Congressman praised for authorship of landmark wildlife protection bill and leadership on anti-cruelty enforcement
Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action, a national policy and political organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing legal protections for animals, today announced its unqualified endorsement of Rep. Shri Thanedar for re-election in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District on August 4, 2026.
“Congressman Shri Thanedar has quickly emerged as one of the strongest champions for animals in the U.S. Congress,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “He’s involved with just about every major animal protection initiative in Congress, and he’s leading and taking action on issues. If you care about animal protection, send Rep. Thanedar back to the House for a new term.”
Since taking office in January 2023, Rep. Thanedar has been a stalwart advocate for animal welfare and is the lead author of the Don’t Feed the Bears Act (H.R. 4422)—legislation to ban the unsporting and reckless practice of bear baiting on our federal lands. Bear baiters set out thousands of pounds of rotting meat, jelly doughnuts, and grease on our federal lands to lure a bear into shooting range and to shoot the animal in the back. The practice is at odds with the decrees of the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies to “never feed bears,” since it habituates wildlife to human food sources and dramatically increases the potential for dangerous encounters between bears and people on and around public lands.
Animal Wellness Action praised Thanedar’s leadership on the bill, which is endorsed by a coalition of more than 285 stakeholder organizations, as a critical step toward responsible wildlife management and stronger public safety protections.
Rep. Thanedar has also cosponsored a broad set of Animal Wellness Action’s highest-priority legislative initiatives, including the FIGHT Act to combat organized dogfighting and cockfighting; the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act to establish a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes Section within the U.S. Department of Justice; the FBI Animal Cruelty Task Force Act to create a specialized unit focused on investigating severe animal abuse; and the SAFE Act to permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and their export for that purpose.
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Thanedar is uniquely positioned to advance meaningful animal welfare reforms, particularly if Congress takes up the 2026 Farm Bill. He is backing the Greyhound Protection Act to close out the era of dog racing in America and the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act to forbid live exports of horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for human consumption.
“Cruelty toward animals is often linked to other violent and antisocial behavior, and Rep. Thanedar understands that when we address violent abuses of animals, we make our communities safer,” added Pacelle.
Animal Wellness Action urges Democratic primary voters in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District who care about animal welfare, public safety, and strong ethical leadership to support Rep. Shri Thanedar in the August 4, 2026, primary election.
The full endorsement letter for Rep. Thanedar may be viewed here.