By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

At midnight last night, the U.S. federal government shut down because Congress failed to pass funding legislation for the government in the new fiscal year, which begins October 1. When a shutdown occurs, “non-essential” federal workers are furloughed, which means they are placed on temporary leave in accordance with agency contingency plans. Some workers remain to continue operations deemed “essential,” typically working without pay until the federal government reopens.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Last week at the World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Brazil, our Humane World for Animals team gathered with hundreds of scientists and policymakers to exchange insights on the latest global developments in phasing out animal experiments in favor of non-animal methods. As momentum builds for these innovations, new opportunities arise in advancing how research and testing are carried out worldwide.

Before the U.S. Senate adjourned on August 2, members advanced several key federal funding bills with significant implications for animals. We’ve been working hard to ensure the best possible outcomes – and we want to share some of the results with you, since we’re going to need your help to lock in the important gains we’ve secured.

Update August 1, 2025: The Senate passed the FY 2026 federal funding bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration with a bipartisan vote of 87-9. The bill awaits further action in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Right now, Congress is acting on its FY 2026 appropriations bills to provide funding and direction to federal agencies, and we are campaigning hard to help the countless millions of animals whose fate depends on this process.  

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The things that make beagles wonderful companion animals are also the things that have led to their extensive use as laboratory test subjects: They are friendly, good-natured and easy to handle. U.S. laboratories use more than 40,000 of these gentle animals in experiments every year. But we are continuing to advocate for a fundamental shift that would result in a steep decline in the number of dogs and other animals in laboratories.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

It’s estimated that more than 50 million mice, rats, dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits and other animals endure experiments in U.S. laboratories each year. The sheer scale of this animal suffering is hard to imagine, but thanks to new commitments to phase out animal testing and prioritize replacing animals in research, things could soon drastically change.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

There are leaders in the U.S. Congress stepping up to meet the need for enhanced Animal Welfare Act enforcement through the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act.

There’s a new chance to strengthen the Animal Welfare Act’s enforcement in the U.S., and such progress cannot come soon enough for animals currently languishing in facilities such as research laboratories, roadside zoos and puppy mills that aren’t meeting minimal standards of care.

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.