with whatever they want?” said VanderWal, in an interview with Brownfield Ag News, following the group’s policy setting session in Pierre Saturday. “We decided on the former, and it would be the best avenue to take there.”

The group’s policy includes language protecting commonly accepted agricultural production practices that would minimize unintended consequences, according to VanderWal.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau annual meeting ended Saturday.