Animal History Museum to Open in Burbank, California

Opening in April, the Animal History Museum’s mission is dedicated to understanding and celebrating the human-animal bond.

The human-animal Bond is the dynamic relationship between people and animals in that each influences the psychological and physiological state of the other. 

“Like the way natural history museums explore fossils and science, we’ll explore interactions and relationships,” says museum founder and Executive Director, Amy Breyer. “People throughout all civilizations have long understood that humans can and do form deep, meaningful relationships across species. For most of recorded history, that relationship has been marginalized. But that’s changing. More and more, cultural norms are acknowledging – and laws are starting to catch up to – what many people have known intuitively.”

Permanent exhibit plans include:

• The human-animal bond
• Animals and intelligence
• The history of animals throughout society
• Animals in art, literature, TV, film and pop culture
• The development of animal welfare, rights and law
• Plant-based food trends
• Animals and religion.

Exhibit categories are structured to recognize that human and (non-human) animal lives are intertwined, rather than how animals are traditionally categorized - by their usefulness (ie: farm, wildlife, research, companion) to humans.

The Animal History Museum will occupy 5,300 square feet of space in the Burbank Town Center, a shopping and dining destination in the Los Angeles area.

Quebec Bill Deems Animals Sentient Beings

Last June the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) ranked Quebec as 12th out of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories based on their animal protection laws. ALDF considered Quebec to be “the best province in which to mistreat an animal.”

Quebec animals are now considered “sentient beings” instead of property. The Minister of Agriculture, Pierre Paradis is hoping to change Quebec’s reputation. Bill 54 has the goal of “enshrining animals in Quebec’s Civil Code as sentient beings — that is, feeling and sensing life forms — with their own “biological imperatives,” and not as “furniture” or other movable assets.” The bill highlights the desire of Quebec’s government to punish animal cruelty and is modeled after European legislation (legislation identity was not revealed). Bill 54 has also taken into consideration the animal protection laws in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Ontario.

Fines for those that commit offenses against animals have doubled and range from $500 CDN to $250,000 CDN. Offenders may also receive up to 18 months in prison. Quebec Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee said, “Bill 54 is written in a way that reflects how legislation positively evolves in response to society’s own advancements.”

l’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) said that the bill provides flexibility to allow for currently accepted farming practices within the national codes of practice for livestock care and husbandry. UPA said, “[The bill] demonstrates increased public concern, both in Quebec and elsewhere, for the well-being of animals, and that the public wants assurance of humane practices in housing, shipping and slaughter of livestock, as well as safe and responsibly-produced food. For Quebec producers, mistreating an animal, regardless of the circumstances, is an unacceptable action and should be strongly reprimanded.”

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CBC's Tooth and Claw Airs the Final Episode

Questions about animals and the views people have about animals were collected over the summer and presented to Hal Herzog and Susan Orlean during this final episode of Tooth and Claws. Celebrated biologist Frans de Waal gets the final word!

Listen to the Episode