By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Disasters and other emergencies can upend everyone’s lives—human and animal. That’s why we’re celebrating great progress for animals now that the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will implement long-overdue requirements for contingency and disaster preparedness planning for animals in regulated breeding, exhibit and research facilities covered by the Animal Welfare Act.

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

There are few among us who have not been saddened by the demoralizing sight of animals along our roads who have died in vehicle collisions. For anyone who has had this experience or had the heartbreaking misfortune to be involved in such an accident, there’s great news in the $1.3 trillion infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law a few days ago by President Biden.

Accountability is the watchword of our efforts to secure the passage of animal-friendly federal legislation. We are accountable to our supporters as well as to the animals we seek to defend, and we never forget who we’re working for. This means that we also work continuously to hold elected officials accountable for their track records wherever the interests of animals are concerned.

It’s something we may take for granted, sometimes, but every year is an election year, and one thing animal advocates shouldn’t forget is that every election has profound implications for animals and for the fortunes of the animal welfare movement. Yesterday provided yet another reminder of this, as voters cast their ballots for statewide offices in New Jersey and Virginia, special elections to fill vacancies in the U.S. Congress, and thousands of municipal offices across the nation.

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