Candidates for federal office are out on the campaign trail for the home stretch of the 2026 election season. Now, more than ever, we’re asking animal advocates to raise their voices for animals who cannot engage in the civic process themselves. Here are six questions to ask candidates running for U.S. House and Senate when you see them out in your communities.
1. Will you oppose efforts to overturn state animal protection laws?
Federal lawmakers are not the only elected officials with the power to improve animal welfare—states and localities can also create change. However, the ability of states to enact laws and ballot initiatives improving the lives of animals, like California’s Proposition 12, is under siege by a segment of the pork industry and their allies in Congress. Americans from all backgrounds oppose these attempts to eradicate the crucial farm animal welfare protections we’ve helped to enact in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah and Washington, as well as the hundreds of other state laws put at risk. Be sure to ask candidates: Will you oppose efforts to overturn state animal protection laws?
2. Will you support an end to animal testing and experimentation?
We have seen great progress in the fight to end animal testing at the federal level, with the National Institutes of Health announcing new initiatives to help replace animal experiments with human-based technologies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration answering our request to take new steps away from animal testing. A fundamental shift is underway, and we must increase the momentum in support of animal-free science and biomedical research. Be sure to ask candidates: Will you support efforts to ensure federal agencies adopt human-relevant methods that are faster, more accurate and frequently much less expensive than animal tests and experimentation?
3. Will you crack down on puppy mills?
Under the Animal Welfare Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates dog breeders that sell to pet stores or over the internet, but the standards of care outlined under current AWA regulations are very outdated. Upgrading standards of care for dogs in large-scale commercial breeding operations is the goal of legislation like the 119th Congress’s H.R. 2253/S. 4437, the Puppy Protection Act. Be sure to ask candidates: Will you crack down on puppy mills by supporting the Puppy Protection Act?
4. Will you support efforts to strengthen Animal Welfare Act enforcement?
This year, the Animal Welfare Act turned 60 years old. The AWA sets basic care standards for over a million animals in research, exhibition, commercial breeding and other facilities, yet many licensees are routinely getting away with abuses due to inadequate enforcement of the law. The Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act (H.R. 3112/S. 1538) would authorize the Department of Justice to seek license revocations, civil penalties, and the removal of suffering animals in particular cases. It would also encourage greater collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and DOJ in such cases. Be sure to ask candidates: Will you strengthen Animal Welfare Act enforcement by supporting legislation such as the Better CARE for Animals Act?
5. Will you work to increase access to veterinary care and services?
In the U.S., at least 20 million pets live in homes experiencing poverty or in underserved areas where resources are limited or essentially nonexistent. Programs focused on access to care employ community outreach, policymaking, training for veterinary and animal welfare professionals, corporate partnerships, and direct care programs to serve and provide supplies to people with companion animals at no cost. This can greatly improve the quality of life for both animals and the people who care about them. Be sure to ask candidates: Will you support legislation to increase access to veterinary care and services?
6. Will you support efforts to restore and maintain protections for wildlife?
Our nation’s wildlife, particularly our wolves, has been under withering attack as the current administration and some in the U.S. Congress continue to threaten their Endangered Species Act protections. Fewer than 1% of cows and sheep are killed by wild carnivores, including wolves, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own data. Yet this keystone species is continually scapegoated for public policy failings. Be sure to ask candidates: Will you support efforts to restore and maintain protections for wildlife, including our nation’s wolves?
When we bring humane issues to the attention of candidates, we’re making sure animals are part of the political conversation. If you see candidates or their campaign teams in your community, be sure to ask about their stance on animal protection issues. And make a plan to vote so that you can show up for animals with your ballot— because animals only win when humane candidates do.
