Program Term Archive
Companion Animals
Florida Strengthens Animal Cruelty Law
Companion AnimalsOn March 23, National Puppy Day, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed “Ponce’s Law” to increase penalties for animal abusers. Named after a Labrador puppy found beaten to death, the new...
Law Enforcement Agencies Ramp Up Efforts to Address Animal Cruelty
Companion AnimalsOne of the latest signs of progress in the effort to convince law enforcement agencies to take animal cruelty seriously is the uptick in the creation of animal cruelty units...
USDA Keeps Extending the Leash on Abusive Dog Breeder
Companion AnimalsThe Des Moines Register published an editorial on November 13, 2016, entitled “Why won’t the USDA shut down this serial animal abuser?” The paper of record for the state of...
Pennsylvania, Texas Take Aim at Animal Cruelty
Companion AnimalsPennsylvania, long notorious for its weak repercussions for even the worst cases of abuse, took a giant leap forward when Governor Tom Wolf signed Libre’s Law. The state finally acted...
AWI Urges House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to Advance Animal Welfare Legislation
Press ReleaseJanuary 29, 2018Animals in Laboratories, Companion Animals, Marine WildlifeIn a letter issued today to US House of Representatives Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) urged the Majority Leader to advance animal welfare legislation in...
California Closes Pet Shop Doors to Commercial Breeders
Companion AnimalsShelter animals in California just got a huge helping hand from lawmakers in Sacramento. The Golden State has become the first in the nation to ban the sale of commercially...
Ohio Ballot Initiative Seeks to Squelch State’s Puppy Mills
Companion AnimalsAWI has joined the “Stop Puppy Mills Ohio” coalition of animal welfare groups, rescues, shelters, and Ohio citizens to launch a ballot initiative aimed at clamping down on puppy mills...
A Coordinated Community Response to Animal Abuse
Companion AnimalsMeredith is a new animal control officer. She has been directed to visit a particular home on multiple occasions because of complaints from neighbors of dogs barking or running loose....
AWI Urges USDA to Stop Relicensing Animal Abusers
Companion AnimalsAWI has battled with the US Department of Agriculture for years over its practice of automatically renewing the licenses of puppy mills, roadside zoos, and others who are habitually out...
Katrina’s Lesson Learned: Animals No Longer Excluded from Storm Evacuations
Companion AnimalsReports of the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria dominated the media this past September. In the midst of all that, particularly notable were the scenes of residents...