By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

After 50 years in a laboratory, Montessa is finally getting a chance to enjoy life to the fullest. The 51-year-old chimp was brought to Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico in 1975 when she was just a year old. She spent her first 30 years there being used in harmful biomedical research experiments.

But a few weeks ago, after years of delays, and half a century at Alamogordo, Montessa made the journey to her new home at Chimp Haven, a lush 200-acre sanctuary in Louisiana.

The 2025 Virginia Humane Scorecard is now available online and demonstrates the commonwealth’s commitment to combatting animal testing. From nonhuman primates to dogs, state lawmakers passed critical bills defending the most vulnerable animals in our care.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

At a property in Illinois buzzing with hundreds of flies, a water bucket stood empty in an enclosure where three puppies were living. When the bucket was finally refilled, a federal inspector observed the puppies as they desperately “climbed on top of each other trying to get water.” At another breeder’s property in Iowa, state inspectors found dogs who were limping and dogs with matted fur living in a “nearly overwhelming” odor of waste.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

In a sign of progress for animals used in laboratories, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a strong commitment to reduce animal testing and advance new, superior approaches that don’t use animals for pharmaceutical testing.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Those who are determined to defend the cruelties of factory farming are never at a loss when it comes to sowing chaos and distortion on the subject, especially in the U.S. Congress.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

In a blow to horses, the Trump administration has postponed implementation of a long-overdue federal rule to combat horse soring—the deliberate infliction of pain on horses' legs and hooves to force an exaggerated gait—delaying enforcement until February 2026 and opening the door to even further setbacks.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

We are united by our singular vision to end animal cruelty and create a humane world. So, when it comes to our federal policy work in the United States, it is essential to invite everyone to join this hopeful cause, regardless of their other political beliefs. We believe that a love of animals can bring much-needed nonpartisan solidarity.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Imagine a dog forced to stand for hours in the hot sun without shelter, or a puppy suffering from a condition so severe that one eye was sealed shut with a crusted-over discharge. Or a puppy who lost a leg after another dog attacked him. Or puppies who died in a cold, barren cage. Who would make the case that we should not take steps to protect animals from such neglect and suffering?

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block