By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Update 3/20/23: After we and our partners sent notice of our intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency announced that the common hippopotamus may qualify for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
After teetering on the brink of extinction, the grizzly bear population in the United States finally began to recover, thanks to the Endangered Species Act. Currently, grizzly bears are classified as “threatened” with extinction. But now that could change for some of them.
This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that certain populations of grizzly bears warrant a status review. This means that the federal government will consider removing Endangered Species Act protections from these grizzly bears.
Today, I’m pleased to share our Humane Scorecard for the second session of the 117th Congress, a strong reflection of the success of our animal protection agenda in 2022. The scorecard tracks key co-sponsorships, votes and other animal-friendly actions by federal lawmakers. It’s more than just an accountability tool, however. It creates greater awareness and incentives for further commitment, and we’re heartened that so many legislators work hard to achieve a high score.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech marks a midway point in his term, and for us, an opportunity to assess the administration’s animal protection priorities.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Despite ecological devastation, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching and all the other threats that undermine the ability of wild animals to survive in their natural habitats, Europe’s largest hunting fair opened this week in Dortmund, Germany.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Every year, our public policy work for animals produces strong results and tangible benefits for animals, through the passage of laws or the approval of federal agency rules that lead to desired reforms. Still, there is something that really jumps out about 2022, and makes it a year we’ll long remember. We closed out the case on two of the most disturbing animal cruelty issues of the 21st century, the exploitation of big cats for photo ops and as “pets,” and the hacking off of sharks’ fins for use in soup.
