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Animal Welfare Institute
(202) 337-2332
[email protected]
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Latest News
CITES Ends Export of Wild African Elephants to Zoos, Circuses
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
In a monumental move today, delegates at the 18th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties delivered a crucial victory for African elephants by voting in plenary to end the barbaric practice of removing...
Wildlife Law Enforcement Leaders Honored at CITES
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Wildlife law enforcement champions from 10 countries were recognized today with the Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on International...
CITES’s Last Chance to Save the Vaquita
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
As governments from around the world prepare to meet in Geneva this week, the fate of the critically endangered vaquita hangs in the balance.
New ESA Regulations Deliver Devastating Blow to Wildlife Conservation
Monday, August 12, 2019
Today, the Trump administration released final regulations to gut critical Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections, just months after a UN report warned of “unprecedented” and “accelerating” global mass extinctions caused by human activity.
Illinois Becomes Third State to Ban Sale of Animal-Tested Cosmetics
Monday, August 12, 2019
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Cruelty Free International congratulate Illinois for joining California, Nevada, and more than 30 countries worldwide in banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics. SB 241, sponsored by Senator Linda Holmes...
Trump Administration Reauthorizes Wildlife-Killing ‘Cyanide Bombs’
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Earlier this week, the Trump administration reauthorized use of sodium cyanide in wildlife-killing devices called M-44s. These “cyanide bombs” received approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency despite inhumanely and indiscriminately killing thousands of animals...
Shark Fins Remain on the Menu, Despite State Bans
Friday, July 26, 2019
As Shark Week kicks off July 28, restaurants across the nation are contributing to the rapid decline in shark species by serving up soup made from shark fins, despite bans in 12 states and counting.
Historic Win for Horses as House Passes PAST Act
Thursday, July 25, 2019
In an important victory for Tennessee Walking Horses, the US House of Representatives today passed the US Senator Joseph D. Tydings Memorial Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 693) by a vote of 333–96...
New Documentary on Captive Orcas Exposes Brutal Ongoing Trade
Monday, July 22, 2019
The recent release of “Long Gone Wild,” a riveting documentary revealing the brutal truth about the ongoing trade in wild-caught orcas, highlights the intensifying controversy over confining cetaceans to barren concrete boxes in marine theme...
Nearly 2 Million Citizens Say No! to Stripping Gray Wolf Protections Under ESA
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Nearly 2 million Americans, joined by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and a broad coalition of animal welfare and environmental organizations, have registered their opposition to a US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposal to...
Senator Menendez Introduces Bill to End Exploitation of Exotic Animals in the Circus
Monday, July 15, 2019
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds the introduction today of the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA) in the US Senate. Sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), this bill would amend the...
Demonstrators Rally for Imperiled Porpoises at Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC
Friday, July 12, 2019
Conservation and animal protection organizations rallied outside the Mexican Embassy today to call on the Mexican government to take drastic action to save the few remaining vaquita porpoises left on the planet. According to scientific...
A Voice for Animals Contest Prize Winners Announced
Thursday, July 11, 2019
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Humane Education Network (HEN) announced the winners of the 2019 A Voice for Animals contest. The annual contest offers monetary awards to high school students age 14–18 for...
World Heritage Committee Designates Vaquita Porpoise Habitat as “In Danger”
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee today approved an “in danger” designation for an area of Mexico that is the last-remaining home of the critically endangered vaquita porpoise and a fish called the totoaba. An international...
AWI Welcomes Iceland's Decision to Forego Whaling This Summer
Tuesday, July 02, 2019
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is relieved to hear that no whales will be killed by Icelandic whalers this summer. In a June television news interview, Ólafur Ólafsson, a whaling vessel captain, said that the...
AWI Statement on Japan’s Commencement of Commercial Whaling
Monday, July 01, 2019
Japan faces international criticism and risks legal challenges as it launches a government-subsidized commercial whaling program to kill 383 whales this year with no international oversight.
Celebrities and NGOs Worldwide Call for G20 ‘International Whaling Intervention’ as Summit Host Japan Launches New Whale Killing Program
Friday, June 28, 2019
Celebrities and animal conservation and welfare NGOs from across the globe are calling for an “international whaling intervention” to be staged at the G20 summit in Osaka as summit host Japan prepares to launch a...
AWI Commends Inclusion of Animal Welfare Provisions in HR 3055
Friday, June 28, 2019
The US House of Representatives passed HR 3055, an appropriations “minibus” that covers the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and the Interior, as well as other departments and agencies.
Animal Protection Groups Applaud Senate Bill to Ban Horse Slaughter
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Sens. Bob Menendez, (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham, (R-SC), Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-RI), and Susan Collins, (R-ME), introduced legislation today to permanently end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in the United States and abroad.
Canada Prohibits the Captivity of Marine Mammals
Monday, June 24, 2019
S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, has received Royal Assent, making the historic legislation, which ends the public display of captive cetaceans, official Canadian law. After nearly four years of debate...