Critical insights at the intersection of animals and politics
by Josh Marquis Dave Aronberg, a member of AWA’s National Law Enforcement Council, oversees an office of over 300 employees, including 120 prosecutors as the elected State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida. Dave was recently elected without opposition to a third (four-year) term, having first been first elected in 2012. For his first case, … Read more
by Robert Ferber First stated by Roman philosopher Cicero in 63 B.C. and restated countless times by other philosophers, criminologists, politicians and even Gilbert & Sullivan in “The Mikado”, the basic tenet of the rule of law is letting the punishment fit the crime. The logic is simple. A jail sentence for a convicted bank … Read more
Press Release The animals were all placed for adoption by the Bureau of Land Management’s adoption programs, which put federally protected equines at risk of slaughter WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM — This month, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, II recognized lifelong horseman and Animal Wellness Action executive director Marty Irby “for his extraordinary efforts to reduce violence … Read more
by Wayne Pacelle In July, AWA and the Center for a Humane Economy released a report that, in an exacting manner, documents scores of ongoing violations of California’s ban on selling body parts of kangaroos (CA Penal Code 653o). The Center developed the first of its kind list identifying kangaroo skin soccer cleats, listing 72 models of shoes from … Read more
by Wayne Pacelle Far-fetched courtroom strategies are the rage when it comes to cockfighting. It may be the down season for the blood sport, but from Puerto Rico to Louisiana to Guam, the knives are out in the federal courts when it comes to cockfighting. The most recent courtroom proceeding comes in Louisiana, where Lloyd … Read more
USDA Suspends Exhibition Permit for Jeff Lowe, as Joe Exotic’s Former Business Partner Announces He’s Closing the Zoo (Oklahoma City) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act through an on-site inspection program, has suspended the exhibition license of Jeff Lowe, the operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park … Read more
The Zoological Association of America, the bill’s primary opponent, has withdrawn its opposition In the salacious Netflix series “Tiger King,” the public got both a magnified and distorted view of the antagonists in the debate over roadside zoos that exploit big cats. Instead of taking a deep dive into the life story of even a … Read more
San Francisco, CA — In a unanimous vote, the City and County of San Francisco has introduced standards and goals for food purchasing by the Department of Public Health and Sheriff’s Department in hospitals and jails that promote more sustainable, healthful, and animal-friendly standards. Specifically, the ordinance means that hospitals will be altering their purchasing practices … Read more
Louisville, KY — The Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) and Animal Wellness Action (AWA) today announced a $5,000 reward for information resulting in successful prosecution of any individual for violating the federal law (7 U.S.C. § 2156) against animal fighting. The announcement follows the groups’ release of an extensive cockfighting investigation in Kentucky last week and … Read more
Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) today asked U.S. Attorneys Robert M. Duncan and Russell Coleman, respectively covering the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, to investigate allegations that seven Kentucky residents appear to be deeply involved in illegal trafficking of fighting animals, with most of them sending birds … Read more