Animal Welfare Institute, Washington D.C., DC (2026)

06/16/2026

Today is , and we’re reflecting on AWI’s efforts to protect these unique species.

In April 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, resulting in the largest offshore oil spill in US history. BP began “controlled burns” on the ocean’s surface to stem the oil flow into the Gulf—but reports indicated that endangered sea turtles were being caught in the oil and burned alive.

In June 2010, AWI and allies sued BP, subsequently adding the Coast Guard as a defendant due to BP’s assertion that it was acting under the agency’s direction, alleging harm to sea turtles in violation of the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws.

As a result of our lawsuit, BP and the Coast Guard agreed to measures designed to prevent these deaths, including protocols for the search, rescue, and rehabilitation of sea turtles during burn operations. On July 15—nearly three months after the spill began—BP placed a cap on the underwater well (followed by a permanent seal) that stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf.

The effects of this catastrophe and its cleanup efforts cannot be overstated. An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 sea turtles died from oil exposure, and many more suffered health problems. Other marine life, including dolphins, whales, and seabirds, were also impacted, and lingering effects continue to impact the Gulf today.

Now, over 15 years later, our work to protect wildlife from harmful oil and gas activity continues. The current administration is attempting to expand offshore oil and gas development and weaken the legal and regulatory systems put in place to prevent oil spills and protect wildlife. In March, the Endangered Species Committee (known colloquially as the “God Squad”) voted to exempt oil and gas activities in the Gulf from complying with the Endangered Species Act—potentially spelling disaster for sea turtles and other marine wildlife once again.

Please use the link in the comments to urge your members of Congress to stand against expanded oil and gas development in the Gulf—and prevent history from repeating itself.

Throughout 2026, we're honoring AWI’s 75th anniversary by highlighting key moments from our history on our social media accounts. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating progress, sharing your stories, and continuing to work toward a better world for animals—together.

📸: An oiled sea turtle. FWC photo by Blair Witherington

06/15/2026

For many older adults, pets serve as a source of deep emotional connection and companionship. However, this bond is sometimes exploited by abusers—including family members or caregivers—to exert power or control. In fact, more than one third of adult protective services caseworkers report that their clients have voiced concerns about their pets being threatened, harmed, or killed.

When older adults are subjected to abuse, including neglect and financial exploitation, service providers must be alert to the condition of their pets and the need to keep them together. The Animal Welfare Institute promotes cross-training and cross-reporting among human services and animal protection agencies to help prevent and address these interconnected forms of family violence. Additionally, in 2011, we launched the Safe Havens for Pets directory, which helps direct survivors to pet-friendly sheltering resources.

By working together to promote awareness of the critical link between elder abuse and animal cruelty, we can create a safer world for older adults and their beloved companions.

📸: creativefamily

06/10/2026

TAKE ACTION: A more humane future for America’s horses is on the horizon—and we need you to voice your support.

A bipartisan amendment to prohibit the transport of horses to slaughter for human consumption was recently passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the surface transportation reauthorization bill (H.R. 8870).

If passed, this would spare tens of thousands of American horses from being trucked abroad to be butchered for their meat. Importantly, the House transportation package also includes provisions that would bar the unsafe transport of horses in double-deck trailers, which are designed for much shorter animals and have been involved in horrific accidents involving horses.

But there’s still a long road ahead before these critical equine protection provisions become law. Please urge your federal lawmakers to pass a transportation package that includes these widely supported and long-overdue reforms: https://awionline.org/actions/help-end-the-transport-of-us-horses-to-slaughter 🐎

06/09/2026

Yesterday was ! AWI joins our partners in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) to demand action to protect the Antarctic Peninsula, where industrial krill fisheries are outcompeting wildlife for one of the ecosystem’s most essential food sources.

Krill—tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans—make up 96% of the caloric intake of Antarctic seabirds, mammals, and finfish. However, due to increased demand for farmed fish feed, human nutritional supplements, and pet food, krill populations are being depleted by overfishing—creating ecosystem-wide effects.

At last October’s meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a proposal to establish a marine protected area (MPA) was considered. The MPA would have designated no-fishing zones in important krill habitat in the Antarctic. However, the proposal did not reach consensus due to the opposition of China and Russia. In addition, Norway, already responsible for more than 50% of the krill fishing effort in the Southern Ocean, proposed to almost double the catch limit for krill.

Meanwhile, as debate delays action, marine wildlife remain in crisis. Both emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals—species that rely on krill to survive—were recently classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

AWI and ASOC will continue urging CCAMLR to protect this unique habitat and its wildlife—from the tiny-but-mighty krill to the magnificent blue whale.

06/04/2026

In February, The Harris Poll, on behalf of AWI, surveyed more than 2,000 adult Americans who purchase dairy products regarding their attitudes about dairy cow and calf welfare. The survey results clearly illustrate that Americans are concerned about the welfare of these animals—and that this concern may translate to purchasing decisions.

Swipe through to view the results—and learn how you can support improved welfare for dairy cows and calves.

05/29/2026

If you’ve ever spoken up about an animal protection issue using AWI’s website, you’ve experienced how easy it is to send an email to your legislators—just pick an issue, fill out your information, and press send.

However, it wasn’t always that simple! Before online advocacy tools, people had to do their own research on their elected officials, independently track legislation, and hand-write and mail in their concerns.

AWI has long recognized and celebrated the important role of public opinion in shaping legislation for animals—and, in 2006, we worked to make this easier through the debut of the Compassion Index (CI).

The CI was an online resource that tracked how members of Congress helped or hindered legislative efforts to protect animals, providing the public with easy access to information needed to hold legislators accountable. It encouraged users to “Take Action Now” and write their own letters to lawmakers who were involved—or should have been involved—in legislation related to animal welfare.

Nowadays, this tool continues to serve these purposes and more. Using our website, advocates can email their lawmakers in minutes, submit regulatory comments to government agencies, contact corporate leaders about policies impacting animals, and draft letters to the editors of their local newspapers.

Will you add your voice to the thousands of people who speak up for animals using our website every month? With just a few clicks, you can help shape a more humane future for animals—from roosters to raccoons to right whales.

Since its inception 75 years ago, AWI has used scientifically grounded advocacy to make a difference for the welfare of animals everywhere. Throughout 2026, we’ll be recognizing this anniversary by highlighting key moments from AWI's history across our social media accounts. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating progress, sharing your own stories, and continuing to work toward a better world for animals—together.

05/28/2026

America’s wild horses and b***os are facing unprecedented threats to their very existence—which is why we’re working on Capitol Hill to secure a future where they can continue to roam, free from brutal helicopter roundups, slaughter, and lethal “management.”

In April, AWI and American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) joined forces in the halls of Congress, meeting with lawmakers and their staff to discuss wild horse and b***o policy issues, from directives in appropriations bills to the Wild Horse and B***o Protection Act (H.R.4356), which would end the use of helicopters in roundups of wild horses and b***os.

We also cohosted a reception on the Hill, uniting key Democratic and Republican allies who recognize the importance of protecting these beloved animals. Congresswoman Dina Titus, Rep. David Schweikert, and Congressman Steve Cohen—cochairs of the newly formed, bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus (along with Congressman Juan Ciscomani and Congressman Mark Pocan)—spoke during the event, as did AWI’s equine program director, Dr. Joanna Grossman, and AWHC’s executive director, Patricia Miller.

Attendees, including House and Senate staff and many passionate advocates, spent a lively evening learning about the status of wild horse management in the United States—and how we can all work together to defend these animals.

This work is vital for America’s wild horses and b***os, but you don’t have to be on Capitol Hill to help. The voices of American constituents play an important role in Congress. Please use the link in the comments to contact your representatives and ask them to take action to protect our nation’s wild equines.

05/26/2026

TAKE ACTION: In January, Rep. Gosar (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 7159, the so-called “Protecting Local Zoos Act,” a thinly veiled attempt to return to an America where roadside zoos can profit from a vicious cycle of animal cruelty—all for the sake of a few selfies.

The bill would add massive loopholes to the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which was enacted in 2022 to prohibit the private possession of big cats and to restrict direct contact between these wild animals and the public.

If enacted, H.R. 7159 would make cub-petting encounters, importing or exporting big cats from foreign entities, and selling big cats by “exotic animal dealers" legal.

Swipe to learn more—and then use the link in the comments to urge your federal representative to vote NO on H.R. 7159.

05/23/2026

The treatment of animals bred for use in laboratories drew widespread attention in May 2022, when, in an extraordinary step, a federal court in Virginia granted the US Department of Justice (DOJ) a temporary restraining order against a beagle-breeding facility owned and operated by biomedical company Envigo.

This followed the seizure of 446 sick and injured dogs and puppies. The DOJ, and ultimately the court, concluded action was necessary because of the dozens of serious and repeated Animal Welfare Act (AWA) violations documented by US Department of Agriculture investigators during a 10-month period.

For decades, AWI has monitored AWA enforcement and worked to uphold and strengthen the law. In fact, two months prior to the issuance of the temporary restraining order, AWI sent a letter to the USDA, urging it to promptly address Envigo’s serious and repeated citations. After the department failed to act, the DOJ, in collaboration with the Virginia Attorney General’s office, stepped in and sued Envigo.

Ultimately, more than 4,000 beagles were surrendered, and the Virginia facility was shut down. Envigo pleaded guilty and was required to pay the largest-ever fine in an AWA case—a historic outcome.

Today, Envigo’s parent company, Inotiv (and its associated entities), is barred from breeding or selling dogs, though it may continue to possess and experiment on dogs older than three months. The Inotiv entities also continue to hold licenses to breed and sell other animals, including nonhuman primates, hamsters, and rabbits—and many are still suffering. Just this spring, Inotiv made headlines when dozens of rabbits in its custody at an Envigo facility in Pennsylvania died due to poor enclosure management and dehydration. In March, two other Inotiv facilities received critical citations from the USDA. These related to the deaths of two beagles used in a dose escalation study at one facility, and two rabbits at another from a lack of adequate veterinary care.

Until the USDA increases oversight and begins taking swift, serious enforcement action against AWA violators, animals will continue to suffer. AWI will continue to support efforts to strengthen existing laws and improve oversight to help ensure these operations prioritize animal welfare and adhere to the law.

Throughout 2026, AWI will be recognizing our 75th anniversary by highlighting key moments from our history across our social media accounts. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating progress, sharing your own stories, and continuing to work toward a better world for animals—together.

📸: Wendy McNally

05/22/2026

BREAKING: Today, the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced language that would bar the transportation of horses for slaughter for human consumption in the US and abroad.

Each year, more than 20,000 American horses are trucked to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico, where they are brutally butchered for their meat using ineffective stunning methods that can leave them conscious during dismemberment.

The bipartisan amendment to the Committee’s five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, led by Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV), would close the legal loophole that permits this practice, achieving the same policy goal as the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act.

AWI joins the ASPCA, Return To Freedom, Wild Horse Conservation, The Wild Beauty Foundation, and advocates throughout the country in urging Congress to bring this widely supported measure across the finish line.

📸: Alisha

Animal Welfare Institute

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

06/04/2026

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

05/26/2026

05/23/2026

05/22/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category