For media information or interview opportunities regarding the Animal Welfare Institute, please contact:
Margie Fishman
Public Relations Manager
Animal Welfare Institute
(202) 337-2332
[email protected]
Need an Expert?
AWI offers a number of experts that specialize in various topics across the animal welfare arena; a list can be seen here. If you are interested in speaking with one of our experts, please contact AWI at [email protected] or (202) 337-2332.
Follow us on Social Media
Follow AWI on Facebook, on Instagram (@awionline), and on Twitter (@AWIonline) for updates from AWI. Subscribe to AWI’s YouTube channel
Latest News
US Declares Iceland in Defiance of Global Trade Ban on Whale Products
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell issued a formal declaration that Iceland is undermining the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and its prohibition on international...
AWI Tells USDA that Long Island White-Tailed Deer Cull Violates Federal Law
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) put the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on notice Friday that the organization plans to take legal action regarding serious violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in connection...
Navy Training and Testing Activities Imperil Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles in Waters off Hawaii and Southern California
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Today, a coalition of conservation groups, represented by Earthjustice, amended their complaint in a case filed in Hawai‘i federal court last month that challenges a 5-year plan by the US Navy for testing and training...
Congress Reinstates Annual Ban on Horse Slaughter
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends the US Congress for wisely reinstating the annual ban on the slaughtering of horses in its Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Act released late last night. The language, identical...
AWI Seeks to Defend NMFS Decision to Deny Beluga Import
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
The Animal Welfare Institute, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Whale and Dolphin Conservation North America, Earth Island Institute, and Cetacean Society International have filed a motion to intervene in defense of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s...
Iceland to Ship Whale Meat to Japan via Norway
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Documents obtained by the Washington DC-based Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) show that Norway has begun to play a key role in Iceland's massive exports of whale meat to Japan in defiance of international agreements. Iceland—which...
Conservationists Sue to Stop Wolf and Coyote Killing Contest on Public Lands
Monday, December 23, 2013
Pocatell, ID – Today a coalition of conservation organizations sued the U.S. Forest Service for failure to require permits and environmental impacts analysis for the advertised "Coyote and Wolf Derby" in Salmon, Idaho, December 28...
Groups Seek Injunction to Halt Slaughter of Endangered Red Wolves
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
A motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the unlawful killing of highly endangered red wolves caused by hunting in the Red Wolf Recovery area in North Carolina was filed on Monday, December 16, 2013...
Groups Seek Regulations for Humane Handling of Birds at Slaughter
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Farm Sanctuary, working with the Animal Law Clinic at Lewis & Clark Law School, petitioned the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to develop regulations governing the...
Lawsuit Seeks to Reduce Harm to Whales, Dolphins from Navy Sonar in Pacific
Monday, December 16, 2013
A lawsuit filed in Hawai‘i federal court today challenges the National Marine Fisheries Service’s approval of a five-year plan by the US Navy for testing and training activities off Hawai‘i and Southern California. The Navy...
Petition Seeks to Reform Secretive Federal Agency that Kills Millions of Wild Animals
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
The Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Project Coyote petitioned the Obama administration today to reform the federal wildlife-killing program known as “Wildlife Services,” which kills nearly 1.5 million coyotes, bears, otters, foxes...
AWI Seeks Emergency Protection for World's Smallest Sloth
Friday, November 15, 2013
AWI today filed an emergency petition to list the pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA). Endemic to Panama’s Isla Escudo de Veraguas, the pygmy sloth—the world’s smallest...
Judge Allows Horse Slaughter to Resume in U.S. While Serious Concerns of Safety and Cruelty Remain
Monday, November 04, 2013
The Animal Welfare Institute is deeply disappointed that a US District Judge has allowed for the resumption of horse slaughter in the United States for the first time since plants in Illinois and Texas were...
Groups Seek to Protect Endangered Red Wolves in Recovery Area from Deadly Mistaken Identity
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Conservation organizations today challenged North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission’s authorization of coyote hunting—including by spotlight at night—in the five county area of eastern North Carolina inhabited by the world’s only wild population of about 100...
Statement on Georgia Aquarium Appeal of NMFS Permit Denial
Monday, September 30, 2013
Today, Georgia Aquarium filed a complaint in a federal district court in Georgia appealing the decision made by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to deny a permit application to import 18 wild-caught beluga whales...
Indiana Coyote Penning Investigation Uncovers Brutal Practices and Illegal Activity
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Project Coyote, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) released the results of an investigation of an Indiana “penning” facility, uncovering extreme animal suffering and providing strong evidence that...
National Marine Fisheries Service Denies Permit to Import 18 Wild-Caught Beluga Whales from Russia
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to report that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has denied a permit application by the Georgia Aquarium to import 18 wild-caught beluga whales from Russia for the...
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Halt Cruel Form of Horse Transport
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) welcomes the reintroduction of S. 1459, the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2013, by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The bill, which prohibits the hauling of horses...
Governor Quinn of Illinois Signs Bill to Curb Tethering Abuses
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
he Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to announce that Governor Quinn has signed into law new rules to provide that certain requirements must be met in order for an owner to lawfully tether a...
Bill Takes Aim at Dealer System That Is "an Unmitigated Disaster"
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) welcomes the reintroduction by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) of the Pet Safety and Protection Act (H.R. 2224). In order to protect companion animals from illegal sale...