Public Policy (Legal/Legislative)
Judge rules that NIH’s refusal to move chimps from a New Mexico laboratory to Chimp Haven sanctuary violates federal law
There is renewed hope for thirty chimpanzees languishing in a New Mexico laboratory as part of our long-standing fight to give chimpanzees who were subjected to experiments a chance at sanctuary life. Last month, we won a significant ruling in a lawsuit that we filed . . .
New Animal Welfare Act regulations would improve the lives of so many animals in need
In the years since its passage more than half a century ago, the Animal Welfare Act has become an extremely important and multi-faceted animal protection law. Building on its original premise as a measure to protect animals used in research, testing and education, the AWA’s . . .
Breaking: Big step forward in fight to ban extremely cruel hunting methods
A new National Park Service proposed rule marks a substantial step forward for some of our nation’s most iconic wildlife species, including brown and black bears and wolves. The NPS rule would ban certain extremely cruel methods of trophy hunting and trapping on Alaska’s national . . .
In 2022, we kept working to make a kinder world for farmed animals
We were nervous and excited as we gathered outside the Supreme Court of the United States on the morning of a day we won’t ever forget, Oct. 11, 2022. The court was about to hear arguments about Proposition 12, a landmark law passed by California . . .
New York state bans cosmetics animal testing, capping off a year of wins for animals in labs
With Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature earlier this month, New York became the 10th state in the U.S. to prevent the sale of cosmetics that have been newly tested on animals. This represents just the latest gain in a worldwide movement to end cosmetics animal testing . . .
Big Cat Public Safety Act becomes law, capping off year of wins for wild animals
The exploitation and abuse of big cats as props for paid public interactions at roadside attractions will soon be a thing of the past. As we recently shared, the Big Cat Public Safety Act, something we’ve been working on for over a decade, passed the . . .
2022 was a winning year in our fight to stop puppy mills
If you’ve been following our advocacy for dogs and cats in puppy and kitten mills, you already know that these mega-breeding facilities treat dog and cat mothers and fathers like moneymaking machines with little to no regard for their health or well-being. Thankfully, each year, . . .
2023 federal spending package reflects solid commitment to animal welfare
Update 12/29/22: President Biden has signed the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package into law—a big win for animals! We’ve had remarkable success in our end-of-session push for critical legislation in the U.S. Congress, with the Big Cat Public Safety Act, Shark Fin Sales Elimination . . .
Breaking: Major wins for sharks and other wild animals in key legislative package
Update 12/23/22: President Biden has signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law, which removes the U.S. from the cruel shark fin trade and helps to combat wildlife trafficking. There have been some massive wins for animals recently in the U.S., as the Congress acts . . .
Breaking: In major blow to puppy mills, New York ends the sale of puppies in pet stores
In a crushing blow to puppy mills and their pet store sales outlets, New York just became the sixth state in the U.S. to prohibit the sale of puppies in pet stores. Dozens of puppy-selling pet stores—about 10% of all such stores in the nation—currently . . .
Major win! US Senate passes the Big Cat Public Safety Act
Update 12/20/22: President Biden signed the Big Cat Public Safety Act into law. In a major advance in our long fight against the abuse of captive big cats, the U.S. Senate just passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263/ S. 1210), a bill . . .
Endangered Species Act proposal would be a win for elephants
There’s a golden opportunity to help protect African elephants now that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a new Endangered Species Act rule. If finalized, the new rule would better regulate imports of African elephants and their parts, like hunting trophies, to the . . .
