Critical insights at the intersection of animals and politics
By Marty Irby Executive Director, Animal Wellness Action and Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Communications, Center for a Humane Economy Following Animal Wellness Action’s successful campaign to prevent notorious horse trainer Bob Baffert — the only trainer to win the Triple Crown in Thoroughbred racing in 42 years —from running horses and competing in … Read more
By Kate Schultz Senior Attorney, Animal Wellness Action The commercial kangaroo industry in Australia is the largest commercial slaughter of land-based wild animals in the world The Australian government says that the industry is regulated, but real enforcement of humane killing practices is sparse, and compliance reviews have more to do with checking the completion of … Read more
By Tamara Drake Director of Research and Regulatory Policy, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy The beginning of the end to animal testing for new drugs is within our grasp. With a remarkable assist from PETA and a long-term investigation of a contract-breeding facility, the U.S. Department of Justice deserves our … Read more
Let’s Give Law Enforcement What it Needs to Ferret Out Would-be Killers By Josh Marquis Director of Legal Affairs, Animal Wellness Action Mass shootings last month in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, have claimed nearly three dozen lives and left our nation struggling for solutions. The causes of these crimes are as multi-dimensional as … Read more
Press Release Agency Modifies “Temporary Suspension” After Barring Imports Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is relaxing its strict ban on imports of dogs from more than 100 countries after the agency has faced rightful and withering criticism from animal welfare groups, U.S. foreign and uniformed services, lawmakers from both parties, … Read more
The Federal Ban on Cockfighting Is Settled Law WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former Northern Marianas Islands local politician and executive agency official – a self-described lifelong cockfighter – has absolutely no chance of progressing given the adjudication of similar lawsuits advanced by cockfighters on Guam and in Puerto Rico, according to Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness … Read more
Policy solutions should factor in animal cruelty as an antecedent to acts of extreme violence The recent mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, not only claimed nearly three dozen lives, they have left the nation struggling for solutions to prevent similar outbursts of violence. As our country settles on policy options, we should … Read more
Bowing to sustained pressure from American citizens and a growing number of lawmakers, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced in May that it would meaningfully reduce the number of wild horses and burros captured from our federal lands through its inhumane helicopter roundup campaign – pledging to halve its 2021 goal of removing 20,000 … Read more
Animal Wellness Leaders Submit More than 330 Pages of Testimony and Supplements in Support of Legislation to End Horse Slaughter and Stamp Out Intentional Injuring of Tennessee Walking Horses in Competition Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce dove into debates about the treatment of horses in the United States. … Read more
Dogs dying even before they get into the laboratory In a pleading that reveals alleged violations of law and obvious violations of basic decency, the U.S. Department of Justice this month detailed acute animal welfare problems at a major supplier of animals to laboratories known as Envigo. Kudos to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals … Read more