Mountain lions were once acknowledged as great hunters and revered as symbols of bravery and strength. But as Europeans settled across the continent, the indigenous peoples’ respect was replaced with fear. Mountain lions were perceived by Europeans as dangerous competitors vying for the abundant game of the New World and threatening domestic livestock: rivals cheaper to eradicate than to safeguard against.
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In this issue, we discuss the critical ecological and economic services provided by whales—how these leviathans jumpstart life at the smallest scale and keep oceanic ecosystems humming. Then, going from aquatic to arid, learn what AWI is doing to help Senegal National Parks revitalize a portion of the Sahel in sub-Saharan Africa. And meet some inspiring young activists who are running their own nonprofit organizations and lifting their voices on behalf of animals around the globe.
In this issue, AWI examines what is at stake for the world’s whales at the International Whaling Commission meeting this month in Florianopolis, Brazil. We expose how the USDA is failing to enforce the Animal Welfare Act to prevent abuse and neglect of animals in puppy mills, roadside zoos, substandard research facilities, and elsewhere. We profile AWI’s Dr. Bill Clark, whose work in Africa—on the ground and in the air—is helping to thwart poachers and restore landscapes.
In this issue, you can read all about the positive outcomes for elephants, otters, and a host of other wild animals at this year’s CITES meeting in Geneva. We shine a harsh spotlight on the USDA’s secret move to drastically limit oversight of laboratories that experiment on animals. We debunk deceptive animal welfare claims on food packaging, and tell you which claims to believe and which ones deceive.
The infamous private zoo featured in Tiger King finally shuts down. The world’s nations struggle to shape international animal protection agreements without the benefit of in-person meetings during a pandemic. USDA inspection photos document unconscionable conditions at a facility that supplies chinchillas for research. Why protecting predators can boost the economy. AWI’s review of the best dissection alternative tools for classrooms.
Cruelty goes unchecked as “custom-exempt” slaughterhouses evade inspection. A notorious chinchilla dealer lands in court over allegations of abuse. Animals around the world grapple with habitats transformed by climate change. Wild denizens of ANWR get welcome reprieve from oil and gas drilling. AWI aids efforts to cultivate peaceful coexistence with beavers. A Mississippi River sediment diversion plan endangers dolphins. Teen participants in A Voice for Animals contest speak—and act—for a better world.
In this issue, AWI previews CoP19, a critical November gathering of nations and animal advocates in Panama to weigh protections for hippos, horned lizards, and a host of other wild species under threat from international trade. Horrifying conditions lead to closure of a dog-breeding facility in Virginia owned by one of the world’s largest research suppliers. The USDA fails to prevent deceptive animal-raising claims on food packaging. On Capitol Hill, the Big Cat Public Safety Act passes the House, and other animal welfare legislation gains ground.
Progress in our efforts to bolster federal protections for racehorses and walking horses. Fighting the use of horrific methods to “depopulate” chicken flocks exposed to bird flu. A new edition of AWI’s comprehensive analysis of the ills inherent in marine mammal captivity. How financial incentives are fueling an illegal trade in wild primates for research. Celebrating the ongoing work by one of our own and the legacy of a departed hero on behalf of the world’s whales.
AWI reports from the CITES Animals Committee meeting in Geneva and its implications for wildlife protections in international trade. We press the USDA to help state officials clamp down on animal abuse in US slaughter plants. A new AWI initiative helps researchers and policymakers access valuable FBI data to study and address animal cruelty crimes. Supporting efforts to establish marine mammal protection areas in the Atlantic. Helping animal caregivers provide better lives to rodents and rabbits in research.
The monarch butterfly population is crashing. Over a 50-acre swatch of central Mexico each winter, monarch butterflies once formed a living blanket over the trees. They now occupy less than three of those acres. Last winter’s butterfly numbers in Mexico were down 59 percent from the year before.
AWI seeks to advance the welfare of animals raised for agricultural purposes–on the farm, during transport, and at slaughter. We support plant-based food choices and higher-welfare options when animal products are consumed and work to ensure accuracy and transparency in animal-product marketing claims pertaining to the welfare of farmed animals.
The Animal Welfare Institute prepares brief fact sheets on a variety of topics related to the use of animals in agriculture. Each of the following fact sheets is available as a downloadable PDF.
Though seven states have passed legislation to phase out common industry practices that confine farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs, AWI remains concerned that these laws will not actually end the use of cages and crates.
AWI prepares reports on the history and current status of laws that affect the welfare of farm animals. The content of each paper is kept updated, and all of the reports are available as a downloadable PDF.
