AWI Newsroom
For media information regarding the Animal Welfare Institute or interview opportunities with one of our experts, please contact:
Kim Meneo, Animal Welfare Institute
kim@awionline.org, (202) 446-2116
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Farm Bill Passes House in a Missed Opportunity to Help Animals
Today, the House of Representatives voted 224-200 to pass the Farm Bill—the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567). In addition to continuing to utilize taxpayer dollars...
AWI Grant Helping to Expand Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets in Illinois
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to announce Oasis Women’s Center as the recipient of its 2026 Safe Havens for Pets Desert Grant to expand sheltering resources for the pets of...
House Ag Committee Advances Farm Bill: Companion Animals Fare Better than Horses and Farmed Animals
This week, following deliberations over the course of two days, the House Committee on Agriculture voted to advance its version of the Farm Bill—H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National...
AWI Awards Safe Havens for Pets Grant to Support Unhoused People and Pets in DC
This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to announce a $15,000 grant to the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) to support pet owners experiencing domestic violence...
Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act Reintroduced to Protect Wildlife and Pets on Public Lands
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act, reintroduced today in the US House of Representatives by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). This bill would prohibit the...
New AWI Grant Funds Analysis of Animal Cruelty Data to Better Protect Animals and Communities
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has awarded an inaugural research grant to encourage the analysis of animal cruelty data to identify distinct characteristics of animal abusers, leading to more targeted intervention and...
Captive Primate Safety Act Would End the Cruel and Dangerous Primate Pet Trade
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds yesterday’s reintroduction of the Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA), which would end the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade in the United States. Nonhuman...
AWI Expands Directory to Help Unhoused People and Their Pets
Today, Safe Havens for Pets, an initiative of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), launched an expanded online directory to include sheltering services that assist individuals who are experiencing homelessness with a pet....
Bill Introduced to Require Data Collection Linking Animal Cruelty and Child Abuse
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act (H.R. 712), reintroduced last week by Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Julia Brownley (D-CA). This...
Chimp Crazy Docuseries Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Ban on Pet Primates
“Chimp Crazy,” the four-part docuseries premiering August 18 on HBO Max, aims to expose the dangerous and cruel trade in primates as pets that has destroyed lives — both human...
Bill Introduced to Require Data Collection Linking Animal Cruelty and Child Abuse
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act (H.R. 8733), reintroduced yesterday by Reps. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ)....
House Farm Bill Draft Helps Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets, But Rewards Industries That Abuse Animals
The US House Committee on Agriculture will weigh in Thursday on the long-awaited, 942-page Farm Bill, a massive legislative package—reauthorized every five years or so—that serves as a key driver of...
Captive Primate Safety Act Would End the Cruel and Dangerous Primate Pet Trade (2024)
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses yesterday’s reintroduction of the Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA), which would end the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade in the United States. Nonhuman...
AWI Launches New Center to Track and Analyze National Animal Cruelty Data
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has developed a new initiative to provide researchers with readily accessible animal cruelty data from across the country. The Center for the Study of NIBRS Animal...
New AWI Grant Program Assists Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets in Communities of Greatest Need
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is proud to announce the first two recipients of Safe Havens for Pets grants to help domestic violence survivors and their companion animals seek safety...
Denali, Gentle Pit Bull Mix Who Survived Against All Odds, Named Safe Havens for Pets Ambassador
On Valentine’s Day, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is proud to name Denali, an American Staffordshire terrier mix with an unshakeable loving spirit, as the inaugural ambassador for the Safe Havens...
AWI Urges US Government to Stop Using Abused or Illegally Trafficked Animals in Taxpayer-Funded Research
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is urging the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to halt their acquisition of research animals from...
New Report: Largest Counties Lack Adequate Shelters for Pets of Domestic Violence Victims
In recognition of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has released new research that identifies a lack of sheltering services around the country—including in some of the...
Puppy Mill Restrictions Introduced in Ohio; Animal Advocates Honor Rep. Laura Lanese
Reps. Laura Lanese (R-Grove City) and James Hoops (R-Napoleon) will introduce legislation Wednesday to ban puppy mills and other commercial dog breeders from performing painful procedures such as cutting off...
AVERT Future Violence Act Introduced to Further Investigate Link Between Animal Cruelty and Interpersonal Violence and Help Rehabilitate Offenders
Time and time again, we learn that individuals who have committed violent acts against others—whether it be a spouse, a parent, or the 21 schoolchildren and teachers gunned down this...