Critical insights at the intersection of animals and politics
Nearly a decade ago, I made a new friend named Priscilla, our paths having merged in an improbable circumstance. From within the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, I had been working for years to curb the practice of soring — intentionally inflicting pain to horses’ front feet to create an artificial high-step known as the “Big … Read more
Nature — by that, I mean the Earth’s crust and atmosphere, its five kingdoms of living organisms, water and fire and rock, the effects of the sun and moon, and all other interrelated parts and processes — is more than a mere backdrop for the human experience. It is, and has always been, central to … Read more
Greyhound racing has been in something of a free fall for a generation, and so much of that retrenchment has been coincident with the work of Grey2K USA. The group, formed in 2001 by Carey Theil and Christine Dorchak, has been single-minded and strategic in working to end greyhound racing in America. Animal Wellness Action … Read more
Pet retail facilities taking advantage of “essential services” designation and using it to peddle unhealthy dogs to unsuspecting consumers Lancaster, PA — Animal Wellness Action, a national animal protection group promoting legal standards against cruelty, conducted a survey, conducted between April 13-20th, of nearly 40 stores in Pennsylvania that sell dogs obtained from puppy mills … Read more
Guest Tamara Drake of the Center for Responsible Science Unpacks the Problem The world is racing to formulate a vaccine for COVID-19, but what hurdles stand in the way? In the best of circumstances, vaccine development is not an easy process. The SARS coronavirus (SARS-COV-1), which originated in a live-wildlife market in China in 2002, … Read more
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Animal Wellness Action, a national organization promoting legal standards against cruelty, applauded an announcement made by the Jefferson County Racing Association (Birmingham Race Course) that live greyhound racing will end at the last track left in Alabama — one of the last states to stage this archaic form of animal competition. “We … Read more
38 More Cosponsors will Trigger New House Rule to Move Legislationb WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and Scott Perry (R-PA-10) — who represents the district where Penn National Race Course is located in Grantsville, Pennsylvania — are the latest to join in cosponsoring the Horseracing Integrity Act, … Read more
While cruelty is universal, so is the fight against it (This essay is the latest in our continuing series about the relationship between animal-use industries, pathogens and their effect on animal and human health.) Since early March, after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic, there’s been alarm and uproar about the mistreatment of … Read more
Washington, D.C. — Nearly eighty Members of the U.S. House, led by Reps. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Katie Porter, D-Calif., and Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., urging leadership to include $4 million funding in the next COVID-19 package to help domestic violence victims … Read more
Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action today applauded U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, for introducing a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives calling on all nations to permanently close “live wildlife markets.” In addition, Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Ted Yoho, R-Fla., Scott Perry, R-Pa., Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Steve Watkins, R-Kans. Also joined … Read more