Missouri Farmers Care, a consortium of agricultural groups which successfully beat back two initiatives in the state supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is supporting similar efforts in North Dakota.

Missouri Farmers Care has been assisting the North Dakota Animal Stewards, a broad-based coalition that is opposing a misleading ballot initiative in North Dakota.

“Like they did with Proposition B in 2010 (HSUS initiative on puppy mills that would have shut down hundreds of family dog breeders in Missouri), HSUS is pushing a ballot initiative, Measure 5, which appears to help animals but in fact does little good for animal welfare in North Dakota,” says Missouri Farmers Care. “The same people who pushed Proposition B and the so-called ‘Your Vote Counts’ effort in Missouri (another HSUS initiative petition drive to make it harder for Missouri legislators to revamp or overturn laws created by voter-approved initiatives) moved to North Dakota to push Measure 5. The pro-Measure 5 Web site is even owned and operated by HSUS.”

Measure 5 applies only to dogs, cats and horses, but would limit North Dakota’s ability to shape its own animal care laws, according to North Dakota Animal Stewards.

North Dakota Animal Stewards is an impressive coalition of agricultural, veterinary, pet owner, sportsmen and animal-shelter groups that are opposed to Measure 5, while also working on comprehensive animal welfare legislation that has received input from many North Dakota stakeholders.

If Measure 5 passes, it would likely fail as North Dakota laws passed by initiative require a two-thirds supermajority from the North Dakota legislature to be amended in any way.

Learn more and support the North Dakota Animal Stewards by visiting www.NDAnimalStewards.com. Support the group on Facebook by clicking “Like” at http://www.facebook.com/NorthDakotaAnimalStewards.