Current Cases
The Animal Welfare Institute and its co-plaintiffs brought claims against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and its parent company for the mistreatment of Asian elephants, alleging that a number of the circus’ routine practices violate the Endangered Species Act, including the forceful use of bull hooks to train, control, and "discipline" elephants as well as the continuous chaining of elephants for most of the day and night.
The Animal Welfare Institute and its co-plaintiffs brought claims against the Navy over its plans to build an Undersea Warfare Training Range southeast of the Florida/Georgia border, which has the potential to adversely affect millions of marine mammals, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale whose calving grounds are adjacent to the project site. The lawsuit alleges that the Navy and National Marine Fisheries Service, which authorized the project, did not adequately analyze the environmental impacts of operating the range before deciding upon construction.
The Animal Welfare Institute and its co-plaintiffs have brought suit against the Indiana Department of Natural Resources over the Department’s decision to waive state permit requirements for a coyote and fox penning facility.
