AWI Quarterly Term Archive
Government/Legal
Circuses No Place for Lions, Tigers, and Bears
Terrestrial WildlifeRepresentatives Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and David Schweikert (R-AZ) have reintroduced the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA), which would amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit...
End in Sight to Rubber-Stamped Licenses?
The US Department of Agriculture published a proposed rule in March that should end the rubber-stamping of renewals for dealers and exhibitors licensed under the Animal Welfare Act, regardless of...
House Committee Follows Correct Course on Right Whales
Marine WildlifeThe National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Take Reduction Teams—composed of industry leaders, scientists, nongovernmental organizations, and state and federal officials—advise NMFS on reducing harm to marine mammals from fishing gear....
Bill Identifies Animal Abuse as Child Abuse Risk Factor
Companion AnimalsTo facilitate better information about the co-occurrence of child abuse and animal abuse, Representatives Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and John Katko (R-NY) introduced the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and...
California Foie Gras Ban Survives Final Challenge
Farmed AnimalsCalifornia’s foie gras ban is now in effect for the foreseeable future—a win for ducks, geese, and animal welfare advocates. In an anticlimactic conclusion to years of contentious litigation and...
Lawsuit Targets USDA’s Failure to Address Food Label Deception
Farmed AnimalsAWI sued the US Department of Agriculture in November for failing to respond to a four-and-a-half-year-old rulemaking petition. The petition calls for regulations under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and...
Supreme Court Shuns Confinement Cases
Farmed AnimalsIn addition to declining to hear the foie gras challenge, the Supreme Court passed on the opportunity to weigh in on another farm animal welfare challenge, this time with respect...
Administration Continues Its Attack on Animal Welfare Act
Zero. That’s how much money was in the proposed budget for enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) under the Reagan administration. This attempt to gut funding made clear that...
Animal-Friendly Farm Bill Survives Border Wars
The 115th Congress ended in chaos and rancor, with a large portion of the government shut down amidst a continuing battle over the border wall. Congress did manage to complete...
Hawaii Gives Heave Ho to Circus Animal Shows
Terrestrial WildlifeAt the end of 2018, Hawaii became just the second state (after New Jersey) to prohibit the use of exotic animals in traveling shows. On December 21, Governor David Ige...