An Uncertain Time Ahead

Eight years ago at this time, we waited to see how the incoming Trump administration would handle issues of animal welfare. What unfolded over the next four years proved to be largely disastrous for animals and the environment, both in the United States and across the world. During that time, bedrock laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, were significantly weakened, putting wild animals and lands at risk. Protections for gray wolves were stripped, and leases to drill in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge were awarded. The United States also pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord, jeopardizing progress made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that threaten critical habitat.

Enforcement of another bedrock law, the Animal Welfare Act, fell drastically, with fewer new investigations and fewer violations documented through US Department of Agriculture inspections of facilities operated by animal breeders, dealers, exhibitors, and experimental labs. In early 2017, the department also deleted inspection and enforcement records from its website, dealing a serious blow to transparency and public accountability until the records were returned in early 2020 under congressional order.

Some of the damage was undone during the Biden administration. But on January 20, 2025, a new Trump administration will begin, and the animal welfare and environmental protection community is bracing for a similar, and perhaps even more difficult period.

We know that, notwithstanding partisan politics, there can be bipartisan areas of agreement in support of animal welfare in state and federal legislatures and agencies, and we will continue to pursue those opportunities. Where that is not possible, we will continue to defend the cherished domestic laws and international agreements to protect animals and their homes—which are, after all, also our homes. Throughout, we will be unwavering advocates for animals. Please join us as we rise to the challenge ahead.

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