By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

A U.S. District Court has ordered Jeff Lowe, a notorious big cat exhibitor who took over the running of Joe Exotic’s zoo, GW Exotics, to surrender all big cat cubs and their mothers in his possession over allegations of mistreatment.

The preliminary injunction in the Department of Justice case for recurring inhumane treatment and improper handling of animals protected by the Endangered Species Act was based on shocking findings by the U.S Department of Agriculture at Lowe’s facility in Oklahoma.

In the aftermath of the terrible events of January 6, we should not underestimate the great damage done to our nation and the urgent need for healing that lies ahead. One of the most important pathways to social and political revival will be an even stronger commitment to a healthy and democratic process and governance. We can no longer take for granted the institutions that have made us proud to be Americans. We must make still greater personal and professional investments to strengthen them.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Thirty-seven chimpanzees languishing at a New Mexico primate laboratory are still waiting for the National Institutes of Health to fulfil a promise it made in 2015—to retire them to sanctuary after a lifetime spent in research.

Today, we’re giving these animals a helping hand by suing the federal agency, which has shamelessly reneged on this promise.

As our wounded nation seeks to transcend the events of January 6, we’re turning our attention to the important work of helping animals, confident that the things we do, as engaged citizens and advocates for animals, are good for the democratic institutions of government. The actions we take in relation to public policy for animals contribute to the vitality and health of American politics, providing, among other things, an area of concern—animal welfare—that attracts people of all political persuasions.