Equines, Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
Breaking news: Key Senate committee signals support for animals, like wild horses and whales, with spending bills
Today, the U.S. Congress once again provides good news for animals. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved two Fiscal Year 2020 bills that cover funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Commerce—including federal agencies whose activities and programs have enormous consequences for animals.
Animals in Research, Federal Legislation /
Bunnies take over Capitol Hill to find Some Bunny to Love
Rabbits are docile, loveable animals who we view as companions. Unfortunately, they, along with guinea pigs, mice, and rats, are still used for cosmetics testing for products like lipstick, toothpaste, lotion, and shampoo. In fact, approximately 500,000 animals suffer and die worldwide every year due to cosmetic testing where substances are forced down animals’ throats, dripped into their eyes, or smeared onto their skin, and they are left to suffer for days or weeks without pain relief.
Wildlife, In the News /
Breaking news: 17 states sue Trump administration for weakening Endangered Species Act
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Today, 17 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and New York City filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from making harmful changes to how the Endangered Species Act, the bedrock law that protects endangered and threatened animal species and their habitats, is implemented by the federal government.
Elections /
On National Voter Registration Day, remember what’s at stake for animals
As part of our fundamental mission, we encourage our members and supporters to advocate for animal protection by contacting elected officials about pending legislation and related matters. But we also ask you to stand up for animals by casting your ballot in elections at the federal, state, and local levels. We know, and we’ve tried to show you, that it really counts when animal welfare is on the line.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
Grijalva’s PAW and FIN Conservation Act gets a House hearing
The Protect America’s Wildlife and Fish In Need of Conservation Act, (H.R. 4348)—also known as the PAW and FIN Conservation Act—introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and 23 colleagues, received an important hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee today. This critical bill would stop the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from implementing irresponsible and dangerous rules designed to gut the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and decimate federal protections for our world’s most imperiled species.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
Key House committee passes bills cracking down on trophy hunting, big cat captivity, and shark fin trade
A House committee today approved four key pieces of animal protection and conservation legislation to alleviate threats faced by some of the world’s most iconic and at-risk species, including a bill that would end harmful public contact activities with big cats, another that would crack down on the shark fin trade in the United States, one that would continue a critical conservation funding source, and a bill that would restrict the import of the body parts of endangered and threatened large animals killed overseas by trophy hunters.
Farm Animals, Federal Legislation, Food /
Breaking news: USDA eliminates speed limits for killing pigs at slaughterhouses
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Slaughterhouses in the United States are already allowed to kill pigs at a lightning speed of up to 1,106 animals per hour. Under a new federal rule announced today, some of these facilities can dial up those speeds even further, with no limit whatsoever, creating an animal welfare and worker safety nightmare as never before.
Equines, Federal Legislation /
Justify’s story highlights urgent need to root out doping and self-policing from horseracing industry
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Equines, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation /
Equine advocates gather on Capitol Hill to promote equine welfare bills
Yesterday, horse advocates from across the country came to Capitol Hill to press for passage of humane legislation at the federal level. Members of the Homes for Horses Coalition, a network of equine rescues and sanctuaries, and veterinarians from the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association joined officials from Humane Society Legislative Fund, the Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for meetings with key members of Congress.
Wildlife, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation /
SAVE them; it’s the right thing to do
The North Atlantic right whale was once common across the entire Atlantic. Unfortunately, this ocean giant (at more than 50 feet long and weighing some 70 tons) became the focus of whaling efforts because the species was ‘the right whale to hunt’—thus its name. Right whales are huge but slow moving and so full of fat that they floated when struck. Subsequently, by the late 1800s, the right whale had been exterminated across most of its range and hunted to the point of extinction in North America.
Animals in Research, In the News /
Breaking news: EPA moves to end animal testing
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
In a landmark announcement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced plans to end all animal testing on dogs, mice, rabbits, and other mammals for chemicals and pesticides in coming years. Instead, the agency will focus on investing in non-animal alternative technologies that are more reliable and do not cause animal suffering.
Wildlife, State Legislation /
Breaking news: California lawmakers ban fur sales, bobcat trophy hunting
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Update: The bill to ban fur sales has also passed the concurrence committee and will now head to the governor’s desk for his signature.
In two historic votes for animals, California lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to ban fur sales and to stop the trophy hunting of bobcats, who are often targeted for their distinctive look and coloration.
