Blog

Critical insights at the intersection of animals and politics

Federal Law Is Brazenly Defied, Even by Politicians Rightly Pleading for Federal Disaster Relief  (Washington, D.C.) — Dozens of citizens of Puerto Rico are writing to Animal Wellness Action (AWA) to alert the organization to illegal cockfighting activities on the island, signaling their own opposition to the bloody spectacles and reminding the nation that cockfighters … Read more

Here we go again. China’s “wet markets” have triggered one more global health epidemic. Wet markets are open-air abattoirs, offering up dozens of species of live animals, including fish in tanks and wildlife in crates, for selection and slaughter by those with an appetite for biodiversity.  These pop-up butcheries, with animals jammed in cages and … Read more

Press Release Washington D.C. — Today U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist (D-FL) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) introduced legislation in the U.S. House recognized as the “Petfax Act” to mandate honesty and transparency in the commercial sales of dogs and cats and crackdown on cruel “puppy mills” — large commercial dog breeding operations that breed high volumes of … Read more

Updates on the Corona Virus and The Bear Protection Act American horses and horseracing itself are in peril, and horses are dying on tracks every week as a result of the overuse of medication and doping that runs rampant in the sport. But that’s not all — many racehorses that can’t fit the bill or … Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) and Animal Wellness Action (AWA) today provided a preview of its 30-second television advertisement to air during Sunday’s Super Bowl on Guam. The ad features two Guamanians of Chamorro descent who describe cockfighting as “about gambling, not about our culture” and ending “the medieval practice of having animals … Read more

Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House executed the second of two hearings this week to address two long-standing animal welfare problems: the slaughter of American horses for overseas markets for human consumption. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee heard testimony on the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, H.R. 961, led by … Read more

Horseracing Integrity Act and Safeguard American Food Exports Act Address Closely Related Concerns Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House initiated the first of two hearings this week to address two long-standing animal welfare problems: race-day doping of horses thrust into competition and the slaughter of American horses for overseas markets for human consumption. The House … Read more

A tranche of newly disclosed documents reveals rot at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (the Department) and reckless oversight and killing of the state’s endangered wolves. According to documents submitted in a King County court case — which just came to light on January 9th — the Department contracted with cattle ranchers Arron and Jolene Scotten … Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Animal Wellness Action, the leading animal protection group working to advance the Horseracing Integrity Act on Capitol Hill, applauded the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Subcommittee on Consumer Commerce and Protection for scheduling a hearing to look at the problem of widespread doping of equine athletes in American … Read more

The Super Bowl will be live broadcast to as many as 100 million people in early February, demonstrating again the immense popularity of the football in America. It’s maintained stratospheric levels of popularity even though it’s courted criticism and controversy, including over head injuries and cognitive dysfunction suffered by players of this generation and preceding … Read more