AWI is horrified by the recent news of a teenager’s death after being thrown from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park. The horse was pulling a family of four when he spooked and bolted away from his driver, who had exited the carriage to take their photo.

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.

TAKE ACTION: A more humane future for America’s horses is on the horizon—and we need you to voice your support. The US House of Representatives is considering a transportation package that includes language that would bar the transport of horses to slaughter for human consumption.

Yesterday was #WorldOceanDay! AWI joins our partners in the @antarcticasouth.bsky.social 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.

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—but it wasn’t always that simple!

America’s wild horses and burros 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.”

TAKE ACTION: In January, Rep. Gosar 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 cruelty—all for the sake of a few selfies.

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. Learn more: awionline.org/news/animal-...

AWI believes that education is a key part of addressing the plight of homeless cats and dogs. By teaching compassion and empathy for all living beings, every one of us can help shape a better future for animals in shelters and beyond.

Today, AWI, @nrdc.org, and @biologicaldiversity.org—represented by @earthjustice.org—sued the feds to stop seafood imports from foreign fisheries that incidentally entangle, drown, and kill thousands of dolphins, whales, seals, and other marine mammals. Learn more: awionline.org/news/lawsuit...

TAKE ACTION: AWI is deeply disappointed by the Trump administration’s recent decision to lift a ban on the use of cyanide “bombs,” or M-44 devices, across 245 million acres of BLM-managed lands.

Last Friday, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) re-introduced the Extinction Prevention Act, which would fund conservation efforts supporting some of the country’s most imperiled native species, including butterflies, freshwater mussels, and southwest desert fish.

The seafood industry has immense impacts on oceans and the animals who inhabit them—and too often, these impacts are catastrophic for the species involved. That’s why AWI has long attended the world’s largest seafood industry trade shows to advocate for these animals.

It’s #EndangeredSpeciesDay! In the 1960s, AWI was one of the few organizations advocating for endangered species protections, which led, in part, to the signing of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)—the world’s strongest conservation law—in December 1973.

Maryland has passed a new law prohibiting the slaughter of racehorses and, notably, bans the purchase and sale of racehorses destined for slaughter. This legislation will be a lifeline for countless deserving who may have otherwise met a grisly end.

TAKE ACTION: Proposed “deregulatory action” would gut a key rule protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale from vessel strikes. Learn more and urge the government not to weaken protections for these vulnerable whales: awionline.org/action-cente...

Today, the film “Remarkably Bright Creatures” was released on Netflix. The film is anchored by the clever narration and astute observations of an anthropomorphized giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus.

TAKE ACTION: Donkey populations are increasingly under threat due to burgeoning demand for ejiao—a gelatin made by boiling donkey hides, primarily used in traditional medicine and cosmetics.

Only a few more weeks for students ages 14–18 to enter the 36th annual “A Voice for Animals” contest! Essays and videos that explore ways to prevent animal suffering and protect vulnerable species are eligible for cash prizes. Learn more: apply.mykaleidoscope.com/program/awih...

#ICYMI: AWI attended this year’s National Science Teaching Association (@NSTA) National Conference! We hosted a roundtable discussion about new approach methodologies (NAMs)—research and testing techniques that don’t involve the use of live animals.

Today, the House of Representatives voted 224-200 to advance the Farm Bill, which maintains “business as usual” for an industrial factory farming system that subjects billions of animals to intensive confinement and slaughter every year.

Throughout the decades, AWI’s commitment to improving the welfare of farmed animals has led us from the halls of Congress to the farmlands of Iowa—and even to sharing a stage with Neil Young and Willie Nelson.

Fur farming is cruel. It also presents a profound pandemic risk for people. In a recent op-ed for The Guardian, public health expert Dr. Neil Vora argues that it’s past time for this inhumane, irresponsible, and unpopular industry to be left behind. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The insidious global wildlife trade extends far beyond elephants, rhinos, and tigers—it also threatens invertebrates, including tarantulas. Learn more about this troubling trend: awionline.org/awi-quarterl...

TAKE ACTION: H.R. 3623, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, would ban the interstate transport of horses in double-deck trailers nationwide. With ceilings typically less than six feet high, these trailers are dangerous and uncomfortable for equines.

A victory for wildlife! 🎉 Yesterday, the ESA Amendments Act—an extreme bill that puts politics and industry profits over imperiled species—was supposed to receive a vote in the House of Representatives. Instead, it was pulled because there weren’t enough votes to pass it.

Happy #EarthDay! 🌍 Yesterday, AWI staff organized a clean-up near our headquarters in Washington, DC, where we removed approximately 13 bags of trash from the Anacostia watershed—home to more than 230 animal species.

TAKE ACTION: The administration has released its proposed budget for fiscal year 2027—and it’s bad news for America’s wild horses and burros. The proposal omits protections that have for decades prevented the lethal “management” and commercial slaughter of wild equines.

Nearly 40 years ago, the FBI launched its National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), a centralized database of crime incidents in the US, arranged by category. For many years, however, animal cruelty offenses were lumped into the vague “All Other Offenses” category.

TAKE ACTION: Late last month, the Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the United States Forest Service. The US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, claims that proposed changes will “streamline operations” and “improve mission delivery.”

Representatives from AWI’s Humane Education and Animals in Laboratories program areas are attending this year’s National Science Teaching Association National Conference in California and providing free materials for teachers at our booth. #NSTASpring26

Norway is one of three countries—along with Japan and Iceland—that continues the brutal practice of commercial whaling. This industry is not only inhumane but unnecessary—as whale meat is so unpopular in Norway that unwanted meat continues to be used as dog food.

URGENT: Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on the “ESA Amendments Act” (H.R. 1897), an extreme bill that prioritizes industry profits over imperiled wildlife. Please use AWI’s Action Center to urge your representatives to vote NO: www.congressweb.com/AWI/529?fram...

TAKE ACTION: Last week, the “God Squad,” a committee made up of Trump administration officials that has the power to override Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections, exempted all oil and gas activities in the Gulf from complying with the ESA under the guise of “national security.”

In 2024, AWI launched the Safe Havens for Pets Desert Grant to help establish sheltering resources for the pets of domestic violence survivors in areas where they’re needed most—including Illinois, where there is currently only one “safe haven” per every 527,978 residents.

TAKE ACTION: The Illinois House of Representatives will soon vote on H.B. 4255, which would add non-human primates, bears, and certain exotic cats to the ban on using elephants in traveling shows. If you live in IL, urge your state rep to vote yes: www.congressweb.com/AWI/542?fram...

By constructing wetlands, beavers protect plants and animals during wildfires, which benefits people too. This #InternationalBeaverDay, help AWI celebrate these ecosystem engineers by spreading the word: Protecting beavers benefits all of us! 🦫

On March 26, AWI and the Homes for Horses Coalition were honored to join the Wild Beauty Foundation, fellow animal protection organizations, and advocates for a day on Capitol Hill, where together we urged Congress to end the slaughter of American horses.

Today, in honor of #WorldRatDay, AWI is pleased to announce the publication of our newest book, “Refinements for Rodents and Rabbits in Research Institutions,” which summarizes key takeaways from the last 15 years of research on welfare improvements for these animals.

AWI’s educational video about octopus farming is now available in both English and Spanish on our YouTube channel! The worldwide movement to ban this inhumane practice is growing. Join us in spreading the word in English and now en Español! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiF...

Yesterday, AWI joined other advocates outside the Department of the Interior to protest a meeting of the Endangered Species Committee, aka the "God Squad," which has the power to unilaterally doom a species to extinction by stripping it of Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections.

March is #DolphinAwarenessMonth, and thanks to leading expert Dr. John Wang, we’re sharing some new photos of the Taiwanese white dolphin (TWD), a critically endangered subspecies on the brink of extinction.

As an animal sanctuary volunteer, 2025 “A Voice for Animals” contest winner Makayla met a pair of donkeys named Joey and Chandler. In her winning essay, she explained how she came to appreciate them—and how they inspired her to raise awareness of the threats donkeys face.

TAKE ACTION: Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 556, a bill that would prevent federal agencies from prohibiting or regulating the use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle on public lands and in public waters. The Senate could take up this bill next.

For #ManateeAppreciationDay, we’re highlighting a little-studied species, the African manatee—the most endangered manatee in the world—and the work of the African Aquatic Conservation Fund (AACF) to protect them.

For the first time in 30+ years, the Endangered Species Committee will convene on March 31, likely to consider Endangered Species Act exemptions for oil and gas activity in the Gulf. If granted, they could put critically endangered marine life at further risk of extinction.

Wildlife researchers: Proposals are now open for this year’s Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards! The award helps fund research that advances new, more humane tools & strategies to resolve human-wildlife conflicts & methods for studying wildlife. Learn more: awionline.org/content/chri...

The award-winning documentary Throw Away Horses is now streaming! The film sheds light on the thousands of American equines who are forgotten, abused, and neglected each year—and the rescuers who work to save them.

TAKE ACTION: The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation regarding requirements for dogs and cats to be rehomed after being used in research and testing. If you live in MD, contact your legislators and urge them to support this bill: www.congressweb.com/AWI/546?fram...

UPDATE: The USDA has extended the comment deadline to April 20. www.congressweb.com/AWI/545?fram...