Titus Reintroduces Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act as New AWI Report Reveals Feeble Enforcement of Welfare Violations aalberg Wed, 09/10/2025 - 14:45 photo by We Animals September 10, 2025 Washington, DC—Today, US Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) reintroduced the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act to improve conditions for livestock transported across the United States. The bill would require federal officials to develop a process to enforce the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, which prohibits the transport of certain animals for longer than 28 hours without offloading them for food, water, and rest. Importantly, this legislation also would prohibit interstate transport of livestock considered unfit for travel.The bill’s reintroduction with bipartisan support comes on the same day that the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) released an updated report, Farmed Animals in Transport: The Twenty-Eight Hour Law, based on an analysis of 17 years of federal records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The report, which concludes that the law is rarely enforced, documents a pattern of widespread noncompliance, delayed investigations, and minimal consequences.“The worst abuses in farmed animal transport occur when animals are hauled extremely long distances or when they are ill, disabled, or otherwise in such poor condition that they can’t withstand the journey,” said Adrienne Craig, senior policy associate and staff attorney for the AWI’s Farmed Animal Program. “The millions of animals carried on our roads every year should be entitled to protection under our nation’s oldest animal welfare law—the Twenty-Eight Hour Law—but that’s not possible without a clear mechanism for enforcement and cooperation among agencies. We applaud Congresswoman Titus for introducing the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act to prohibit interstate transport of livestock considered unfit for travel (in accordance with internationally recognized fitness standards), and to develop a process for enforcement of violations.”Specifically, AWI’s report found that: From 2006 to 2023, the US Department of Agriculture made only 20 inquiries into possible violations of the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, four of which resulted in official warnings. Only one case was referred to the Department of Justice; federal records indicate no further action was taken.FOIA records suggest that the USDA has been unable to substantiate violations because livestock haulers are not required to keep detailed records of duration, mileage, or stops, and standard industry forms that producers send with the animals do not provide accurate or complete information regarding the journeys.At least three federal departments are associated with the Twenty-Eight Hour Law—the USDA, the DOJ, and the Department of Transportation—yet records indicate confusion over which of these is responsible for monitoring compliance and penalizing violators.In multiple cases involving Canadian transport companies, USDA officials concluded they lacked any authority to act, despite no exemption under the Twenty-Eight Hour Law for foreign entities operating within the United States.Millions of animals are transported interstate each year, yet virtually none of those shipments are monitored for compliance with the Twenty-Eight Hour Law. In a review of over 3,500 certificates of veterinary inspection for cattle leaving Florida in 2023, for instance, AWI identified 173 shipments involving over 30,000 total animals that likely violated the Twenty-Eight Hour Law. These results are alarming given that they represent a single year in Florida, which is not a major animal agriculture state. Transport for slaughter, breeding, and feeding is extremely stressful for livestock. In addition to the vibrations, noise, fumes, and unfamiliar environment, transported animals often experience prolonged food and water deprivation, intense crowding, exposure to extreme heat and cold, and physical strain and injuries from rough handling and having to balance in a moving truck. These stressors also lower an animal’s resistance to infection; consequently, transport stress also contributes to the spread of disease (including zoonotic diseases that can jump to humans) and to meat contamination.Under current US live animal export regulations, animals intended for export to countries other than Canada or Mexico must be evaluated to ensure they are sound, healthy, and fit to travel. These regulations were adopted in 2016, after AWI petitioned the USDA to stop allowing exports of animals who were too young, weak, or sick to travel. Unfortunately, no such requirements exist for farmed animals transported long distances across the United States.The Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act would amend the federal Animal Health Protection Act to mirror fitness criteria governing US live animal exports, and those of the World Organisation for Animal Health—the leading international authority on the health and welfare of animals.Inadequate enforcement of the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, coupled with the continued interstate transport of animals unfit to travel, is contributing to needless animal suffering and endangering the health and safety of millions of animals—and us. Passage of the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act would help ensure that animals who are fit to travel are not deprived of basic necessities along the way and that ill or infirm animals are not subjected to grueling journeys that worsen their condition and exacerbate their risk of contracting dangerous diseases.“For far too long, federal regulations requiring humane treatment of transported farm animals have not been enforced,” Titus said. “The Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act would stop this lax regulation that has resulted in many animals being injured or succumbing to disease during transport.” 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.

Titus Reintroduces Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act, Citing New AWI Report That Reveals Feeble Enforcement of Welfare Violations aalberg Wed, 09/10/2025 - 14:45 photo by We Animals September 10, 2025 Washington, DC—Today, US Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) reintroduced the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act to improve conditions for livestock transported across the United States. The bill would require federal officials to develop a process to enforce the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, which prohibits the transport of certain animals for longer than 28 hours without offloading them for food, water, and rest. Importantly, this legislation also would prohibit interstate transport of livestock considered unfit for travel.The bill’s reintroduction with bipartisan support comes on the same day that the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) released an updated report, Farmed Animals in Transport: The Twenty-Eight Hour Law, based on an analysis of 17 years of federal records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The report, which concludes that the law is rarely enforced, documents a pattern of widespread noncompliance, delayed investigations, and minimal consequences.“The worst abuses in farmed animal transport occur when animals are hauled extremely long distances or when they are ill, disabled, or otherwise in such poor condition that they can’t withstand the journey,” said Adrienne Craig, senior policy associate and staff attorney for the AWI’s Farmed Animal Program. “The millions of animals carried on our roads every year should be entitled to protection under our nation’s oldest animal welfare law—the Twenty-Eight Hour Law—but that’s not possible without a clear mechanism for enforcement and cooperation among agencies. We applaud Congresswoman Titus for introducing the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act to prohibit interstate transport of livestock considered unfit for travel (in accordance with internationally recognized fitness standards), and to develop a process for enforcement of violations.”Specifically, AWI’s report found that: From 2006 to 2023, the US Department of Agriculture made only 20 inquiries into possible violations of the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, four of which resulted in official warnings. Only one case was referred to the Department of Justice; federal records indicate no further action was taken.FOIA records suggest that the USDA has been unable to substantiate violations because livestock haulers are not required to keep detailed records of duration, mileage, or stops, and standard industry forms that producers send with the animals do not provide accurate or complete information regarding the journeys.At least three federal departments are associated with the Twenty-Eight Hour Law—the USDA, the DOJ, and the Department of Transportation—yet records indicate confusion over which of these is responsible for monitoring compliance and penalizing violators.In multiple cases involving Canadian transport companies, USDA officials concluded they lacked any authority to act, despite no exemption under the Twenty-Eight Hour Law for foreign entities operating within the United States.Millions of animals are transported interstate each year, yet virtually none of those shipments are monitored for compliance with the Twenty-Eight Hour Law. In a review of over 3,500 certificates of veterinary inspection for cattle leaving Florida in 2023, for instance, AWI identified 173 shipments involving over 30,000 total animals that likely violated the Twenty-Eight Hour Law. These results are alarming given that they represent a single year in Florida, which is not a major animal agriculture state. Transport for slaughter, breeding, and feeding is extremely stressful for livestock. In addition to the vibrations, noise, fumes, and unfamiliar environment, transported animals often experience prolonged food and water deprivation, intense crowding, exposure to extreme heat and cold, and physical strain and injuries from rough handling and having to balance in a moving truck. These stressors also lower an animal’s resistance to infection; consequently, transport stress also contributes to the spread of disease (including zoonotic diseases that can jump to humans) and to meat contamination.Under current US live animal export regulations, animals intended for export to countries other than Canada or Mexico must be evaluated to ensure they are sound, healthy, and fit to travel. These regulations were adopted in 2016, after AWI petitioned the USDA to stop allowing exports of animals who were too young, weak, or sick to travel. Unfortunately, no such requirements exist for farmed animals transported long distances across the United States.The Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act would amend the federal Animal Health Protection Act to mirror fitness criteria governing US live animal exports, and those of the World Organisation for Animal Health—the leading international authority on the health and welfare of animals.Inadequate enforcement of the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, coupled with the continued interstate transport of animals unfit to travel, is contributing to needless animal suffering and endangering the health and safety of millions of animals—and us. Passage of the Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act would help ensure that animals who are fit to travel are not deprived of basic necessities along the way and that ill or infirm animals are not subjected to grueling journeys that worsen their condition and exacerbate their risk of contracting dangerous diseases.“For far too long, federal regulations requiring humane treatment of transported farm animals have not been enforced,” Titus said. “The Humane Transport of Farmed Animals Act would stop this lax regulation that has resulted in many animals being injured or succumbing to disease during transport.” 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.

Wild Horse Coalition Files New Lawsuit to Stop BLM’s Unlawful Eradication of Iconic Wyoming Herds aalberg Wed, 09/10/2025 - 17:13 photo by Elizabeth Boehm/Danita Delimont September 10, 2025 Cheyenne, Wyo.—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), along with renowned photographers and conservation advocates, today filed another lawsuit in federal court to stop the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from carrying out its plan to permanently remove three historic wild horse herds in Wyoming's Checkerboard region: the Salt Wells Creek herd, the Great Divide Basin herd, and the Rock Springs portion of the Adobe Town herd. Ultimately, AWI and AWHC seek to prevent the permanent eradication of more than 3,000 federally protected wild horses from Wyoming’s public lands.The lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for the District of Wyoming, is necessitated by the BLM’s announcement that it will begin roundups to eliminate these herds on October 13, in defiance of a federal appellate court ruling that found the land use plan amendments authorizing the BLM’s eradication plan to be unlawful and arbitrary.In planning documents, the BLM repeatedly acknowledged that areas under consideration for its eradication plan contained adequate forage, water, space, and other resources to sustain wild horse herds and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance—a central mandate of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. In July 2025, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of AWI, AWHC, and other plaintiffs, holding that the BLM ignored its statutory duty to base decisions on whether these lands could sustain a thriving natural ecological balance. The court characterized the agency’s actions as “arbitrary and capricious.”“The Tenth Circuit made very clear that the Bureau of Land Management cannot use its land management planning process to skirt its obligations under the law—namely to protect wild horses on public lands designated as their habitat,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director for AWI. “For the agency to now try to move forward with a roundup plan to permanently remove thousands of these federally protected animals—even when the underlying management decision was found to be unlawful—is neither legal nor rational.”“These wild horses are living symbols of our Western heritage, protected by Congress in 1971,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of AWHC. “The BLM’s attempt to wipe them from the wild isn’t just illegal, it’s a direct insult to the rule of law and the American people who cherish these animals.”This marks the eighth legal action AWHC has taken over the last 14 years challenging the BLM’s unlawful actions in Wyoming. Since 2019, AWI has joined AWHC in advocating protection of Wyoming’s wild horses. In 2021, both groups jointly delivered over 70,000 signatures to the Department of the Interior, urging the department to stop the BLM’s plans to remove thousands of wild horses from the Checkerboard.A history of litigation for the Checkerboard horses can be found here. AWI, AWHC, and their co-litigants are represented by the public interest law firm Eubanks & Associates, PLLC. 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.

On First Day Back in Session, Congress Urged to Protect Horses Niki Tue, 09/02/2025 - 14:13 photo by Nadezhda September 2, 2025 Thousands join National Day of Action calling on lawmakers to advance 2025 Horse Protection Platform. Washington, DC—As Congress returned today from its August recess, thousands of Americans across the country joined a National Day of Action to call on lawmakers to make horse protection a top priority. Supported by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), and the Homes for Horses Coalition (HHC), the daylong mobilization helped raise awareness about the 2025 Horse Protection Platform, a comprehensive, bipartisan package of reforms designed to safeguard wild and domestic horses.Participants from coast to coast contacted their elected officials, urging them to:Protect wild horses in the federal budget by maintaining the slaughter prohibition and dedicating $11 million of the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program budget to proven, humane fertility control.Join the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and David Schweikert (R-AZ).Cosponsor key bipartisan bills, including:Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act (H.R. 4356): Phases out helicopter roundups; in the interim, requires cameras on helicopters.SAFE Act (H.R. 1661/S. 775): Permanently bans horse slaughter in the United States for human consumption, as well as the export of horses for slaughter.PAST Act (H.R. 1684): Ends the abusive practice of soring Tennessee Walking Horses.Horse Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 3623): Prohibits unsafe use of double-deck trailers for hauling horses.Veterans for Mustangs Act (H.R. 2864): Supports veterans in administering humane fertility control for wild herds.“Congress is back in session today, and so are we,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of AWHC. “This Day of Action shows the overwhelming public demand for Congress to take meaningful steps to end horse slaughter, replace cruel helicopter roundups with humane solutions, and ensure wild horses remain free on the range where they belong.”“Every year that Congress delays action, horses—both wild and domestic—continue to suffer from inhumane practices,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director and senior advisor at AWI. “The bipartisan bills in the Horse Protection Platform embody commonsense reforms that reflect the values of the vast majority of Americans.”“Today’s grassroots mobilization is proof that people across the country care deeply about protecting our nation’s equines,” said Tessa Archibald, manager of the Homes for Horses Coalition. “Lawmakers must listen to the voices of their constituents and advance these critical equine welfare measures.”The Horse Protection Platform reflects growing bipartisan momentum for reform in Washington and across the country. The coalition emphasized that Sept. 2 was the perfect time to deliver a clear message: Protecting America’s horses should be a top priority. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128Grace Kuhn, American Wild Horse Conservationgrace@americanwildhorsecampaign.org, (804) 218-4252 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 wild horse protection 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.The Homes for Horses Coalition is a national coalition dedicated to increasing collaboration, professionalism, and growth in the equine rescue and protection community.  Our members are committed to ending horse slaughter and all other forms of equine abuse. The coalition—an initiative of the Animal Welfare Institute and the American Wild Horse Conservation—includes hundreds of equine rescue, sanctuary, and animal welfare organizations throughout the United States and beyond. 

US to Ban Seafood Imports from 42 Nations to Protect Whales, Dolphins aalberg Fri, 08/29/2025 - 12:12 photo by Fishtek Marine August 29, 2025 Embargo Will Push Nations to Stop Marine Mammal Bycatch Washington, DC—The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determined today that 42 nations may not export certain seafood products to the United States because fishers in these countries catch marine mammals in violation of US standards. The agency found that the nations failed to adopt bycatch prevention measures that are comparable to what US fishers must follow under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The seafood bans will take effect in January 2026.“This is a lifesaving victory for whales and dolphins swimming in the waters of Mexico, Vietnam, and other nations,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These conservation sanctions will mean fewer beloved marine mammals will get caught and killed in fishing gear. I only wish the US government had gone further, since many other nations also need to do a better job avoiding bycatch.”Nations facing seafood bans include Mexico, China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey. Regarding Mexico, NMFS found that the nation failed to track or limit marine mammal bycatch—even for imperiled animals—as is required in the United States. Other nations, such as Benin, were denied because they failed to apply to continue exporting seafood to the United States. A 2023 report by conservation groups found that many other nations fail to meet US bycatch standards and should face bans, including the United Kingdom, Ecuador, and South Africa.“If you want to sell your seafood in the United States, it is only fair that you live up to the same strict marine mammal protections that other fishermen abide by. And if you can't do that, you shouldn't have a market here, or anywhere else for that matter,” said Zak Smith, a senior attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “The promise of the Marine Mammal Protection Act is that seafood sold in the United States comes only from commercial fisheries that do not kill or seriously injure marine mammals. US consumers and fishermen deserve nothing less and today’s action brings us closer to that promise.”Since 1972, the MMPA has prohibited the United States from allowing foreign seafood to enter the country unless exporting nations meet the same standards applied to US fishers for limiting marine mammal bycatch. But NMFS ignored the directive for decades, until conservation groups—the Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)—petitioned and eventually sued to compel action. This culminated in an agreement that set a deadline for today’s decision.Bycatch is the greatest conservation threat to marine mammal populations worldwide. Each year, more than 650,000 whales, dolphins and other marine mammals are caught and killed in fishing gear around the globe. These animals are unintentional “bycatch” of commercial fisheries and either drown or are tossed overboard to die from their injuries.“It is high time that the United States implement this important provision of the law and penalize countries that harm so many marine mammals,” said Georgia Hancock, director and senior attorney of the Animal Welfare Institute’s Marine Wildlife Program. “Marine mammals contribute immense value on a global scale—ecological, economical, and cultural—and killing them by these cruel methods must have serious consequences.”Some of the deadliest types of fishing gear include gillnets, longlines, trawls, pots, and traps, according to NMFS. Yet numerous nations continue to use this gear without even tracking the number of marine mammals killed.The United States is the world’s largest seafood importer, bringing in more than $26.6 billion in seafood products in 2024 from more than 140 nations. An estimated 80% of seafood consumed in the United States is imported, including shrimp, tuna, and other fish. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128Sarah Uhlemann, Center for Biological Diversitysuhlemann@biologicaldiversity.org, (206) 327-2344 Andrew Scibetta, NRDCascibetta@nrdc.org, (202) 289-2421 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.The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing, and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).

“A Voice for Animals” Contest Winners Devise Practical Strategies to Improve the Lives of Animals aalberg Wed, 08/27/2025 - 16:24 August 27, 2025 Washington, DC—From examining how plastics smother and abrade coral reefs, to spreading awareness about donkeys being sacrificed for the donkey-hide gelatin trade, participants in the 2025 “A Voice for Animals” contest use creative prose and compelling imagery to inspire their peers and communities to advocate for species under siege.The annual contest offers high school students ages 14 to 18 the opportunity to win cash prizes for essays, videos, or photo essays that explore strategies to protect imperiled species and mitigate animal suffering. The contest is sponsored by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Humane Education Network.Twenty-one entries won honors this year from a pool of more than 200. Submissions were judged on presentation, originality, and effectiveness of solutions to persistent problems. “These young advocates demonstrate optimism and ingenuity in tackling some of the biggest threats facing animals,” said Regina Terlau, director of AWI’s Humane Education Program and co-manager of the contest. “They don’t just research a topic—they launch petitions, create memorable TikTok videos, and volunteer with organizations on the front lines of animal protection.” The first-place winners are:Daniela Buitrón of St. John’s, Canada, for the video Wake Up World: The Galápagos Needs You!, which describes how human activities such as illegal fishing, plastic pollution, and unregulated tourism have harmed species endemic to the Galápagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador. Buitrón explains how satellite technology, coral reef restoration efforts, and educational campaigns about harmful single-use plastics are making a difference.Tucker Hankins of Hixson, Tennessee, for the photo essay Paw Scouts to the Rescue, which outlines Hankins’s efforts with his siblings to establish a nonprofit organization, Paw Scouts of Chattanooga, to provide needed items to animal shelters and pet rescues to promote animal health and well-being. So far, the organization has raised more than $5,000 and delivered supplies to seven area animal shelters.Makayla Sarsfield of Olympia, Washington, for the photo essay The Issue with Being an Ass, which explores how donkeys face abuse, abandonment, and even death from the cruel donkey skin trade. Although donkeys have made significant contributions to human progress, they are being killed in unprecedented numbers to produce ejiao—a gelatin that is made from boiling donkey hides and used primarily in cosmetics and traditional Chinese medicines. Sarsfield describes her experience caring for rescued donkeys Joey and Chandler as a volunteer at Serenity Now Animal Sanctuary in Olympia.Hannah Stratton of Hawley, Pennsylvania, for the active involvement essay Paws for a Cause: A Mission to Save Shelter Animals, which outlines her work with Future Business Leaders of America creating a successful social media campaign for a local animal shelter that helped double adoption rates and triple donations. Stratton and her partner rebranded Pike County Humane Society’s online presence, drafting vibrant, engaging posts that told the back stories of individual animals. They introduced features such as “Pet Tinder,” where followers could “swipe” through spotlighted animals, and hosted the organization’s first-ever “Met Gala” for pets, where animals dressed in costumes walked a mini red carpet.Akshaya Gowrabathini of Sammamish, Washington, for the active involvement essay Nine Lives, Countless Losses: The Hidden Environmental Toll of Feral Cats, which examines how feral cats contribute to environmental degradation and loss of native wildlife. Gowrabathini draws on her experience as a volunteer at a spay/neuter clinic to explore the ethical tension between caring for individual animals and protecting entire ecosystems.Katlynn Williams of Cocoa, Florida, for the essay Bottled Hope, which documents Williams’s efforts to reduce plastic consumption in her community to save marine mammals. Williams convinced her high school to stop selling bottled water and install refill stations, organized monthly beach cleanups, partnered with a local dive shop on “Dive for Debris” events, and persuaded her city’s environmental council to pass a plastic bag ban to help address this human-made crisis.Natalie Nguyen of San Jose, California, for the essay A Call From Our Feathered Friends: Protecting Waterfowl From Chemical Pollution, which explores the many ways that chemical pollution—from pesticide use to oil spills—harms waterfowl species. Nguyen recommends adopting stronger government regulations on the use of chemicals, monitoring site cleanups, and investing in advanced technologies to assist with site restorations.Jiayi (Iris) Li of Weston, Massachusetts, for the essay Bunny Spa Day, which examines the high abandonment rates and lack of legal protections for rabbits. As a volunteer with the House Rabbit Network in Massachusetts, Li has created videos to increase adoption rates and counteract widespread misunderstanding about rabbit welfare.Diyora Kabilova of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the essay The Last Song of the River Dolphin, which documents the plight of India’s vanishing river dolphins. Kabilova organized a film screening and fundraiser to raise awareness about persistent threats to endangered river dolphin populations, including poaching, vessel strikes, and fishing gear entanglements.Click here for more information on the “A Voice for Animals” contest and to review all winning entries.In addition to the essay and video contest, 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. Recipients each receive $3,000 for application toward post-secondary education expenses, along with a free subscription to the AWI Quarterly magazine. The 2025–26 scholarship cycle will open for applications on November 26. 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 Funds Research to Alleviate Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Animal Suffering aalberg Thu, 08/21/2025 - 08:53 photo by W.L.Watson Photos August 21, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) announced today the eight recipients of its Christine Stevens Wildlife Award who are developing humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts and less intrusive methods to study wildlife.The award provides individual grants of up to $15,000 and is named in honor of AWI’s late founder and longtime president, who dedicated her life to reducing animal suffering both here and abroad. Stevens founded AWI in 1951 to end the cruel treatment of animals in experimental laboratories. Inevitably, her work expanded to take on other animal welfare causes, including protecting vulnerable species, reforming methods used to raise animals for food, banning steel-jaw leghold traps, ending commercial whaling, and much more.Since the award program’s launch in 2006, AWI has contributed over $1.2 million to support nearly 120 research projects in North America. This year, AWI received over 40 applications that proposed new, less invasive methods to study wildlife and novel approaches to humanely remedy human-wildlife conflicts—from evaluating the impact of light pollution on pollinators to determining how livestock pathogens affect bighorn sheep.“All too often, real or perceived threats to human safety or property have resulted in animals being ruthlessly eliminated,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s CEO and executive director. “Christine Stevens was an ardent champion of humane, nonlethal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts, and AWI continues to honor her legacy by supporting innovative research to find ‘win-win’ solutions, embrace coexistence, and prevent animal suffering.” The 2025 Christine Stevens Wildlife Award grant recipients are:Nate Denke, University of Washington, to use noninvasive bioacoustics monitoring and trail signage (with input from local tribes) to examine the impact of recreation on sensitive birds in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Dr. Lorenzo Fiori, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, to deploy drones to assess the nutritional health of bottlenose dolphins foraging among shrimp trawlers in Corpus Christi Bay. Rushil Kukreja, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, to test whether reducing nighttime light intensity in designated dark corridors in Virginia and Maryland enhances the activity of pollinators (e.g., honeybees, bumblebees) and plant reproductive rates.Dr. Maureen H. Murray, Lincoln Park Zoo, to evaluate the use of contraceptive food pellets as a nonlethal strategy to humanely reduce urban rat populations in the Chicago area.Dr. Nico(la) Ransome, National Whale Museum of Mexico/Murdoch University, to use passive acoustic monitoring, photo-identification, and noninvasive DNA collection to investigate the presence of beaked whales in the Islas Marias UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.Dr. Ronnie Serfa Juan, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Kansas State University, to develop AI-driven, nonlethal deterrence techniques to protect birds, including Canada geese, great blue herons, and egrets, while reducing their impact on aquaculture operations. Dr. Logan Thomas, Kansas State University, to use camera-monitored hair snares to noninvasively collect samples from javelina to determine how they cope physiologically with human-wildlife conflicts and seasonal environmental stressors in South Texas.Jasmine Veitch, University of Calgary, to use genetic analysis of fecal samples from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to examine microbial transmission and pathogenic potential of livestock interactions.Click here for more information about the Christine Stevens Wildlife Award and the 2025 recipients. 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.

North American Environmental Commission Confirms Mexico’s Role in Imperiling Vaquita aalberg Tue, 08/19/2025 - 18:02 photo by Semarnat August 19, 2025 Montreal—A commission under the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) released a report yesterday confirming that Mexico’s unwillingness to enforce its own wildlife protection, trade, and fisheries laws is driving the extinction of the critically endangered vaquita porpoise.In its prepared “factual record,” the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), which investigates nations’ environmental enforcement under the USMCA, details how illegal gillnet fishing and totoaba trafficking continue unabated in the porpoise’s Upper Gulf of California refuge.“This report confirms a heartbreaking reality. Illegal gillnet fishing is squeezing the last breaths out of the poor vaquita,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Mexico needs to shut down all gillnet fishing immediately and start round the clock enforcement throughout the vaquita’s habitat to give these little porpoises even a sliver of hope.”The CEC Secretariat’s factual record found that Mexico’s claims that it is taking enforcement actions are undermined or not supported by on-the-ground observations. For example, despite Mexico’s ban on certain fishing gear since 2020, interviews and eyewitness accounts confirmed that “fishing activities continue at the similar levels and with the same [gear] as before the restrictions,” the report said.The Secretariat also found that fishermen “elude” fishing bans in the vaquita habitat by sending their illegal catch to processors in other regions. Mexico has failed to provide sufficient information, the report said, leaving central enforcement questions unanswered.Fewer than 10 vaquita remain, according to a 2024 survey. Earlier this summer, hydroacoustic devices used in the porpoise’s habitat recorded 41 acoustic encounters with vaquita, proving that the species continues to survive in its core habitat, called the “zero tolerance area,” as well as in the larger vaquita refuge. While efforts to prevent illegal fishing in the zero tolerance area have been successful in recent years, gillnet fishing remains rampant outside the area.The use of illegal gillnets to catch shrimp and totoaba has caused the vaquita’s decline. Totoaba are large fish whose swim bladder, or maw, is in high demand in Asia due to its purported medicinal value.“The commission’s report documents how insatiable demand for totoaba maw incentivizes the illegal take of this endangered species,” said DJ Schubert, senior wildlife biologist at the Animal Welfare Institute. “Transnational criminal networks engaged in the trafficking of totoaba parts won’t stop until Mexico and its trade partners step up enforcement and prosecute the kingpins.”Under a Compliance Action Plan imposed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Mexico was required, among other tasks, to strengthen and expand inspections of vessels entering the Upper Gulf, install monitoring systems on all vessels using the area, and develop alternative gear to replace gillnets. Little progress has been made, however, despite a CITES directive that all changes be implemented by 2023. As of June, for example, Mexican officials had fitted only 10 of the 850 promised satellite trackers to monitor small boats, or pangas, fishing in the Upper Gulf.In 2021, the Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Environmental Investigation Agency petitioned the USMCA commission to investigate Mexico’s failure to enforce its fishing and trade laws; the CEC Secretariat called for the development of a factual record in 2022. Yet political wrangling among Mexico, the United States and Canada delayed the report’s completion for three years.“This report makes painfully clear what we’ve known for years—Mexico’s failure to enforce its own laws is driving the world’s rarest marine mammal to extinction,” said Michael Jasny, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Marine Mammal Protection Project. “There’s no time left for half measures. The US must use every tool under the USMCA to hold Mexico accountable and stop the illegal fishing that’s pushing the vaquita over the edge.”“Stronger actions through the USMCA remain our last chance at giving the near-extinct vaquita any glimmer of hope at survival,” added CT Harry, senior ocean policy analyst for the Environmental Investigation Agency. “With the Mexican government’s continued failure to prevent illegal gillnet operations, time is running out before these unique animals take their final breaths.”Now that the report is public, the United States, through its Office of the US Trade Representative, can use the information to further press Mexico to combat illegal fishing in ongoing USMCA consultations. If those negotiations stall, the office can escalate to a dispute panel, which can authorize import penalties until Mexico fully enforces the gillnet ban in vaquita habitat. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128Sarah Uhlemann, Center for Biological Diversitysuhlemann@biologicaldiversity.org, (206) 327-2344Holly Koch, Environmental Investigation Agencyhkoch@eia-global.org, (805) 868-8623 Andrew Scibetta, Natural Resources Defense Councilascibetta@nrdc.org, (202) 289-2421 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.The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is an international campaigning organization committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime and campaigning to protect endangered species and the natural world. Visit us at eia-international.org and follow us on Twitter @EIA_News.NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing, and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).

Federal Appeals Court Reins in BLM Wild Horse Wyoming Eradication Plan aalberg Tue, 07/15/2025 - 14:13 photo by Elizabeth Boehm/Danita Delimont July 15, 2025 Denver—After 14 years of litigation, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), Western Watersheds Project, and their allies have secured a legal victory that delivers a major setback to the largest attempted eradication of wild horses in US history.In a significant ruling issued today, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit found serious legal failings in a plan by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to eliminate wild horses from more than 2 million acres of public lands in Wyoming—home to the iconic Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek, and Great Divide Basin herds. The court held that the BLM acted arbitrarily and capriciously in adopting its plan, violating federal law by failing to consider a core requirement of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act: managing wild horses and burros as part of a thriving natural ecological balance on public lands.“This ruling sends a clear message: The Bureau of Land Management cannot simply erase wild horses from the landscape because they pose an inconvenience to the agency,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director for AWI. “These animals are federally protected and must be managed humanely, not eliminated. The court’s decision upholds a key tenet of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, setting a strong precedent for the protection of wild herds across the West.” “This is a significant win for America’s wild horses and a meaningful check on BLM overreach,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of AWHC. “The court has made clear that the BLM cannot sidestep the law to appease special interests and eliminate wild horses from their rightful habitat. Wild horses are meant to roam free, not be rounded up and erased from the landscape. We remain committed to fighting for the future of Wyoming’s iconic wild horse herds.”  “Public lands are suffering not from wild horses, but from the industrial livestock lobby’s corrosive influence. The BLM removes protected mustangs only to make room for cattle and sheep—subsidized at rock bottom fees—while ignoring the real ecological damage wrought by these domestic herds,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project. “This ruling demands accountability and exposes who’s truly driving degradation on the range.” The case challenged a BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment that would have eradicated wild horses from two Herd Management Areas (HMAs) by changing their status to Herd Areas (HAs) with population targets of zero and slashed the population in a third HMA by over half. In planning documents, the BLM repeatedly acknowledged that areas under consideration for its management plan contained adequate forage, water, space, and other resources to sustain wild horse herds and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance. The court found that the agency acted arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to assess whether its decision was consistent with ecological balance—a central mandate of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.The ruling states that the BLM cannot “use the RMP process to skirt its Wild Horse Act obligations.” But it also leaves room for the BLM to attempt to revise and potentially reinstate its plan, underscoring the need for continued oversight and advocacy.The lawsuit was brought by AWI, AWHC, Western Watersheds Project, wildlife photographers Carol Walker and Kimerlee Curyl, and sociologist and author Chad Hanson. They are represented by the public interest law firm Eubanks & Associates, PLLC. Two other wild horse protection organizations each filed separate lawsuits in the case. A history of litigation for the Checkerboard horses can be found here. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128Amelia Perrin, American Wild Horse Conservationamelia@americanwildhorse.org, (919) 619-4913Dagny Signorelli, Western Watersheds Projectdagny@westernwatersheds.org 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.Western Watersheds Project advocates for the restoration and protection of public lands and wildlife habitat, primarily through our work to improve the management of private livestock grazing. We’re online at westernwatersheds.org. 

House Appropriators Again Reject Wild Horse Slaughter in Funding Bill aalberg Mon, 07/14/2025 - 17:17 photo by Terri Cage July 14, 2025 Language prohibits slaughter, rejects mass equine transfers to foreign governments, and affirms congressional oversight of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program Washington, DC—Today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) commend the US House Committee on Appropriations for advancing bipartisan language in its fiscal year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill that continues to prohibit the slaughter of wild horses and burros. The organizations are now urging the full committee to join 100 bipartisan members of Congress in directing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to prioritize humane fertility control as an alternative to the costly and inhumane roundup-and-removal system. The committee is scheduled to mark up the bill later this week.The committee rejected the president’s recent budget request, which notably failed to include longstanding prohibitions on lethal management and commercial slaughter of federally protected wild horses and burros. This omission signaled a potentially dangerous shift in federal policy and sparked widespread public opposition. The budget’s proposed language would have also allowed for the large-scale transfer of wild horses and burros to foreign countries such as Canada and Mexico, where horse slaughter facilities continue to operate.The House bill appropriates $144 million for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and rejects efforts to allow the BLM to transfer animals outside the public eye. Horse transfers will be limited to federal, state, or local agencies for use as work animals, and prohibitions remain in place against the destruction of healthy horses and burros or their sale for slaughter.“We applaud the House Appropriations Committee for including provisions in the FY26 Interior bill that bar the slaughter and lethal control of wild horses and burros,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director for AWI. “These longstanding protections, which had been removed in the administration’s proposed budget, reflect the will of the American people who want to see these iconic animals protected, not butchered at slaughter plants. This bill makes it clear—America’s mustangs don’t belong on anyone’s dinner plate.”“The House bill reaffirms congressional intent to prohibit slaughter and reflects the values of the American people,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of AWHC. “We especially commend Rep. Juan Ciscomani for his leadership in making clear that mass killing is not the answer to federal mismanagement of our nation’s wild horses and burros.”AWI and AWHC have been advocating an expansion of humane fertility control funding within the BLM’s budget. Despite previous congressional directives, the BLM has allocated less than 4% of its budget to humane fertility control, opting instead to continue business as usual. AWHC’s fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range near Reno served as the foundation for a peer-reviewed scientific study confirming the effectiveness of fertility control in managing large wild horse populations across vast, rugged habitats. Over the past five years, AWHC’s fertility control programs in both state-managed and federal herds have delivered more than 10,000 treatments—more than twice the number administered by the BLM during the same period—demonstrating the scalability and effectiveness of humane, on-range wild horse management.The House bill’s release coincides with the introduction of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025, led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and co-sponsored by Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), all of whom are co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus. The bill would phase out helicopter roundups over two years and require cameras on helicopters to improve public oversight. In June, the co-chairs of the Wild Horse Caucus and Animal Protection Caucus wrote to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, urging them to maintain prohibitions against slaughter and lethal control.The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold its markup hearing on the bill tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET. The timing coincides with the BLM’s launch of a large-scale helicopter roundup in Wyoming’s Adobe Town Herd Management Area, which will add over 1,600 wild horses to the 62,000 wild horses and burros currently confined in BLM’s holding facility. 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.