Program Term Archive

Companion Animals

Chimp Crazy Docuseries Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Ban on Pet Primates

Press ReleaseAugust 9, 2024Terrestrial Wildlife

“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

Press ReleaseJune 14, 2024Companion Animals

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

Press ReleaseMay 22, 2024Companion Animals, Farmed 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)

Press ReleaseMay 1, 2024Terrestrial Wildlife

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

Press ReleaseApril 15, 2024Companion Animals

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...

AWI Awards First “Safe Havens for Pets” Grants

Companion Animals

In connection with the launch of our Safe Havens for Pets Grant Program, AWI is pleased to announce that the first grants have been awarded. Since 2011, AWI has operated...

New AWI Grant Program Assists Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets in Communities of Greatest Need

Press ReleaseFebruary 15, 2024Companion Animals

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

Press ReleaseFebruary 14, 2024Companion Animals

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...

Dr. Randour’s Legacy: Securing the Data to Bring Animal Cruelty into Sharper Focus

Companion Animals

Dr. Mary Lou Randour, who served as senior policy advisor for AWI’s Animals and Interpersonal Violence program until her recent retirement, rarely shies away from a challenge—even if it involves...

Pet Trade Empties Reefs of Banggai Cardinalfish

Companion Animals, Marine Wildlife

The global trade in ornamental fish is a multibillion-dollar business involving the annual global export of around 2 billion fish from 2,500 freshwater and marine species. Many are captured from...