Critical insights at the intersection of animals and politics
Animal Wellness Investigations Exposing Vast Network of Animal Fighting Operations in Alabama and Oklahoma Last fall, Animal Wellness Action launched a campaign to banish cockfighting in the territories, the last semi-legal outposts allowing staged fights in the nation. Puerto Rico had more than 100 fighting arenas. Guam had bustling venues, too, including “The Dome,” where … Read more
Press Release Investigation Reveals Criminal Enterprises Continue Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) today asked U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town to investigate allegations of ongoing cockfighting activity in Alabama, including trafficking of game birds to Guam, a U.S. Territory. The request for action follows an investigation by AWA and … Read more
While the nation is grappling with the COVID-19 crisis and seeing major protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, animal protection advocates continue to grapple with the various crises and abuses that those we work to protect face each day, including the ongoing mistreatment of Tennessee Walking Horses. I’ve been working for the … Read more
Wildlife Killing Contests (WKCs) are a disgrace. And, for all the right reasons, they are under siege. In September 2019, the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) voted unanimously to approve a rule initiated by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission banning WKCs for predators and other furbearing animals in the Grand Canyon State. A … Read more
Tempe, Arizona — Animal Wellness Action launched of its “Foie Gras Off the Menu” campaign by announcing that the prestigious Top of the Rock Restaurant in Tempe, Ariz. has removed the fatty liver of ducks and geese from its offerings to patrons. Chef Sandy Santiago and manager Lisa Glass also signed a pledge to never … Read more
The match-up is set. A first-term incumbent President who came into office in 2017 as a political newcomer squaring off against a former two-term Vice President who had previously served for more than three decades in the U.S. Senate. In the coming weeks, we will publish detailed analyses of their records, steering clear of any … Read more
Policy Action Was Triggered by the Inescapable Conclusion That Most People Treat Dogs as Companions, Growing Public Health and Reputational Concerns, and the COVID-19 Crisis Washington, D.C. — In what can only be described as one of the biggest contemporary gains for animals globally, China has removed dogs from its National Catalogue of Livestock and … Read more
Oklahoma City — Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is asking U.S. Attorney Brian J. Kuester to investigate allegations of ongoing trafficking of birds to Guam for cockfighting, for illegally possessing fighting animals, and perhaps engaging in other conduct at odds with state and federal law. Mr. Kuester, based in Muskogee, has jurisdiction for the Eastern District of … Read more
At a time when the nation’s network of factory farming and mechanized slaughter plants is breaking down — disassembling overweight and crippled animals at an indescribably fast pace, killing and throwing away millions more on the farm because of a mass production system on auto-pilot, and the slaughterhouse workers heading for the respirators — can … Read more
Benefield will play a stronger leadership role in national advocacy campaigns for horses Washington, D.C. —Today, Animal Wellness Action (AWA) announced the addition of Donna Benefield, of Gallatin, Tenn. as the organization’s new Senior Advisor on Equine Protection. Benefield was instrumental in the formation of four USDA-certified inspection programs over the past 30 years where … Read more