Program Term Archive
Farmed Animals
GAP Updates Welfare Certification Standards for Chickens
Farmed AnimalsIn January, the animal welfare organization Global Animal Partnership (GAP) released updated production standards for meat chickens under its six-tier Animal Welfare Certified rating program. Prior to the release, AWI...
Seeking to Slam the Door on Ventilation Shutdown
Farmed AnimalsIt’s too small to see and too big to miss: The H5N1 virus, which causes highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, aka bird flu), has wrought havoc on US poultry and...
Mink Legislation Reintroduced to Protect Public Health and Compensate Farmers
Press ReleaseMarch 19, 2025Farmed Animals, Terrestrial WildlifeUS Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) has reintroduced the Mink: Vectors for Infection Risk in the United States Act (Mink VIRUS Act), bipartisan legislation endorsed by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)....
Illinois Bill Requiring Disease Monitoring on Mink Farms Passes House Committee
Press ReleaseMarch 13, 2025Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) celebrates today’s passage of the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act (H.B. 2627) in the Public Health Committee of the Illinois House of Representatives. The bill...
USDA’s Bird Flu Strategy Inadequate to Control Disease and Prevent Inhumane Treatment
Press ReleaseMarch 7, 2025Farmed AnimalsThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) appreciates that the US Department of Agriculture has developed a revised strategy to address the staggering impacts of the current bird flu outbreak, yet the...
More than 860 Veterinarians, Students Call on AVMA to Discourage Cruel Killing Methods
Press ReleaseFebruary 6, 2025Farmed AnimalsHundreds of veterinarians and veterinary students from across the country are urging the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to revise its guidelines regarding methods of killing farmed animals during emergencies....
Illinois Bill Would Require Disease Monitoring on Mink Farms to Safeguard Human Health
Press ReleaseFebruary 4, 2025Farmed Animals, Terrestrial WildlifeThe Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends today’s filing of the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act in Illinois, which would protect public health and human safety by requiring disease prevention and...
More Than 1.5 Million Farmed Animals Died in Barn Fires in 2024
Press ReleaseJanuary 9, 2025Farmed AnimalsMore than 1.5 million farmed animals perished in barn fires in 2024, accounting for 60% of the deaths reported in the last three years, according to an Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)...
Bird Flu Infects Humans and House Cats
Companion Animals, Farmed AnimalsFebruary will mark four years of the United States battling the most significant animal health emergency in the country’s history: the continued spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, aka...
Buyer Beware: USDA’s New Meat Label Guidelines Are a Raw Deal
Farmed AnimalsIn a much-anticipated move, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released its updated Guideline on Substantiating Animal-Raising or Environment-Related Labeling Claims in late August. Last revised in...