Solidarity at D.C. animal advocacy conference shows the power of our cause

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

This past weekend we held our Taking Action for Animals conference just outside of Washington, D.C., with over 450 advocates who came from all over the country to attend. At a time that may feel divisive and politically uncertain, this event was a testament to the dedication and steadfast unity that the cause of animal protection rallies.

The strongest and most resilient social movements provide participants with a sense of shared purpose and belonging, and that was evident everywhere in workshops on forming alliances for animal advocacy and navigating the political divide, as well as in a very memorable main stage welcome session with Deesha Dyer, a board member of the Humane Society of the United States and the founder and president of social impact agency, Hook & Fasten. Through a lens of sustainable social impact and on-the-ground community organizing, Dyer added a strong sense of purpose and solidarity that was felt across the audience as we collectively imagined a more inclusive and unified future for our movement.

The conference provided strategies and tools for all levels of advocacy, from local efforts to help animals to state-level actions to federal policies that have implications nationwide. As part of our commitment to building a stronger animal protection movement, it was an honor to welcome four Humane Policy Volunteer Leader scholarship recipients and 20 Diverse Animal Advocates through our grant programs.

Speakers provided guidance on how to take action for animals in our key areas of focus, such as access to care, corporate social responsibility, and the protection of animals of many kinds, from puppies to pigs, through laws that set conditions on transactions when the lives of animals are at stake. In her keynote address attorney, chef, author, blogger and influencer aka “The Korean Vegan," Joanne Molinaro, discussed the importance of remembering why we do what we do: not just to make the world a better place for animals, but to make it a better place for us all.

Several of the workshops at TAFA focused on the degree to which animal protection continues to attract bipartisan support for our nonpartisan agenda, in what can be a challenging political landscape. The panelists who participated in those workshops are accomplished leaders—and our partners—in fostering bipartisan cooperation, striking the right tone with legislators and framing messages in a manner that will resonate with people across the political spectrum. These workshops also resonated well with our attendees and sparked dynamic discussion that continued throughout the conference.

Heartened by this energy, on Monday, July 22, more than 150 advocates fanned out on Capitol Hill for Humane Lobby Day, visiting over 120 congressional offices. We’re grateful to everyone who participated in these meetings, which included several one-on-one meetings with individual legislators with the aim of speaking up for animals.

Through the uncertainties of local, state or federal election cycles, we have the certainty that we have our work cut out for us: Speaking up for animals is always at once challenging and urgent. But the months and years ahead are especially significant, as several historic measures are on the line. At TAFA, we highlighted two priorities: our defense against the Big Pork industry’s attack on Proposition 12 and other farm animal protection measures and our support for the Better CARE for Animals Act. We’re working hard on these and other issues in the appropriations process, in the context of the Farm Bill debate—which threatens to undercut historic progress for farm animal protection—and in both the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate.

Our key fight in defense of Proposition 12 and the May 2023 Supreme Court decision that upheld the California law has implications for many other laws. We expect to see immense pressure from the National Pork Producers Council to shoehorn its sabotage of Proposition 12 into some must-pass package by the end of the year. That is why ensuring that our own advocacy is laser-focused is important—even with animal-friendly legislators, including more than 200 who signed letters this year urging that no such provision be part of this year’s bill funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are currently so many pressing issues jockeying for congressional attention. We cannot afford to let animal protection concerns fall off their legislative agendas, or worse, fall prey to some gambit from Big Pork and other hostile interests.

The Better CARE for Animals Act is one of the best measures proposed in recent years to improve enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. It has tremendous bipartisan appeal as legislators from both major parties have come to understand the need for multi-agency collaboration on enforcement and the special value of enhanced authority for the Department of Justice to take action to address unlawful mistreatment of animals.

Our commitment to engaging supporters as active citizen advocates goes back to the passage of the Humane Slaughter Act (1958) and the Animal Welfare Act (1966). We have been inspiring people to take action for animals for a long time, and it continues to be essential for those who care about animals to speak up.

We are immensely grateful to all the participants and volunteers who made this year’s TAFA so inspiring and motivating, and to our sponsors for making this event possible. Animal protection is an incredible cause that has attracted mindful and dedicated allies for hundreds of years. And standing up for animals has only become more mainstream and more powerful. TAFA emphasized the profound role each one of us plays as engaged advocates pushing for a more humane and compassionate world.

We look forward to welcoming advocates at TAFA again next year in New Orleans. Until then, you can take action right now to show that you care about creating a better future for animals: