Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act Reintroduced to Protect Wildlife and Pets on Public Lands aalberg Tue, 06/24/2025 - 14:42 photo courtesy of AWI June 24, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act, reintroduced today in the US House of Representatives by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). This bill would prohibit the use of archaic body-gripping traps within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), with limited exceptions. Body-gripping traps include steel-jaw leghold traps, Conibear traps, and snares.“Why should anyone—people, companion animals, or wildlife—have to fear stepping into a bone-crushing trap while enjoying our nation’s beautiful wildlife refuge system?” said Susan Millward, AWI’s executive director and CEO. “Public lands belong to all of us—not just the select few who wish to set traps that smash limbs or agonizingly strangle airways. Thank you to Representative Nadler for your commitment to ending the use of cruel traps in our country’s refuges.”“When Americans visit their local National Wildlife Refuges, most expect to enjoy nature without worrying that they—or their pets—will fall victim to a dangerous trap,” Nadler said. “However, trapping is still allowed in many of the more than 570 refuges across the country, putting people, pets, and endangered species in danger of serious injury. These cruel devices have no place on protected public lands, and my bill will make sure our refuges are safe from this inhumane practice.”The purpose of these protected lands is clear: to be a refuge where native wildlife can thrive and all Americans can enjoy our great outdoors. The NWRS contains one of the most diverse collections of fish and wildlife habitats in the world and provides a home for more than 380 endangered species. Yet nearly half of these refuges allow trapping. Body-gripping traps are inhumane and inherently nonselective, meaning they indiscriminately injure and kill nontarget animals.These brutal traps endanger not only wild animals but also the pets of millions of visitors who spend time in the nation’s refuges each year. There have been a number of incidents in which pets have been killed. In December 2022, for example, a three-year-old Shetland sheepdog died after her neck was caught in a Conibear trap near a wooded trail in Vermont—the state’s 13th incident of a pet being caught in a trap that year.To learn more about this issue, please visit https://awionline.org/content/refuge-cruel-trapping-act. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

AWI Statement on Trump Administration’s Plan to Reduce Animal Experimentation Amid Attack on Science aalberg Wed, 06/18/2025 - 14:42 photo by Jo-Anne McArthur/Te Protejo/We Animals Media June 18, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds recent announcements by the National Institutes of Health and the US Food and Drug Administration about their plans to reduce the use of animals in research and testing.At the same time, however, the Trump administration has moved to cut funding for a wide swath of research—including innovative nonanimal alternatives—and dramatically reduce the number of scientists, veterinarians, and others in the federal workforce who have a role in protecting animal welfare. These moves call into question the feasibility of proposals by the NIH and the FDA to reduce animal use, and raise serious concerns about the potential impacts on animal welfare and science more generally. Indeed, the administration’s actions appear to be at cross-purposes with its purported goals. Replacing animal models with nonanimal ones requires robust funding for research and a sufficient number of scientists to carry out the work.The administration’s actions are more consistent with an anti-science agenda than a pro-animal one. A government dedicated to alleviating animal suffering would increase funding for nonanimal alternatives, not halt progress at labs advancing those technologies. It would form plans to rehome the animals currently in the system and increase protections, oversight, and regulations at the federal level. And it would allocate more—not fewer—resources for research aimed at managing and preserving threatened and endangered species. Instead, animals and some research into animal-replacing technologies have become collateral damage in the administration’s larger assault on science.In recent months, the administration has engaged in a multipronged strategy to drastically cut funding for scientific research by capping, canceling, or delaying funds provided by national funding agencies, including the NIH—the largest funder of biomedical research in the world. The administration has canceled research grants on specific topics it deems controversial. In addition, it announced that dozens of universities are currently “under investigation,” and it has already frozen or canceled billions of dollars in federal funding to several of those universities for failing to comply with the administration’s demands, which vary from institution to institution. Among the current casualties of this funding freeze is research at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute, which pioneered the most promising technology for replacing animals in tests and experiments: organ-on-a-chip. Much of that research relied on federal funding.All told, the administration has terminated at least $9.5 billion in research grants, and many of these actions remain embroiled in litigation. Further research cuts are included in the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, such as slashing scientific funding across the board and reducing the budgets of the NIH and the National Science Foundation by roughly 40% and 55%, respectively. Already, the administration has fired or pushed out significant portions of the federal scientific workforce, including an estimated one-eighth of employees at the NIH and nearly 20% at the FDA. International toxicology experts have declared that the administration’s actions will “throw public health and safety back to the stone age of safety science,” and could significantly impede the advancement of nonanimal models.Replacing animals in laboratories entirely will require more innovative research, not less. This is because nonanimal models are still in the early phases of development, especially for “basic” research. This includes exploratory studies meant to advance general scientific knowledge, such as understanding the progression of disease, which comprise the bulk of research funded by the NIH. Nonanimal models are further along in regulatory testing programs, including those overseen by the FDA.In the meantime, millions of animals remain in laboratories across the country, their welfare and lives hanging in the balance. The administration has threatened to drastically reduce the amount of funds provided for “indirect costs” at universities. Indirect costs cover, in part, animal welfare-related expenses such as enrichment programs, facility upgrades, ethical reviews and approval of study protocols, semiannual inspections, and salaries for animal care staff. Hundreds of animals have already been euthanized in laboratories, and many more remain at risk. Animals who are not euthanized will likely face lower standards of care and oversight.For instance, the administration has already drastically reduced the US Department of Agriculture’s workforce, including employees tasked with enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) via its Deferred Resignation Program; further workforce reductions are anticipated. The USDA has a long history of failing to adequately enforce the AWA, due in part to insufficient staff. Continued loss of personnel and a renewed emphasis on deregulation will only exacerbate the situation, further diminishing the scant protections in place for animals in laboratories. This could result in even more violations of animal welfare laws and regulations—with less accountability.AWI strongly supports a thoughtful, science-based transition to nonanimal methodologies, both to advance science and reduce animal suffering. However, it is difficult to celebrate perceived wins for animals in laboratories in this uncertain climate—when the administration’s evolving plans could jeopardize their welfare, and public health and environmental protection research that may benefit all animals (human and nonhuman) screeches to a halt. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

Yahoo! Japan Sells Polluted Whale and Dolphin Meat Products to Unsuspecting Consumers aalberg Mon, 06/16/2025 - 08:53 photo by EIA June 16, 2025 London—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and an international coalition of animal protection and environmental groups are calling on Yahoo! Japan and its parent company, the LY Corporation, to stop selling products containing whale and dolphin meat after a new investigation found high levels of toxins in some of the nearly 1,000 cetacean food items available for purchase on the massive search engine and web portal.In January, Yahoo! Japan’s shopping site listed 963 food products derived from whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans), including 58 pet food products containing whale meat, according to a new report by the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).These products come from multiple small and large cetacean species, primarily hunted domestically by Japan but also imported from Iceland and Norway, helping to prop up a damaging industry for whales and humans alike.Of 66 cetacean products purchased by EIA from Yahoo! Japan and tested by certified laboratories in Japan between 2007 to 2025, the average mercury concentration of 2.67 parts per million (ppm) was almost seven times higher than the advisory limit set by the Government of Japan.EIA’s report, “Ethics Over Profits—Why Yahoo! Japan must stop selling whale and dolphin products,” calls on Yahoo! Japan and the LY Corporation to immediately implement a complete and permanent ban on all cetacean product sales. The LY Corporation, which claims to be committed to biodiversity conservation, is scheduled to hold its annual meeting of shareholders on June 19.Clare Perry, EIA’s senior ocean adviser, said: “Yahoo! Japan is likely now the largest remaining e-commerce site still selling whale and dolphin products in Japan, not only a cause of great concern regarding their conservation but clearly a major reputational risk for the company and its owner, the LY Corporation. Many cetacean products on sale contain high concentrations of mercury, a neurotoxin which can cause neurological and behavioural disorders and is a major public health concern.”In total, 41 (62%) of the 66 Yahoo! Japan cetacean products tested at independent labs in Japan exceeded the government’s mercury advisory level of 0.4ppm. Sixteen (24%) contained mercury concentrations at least 10 times higher than the advisory level.The most polluted product of the samples tested was dried pilot whale from Taiji, Wakayama, sold by the Ajisaku company. The sample purchased by EIA in July 2019 contained a staggering 19ppm of mercury—more than 47 times higher than the advisory limit. A second sample purchased and tested in April 2025 revealed a mercury level of 8.2ppm—more than 20 times higher than the limit.“The world’s cetaceans are under threat as never before, with their marine habitat increasingly degraded through climate change, pollution, industrial fishing, vessel traffic, and more,” said Sue Fisher, senior policy advisor for AWI’s Marine Wildlife Program. “At the same time, cetaceans provide enormous ecosystem services, such as cycling nutrients, that are central to a functioning marine ecosystem. Yahoo! Japan must stop peddling toxic whale meat derived from a cruel, environmentally harmful industry.”The Government of Japan has consistently flouted the global ban on commercial whaling since it was first implemented by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986. Between 1986 and 2024, Japan killed 24,899 great whales and more than 489,453 smaller whales, dolphins, and porpoises not protected by the ban.In 2019, Japan quit the IWC—the only international body mandated to manage commercial whaling—and has since operated completely outside international regulation. Japan’s whaling fleet recently returned from its newly expanded hunt bringing back 25 fin whales. Fin whales are the second largest animal on the planet and a species listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.AWI, EIA, and five other nongovernmental organizations based in Japan, Australia, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland have written to the LY Corporation and its owners—SoftBank Corp of Japan and Naver Corp of South Korea—urging them to commit to ending sales of products derived from whales, dolphins, and porpoises.Ren Yabuki, director of the Life Investigation Agency, a Japanese NGO, said: “Yahoo! Japan faced strong international criticism in the past for allowing illegal trade in ivory, rhinoceros horns, tiger pelts, and other items. If it continues to allow whale meat, it is inevitable that it will face further criticism. To maintain a healthy corporate image, Yahoo! Japan must stop selling whale meat immediately.”Naver is responsible for distributing whale and dolphin products not only in Japan but also in South Korea. Searching “whale meat” on Naver’s website reveals more than 900 online sellers, enabling users to buy cetacean meat products online.Naver is Korea’s second largest online shopping site, as well as the number one search engine and web portal. The coalition is also calling on Naver to immediately stop promoting whale and dolphin meat products on its own platform and on Yahoo! Japan, in line with the South Korean government’s stated position opposing commercial whaling.Editor’s Note:1. EIA investigates and campaigns against environmental crime and abuse. Our undercover investigations expose transnational wildlife crime, with a focus on elephants, pangolins and tigers, and forest crimes such as illegal logging and deforestation for cash crops such as palm oil. We work to safeguard global marine ecosystems by addressing the threats posed by plastic pollution, bycatch and commercial exploitation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Finally, we work to avert climate catastrophe by strengthening and enforcing regional and international agreements that tackle short-lived climate super-pollutants, including ozone-depleting substances, hydrofluorocarbons and methane, and advocating corporate and policy measures to promote transition to a sustainable cooling sector and away from fossil fuels.2. The seven NGOs are: Environmental Investigation Agency (UK, US), the Animal Welfare Institute (US), Pro Wildlife (Germany), OceanCare (Switzerland), Life Investigation Agency (Japan), Action for Dolphins (Australia), and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (UK)3. Read and download “Ethics Over Profits—Why Yahoo! Japan must stop selling whale and dolphin products” at https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-UK-Ethics-Over-Profits-June-2025-FINAL.pdf4. Images of the whale products, certified mercury testing certificates, and of the Kangei Maru factory whaling ship (recently returned to Miyagi), are available on request. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

President’s Budget Could Usher in Mass Horse Slaughter, Lethal “Management” aalberg Wed, 06/11/2025 - 18:30 photo by Aleksander Hunta June 11, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is deeply concerned that the administration's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget omits critical protections for wild horses and burros, which could allow them to be sold off for commercial slaughter and lethally “managed” to reduce their numbers.Year after year, Congress and the American people have demonstrated their support for our nation’s wild herds. Polling consistently finds that Americans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter, and language barring the destruction of wild horses has long been included in appropriations bills for the US Department of the Interior. Moreover, management of federally protected wild horses and burros must be humane and focused on keeping herds in their natural habitats, as mandated by the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. For the coming fiscal year, however, the administration’s proposed budget does not include these safeguards, which could result in the mass killing of tens of thousands of animals. The proposal even allows for the large-scale transfer of our nation’s wild equines to foreign countries, many of which operate commercial horse slaughter plants.The Bureau of Land Management is tasked with managing the vast majority of this country’s wild horses and burros. For decades, as a method of limiting the number of wild equines on the range, the agency has relied on inhumane and costly roundups to chase wild horses into trap pens using low-flying helicopters rather than adopt a proactive approach using humane and proven fertility control methods. Currently, an estimated 64,000 wild horses and burros are being held in off-range holding facilities, making them potential targets for lethal control under this budget proposal. Today, Republican and Democratic co-chairs of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus and Congressional Animal Protection Caucus sent a letter led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) to appropriations committee leaders urging them to “retain longstanding prohibitions against the lethal control and commercial destruction” of wild horses and burros.“The proposed budget poses an existential threat to federally protected wild horses by removing protections against slaughter and lethal control, presenting a real risk that these beloved animals could be killed en masse,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director for AWI. “The leaders of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus and Congressional Animal Protection Caucus have sent a clear message: These long-standing, widely supported protections cannot simply disappear.”As appropriations legislation advances, AWI will continue working to ensure that these cherished animals—who embody the spirit of freedom and resilience—will be protected for generations to come.  Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

Colorado Now Leads Country in Comprehensive Approach to Fighting Wildlife Trafficking Niki Tue, 05/13/2025 - 09:29 Photo by DSS Images June 2, 2025 Denver, CO—Today, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed S.B. 25-168 into law to combat wildlife trafficking. The bipartisan legislation, which is unique among states for the number of species covered, establishes criminal penalties for selling, possessing, transporting, importing, or exporting threatened and endangered species found in Colorado, the United States, and globally. It also empowers Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to investigate the impacts of wildlife trafficking.“The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has supported this legislation from the beginning, and we are thrilled that it is now law in Colorado,” said Lauren McCain, Ph.D., senior policy advisor for AWI’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program and a Colorado resident. “Wildlife trafficking is devastating to imperiled species in Colorado and around the world. It also poses a growing danger to people due to disease transmission and organized crime networks that are killing an unprecedented number of African park rangers. This law will deter poaching and the trade of live and dead animals and their parts into and out of our state. It will help prevent the trafficking of protected species, such as Canada lynx and other wild cats, pronghorn, tortoises, tropical birds, and monkeys, among others.”Colorado is now a leader among states in the fight to reduce wildlife trafficking. At least 13 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to restrict or ban the trafficking of certain wildlife products within their borders. Most of these laws, however, only cover select, commonly trafficked, foreign species and their parts, such as elephant ivory, rhino horn, and the skin, bones, and fangs of big cats.S.B. 25-168 is unique among state laws for covering all species listed under the US Endangered Species Act, state-listed threatened and endangered species, and species that appear in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is a global convention that regulates international wildlife trade.The trafficking of live and dead wildlife and animal parts is a global criminal enterprise that endangers animals around the world. It generates approximately $20 billion a year and is the fourth most lucrative illegal international trade operation, trailing only the trafficking of drugs, humans, and counterfeit goods. Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade is a brutal, bloody practice. Animals are often shot with military-grade weapons, and tusks, horns, and other parts are harvested by mutilating the animals, who are sometimes still alive.In addition to the devastating welfare and conservation impacts, illegally bringing exotic animals into Colorado risks introducing diseases and invasive species, with potentially catastrophic impacts to the state’s native wildlife. CPW has seen a rise in poaching across Colorado in recent years. Denver International Airport (DIA), for instance, is a hub for wildlife trafficking. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reported seizing 1,150 parts or products of illegally trafficked wildlife at the airport last year. From October 2023 to March 2025, the parts or products of more than 56 species were seized at DIA, according to USFWS data.Polis highlighted the need for tougher penalties to crack down on wildlife trafficking during his State of the State speech in January. AWI commends the governor, CPW, and the bill’s co-sponsors—Sens. Scott Bright and Dylan Roberts, and Reps. Ryan Armagost and Cecelia Espenoza—for supporting a legislative solution to protect and preserve wildlife in Colorado and beyond. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

New Poll: Consumers Overwhelmingly Support Meaningful Standards for “Humanely Raised” Food Label Niki Fri, 05/30/2025 - 12:56 Photo by Bob Nichols May 30, 2025 Washington, DC—Eighty-eight percent of American consumers believe that claims such as “humanely raised” or “sustainably farmed” on meat and poultry products should be based on meaningful, measurable standards, according to a newly released survey.The online survey of more than 2,000 US adults was conducted this month by The Harris Poll on behalf of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). Since 2010, AWI has commissioned five polls evaluating consumer attitudes about the claims used on meat and poultry packaging; in every survey, at least 80% of respondents agreed that food producers should not be allowed to use the claim “humanely raised” on their meat or poultry product labels unless the producers exceed minimum industry animal care standards.Surveys conducted by other organizations similarly have found that American consumers are increasingly aware of, and concerned about, how animals raised for food are treated.“Consumers overwhelmingly agree that the meat and poultry industry should no longer be allowed to set its own definition of ‘humanely raised’ and charge a premium for products that have not been independently verified as higher welfare,” said Zack Strong, director of AWI’s Farmed Animal Program. “Our survey results consistently show that the public demands stronger government regulation of animal-raising claims.”For more than a decade, AWI has been the leading national nonprofit organization that routinely monitors the use of animal welfare claims such as “humanely raised” on meat and poultry packages, documenting in multiple reports how the US Department of Agriculture is failing consumers by continuing to allow deceptive marketing practices.AWI’s most recent analysis, “Deceptive Consumer Labels,” found that 85% of the label claims reviewed by the USDA from 2019 to 2021 lacked meaningful substantiation, with inadequate or no evidence provided to support use of the claim. Other highlights of the May survey:More than 4 in 5 Americans (84%) agree that the government should not allow the use of claims like “humanely raised” on food labels unless producers are independently inspected and verified. A similar proportion (81%) believe that holistic animal-raising claims such as “humanely raised” should not be defined by a single factor (e.g., “vegetarian fed”), as currently permitted by the USDA.Seven in ten Americans (70%) agree that claims such as “humanely raised” or “sustainably farmed” found on meat and poultry product packages help them decide what products to purchase.To help consumers locate products from farms where animals are raised to higher-welfare standards, AWI provides a comprehensive guide to animal-raising claims commonly found on meat, egg, and dairy products. There is also an abundance of cruelty-free, plant-based options available to people and their companion animals.Survey Method:This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of AWI from May 8-12, 2025, among 2,087 adults ages 18+. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

New Research: USDA Fails to Pursue Prosecutions of Slaughter Plants, Despite Repeat Violations Niki Thu, 05/22/2025 - 07:56 Photo by Farm Watch May 22, 2025 Washington, DC—Repeat violators of the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) continue to escape meaningful enforcement by the US Department of Agriculture, resulting in continued animal cruelty and suffering, according to a new report released today by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI).The report, titled “Humane Slaughter Update: Federal and State Oversight of the Welfare of Livestock at Slaughter,” builds on previous AWI reports by analyzing federal and state slaughter plant inspection records from between 2019 and 2022, during which time an estimated 38.5 billion birds and 660 million livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats) were killed for food in the United States alone.The records offer a rare and important window into the myriad problems associated with US slaughter operations, including using excessive force to herd animals; mistreating disabled animals; failing to properly stun animals on the first (or even second, third, or fourth) attempt; and (consequently) shackling, hoisting, or cutting animals while they remain conscious.Despite this egregious abuse, the USDA has declined to initiate any criminal prosecutions for inhumane slaughter against any of the more than 800 licensed federal plants since at least 2007 and remains unwilling to report incidents to local law enforcement officials for potential prosecution under state anticruelty laws. No state has pursued criminal prosecution of an individual or company for engaging in inhumane slaughter during this period, either, according to AWI’s analysis.AWI worked diligently for passage of the original HMSA in 1958 and for a 1978 amendment that provided for enforcement, and has filed multiple petitions and lawsuits over the years to try to compel the USDA to properly enforce the law. Unfortunately, the USDA’s longstanding position is to encourage voluntary industry adoption of many of the best practices related to humane handling, which has proven to be ineffective. Shamefully, the USDA also interprets the law to exclude birds, despite the fact that these animals constitute the vast majority of animals killed for food in this country.“By keeping slaughter operations hidden, the meat and poultry industries can shield consumers from the horrific conditions endured by billions of farmed animals each year,” said Zack Strong, the report’s co-author and director and senior attorney for AWI’s Farmed Animal Program. “Our analysis shows a pattern of blatant disregard for animal well-being at slaughter and a lack of follow-through from the one federal department empowered to change it.”In one example, over the course of about a year and a half, federal inspectors documented 122 instances of dead “bob veal” calves (typically less than three weeks old) found in transport trucks arriving from California to the Ida Meats slaughter plant in Idaho. Inspection reports indicated that approximately 4,000 calves suffered and died during these incidents; yet, the records offer no evidence that the USDA initiated an investigation, attempted to contact the trucking company or calf supplier, or notified local law enforcement.In another example, over the course of about two years, USDA personnel in the Swift Pork Company slaughter plant in Iowa documented nearly 250 occasions of excessive use of electrical prods, paddles, pokers, and other animal handling implements. Inspection records indicate that the abuse was occurring both on-farm and at the slaughter plant, with tens of thousands of animals affected. While the USDA did report the situation to the Iowa state veterinarian, there is no evidence that the department or the veterinarian notified local law enforcement about the potential criminal mistreatment.Although the USDA has declined to pursue criminal prosecution, it has taken stronger administrative actions against slaughter plants. From 2019 through 2022, nine federal plants were suspended or threatened with suspension three or more times within one year: Abattoir Associates in Spring Mills, PA; Alaska Interior Meats in North Pole, AK; Bay Area Ranchers’ Cooperative in Petaluma, CA; Nelson’s Meat Processing in Milton, WV, Northwest Premium Meats in Nampa, ID; Powell Meat Company in Clinton, MO; Pudliner Packing in Johnstown, PA, The Pork Company in Warsaw, NC; and Working H Meats in Friendsville, MD.In theory, the economic consequences of a plant being suspended should serve as a deterrent to future offenses. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, since plants—particularly large ones—are typically shut down for only a short period of time, often less than one day.Other key findings in AWI’s report:Federal humane slaughter enforcement has remained relatively stable, while state enforcement continues to rise, but the level varies dramatically by state. For instance, 10 of the 29 states operating meat inspection programs issued no plant suspensions for humane slaughter violations from 2019 through 2022, while two states (Ohio and Wisconsin) issued more than a dozen suspensions. Alabama has not provided state enforcement records to AWI over the past decade.“Custom-exempt” plants, which kill and process animals for personal noncommercial use, are essentially excused from regular federal and state inspection. In fact, years may go by without a custom plant’s slaughter operations being observed for compliance with humane handling and slaughter requirements. In one example from 2020, an inspector at the custom Sanchez Slaughterhouse in Hawai’i documented a large hog being shot five time before the animal was rendered unconscious for slaughter. After each unsuccessful attempt, the worker prolonged the animal’s pain by leaving the stunning area to retrieve another cartridge from a nearby vehicle. The worker commented to the inspector: “It’s custom, guy. No need to worry about it.” The plant was issued a notice of suspension by the USDA, but the incident reveals a lack of worker knowledge about humane handling requirements.Similarly, federal and state inspection personnel continue to demonstrate unfamiliarity with the federal humane slaughter directive, as evidenced by their failure to consistently take appropriate enforcement actions (e.g., merely engaging in nonregulatory discussions with plants over federal humane slaughter violations).Among AWI’s recommendations:The USDA should revise the federal humane slaughter regulations, such as by requiring that all animal stunning devices be routinely tested, workers be formally trained in humane handling and slaughter, and functional backup stunning devices be available.To hold repeat offenders properly accountable, the USDA should establish a policy of escalating penalties, including longer suspension periods.The USDA and state departments of agriculture should cooperate with state and local law enforcement agencies in pursuing criminal animal cruelty charges for incidents of willful animal abuse. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

New AWI Grant Funds Analysis of Animal Cruelty Data to Better Protect Animals and Communities Niki Mon, 05/12/2025 - 15:08 Photo by Elya Vatel May 12, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has awarded an inaugural research grant to encourage the analysis of animal cruelty data to identify distinct characteristics of animal abusers, leading to more targeted intervention and prevention efforts.Abigail Schweiger, who is pursuing a doctorate in social work at Saint Louis University, will receive a $3,500 stipend to use data acquired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) pertaining to sociodemographics and animal cruelty offenses to construct profiles of animal abusers in the United States. To inform both policy and practice, Schweiger plans to present her research findings in publications and at local or national conferences on social work, criminology, and/or animal welfare.Last year, AWI launched the Center for the Study of NIBRS Animal Cruelty Data to provide updated animal cruelty data through a condensed version of the NIBRS database. Law enforcement agencies throughout the United States use NIBRS to submit crime data to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.AWI was instrumental in convincing the FBI, in 2014, to include animal cruelty as a distinct crime category within NIBRS. Previously, animal cruelty incidents—to the extent they were reported at all by state and local law enforcement officials—were consigned to the “miscellaneous crimes” category in NIBRS, making retrieval and analysis of data on such incidents all but impossible. Reporting of animal cruelty crimes to NIBRS began in 2016.“AWI has actively encouraged policymakers, researchers, and advocates to analyze NIBRS animal cruelty data and identify trends to promote effective interventions that protect both animals and people,” said Claire Coughlin, director of AWI’s Companion Animal Program. “We were impressed by this proposal’s focus on examining animal cruelty crime patterns to build distinct offender profiles, which addresses a gap in existing research."I’m incredibly grateful to the Animal Welfare Institute for supporting my research in this understudied area of crime and proud to contribute to their mission,” Schweiger said. “This grant provides me with the opportunity to analyze animal cruelty offense patterns in hopes of informing more targeted prevention and intervention efforts that protect both animals and communities."The application deadline for the next NIBRS grant funding cycle is expected to be announced this fall. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

AWI Scholarship Winners Campaign for a Better World for Animals Niki Fri, 05/09/2025 - 14:35 Photo by Léa Jones May 9, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) announced today the 12 winners of a scholarship designed to invest in future leaders who seek to improve the lives of animals—from advancing medical research techniques that don’t rely on animal testing to advocating humane agricultural practices.The Animal Welfare Institute Scholarship program, now in its sixth year, recognizes high school seniors in the United States who are actively involved in helping animals in their schools or communities and plan to continue working on behalf of animals in college and beyond. A dozen winners, selected from a record 930 applicants, will each receive $3,000 for application toward post-secondary education expenses, along with a free subscription to the AWI Quarterly magazine.“Our 2025 scholarship winners have demonstrated admirable leadership and technological prowess, launching successful high school clubs, fundraising events, and other major projects to better protect animals and improve their care,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s executive director and chief executive officer. “AWI is thrilled to support these exemplary students as they continue their studies to drive positive change in the animal welfare movement.”Scholarship recipients have launched a YouTube channel dedicated to ethical environmentalism, self-published a novel about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, organized large-scale microplastic beach cleanups, and fostered dozens of dogs, transforming their home into a place of healing. The recipients include future pre-vet majors, nonprofit leaders, animal welfare inspectors, endangered species advocates, animal rescuers, and more.The 2025 Animal Welfare Institute Scholarship winners are:Violet Allori, Banks High School, Oregon; Hanna Juma, Glassboro High School, New Jersey; Colleen Kielbania, Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, Massachusetts; Sania Lee, Heritage High School, Georgia; Blake Lugosi, William T. Dwyer High School, Florida; Kayla Mabry, Rockford High School, Michigan; Cora McCabe, Washington-Liberty High School, Virginia; Aashay Mody, Irvine High School, California; John O’Connor, Tenafly High School, New Jersey; Daniel Onwudinanti, South Grand Prairie High School, Texas; Madison Villafane, Wando High School, South Carolina; and Samantha Waldron, Highland High School, Idaho.In addition to the scholarship program, AWI, in partnership with the Humane Education Network, holds an annual “A Voice for Animals” competition. High school students from all over the world are awarded cash prizes for essays, photo essays, or videos that examine issues involving animal conservation and welfare and present viable solutions. The deadline for applications this year is May 31. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.

Congress Launches First-Ever Wild Horse Caucus to Protect America’s Iconic Mustangs and Burros Niki Thu, 05/08/2025 - 12:45 Photo by Elizabeth Boehm/Danita Delimont May 8, 2025 Washington, DC—In a landmark move for America’s wild horses and burros, today US Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV), Jaun Ciscomani (R-AZ), David Schweikert (R-AZ), and Steve Cohen (D-TN) launched the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus. This is the first congressional caucus dedicated to supporting and safeguarding federally protected wild horses and burros across the United States.The Wild Horse Caucus will serve as a bipartisan forum to advance humane, science-based solutions for managing wild horses and burros. According to its mission statement, the caucus “exists to support, protect, and preserve wild horses and burros in their natural habitat across the United States,” and will focus on “strategic collaboration to develop ideas to humanely and effectively manage wild horse and burro populations.”“Nevada is home to more than 30,000 wild horses and burros—more than half of all the wild horses and burros in the United States,” Titus said. “These icons of the American West deserve to be treated humanely, and the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus can lay the groundwork for better management of these herds by the Bureau of Land Management.”"Wild horses and burros embody the spirit and heritage of the West and deserve to be protected and treated humanely," said Ciscomani. "For too long, these animals have been subject to cruel and costly roundups that, at best, remove them from their natural habitat to be housed in warehouses, and at worse, result in the death of the animal. Caring for wild horses and burros is not a partisan issue, which is why I am proud to be named as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus to promote humane policies, such as fertility control and habitat preservation, to manage and care for these iconic animals.""Growing up, I had the blessing of spending much time on several ranches and farms in Arizona,” Schweikert said. “These experiences have led me to serve as an advocate for humane treatment and protection of these majestic species. I'm looking forward to the conservation initiatives that will come out of the formation of this caucus.”“I’m proud to be a co-chairman of the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus and to work to protect these iconic symbols of our country,” Cohen added. “Wild horses and burros are part of our national heritage. How we treat animals is a direct reflection of who we are, and I hold firm in the belief that all beings should be treated humanely.”The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) applaud the formation of the caucus and the bipartisan leadership behind it.“Protecting America’s wild horses and burros has always been a bipartisan issue, in large part because these iconic animals hold an important place in our country’s history and because, for countless Americans, they continue to embody the spirit of freedom and resilience,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., AWI’s equine program director and senior policy advisor. “We are grateful to Representatives Titus, Ciscomani, Schweikert, and Cohen for their outstanding leadership on this issue. The Congressional Wild Horse Caucus will help ensure these beloved animals will be protected for generations to come.”“This is an important step toward reforming a broken system,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of AWHC. “For too long, federal wild horse policy has relied on costly and inhumane roundups that remove animals from the range, only to warehouse them in holding facilities. We commend the leaders of the Wild Horse Caucus for recognizing that there’s a better way to manage our wild herds that is rooted in humane treatment, science, and fiscal responsibility.”The launch of the caucus comes amid growing public concern over the Bureau of Land Management’s mass helicopter roundups and the record number of wild horses and burros—more than 65,000—confined in government holding facilities. Last fiscal year alone, this roundup and removal program cost taxpayers over $109 million.Last week, Reps. Vern Buchanan, Schweikert, Ciscomani, and Brian Fitzpatrick sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum calling for the increased use of humane fertility control methods over mass helicopter roundups and removals.The caucus aims to champion solutions such as humane fertility control and habitat preservation, which offer sustainable alternatives to roundups and removals. It is expected to play a vital role in shaping future federal policy to ensure that America’s wild horses and burros remain wild, free, and part of the nation’s natural heritage. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128Amelia Perrin, American Wild Horse Conservationamelia@americanwildhorse.org, (919) 619-4913 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit wild horse conservation organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America’s wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horse fertility control program in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.