Archive: Terrestrial Wildlife

House Appropriations Bill Sacrifices Imperiled Species in Favor of Politicking

The US House of Representatives is set to vote this week on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 8998), a bill that severely slashes conservation funding for the coming fiscal year and leaves imperiled species with a fraction of the resources necessary to promote recovery. The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is deeply dismayed to see that, furthermore, the bill is stacked with poison pill riders designed to block or remove specific wildlife protections, even targeting efforts to save a number of threatened and endangered species.

“This bill does not reflect Americans’ love for our wild spaces and species and is a dangerously irresponsible spending roadmap at a time when biodiversity is in perilous decline,” said Nancy Blaney, AWI’s director of government affairs.

If this bill passes Congress, the Department of the Interior’s budget will shrink dramatically to $14.7 billion—a 74% reduction. Within this total, the US Fish and Wildlife Service budget would be reduced by $144 million to $1.3 billion, including a 20% cut in funding to list new species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The poison pill riders, which attempt to undermine species recovery by making conservation decisions based on political interests rather than science, include:

  • Blocking funding to protect the sage-grouse, lesser prairie-chicken, northern long-eared bat, sagebrush lizard, and wolverine under the ESA
  • Blocking funding to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem in Washington and the Bitterroot ecosystem in Idaho and Montana
  • Blocking funding to reintroduce bison to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in Montana
  • Delisting the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem population of grizzly bears
  • Delisting gray wolves
  • Blocking funding to extend ESA protections to threatened or endangered fish held in captivity
  • Blocking funding to implement the Biden administration’s newly finalized ESA regulations
  • Finalizing a Trump administration rule that prevents certain interagency consultations on projects that may impact ESA-listed species on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and US Forest Service lands
  • Blocking funding to implement a rule that limits lethal management of predators within the National Wildlife Refuge System
  • Blocking any restriction on the use of lead ammunition or tackle used on federal lands or waters
  • Blocking any restriction on hunting, fishing, or shooting on federal lands, which could include wildlife killing contests
  • Blocking funding to implement, administer, or enforce any restrictions on offshore energy development and production aimed at reducing disturbances to critically endangered North Pacific right whales, North Atlantic right whales, or Rice’s whales

Wild Horses and Burros
On a positive note, the bill and an accompanying report include some beneficial language pertaining to wild horse and burro management. Importantly, the bill continues protections against commercial destruction and lethal control of wild horses and burros on lands managed by the BLM and US Forest Service.

The House bill also proposes $143 million to fund the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, a 16% decrease from the agency’s proposed budget for the program. The BLM has a long track record of mismanaging federally protected wild equines—rounding them up from the range (21,000 to be removed this fiscal year alone) and moving them into expensive off-range holding facilities; reining in this program’s budget could help curtail the rampant and systemic problems within the agency.

The report also calls for $11 million of the BLM’s budget to be set aside to prioritize humane fertility control for wild horses—namely existing immunocontraceptive vaccines such as Porcine Zona Pellucida. This vaccine has been used successfully for decades, and managing horses on the range through humane fertility control would allow these herds to remain in their natural habitats. The report also calls on the BLM to explore alternatives to helicopter roundups—brutal, chaotic operations that break apart family bands and routinely result in injuries and fatalities to the horses.

Unfortunately, the report also includes vague and troubling language supporting the BLM’s use of “permanent sterilization” on wild horses (potentially involving gruesome and dangerous surgical procedures), as well as directives that tacitly condone the BLM’s overreliance on removals from the range. AWI will continue working with lawmakers to ensure that the final appropriations package bolsters protections for these cherished animals.

Protecting Other Wildlife
AWI also appreciates the inclusion of language in the report aimed at increasing transparency around trapping on national wildlife refuges, encouraging collaboration on nonlethal beaver management methods, developing measures to prevent massive manatee die-offs from reoccurring, and urging federal agencies to use best practices in their operations to avoid bird collisions. The bill also funds the Prescott Grant Program at $3 million, providing competitive grants to marine mammal stranding network organizations to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured, or distressed marine mammals and, where appropriate, investigate causes of death.

Congress Urged Not to Use Taxpayer Money to Prop Up Dangerous Mink Farms

Today, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), joined by 46 public health scientists, veterinarians, animal welfare and conservation organizations, and other experts in their respective fields, delivered a letter to leaders of the Agriculture Committees in the US House of Representatives and Senate expressing strong opposition to a provision in the House Farm Bill (H.R. 8467) that would earmark taxpayer dollars for the mink industry to develop and expand into international markets. Section 3201(d) of the bill seeks to repeal existing law and direct federal dollars to an overwhelmingly unpopular industry that poses a severe risk to public health.

“The intent of the 2024 Farm Bill is to achieve both fiscal responsibility and a commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Americans—and Section 3201(d) is entirely counterproductive to these objectives,” the letter states. It was signed by organizations and experts in the fields of epidemiology, virology, medicine, veterinary science, fashion, wildlife conservation, and public policy, among others.

A growing body of science shows that mink are particularly high-risk “mixing vessels,” producing dangerous variants of respiratory diseases that are potentially transmissible to humans—including COVID-19 and H5N1, a deadly strain of avian influenza that is currently sweeping through US poultry flocks and dairy herds and has infected a number of humans. Leading scientists have thus concluded that mink fur farms—where mink are kept in close quarters and often unsanitary conditions—threaten to usher in the next pandemic.

“Congress is throwing good money at bad policy by proposing to further subsidize operations that are responsible for incubating diseases such as COVID-19 and avian influenza, creating the perfect conditions for new variants to jump to humans,” said Kate Dylewsky, AWI’s assistant director of government affairs. “This wasteful and shortsighted provision must be removed from the Farm Bill.”

Moreover, mink farming is an unpopular and dying industry, with sales nosediving even before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2017 there were 236 mink operations in the United States. Five years later, the number of US mink farms had dropped to 110. This decline is a direct result of shrinking consumer demand for real fur, and a commitment by major fashion brands and retailers to go fur-free, including Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, Versace, and Giorgio Armani.

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 and nonhuman — across the country.

The series focuses on several chimpanzees kept as pets, including the famous Tonka, while examining the broader issues surrounding the thousands of primates who are bred, trafficked, sold, and kept in wildly unnatural conditions in private homes. To end this senseless trade, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) urges Congress to quickly pass the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 8164/S. 4206), which would prohibit the private ownership of primates.

Reintroduced in May by US Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), this bill is narrowly crafted to target sales and private possession of primates, and would not impact zoos and other exhibitors, universities, labs, or sanctuaries.

“What is truly crazy is that it’s still legal to keep primates as pets,” said Kate Dylewsky, assistant director of government affairs at AWI. “The heart-wrenching stories of chimpanzees caught up in the pet trade must serve as a wake-up call: These wild animals do not belong in our homes and pose a serious threat to our communities. Let’s pass the Captive Primate Safety Act so that this docuseries can serve as a historical narrative, instead of reflecting an ongoing animal welfare and public safety crisis.”

The total number of pet primates (e.g., apes, monkeys, lemurs, and lorises) in the United States is unknown, but estimates indicate they number in the thousands, if not tens of thousands. These wild animals are torn from their mothers as infants, sold at auctions or over the internet, and face a lifetime of isolation and imprisonment as pets. Upon reaching maturity, they can quickly become strong and unpredictable, and are often forced to undergo unnecessary, painful procedures, such as tooth extraction, in an effort to “tame” them. Even the most well-meaning of owners cannot provide the special care, housing, diet, socialization, and mental stimulation that these animals require. Additionally, nonhuman primates pose distinct risks to public health, since they can easily transmit a wide range of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal diseases to humans, some of which are life-threatening.

Hundreds of people have reported being injured by captive primates, and many more incidents likely go unreported. “Chimp Crazy” will highlight a particularly horrific incident in 2009 in which a Connecticut woman named Charla Nash was blinded and lost most of her face and hands after being attacked by her neighbor’s pet chimpanzee, Travis. Nash has spoken out about the need to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act to ensure that what happened to her will not happen to anyone else.

“Chimp Crazy” also focuses on notorious animal dealer Tonia Haddix and her chimp Tonka, who starred in the 1997 films “George of the Jungle” and “Buddy.” The docuseries is directed by Eric Goode, who also directed “Tiger King,” the hit Netflix series that brought unprecedented public attention to the unethical activities of roadside zoos and big cat breeders when it was released in March 2020. On December 20, 2022, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was signed into law, officially ending the dangerous, inhumane trade in big cats kept as pets.

As is the case with big cats, keeping primates as pets not only threatens public safety but can also strain the resources of the community and of rescue organizations. Local police departments and other first responders are not trained or equipped to respond to wild animals, yet when a dangerous primate escapes from someone’s home, emergency personnel are called on to make difficult decisions in chaotic situations. Sanctuaries with limited resources are often left to deal with the consequences, since they become dumping grounds for traumatized animals.

To urge your US representative and senators to cosponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act, click here.

“A Voice for Animals” Essay Contest Winners Channel Grassroots Advocacy to Benefit Animals in Need

From exploring the impact of the critically endangered golden coin turtle on Hong Kong’s ecological balance and cultural identity, to spreading awareness about the mental health of companion animals to help prevent abuse, participants in the 2024 “A Voice for Animals” contest prioritize education and community engagement to protect a range of species from human-caused suffering.

The annual contest offers high school students ages 14 to 18 the opportunity to win cash prizes for essays, videos, or photo essays that explore strategies to protect imperiled species and mitigate animal suffering. The contest is sponsored by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Humane Education Network, with additional support from the Palo Alto Humane Society.

Nineteen entries won honors this year from a pool of more than 200. Submissions were judged on presentation, originality, and effectiveness of solutions to persistent problems. The honorees examined the exploitation of horses in the racing industry, vehicular collisions that are ravaging leopard populations in Taiwan, urbanization’s impact on disappearing pollinators, and more.

“AWI is impressed by the imagination and resourcefulness of these young advocates to improve the lives of animals where they live,” said Regina Terlau, AWI’s humane education program coordinator and co-manager of the contest. “These students understand how to harness the latest technologies to spread the word about animal suffering and species under siege, yet they also rely on more traditional methods, such as beach cleanups, fundraisers for animal shelters, and school composting programs, to make a lasting impact.”

The first-place winners are:

  • Alison Cheng of Los Altos, California, for the video “Young Birders for Our Habitats,” which describes how birdwatching can encourage environmental stewardship and the conservation of rapidly declining bird populations. Cheng details her own experience co-founding the Santa Clara Valley Young Birders Club to galvanize more than 100 birders to identify different species, log their observations, and respect natural habitats.
  • V’Jae Brown of Killeen, Texas, for the photo essay “Go Green KISD,” which outlines Brown’s efforts to teach students about sustainability principles and composting to reduce the impact of landfills on red fox habitat and prepare the next generation of conscientious citizens. Brown notes that the red fox’s struggle for survival is just one example of how urban expansion and waste dramatically alter the landscape and become ecological traps for wildlife.
  • Daniel Athey of West Chester, Pennsylvania, for the “active involvement” essay “Rescue 911 for Our Shelter Animals.” Athey donated food, dog beds, cleaning supplies, and more to a local animal shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic; helped foster a malnourished dog; refinished and sold used furniture, donating the proceeds to the animal shelter; and posted photos and videos of adoptable dogs on social media to drum up interest.
  • Krrisha Patel of Secaucus, New Jersey, for the essay “Preservation of Endangered Sea Turtles,” which describes Patel’s work participating in beach cleanups, leading educational workshops, and advocating policy changes to help sea turtles threatened by marine pollution, habitat loss, and rising sea temperatures.
  • Zai Lee of Seoul, South Korea, for the essay “Ending Rhino Poaching for Generations to Come,” which examines how the relentless demand for rhino horn has a cascading effect on the entire food chain. Lee outlines a number of solutions to tackle both the supply and demand sides of this illegal trade, including increased ranger patrols, drone surveillance systems, stronger partnerships among law enforcement agencies, research into rhino horn alternatives, and economic incentives for local communities to abandon poaching.
  • Sabrina Chen of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, for the essay “Endangered Beauty,” which details how the exotic pet trade, human encroachment, and climate change have devastated populations of yellow-crested cockatoos on Indonesia’s islands. Chen created a website to spread awareness of the plight of the species, and sponsored cockatoos at a sanctuary to help save these versatile birds, who benefit the environment by dispersing seeds to regenerate plant species.

Click here for more information on the “A Voice for Animals” contest and to review all winning entries.

Help Orphaned, Injured Bats and Support Vital Conservation Work This Bat Week

As Bat Week kicks off October 24, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is hosting its first-ever bat-tacular fundraiser to help organizations operating bat rescues, sanctuaries, and educational outreach programs promote and protect these vanishing mammals. Donate now and double your impact: Through October 31, AWI will match all donations to this campaign up to a total of $40,000!

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Bats are neither creepy nor spooky—not even the three species of vampire bats. (With a three-foot vertical leap, the common vampire bat is, however, supernaturally athletic.) And contrary to common fears, the vast majority of bats do not carry rabies.

In fact, bats should be revered—not feared—because they are the unsung heroes of healthy ecosystems. They serve as pollinators, seed dispersers, and consumers of vast quantities of certain insects that can wreak havoc on crops, forests, and backyard gardens. They are also the only mammals who actually fly, using echolocation to navigate and home in on prey.

Bats are slow to reproduce, however, and they are facing unprecedented threats from habitat destruction, climate change, hunting, declining food supply, wind turbine collisions, international trade, and a devastating fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome. As a result, more than 200 bat species are currently at risk of extinction, including a number of North American species such as the northern long-eared bat, little brown bat, and Indiana bat.

Will you join us to help save one of the world’s most misunderstood animals, dispel harmful myths, and spread awareness about the amazing benefits of bats?

AWI has selected four worthy bat-centric nonprofit organizations to support during Bat Week:

Bats Northwest in Lynnwood, Washington
The vision of Bats Northwest is “a future where the essential role of bats is understood, the public recognizes the vital place of bats in our environment and economy, and where all are inspired by their remarkable and invaluable contribution to our natural heritage.” This organization was established in 1996 by scientists, educators, and others interested in helping to protect Pacific Northwest bat populations through education and research. Washington is home to 14 species of bats, and Bats Northwest provides information on how to help each species. Volunteers conduct school visits, build bat houses, promote human-bat coexistence at community events (occasionally accompanied by bat puppets), and maintain a vast list of resources for educators, wildlife rehabilitators, and public health researchers.

Bat World Sanctuary in Weatherford, Texas
Claiming to be the largest bat sanctuary on Earth, Bat World Sanctuary rescues hundreds of bats each year and provides lifetime sanctuary to those who cannot be released back into the wild, including orphans, bats with permanent injuries, and bats from the exotic pet trade, private zoos, and research facilities. Sanctuary residents include Bella the fruit bat, who steals melon treats and playfully flicks her caregivers’ hair as she circles around them, and Little Ernie, an orphaned Brazilian free-tailed bat who was found trapped in an abandoned building for two days. Amanda Lollar founded Bat World Sanctuary in 1994, several years after she came across an injured Mexican free-tailed bat lying on her back on a hot sidewalk. Lollar named the bat Sunshine and, while rehabilitating her, discovered the enchanting language of bats. Today, the organization promotes the humane treatment of bats in captivity and expands its reach through workshops for bat rehabilitators around the world and at satellite rescue centers in Bulgaria, Austria, Japan, and Italy.

Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation in Mertztown, Pennsylvania
As a small facility rescuing more than 300 orphaned, injured, and distressed bats each year, Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation prioritizes addressing animals’ round-the-clock needs in a quiet, safe environment before setting them off to rejoin the night sky whenever possible. Started in 2012 by wildlife enthusiast Stephanie Stronsick, the organization rescues bats with severe challenges, including head traumas due to window strikes and serious injuries from cat attacks. Rescued bats have been found trapped in pool filters, grounded on barn floors, and impaled by fishing hooks. Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation hosts community events to educate the public about bat behavior, their remarkable adaptations, and their significant contributions to the environment. The organization is in expansion mode with a new rehabilitation center that will include a flight area for fruit bats rescued from the live wildlife trade, an intensive care unit, and a 24-hour drop-off enclosure.

Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia in Mount Solon, Virginia
Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia focuses on engaging, empowering, and educating people of all ages and abilities to help conserve the state’s bat populations. Established in 2011 by Leslie Sturges, a former park naturalist, the organization rescues and rehabilitates individual bats, tracks relevant state legislation, promotes science-based management of bats through hands-on learning, supports research and data-sharing, and encourages public involvement through creative outlets, such as art, literature, and theater. Sturges, who has personally cared for more than 1,000 bats over 20 years, completed a book, “Lucy’s Story,” which details the journey of a little brown bat growing up with the specter of white-nose syndrome. The organization provides educational programs to schools, scout clubs, libraries, garden groups, festivals, and more.

Additional Ways to Help this Bat Week:

Please contact awi@awionline.org with any questions. Thank you for helping to protect bats and other animals!

New Federal Grant for US Highway 64 Crossings Could Save Endangered Red Wolves and Other Wildlife

The Federal Highway Administration announced today that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will receive $25 million to build new wildlife crossing structures on US Route 64 to help save the endangered red wolf from extinction.

Only 17 to 19 red wolves are left in the wild, making the animals one of the most critically endangered species in the world. Six red wolves have been killed on US 64 from vehicle strikes in the past five years. Most recently, in June 2024 a breeding male red wolf was killed on the highway, a loss that led to the deaths of his five young pups. The new federal grant from the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program will allow NCDOT to build a series of 11 wildlife underpasses of various sizes along parts of US 64 where the road passes through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

“These structures are expected to greatly reduce the road mortality threat to red wolves and other species, while also keeping motorists safe on the busy beach highway that heads to the famous Outer Banks,” said Dr. Ron Sutherland, chief scientist at Wildlands Network.

The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $350 million for a five-year Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, with grants awarded competitively to states, tribes, and federal agencies. This year, the Federal Highway Administration is awarding $125 million in a series of 16 grants to design and build new wildlife crossings around the country. NCDOT applied in September for funds to build crossings and associated fencing to guide animals to the crossings on a key stretch of US 64 that for years has been a hot spot for vehicle collisions with red wolves, bears, and other species.

“Marissa Cox and her team at NCDOT prepared an excellent proposal, with help from Joe Madison at US Fish and Wildlife Service and Travis Wilson at NC Wildlife Resources Commission. We’re also really thankful that NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins gave this effort his strong and enlightened support,” said Nikki Robinson, NC project manager at Wildlands Network.

NCDOT was required to provide 20% of the cost for the overall project, which meant contributing over $6 million in nonfederal matching funds. To assist the state, the conservation nonprofit Wildlands Network secured an initial $2 million challenge grant from an anonymous philanthropist, and also received a total of $305,000 from The Volgenau Foundation, the Felburn Foundation, and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). The Center for Biological Diversity has so far raised an additional $1.65 million in private funding from their members and foundations towards completing the $2 million challenge grant. Donations for the effort are still being accepted at www.saveredwolves.org.

“These crossings will save human lives and protect the world’s most endangered wolves,” said Will Harlan, southeast director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “I am immensely grateful to the agencies leading this project—and to the thousands of donors and supporters who have given red wolves a fighting chance.”

The crossings on US 64 are expected to benefit dozens of other species in addition to red wolves. An ongoing daily roadkill survey led by Wildlands Network, and funded by AWI and Defenders of Wildlife, has documented over 2,400 dead vertebrate animals on US 64 in Dare and Tyrrell Counties (along with a short stretch of US Route 264) since the project was launched on August 1, 2024. This total includes more than 700 turtles, 700 snakes, and 600 amphibians, along with over 100 birds, six river otters, two black bears, and two bobcats.

The region where the crossings will be built is known for extremely large (600+ pounds) black bears, which, along with deer and alligators, pose a significant safety risk to passing motorists. Statewide, North Carolina drivers experienced between 20,000 to 22,000 reported collisions with large wildlife each year from 2021 to 2023—crashes that resulted in a total of 20 human fatalities, 2,754 injuries, and over $200 million in damages. At the national level, State Farm Insurance estimates that there are over 1.8 million animal-vehicle crash insurance claims each year.

“Vehicle strikes are now the leading cause of death for wild red wolves,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney of AWI’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “Wildlife underpasses are essential for recovering the species, as well as for saving thousands of other animals on US 64 each year, from eastern screech owls to rainbow snakes to leopard frogs.”

“We know the benefits wildlife corridors can provide to species traversing our state’s roadways, and perhaps none are in more need of safe passage than red wolves,” said Ben Prater, southeast program director for Defenders of Wildlife. “In the face of environmental changes that are increasingly transforming and fragmenting the landscape, this funding comes at a critical time, when we have the opportunity to make our roadways safer for motorists and wildlife alike.”

AWI Celebrates 10 Big Wins for Animals in 2024

As we usher in a new year, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) proudly celebrates 10 big wins for animals in 2024. We have made strides to improve animal welfare and prevent needless suffering through our major program areas—farmed animals, companion animals, equines, terrestrial and marine wildlife, and animals in research—as well as in our humane education work and efforts in Congress and across the country to pass, strengthen, and defend laws to protect animals. These successes would not be possible without the dedication and determination of advocates around the globe. Progress to improve the welfare of animals can feel plodding at times, so it’s important to share meaningful achievements when they happen. Here’s to feeling empowered and energized in the year ahead to make a real difference in the lives of animals!

AWI’s 10 big wins for animals this year (in no particular order):

1. Inspiring young advocates
Through our humane education resources, AWI is empowering the next generation of animal advocates. In 2024, we were excited to build upon our free resources available on our page of the Teachers Pay Teachers website and continue our annual scholarship and essay contest. Additionally, we received an Educator’s Choice award in the category of Best Free Education Resources from the Association of Professional Humane Educators.

By providing educational materials and a platform for advocacy, we help students turn their passion for animals into meaningful action, building a brighter future for all living beings.

2. A victory for horses
Following years of advocacy by AWI and other equine advocates, the US Department of Agriculture finalized new regulations under the Horse Protection Act, slated to go into effect in February 2025, to safeguard Tennessee walking horses from the abusive practice of soring.

Soring entails the use of chemicals, chains, and other devices to inflict pain on horses’ legs and hooves to induce an exaggerated, unnatural gait known as the “Big Lick” at horse shows and competitions. This practice causes immense, ongoing suffering for the animals.

AWI has long advocated stricter penalties and stronger oversight to end this horrific practice. With the USDA’s new rule, ineffective self-policing by the industry will be replaced with meaningful protections that ensure a safer, brighter future for horses. This landmark achievement is a victory years in the making, and we’re proud to see progress in safeguarding these animals from abuse.

3. Driving informed, impactful animal protection policies
Last spring, AWI launched the Center for the Study of National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Animal Cruelty Data, a first-of-its-kind resource offering easy access to the animal cruelty crime data collected via the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s NIBRS nationwide crime database. By compiling and providing this readily analyzable information, we’re empowering researchers to conduct studies that will increase our understanding of animal cruelty crimes and inform intervention efforts.

This initiative follows a decade-long campaign during which AWI was instrumental in persuading the FBI to include animal cruelty as a separate crime category in NIBRS. Prior to this milestone, incidents of animal cruelty were assigned to a “miscellaneous crimes” category in the database, making trends difficult to analyze and address.

Having accurate, accessible data is critical to identifying patterns of abuse, improving responses to these crimes, and shaping policies that protect companion animals. The Center builds on AWI’s legacy, fostering a data-driven approach to understanding and preventing cruelty, and ensuring stronger, evidence-based protections for animals.

4. Helping circus animals escape abuse
This year, AWI celebrated the passage of two state bills we supported aimed at protecting circus animals from abuse. These new laws, enacted in Maryland and Massachusetts, ban the use of certain wild animals in traveling performances, helping move toward a future where animals such as elephants, tigers, giraffes, and bears will no longer be subjected to cruel training practices, harsh confinement, and dangerous transport conditions.

These victories are the result of years of advocacy and collaboration with lawmakers, grassroots organizations, and compassionate advocates. With each new law, we’re moving closer to a future where wild animals are no longer exploited for entertainment.

5. Protecting farmed animals from barn fires
AWI’s ongoing advocacy for stronger fire safety measures resulted in a major victory this year, when the National Fire Protection Association issued new requirements under its animal housing facilities code that will take effect next year. The updated standards will require sprinklers in medium- and large-sized farmed animal facilities in jurisdictions that adopt the code—marking a critical step forward for farmed animal welfare. This new requirement was maintained despite vigorous efforts by industry groups to derail it.

Barn fires have caused immense suffering, killing more than 8.3 million farmed animals since 2013, when AWI first began tracking these tragic incidents. This new requirement could spare many animals from being burned alive.

6. Achieving ESA protections for the Atlantic humpback dolphin
In a monumental marine conservation win, the Atlantic humpback dolphin was listed under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) earlier this year. This species, one of the world’s most endangered small cetaceans, faces severe threats from fishing, habitat degradation, and pollution across its West African coastal range.

The ESA listing resulted from a petition filed by AWI, the Center for Biological Diversity, and VIVA Vaquita. The listing will open the way for increased conservation funding and enhanced international collaboration. It will also help raise global awareness of the Atlantic humpback dolphin—potentially spurring wider support for efforts to save this imperiled species from extinction.

7. Expanding resources for domestic violence survivors with pets
This year, AWI proudly awarded our first “Safe Havens for Pets” grants to address a critical gap in services for domestic violence survivors and their beloved pets. When accommodations for pets are unavailable, survivors face an excruciating choice: stay in unsafe situations or leave pets behind to face continued violence. Our Safe Havens grants promote the development of pet-friendly resources for survivors.

Grants were awarded to the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society (in partnership with S.A.F.E., Inc. in Northeast Mississippi) and the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center in Fargo, North Dakota—both located in areas identified by AWI as “safe haven deserts” due to a shortage of available services for pets in the region. By providing this funding, we are promoting the development of these pet-friendly resources in the communities that need them most.

8. Restoring environmental protections
This year, the Biden administration restored critical National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, reversing Trump administration rollbacks that weakened protections for wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems. These regulations once again require federal agencies conducting NEPA analyses of proposed projects to consider ramifications for threatened and endangered species and habitat, climate change, and environmental justice, while also requiring meaningful consultation with impacted communities, including Native American tribes.

These updates are a significant win for conservation and climate action: NEPA’s protections are essential for addressing the climate crisis, preserving biodiversity, and safeguarding threatened species and their habitats from unchecked development. AWI strongly supports this step toward accountability, transparency, and a healthier planet.

9. Saving the pygmy three-toed sloth
In response to an emergency petition filed by AWI in 2013 and more than a decade of advocacy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service at long last proposed listing the pygmy three-toed sloth under the ESA. This includes a recommendation to adopt a special “4(d) rule” to provide additional protections to the species, including prohibiting import, export, take (including capture, hunting, and harassment), possession, and sale of the species by anyone subject to US jurisdiction.

The pygmy three-toed sloth is the smallest sloth species in the world, found only on Isla Escudo de Veraguas in Panama. The species faces threats from habitat loss and degradation due to timber cutting and development, overutilization by humans, loss of genetic diversity, and inadequate regulations. This proposed listing marks a crucial step in obtaining protections for this tiny, elusive animal and highlights the importance of long-term advocacy for at-risk species.

10. Biomedical company pays record fine in Animal Welfare Act case
In 2022, biomedical company Envigo made headlines for atrocious conditions documented at its Virginia beagle-breeding facility, accumulating over 60 citations for noncompliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) within one year. After the Department of Justice stepped in, 4,000+ beagles were surrendered, and the facility was shuttered. This year, the company pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the AWA and the Clean Water Act and required to pay $35 million in penalties (guaranteed by its parent company, Inotiv), including an $11 million fine for conspiring to violate the AWA—the largest-ever fine in an AWA case.

AWI had previously urged the USDA to rigorously enforce the law and revoke Envigo’s license. In 2025, we will continue to advocate more oversight and strict, swift enforcement action to help ensure laboratory facilities and animal-breeding operations adhere to the law.

President Trump’s Day-One Actions Will Decimate Wildlife Habitat

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders designed to advance policies that are disastrous to wildlife and their habitats. The orders expand oil and gas drilling, mining, and logging; undermine bedrock environmental laws; and withdraw the United States from an important international climate agreement. If fully implemented, the orders will exacerbate the climate crisis and erode critical protections for America’s public lands and waters.

Invoking the National Emergencies Act, Trump declared the first-ever national energy emergency to facilitate leasing, production, transportation, and refinement of energy resources on federal lands. The order directs multiple agencies, including those responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to operate under emergency provisions, which often allow for truncating important consultations and other processes designed to limit environmental harm.

The ESA’s emergency rules, once invoked, require the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to do nothing more than issue nonbinding recommendations to other federal agencies on ways to mitigate harm to species and habitats from agency projects. Formal consultation with the agency on the project’s impact on threatened and endangered species is deferred until the emergency is deemed to be under control—by which time the harm has already occurred. To facilitate the order’s goals, the emergency declaration also requires four meetings per year of the Endangered Species Act Committee, which has met only six times previously in the ESA’s entire 50-year history. The committee—often referred to as the “God Squad”—may, under certain circumstances, exempt a federal agency’s action from the prohibitions of the ESA, giving it the authority to potentially doom a species to extinction.

Another Trump order reverses the previous administration’s commitment to conserve 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030. This order also reverses bans on offshore oil and gas drilling in public waters off the Alaska, Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. A separate order reopens oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s extremely fragile and ecologically vital Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and repeals protections for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, potentially ushering in industrial-scale logging of irreplaceable old-growth forest that provides habitat for hundreds of species.

Trump also issued an order directing the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty to limit global temperature increases by cutting fossil fuel emissions that was adopted by 195 nations in 2015. This action mirrors a similar directive issued by Trump in 2017, making the United States the only nation to withdraw from the agreement.

Another order seeks to strip civil service and due process protections from tens of thousands of federal employees, which could effectively dismantle much of the workforce needed to address climate change and protect endangered species.

Climate change harms wild animals and their habitat in a variety of ways. Heat waves are occurring more often, lasting longer, and becoming more intense. In the southwestern United States, annual precipitation has decreased and droughts have become more severe, driving catastrophic wildfires. In other parts of the country, extreme rainfall events and floods have become more common. Sea levels have risen as glaciers and ice sheets have melted. The oceans have warmed and the intensity of tropical storms has increased. These and myriad other changes have transformed the planet and devastated human communities, wildlife populations, and ecosystems with increasing frequency.

Importantly, many of these orders require additional actions from Congress or federal agencies to achieve the stated objectives, which provide opportunities for the public to oppose those actions.

“As a result of human activity, biodiversity is declining at a staggering rate, with an average 73% decline in wildlife populations since 1970,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney of AWI’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “Expanding fossil fuel production and reneging on climate commitments ignore the grave consequences of climate change that are compounding these declines. The Animal Welfare Institute is poised to fight to protect the wild animals that call our public lands and waters home.”

Illinois Bill Would Require Disease Monitoring on Mink Farms to Safeguard Human Health

The 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 surveillance measures at farms that raise and slaughter mink for their fur.

Sponsored by State Rep. Joyce Mason (D-61), HB 2627 recognizes that mink on fur farms incubate diseases such as COVID-19 and avian influenza, creating the perfect conditions for new variants to jump to humans—with potentially devastating results. Mink farms in the state would be required to obtain a license from the Illinois Department of Public Health and follow procedures to ensure proper disease surveillance and containment.

“I am proud to sponsor the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act because the science is clear – mink farming poses a high risk of generating a future pandemic,” said Mason. “It is critical that we remain vigilant and test for viral outbreaks on mink farms to safeguard public health. This bill seeks to position Illinois as a leader in commonsense measures to detect and prevent the spread of dangerous novel viruses.”

Mink farms raise and slaughter animals to sell their pelts to the fashion industry. They typically pack thousands of mink together in long rows of barren pens barely large enough for the animals to move around. The conditions not only are inhumane, they also create an ideal setting for pathogens to circulate among and across species.

Mink pose a high risk to humans because their upper respiratory tract is physiologically similar to ours, which means they can become infected by—and potentially transmit to people—some of the same respiratory viruses. Mink’s susceptibility to acquiring and spreading both human and animal respiratory viruses render them potentially potent “mixing vessels” for generating novel viruses.

COVID-19, in fact, has infected millions of farmed mink on more than 480 mink farms across 12 countries. In several instances, mink have passed a mutated form of this virus back to humans. New variants can emerge in such scenarios, undermining the effectiveness of vaccines and jeopardizing efforts to contain the pandemic.

A deadly avian influenza virus (H5N1) has also infected tens of thousands of mink on dozens of fur farms since 2022. During an October 2022 outbreak on a farm in Spain, the virus mutated in a way that enabled it to spread between mink. Prior to this, mammals had contracted the virus primarily through direct contact with infected birds, not from infected mammals. Scientists called this H5N1 mink farm outbreak a “warning bell” and stated that it represented a “clear mechanism for an [H5N1] pandemic to start.” H5N1 infections have also been detected at multiple mink farms in Finland, demonstrating the potential for this dangerous virus to continue causing outbreaks on mink farms, and raising the specter that it will mutate into a form transmissible to and between humans.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the risk of disease proliferation on mink farms, and the possibility of human infection,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s executive director and chief executive officer. “For far too long, these farms have operated without any meaningful oversight, despite their capacity to incubate potentially devastating viruses. Pandemic prevention requires a multifaceted approach, and the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act is crucial to that effort.”

Amid Legal Troubles, Monkey-Breeding Facility Backers Expand Operations

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is deeply concerned by the recent announcement that Safer Human Medicine (SHM)—the company behind a massive monkey-breeding facility planned in Georgia—has acquired a facility in Florida to hold non-human primates slated for biomedical research.

The 70-acre facility in LaBelle, Florida, will help SHM “accelerate its holding and quarantine operations for non-human primates,” the company said in a release, while supporting a planned $396 million complex in Bainbridge, Georgia, that, at peak capacity, would hold 30,000 long-tailed macaques. This is at least triple the number currently housed at any other US breeding facility.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reported last month the findings of its investigation that identified a “secretly orchestrated deal between monkey importer Charles River Laboratories and SIMI United States, LLC, a company newly incorporated by the executives behind Safer Human Medicine.” SHM has denied PETA’s allegations that the deal was a secret.

Members of SHM’s executive leadership have a troubled track record on animal welfare issues. SHM’s CEO served as COO of Envigo during a time when conditions at that biomedical company’s Virginia dog-breeding operation were so atrocious that the facility was eventually shuttered following execution of a federal search warrant and subsequent court orders. Envigo was convicted of conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and paid the largest-ever fine in a case involving this federal law. Additionally, SHM’s president and COO previously held executive positions at Charles River Laboratories, which is still being investigated by the federal government for its conduct regarding shipments of long-tailed macaques from Cambodia.

Charles River Laboratories previously proposed building a mega monkey-holding facility in southeast Texas, but abandoned those plans last year after encountering opposition from local leaders and residents.

Since 2022, long-tailed macaques have been classified as “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. A scientific study published last year found that the population of this species has declined by 80% over the past 35 years, attributing it in part to accelerating demand from the biomedical industry. That same industry has formally petitioned the IUCN to strip long-tailed macaques of their endangered designation.

SHM’s planned Georgia facility is currently mired in multiple legal disputes filed by local residents. They have reason to worry. In November, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the Alpha Genesis Incorporated primate research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, putting the health of the monkeys and the town’s residents at risk.

“Safer Human Medicine is solidifying its investment stake in its monkey-breeding operation and ignoring residents’ objections, even though the fate of the Bainbridge facility is far from decided by the courts,” said Dr. Joanna Makowska, director and senior scientist for AWI’s Animals in Laboratories Program.