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.

Captive Primate Safety Act Would End the Cruel and Dangerous Primate Pet Trade Niki Tue, 05/06/2025 - 06:24 Photo by HollanderX2 May 6, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds yesterday’s reintroduction of the Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA), which would end the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade in the United States. Nonhuman primates, including chimpanzees, capuchins, and lemurs, suffer enormously when kept as pets. They can also injure or spread disease to the people around them.Sponsored by Reps. Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), and Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), this bill would ban the private possession of nonhuman primates. The prohibition is narrowly focused on pet primates and exempts zoos, research labs, sanctuaries, and universities. Current owners would be grandfathered in and simply be required to register their animals.“Primates are wild animals, not pets or playthings” said Susan Millward, AWI’s CEO and executive director. “Primates have natural instincts that can make them aggressive and unpredictable toward humans, and nobody wins when they’re kept inside a home. These animals suffer permanent physical and mental trauma when they are mutilated, isolated, caged, and malnourished. The Captive Primate Safety Act would protect primates from a lifetime of cruelty.”“Chimp Crazy,” the four-part docuseries that premiered last year on HBO Max, highlighted some of the heart-wrenching stories of chimpanzees caught up in the pet trade. Even the most well-meaning owner cannot provide the special care, housing, diet, socialization, and maintenance that these animals require. Many captive primates spend their entire lives in relative isolation, compared to living in the wild in large social groups. They experience physical and psychological suffering when confronted with unrealistic expectations that they will behave like perfectly trained pets or even “little humans.”Breeders generally sell primates as cute infants on the internet or through out-of-state dealers and auctions without disclosing that these baby animals have been forcibly removed from their mothers, often at only a few days old. As these animals reach sexual maturity, they become larger and more aggressive. They pose a serious threat to the people around them, as evidenced by the hundreds of reported injuries nationwide over the last few decades. Captive primates have mauled neighbors, turned on their owners, and endangered local police officers and emergency personnel, who must expend countless hours and resources responding to escapes, attacks, and cruelty cases.Primates pose a significant threat to public health because they can carry life-threatening diseases that are communicable to humans, including Ebola, tuberculosis, and the Herpes B virus.The pet primate trade also contributes to the illegal international wildlife trade. Demand for primates in the United States can incentivize the capture and trafficking of animals from the wild—many of them threatened or endangered species. Primates are smuggled into the United States to meet the demand, with trafficked animals suffering immensely and often dying along the way. While some primates are detected and confiscated at the border, there is no way to know how many more slip through and are sold as pets.“Monkeys and apes belong in the wild—not in living rooms. This bill will ban private possession of these animals, ensuring that we are safe and primates are able to live freely,” said Quigley, co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus. “As the lead sponsor of the 2022 Big Cat Public Safety Act, I’m proud to sponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act to advance the same protections for primates.” 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 Supports Phasing Out Animal Use in Research and Testing, but Proper Planning is Essential to Protect Animals and Science Niki Thu, 05/01/2025 - 14:20 Photo by Te Protejo / We Animals May 1, 2025 Washington, DC—Last month, both the National Institutes of Health and the US Food and Drug Administration announced plans to phase out the use of animals in scientific research. The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) strongly supports transitioning away from experiments on animals to cutting-edge non-animal models, but proper planning is essential to ensure the best outcomes for animals and science.Moreover, AWI is deeply concerned about the Trump administration’s recent moves to gut funding for scientific research more broadly.“Drastic, sudden, and arbitrary cuts to scientific research, coupled with federal workforce layoffs, are harmful to animals, people, and science,” said Dr. Joanna Makowska, director of AWI’s Animals in Laboratories Program. “In the short term, broad cuts to research on animals without allocating funding for rehoming eligible animals used in experimentation will result in compromised welfare or mass euthanasia for the millions of animals currently housed in laboratories. In the long run, research using animals will be reduced, but so will research on public health, medicine, and species and ecosystem conservation, which will affect an untold number of people and animals. This administration is taking a wrecking ball to science.”Earlier this week, the NIH announced a new initiative to “prioritize human-based research technologies” and “reduce [the] use of animals in NIH-funded research.” While the agency provided no comprehensive roadmap for achieving its goals, it did announce plans for a new Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application to coordinate agencywide efforts and expand infrastructure for non-animal research approaches.This initiative will face an uphill battle and additional funding for non-animal alternatives will be critical. Nevertheless, the administration appears to be working at cross purposes. Its recent decision to freeze more than $2.2 billion in federal funds to Harvard University, for instance, also affects Harvard’s Wyss Institute, which has pioneered the most promising non-animal research alternative: organ-on-a-chip technology.Most NIH-funded studies involve “basic” research, studies of an exploratory nature meant to advance general scientific knowledge or uncover the progression of disease, among other objectives. Unfortunately, non-animal models are still in the early phases of development for this type of research.Animal testing, by contrast, involves testing drugs or products to ensure their safety before they are used on humans. Non-animal methodologies are much more readily able to replace animals for regulatory testing requirements, such as those overseen by the FDA. On April 10, the FDA announced detailed plans to phase out its animal testing requirement for certain drug safety studies.The FDA’s roadmap, unlike the scant information provided by the NIH, outlines a six-prong approach to reduce toxicity testing in animals over the next three years and details six scientific and technical steps for the agency to adopt non-animal research models. AWI applauds the attention to detail evident in the FDA’s announcement and will closely follow how these plans move forward, given mass funding cuts at the agency.Importantly, neither the NIH nor the FDA have announced plans to retire existing laboratory animals. AWI urges the administration to allocate sufficient resources to guarantee humane outcomes for these animals while developing and advancing alternatives to their use. 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.

As Iceland Calls Off Fin Whale Slaughter, Japan and Norway Launch Cruel, Unsustainable Whale Hunting Seasons Niki Fri, 04/25/2025 - 15:38 Photo by iStock April 25, 2025 Washington, DC—Japan and Norway resumed slaughtering whales this month, while Iceland’s only fin whaling company has decided that it will not hunt this summer, citing a declining demand for whale meat products in Japan.Japan killed the first fin whale of the 2025 season today, after launching its whaling season on April 1. Kyodo Senpaku, Japan’s only factory ship whaling company, is expected to kill up to 56 sei whales, 153 Bryde’s whales and 60 fin whales (a threatened species that is the second largest animal on the planet). In addition, five small coastal whaling boats will kill up to 144 minke whales.Norway also launched its whaling season on April 1; two days later, the first minke whale was killed by Reinebuen, a ship linked to Lofothval, a company partly owned by Icelandic whaler Kristján Loftsson. Although Norway’s quota allows up to 1,406 minke whales to be killed by 14 registered whaling vessels this season, fewer are expected to be taken due to plummeting demand for whale meat in Norway. A 2024 analysis revealed the presence of contaminants in Norwegian whale meat that can lead to a range of harmful effects and health issues, including developmental problems, endocrine dysfunction, cancer, and kidney disease.Iceland was scheduled to begin its fin whaling season in June, with as many as 209 fin whales permitted to be killed in 2025. Earlier this month, however, Loftsson announced that for the second consecutive year, his company, Hvalur hf., will not hunt fin whales due to global economic conditions that make it unprofitable. Meanwhile, a smaller Icelandic company, Tjaldtangi ehf., is still poised to hunt up to 217 minke whales. If it proceeds, it will be the first time that minke whaling has occurred in Icelandic waters since 2021.Norway, Japan, and Iceland are the only countries that still permit commercial whaling in defiance of a four-decades-long ban implemented by the IWC. The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has long condemned commercial whaling as inherently cruel, unsustainable, and impossible to regulate, and continues to call for an end to the unprofitable and unnecessary whaling industry.“The whaling industrial complex is a sinking ship,” said Sue Fisher, senior policy advisor for AWI’s Marine Wildlife Program. “Although the government of Japan is prepared, for now, to continue propping up its own whalers, it no longer appears willing to also keep Iceland’s whaling industry afloat by subsidizing Kyodo Senpaku's purchase of Hvalur's meat.”“Hvalur had been hoping that its recent marketing efforts in Japan would boost consumer interest there, making it worthwhile for the company to go whaling this year,” Fisher added. “But Kyodo Senpaku simply cannot afford to buy Icelandic whale meat without financial support from Japan’s government.”In Japan and Norway, the market for whale meat is so low that stockpiles of unwanted whale meat have been repurposed for pet food. Whalers in Norway have even resorted to removing only the most valuable cuts of meat from carcasses and discarding the rest at sea.Yet taxpayers in these countries continue to bankroll government-sponsored marketing efforts to encourage whale meat consumption through whale burgers and tacos, whale meat vending machines, and a distribution system to make these products available in both local markets and national supermarket chains. 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.

Trump Administration Seeks to Slash Habitat Protections for Endangered Wildlife aalberg Thu, 04/17/2025 - 17:59 April 17, 2025 Washington, DC—Today the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (the Services) issued a proposed rule that would undermine protections for habitat that threatened and endangered species need to survive by rescinding the agency’s decades-old definition of “harm.” This would make protecting and recovering imperiled wildlife far more difficult, diminishing the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).One of the ESA’s primary protective measures is a prohibition on the “take” of species listed as threatened or endangered under the law. “Take” means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect such animals.Since 1975, the Services have defined “harm” in this context to include killing or injuring wildlife by significantly modifying or degrading habitat. Thirty years ago, in Babbitt v. Sweet Home, the US Supreme Court upheld this definition, finding it to be in accordance with the standard dictionary definition of the word, the broad purpose of the ESA, and the ESA permitting system enacted in the 1980s. “This definition of “harm” recognizes that wild animals cannot survive if the habitat they rely on for food, shelter, and raising young is obliterated,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney of AWI’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “Under the proposed rule, destroying trees that birds need for nesting and rearing chicks, filling in wetlands that fish depend on for spawning, and paving over grasslands that reptiles require for foraging would no longer be prohibited.”Habitat loss due to destruction, fragmentation, and degradation is the leading cause of wildlife population declines. With more than 1 million species globally at risk of extinction in the next few decades, including 27 percent of the world’s mammals, 41 percent of amphibians, 21 percent of reptiles, and 37 percent of sharks and rays, protecting habitat is vital to stemming the tide of extinction. Media Contact Information Kim Meneo, Animal Welfare Institutekim@awionline.org, (202) 446-2116 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.

Department of Interior Weakens Migratory Bird Protections Niki Wed, 04/16/2025 - 08:24 Photo by Koji Hirano April 16, 2025 Washington, DC—Late last week, the Department of the Interior reissued a legal opinion that weakens the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) by no longer penalizing individuals and corporations for the incidental killing of birds protected under the law. This reinterpretation reverses a decades-long interpretation that the MBTA prohibits both intentional take and incidental killing stemming from an otherwise lawful activity.Interior reissued this opinion in response to an executive order President Trump signed on his first day in office, directing agencies to suspend certain actions that impact energy development. This opinion was originally issued in 2017 during the first Trump administration. A federal court ruled this policy to be illegal, and it was subsequently rescinded by the Biden administration.The 1918 MBTA protects over 1,100 species of birds and their eggs from “take” (including killing, capturing, selling, trading, and transport) without a permit. Narrowing the MBTA’s scope to prohibit only intentional—not incidental—take is a drastic change in interpretation designed to shield the oil and gas industry and electric utilities from liability for the millions of birds their activities kill each year. Birds die from colliding with these operations’ buildings and infrastructure, being electrocuted by power lines, and being poisoned by oil spills and chemical holding ponds, among other hazards. These industries will now be allowed to forego reasonable and cost-effective precautions to avoid deaths.“The prohibition on incidental take is a critical aspect of the MBTA and has been enforced for decades to address birds’ deaths from routine industry operations, as well as major environmental disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez oil spills,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney of AWI’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “This policy removes the incentive for companies to adopt commonsense strategies to reduce threats that their operations pose to birds, and it will likely once again cause the deaths of millions of additional birds in the coming years.”This loss of protections comes at an already perilous time for birds. A 2019 study found that there are 3 billion fewer birds in North America today compared to 1970, largely due to habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, and other human-caused factors. Birds play an important role in ecosystems, and scientists cite an urgent need to address threats to birds to prevent population collapse and the associated loss of ecosystem integrity, function, and services.AWI consistently opposed moves to weaken the MBTA during the first Trump administration, and we will continue to do all we can to protect migratory birds from this unlawful policy change. We encourage you to take action to help birds, as well, by improving habitat, stopping window strikes, and adopting other practices around your home to protect our feathered friends. Media Contact Information Kim Meneo, Animal Welfare Institutekim@awionline.org, (202) 446-2116 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.

CEQ Guts NEPA by Rescinding Regulations Niki Fri, 04/11/2025 - 11:12 Photo by Ghost Bear April 11, 2025 Washington, DC—Today the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) took the most drastic action since its creation in 1970 by rescinding 50 years’ worth of regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This decision, which was issued in an interim final rule published earlier this year, went into effect this morning. The impacts of this action are sweeping and severe. This decision will cause NEPA processes to be more unpredictable, reducing the public’s ability to fully raise concerns about the destruction of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity, declines in air and water quality, and harm to public health.NEPA was passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by President Nixon in 1970. This statute is our country’s basic charter for the protection of the environment, and one of the most important environmental laws in the United States. The three basic principles of NEPA are informed decision-making, transparency, and public input. The law requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of projects—such as new power plants, highways, oil and gas development, and logging—and to explore less environmentally harmful alternative approaches to achieving their objectives. It also provides opportunities for communities across the country to voice their concerns about how these proposals may threaten public health and ecosystems.AWI routinely relies on this law to contest plans to kill certain wildlife populations in national parks and wildlife refuges, to challenge lethal control activities conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program, and to protest wild horse and burro roundups. We strongly opposed this action in comments to CEQ.Since 1978, NEPA has been implemented through regulations issued by CEQ, a component of the Executive Office of the President, which have provided direction to over 80 federal agencies, tribes, project sponsors, courts, impacted communities, and the broader public. It will now be up to individual federal agencies to determine how to comply with NEPA, what environmental impacts to disclose, and what level of public input is required.Concerningly, in guidance issued earlier this year, the Trump administration urged agencies to use the controversial 2020 regulations issued during the first Trump term, which were largely reversed by the Biden administration. These regulations were inconsistent with both the letter and spirit of the law; they undermined informed agency decision-making, reduced transparency, and limited critical public involvement, thus denying the public the democratic process at the heart of NEPA. Decisions on certain projects were allowed to move forward without full consideration of their environmental impacts and without a requirement that a broad range of safer, more ecologically sound alternatives be considered.“The complete revocation of these longstanding regulations, coupled with the requirement that individual federal agencies develop their own implementing regulations, introduces profound uncertainty into NEPA’s environmental review process for proposed development projects,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney of the Animal Welfare Institute’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “This action could have a devastating impact on wildlife, habitat, and frontline communities. Rather than achieving CEQ’s stated goal of improving project delivery times and increasing efficiency, this move will result in more litigation, greater delays for project approvals, and increased costs.” Media Contact Information Kim Meneo, Senior Manager, Strategic Communications, Animal Welfare Institutekim@awionline.org, (202) 446-2116 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.

National Endangered Species Coalition Responds to Republican-led Congressional Attacks on ESA and Gray Wolves Niki Tue, 03/25/2025 - 11:04 Photo by Ronnie MacDonald March 25, 2025 Washington, DC—Today, the Republican-led US House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries considered legislation that would dramatically weaken the widely popular Endangered Species Act and strip protections for gray wolves in 48 states. No vote was taken.The first bill—the ESA Amendments Act of 2025 (H.R. 1897), introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)—would gut critical protections provided by the ESA to thousands of imperiled species, upend the scientific consultation process (which has been the cornerstone of American species protection for 50 years), and slow listings to a crawl while fast-tracking delistings. Moreover, the bill would allow increased exploitation of threatened species while shifting their management from federal to state authorities—even while these species remain listed under the ESA.The second bill—the so-called Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 845), introduced by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Tom Tiffany (R-WI)—would reissue the first Trump administration’s delisting of the gray wolf across most of the United States and bar judicial review of that action. In 2022, a federal court reversed this delisting, after conservation groups challenged it.In addition to congressional attacks on the ESA and gray wolves, the Trump administration recently terminated hundreds of employees at both the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—agencies that were already critically understaffed. Without these employees, it will be even harder for disappearing vulnerable species to receive crucial protections, and for vitally important ecosystems to remain intact across the United States.In response to these actions, conservation and animal protection groups from across the country sent a letter to the House subcommittee outlining opposition to the bills. Additionally, members of the the national Endangered Species Coalition, including the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, FOUR PAWS USA, Humane World Action Fund, NYC Plover Project, Sierra Club, Western Watersheds Project, and WildEarth Guardians, have registered their opposition."These extreme bills would gut protections for wildlife under the Endangered Species Act. They are being introduced against a backdrop of sudden and indiscriminate firings across the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, robbing these agencies of the experts who implement these crucial protections based on the best available science,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. “These assaults on wildlife protections come at a time of staggering biodiversity loss, and imperiled species don't have the luxury of waiting out these political games." 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.

Bill Introduced to Require Data Collection Linking Animal Cruelty and Child Abuse Niki Wed, 01/29/2025 - 12:39 Photo by 5second January 29, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act (H.R. 712), reintroduced last week by Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Julia Brownley (D-CA). This legislation would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to require that data collected by the federal government from state child protection agencies include information about animal abuse as a risk factor for child abuse. Weighing this additional factor can help identify opportunities to prevent both child and animal abuse, as well as suggest when more specialized interventions are needed. “In a violent household, companion animals are often victims of the same abusive behaviors that harm children, intimate partners, and vulnerable adults,” said Nancy Blaney, director of government affairs for AWI. “Often, the first person to identify a child in a dangerous situation is a law enforcement officer responding to an animal cruelty call. There is an urgent need for more comprehensive information about these patterns so that social service providers can understand how to intervene safely and effectively.” As authorized by CAPTA in 1988, the Department of Health and Human Services established the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) to compile information from states about the nearly 700,000 American children abused annually. Case reports in NCANDS include a variety of details, such as the type of abuse a child suffered or whether the caregiver had a substance abuse disorder. This data helps researchers and service providers better understand the factors associated with child abuse. Animal abuse is one well-established factor, however, that is not considered under the current law. Information collected under NCANDS has been used to determine, for example, that children whose families face multiple stressors are at a higher risk of being repeatedly referred to child protective services, and that some types of mistreatment are more likely to recur than others. By tracking child abuse cases related to animal abuse, as provided for under the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act, NCANDS would offer another valuable tool to prioritize prevention and intervention. “It is a sad reality that in homes filled with violence, pets often endure the same mistreatment as children and other vulnerable family members,” Van Drew said. “By connecting the dots between animal cruelty and child abuse in households, we are empowering officials to identify when to intervene earlier and helping to prevent further mistreatment from taking place. This bill is an important step forward to protect every member of our community, human and animal alike.” “By expanding data collection to include animal abuse as a risk factor for child abuse, we’re equipping law enforcement and social service providers with crucial information to recognize warning signs earlier, intervene more effectively, and identify opportunities to prevent both child and animal abuse,” added Brownley. “This bill is a critical step in breaking the cycle of abuse before it escalates and protecting families from further trauma.” Click here for more information about the link between violence against animals and violence against humans. 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.

Illinois Bill Would Require Disease Monitoring on Mink Farms to Safeguard Human Health Niki Tue, 02/04/2025 - 15:54 Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur/Djurrattsalliansen February 4, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends today’s filing of the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act in Illinois, which would protect public health and human safety by requiring disease prevention and surveillance measures at farms that raise and slaughter mink for their fur.Sponsored by State Rep. Joyce Mason (D-61), HB 2627 recognizes that mink on fur farms incubate diseases such as COVID-19 and avian influenza, creating the perfect conditions for new variants to jump to humans—with potentially devastating results. Mink farms in the state would be required to obtain a license from the Illinois Department of Public Health and follow procedures to ensure proper disease surveillance and containment.“I am proud to sponsor the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act because the science is clear – mink farming poses a high risk of generating a future pandemic,” said Mason. “It is critical that we remain vigilant and test for viral outbreaks on mink farms to safeguard public health. This bill seeks to position Illinois as a leader in commonsense measures to detect and prevent the spread of dangerous novel viruses.”Mink farms raise and slaughter animals to sell their pelts to the fashion industry. They typically pack thousands of mink together in long rows of barren pens barely large enough for the animals to move around. The conditions not only are inhumane, they also create an ideal setting for pathogens to circulate among and across species.Mink pose a high risk to humans because their upper respiratory tract is physiologically similar to ours, which means they can become infected by—and potentially transmit to people—some of the same respiratory viruses. Mink’s susceptibility to acquiring and spreading both human and animal respiratory viruses render them potentially potent “mixing vessels” for generating novel viruses.COVID-19, in fact, has infected millions of farmed mink on more than 480 mink farms across 12 countries. In several instances, mink have passed a mutated form of this virus back to humans. New variants can emerge in such scenarios, undermining the effectiveness of vaccines and jeopardizing efforts to contain the pandemic.A deadly avian influenza virus (H5N1) has also infected tens of thousands of mink on dozens of fur farms since 2022. During an October 2022 outbreak on a farm in Spain, the virus mutated in a way that enabled it to spread between mink. Prior to this, mammals had contracted the virus primarily through direct contact with infected birds, not from infected mammals. Scientists called this H5N1 mink farm outbreak a “warning bell” and stated that it represented a “clear mechanism for an [H5N1] pandemic to start.” H5N1 infections have also been detected at multiple mink farms in Finland, demonstrating the potential for this dangerous virus to continue causing outbreaks on mink farms, and raising the specter that it will mutate into a form transmissible to and between humans.“We cannot turn a blind eye to the risk of disease proliferation on mink farms, and the possibility of human infection,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s executive director and chief executive officer. “For far too long, these farms have operated without any meaningful oversight, despite their capacity to incubate potentially devastating viruses. Pandemic prevention requires a multifaceted approach, and the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act is crucial to that effort.” 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.