Press Release

Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy Announce New Vermont State Director

Hire represents ongoing commitment to protect wildlife in the state

Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy announce the promotion of Cassandra Burdyshaw to Vermont State Director. 

“I am thrilled to say that we have a new director in Vermont, a state where wild places and wild animals are in abundance,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “The people of Vermont love and cherish their animals at home and in nature, and with Cassandra, we can assist to protect all animals on behalf of the kind people of Vermont.”

Burdyshaw graduated from UC San Diego with a major in environmental policy and a minor in ecology. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer specializing in environmental conservation, she earned her J.D. from Vermont Law School. 

“I joined Animal Wellness Action and The Center because I believe in showing compassion to all Earth’s creatures,” said Burdyshaw. “I moved to Vermont to attend Vermont Law and Graduate school, but I decided to make Vermont my home because of its natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. I love sharing the landscape with Vermont’s wildlife. Some of my favorite sightings have included bobcat, porcupine, moose, deer, turkey, beaver, bear, fisher, fox, bald eagle — the list keeps going. Every day, I look forward to going outside.”

In her previous role as a policy director, she formed a coalition that successfully ended harmful commercial drift gillnet fishing.

Burdyshaw can be reached at [email protected].

Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @AWAction_News

Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @TheHumaneCenter