Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats - Photo by Taylor Bennett

Chaining

Across the US, millions of dogs endure lives of confinement, chained outdoors in all weather with little or no reprieve. Education coupled with tougher laws can help bring an end to this form of abuse. See our chaining page for more on this issue and what you can do to help.

Traps and Companion Animals

Over 70 countries around the globe have banned steel-jaw leghold traps, which inflict terrible suffering on their victims. Unfortunately, the US isn’t one of them. To make matters worse, these traps—as well as other body-gripping traps—also pose grave danger to companion animals, particularly when they are hidden along wildlife trails used by people and their animals. For years, AWI has campaigned vigorously against cruel and indiscriminate trapping in this country and abroad. See our Companion Animals in Traps page for more information and links to published materials on the dangers posed by steel-jaw traps.

Puppy Mills

Puppy mills are operations where people breed large numbers of dogs to sell in the commercial pet trade. They are also places where profits take precedence over animal welfare. Breeding animals typically spend their entire lives confined in small, barren wire cages. Click here to learn more about this sordid industry.