Pennsylvania

We strive to advance protections for wildlife and all animals in Pennsylvania

What We Do​

Pennsylvania is pivotal in the fight against animal cruelty. As a state deeply tied to agriculture and hunting, we face inherent challenges, but we also recognize that protecting animals is a universal value transcending faiths, races, and religions. With strong support from urban centers expanding to all 67 counties, Pennsylvanians share a collective commitment to ending cruelty.

We strive to advance protections for all animals in Pennsylvania — companion, farmed, and wild. We aim to engage the public in addressing critical animal welfare issues, increasing awareness, and fostering collaboration with state officials and stakeholders. To that end, we:

  • Connect advocacy organizations and individuals across the state to collectively engage with the Pennsylvania legislature in crafting and supporting landmark animal protection laws.
  • Collaborate with state agencies and stakeholders to promote a unified legislative agenda.
  • Inform supporters of our local, state, and federal legislative priorities.
  • Partner with advocacy groups to develop and advance Pennsylvania’s animal welfare legislative goals.
  • Testify against legislation that is outdated, harmful to animals, or threatens existing animal welfare protections.
  • Educate the public about the corporate impacts of animal welfare.
TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE 2025-2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

It is unfathomable that conducting live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania is not explicitly illegal. It is the antithesis of animal care to confine a breeding sow in a cage so small she cannot even turn around for up to three years. It is unconscionable that Lancaster Stockyards continues to traffic in horses bound for Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, we achieved a landmark victory with the passage of HB1210, now Act 146 — the only significant legislative win for animals during the session. This law ensures that companion animals can be included in Protection From Abuse orders, providing critical safeguards for vulnerable pets. As we celebrate this achievement, we remain dedicated to educating stakeholders and ensuring proper enforcement. Looking ahead, we are committed to advancing animal protections in Pennsylvania with an ambitious agenda for the 2025-2026 legislative session.

As one of America’s true swing states, Pennsylvania’s legislative victories have the potential to inspire national momentum, influencing animal protection policies across the country.

Our Priorities:

  • Phaseout of Gestation Crates. Pregnant pigs endure unimaginable suffering in gestation crates — tiny enclosures barely larger than their bodies, where they are confined for months at a time. This inhumane practice has been widely condemned, with 11 states and more than 60 major food retailers adopting policies condemning this extreme confinement. There are better, safer ways to house animals than to immobilize them.

  • Ban Live Pigeon Shoots. Live pigeon shoots, where pigeons are shot for sport, cause immense suffering, with many birds left to die from their injuries. This practice was condemned by ethical sportsmen and banned in some states in the 19th century because, even at a time when the humane movement was just forming, good people had a moral instinct that blasting animals for mere target practice was wrong. Pennsylvania’s long-running pigeon shoot in Hegins reminded the nation that this practice is still occurring. While the shoot is over in Hegins, it continues furtively in other enclaves in the Commonwealth, and all of these shoots must be stopped.

  • Phaseout of Lead Ammunition. Lead poisoning from spent ammunition poses a severe threat to more than 100 species of wildlife, including bald eagles, and it poses a material threat to hunting families who rely on deer meat as a key part of their diet. The United States phased out lead ammunition in all waterfowl hunting more than three decades ago, and it’s been an incredible conservation and animal welfare success. Today, for the benefit of hunters, their families, and all wildlife, no hunting should be done with this toxic element.

  • Strengthen Puppy Mill Laws. Known as the “puppy mill capital of the East,” Pennsylvania is home to a significant number of inhumane breeding operations. The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement (BDLE) is underfunded, limiting its ability to regulate and protect dogs. Redirecting fines and fees to the BDLE will strengthen enforcement, protecting dogs from exploitation and neglect.

  • Shut Down Horse Slaughter. Pennsylvania plays a key role as a broker and trafficker of horses bound for slaughter for human consumption. Our state has a horse culture that should not tolerate this abuse of animals.. New York just passed a strong law forbidding slaughter and transport for slaughter, and Pennsylvania should follow that lead.

  • Combat Rodeo Preemption. We seek to repeal language in the 2024 budget that preempts local ordinances banning particularly harmful rodeo practices, such as calf roping and the use of electric shocks to induce erratic movements. By introducing a standalone bill, we will ensure municipalities can exert their democratic will and not be prevented from establishing reasonable standards of animal care in their locales.

  • Ban Balloon Releases. Balloons released into the environment pose a serious threat to wildlife, which can ingest the material or become entangled in it. A statewide ban on balloon releases will help protect Pennsylvania’s ecosystems, wildlife, and farmed animals from this avoidable harm.

  • Expand Pittsburgh’s Force-Fed Animal Product Ban. Building on Pittsburgh’s local ban on foie gras, which involves the cruel practice of force-feeding ducks and geese, we aim to expand this prohibition throughout the state to promote compassionate food practices and protect animals from unnecessary suffering.

  • Reform the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Currently, only 7% of Pennsylvanians hold hunting licenses, yet the commission hardly has any non-hunting voices on it, even though the agency is charged with protecting all wildlife for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians. Expanding its mission to include broader conservation goals and ensuring non-hunters are represented will create a more balanced and inclusive approach to wildlife management.

  • Ban Traveling Exotic Animal Performances. Circuses and other traveling performances exploit wild animals, subjecting them to cruel training methods and unsafe living conditions. A statewide ban will protect these animals from mistreatment and promote more ethical forms of entertainment

Together, we can make Pennsylvania a leader in animal welfare. To do that, we need leadership, an agenda, and resources. Your support can enable us to lead a significant upgrade in animal welfare in a state that was an incubator of the animal welfare movement nearly two centuries ago. Let’s create a more compassionate future for all animals in Pennsylvania. That work, if it’s done right, will reverberate across the nation.

Our State Directors

Natalie Ahwesh
Pennsylvania State Director

Natalie Ahwesh, who also serves as director of state affairs for Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, has been with us since 2022.

Currently residing in Pittsburgh, Natalie co-founded Humane Action Pennsylvania, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing animal protection through education and policy. Her efforts have led to the passage of dozens of laws, including Pennsylvania’s first ban on circus animal performances, eliminating the sales of products made from force-fed animals, and the inclusion of companion animals in Protection From Abuse orders for domestic violence survivors.

Natalie’s leadership and advocacy have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2024 City & State Above and Beyond, 2023 City & State PA Power 100, 2019 Incline’s “Who’s Next” Animal Advocates, and placement among Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 honorees. Additionally, she was awarded a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship in 2023. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Legal Studies, Administration of Justice, French, and Mathematics, and her master’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from The George Washington University.

Want to get more involved with animal advocacy in Pennsylvania? Email [email protected].

Michele Patterson
Central Pennsylvania State Director

Michele Patterson has a strong background in driving meaningful change through both state and federal level advocacy, as well as creating and managing volunteer programs and grassroots initiatives. She draws from her many years of management experience in non-profit organizations and veterinary medicine practices. Her background working for a Pennsylvania political campaign and her advocacy in the Pennsylvania state legislature also make her an invaluable asset. She particularly enjoys working with non-profit organizations to advance their initiatives.

Michele earned her Master’s degree in public policy and administration from York College of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration from Pennsylvania State University. In her free time, She volunteers as a member on several boards and spends quality time with her husband, Dave; her horse, Charlie; and her rescue dogs, Abbey, Fiona, and Woody.

How to help

  • Meet with Your Legislators. Let your state representatives know that animal welfare matters to you as their constituent. Find your legislators here. We’re happy to assist with questions.

  • Donate. Support our Pennsylvania initiatives and national campaigns here.

  • Get Involved. Email Natalie at: [email protected] to learn more or join our efforts.