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.

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

It’s a long way from the arid desert habitat where a wild horse now named Smoke was born, but now Black Beauty Ranch, in Murchison, Texas, is home. The journey to our sanctuary has made all the difference for this handsome grey horse who has traveled all the areas of the sanctuary, bonding with the other mustangs. Smoke grazes peacefully watching over his friends who were once separated but are together again. No one can harm him here.

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.