By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
The Farm Bill, a legislative package the U.S. Congress approves every five years or so to govern agricultural and food programs, has the potential to instill animal welfare and sustainability into food practices for years to come. Instead, the 2024 Farm Bill just approved in the House Agriculture Committee would undo so much progress made for animal welfare, threaten public health and create a nightmare for countless animals.
WASHINGTON (May 23, 2024)—Pork producers, pork distributors and animal advocates decried the House of Representatives’ Farm Bill (the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024) that will likely be voted out of the Agriculture Committee today. They called the bill a reckless attempt to invalidate state laws including Proposition 12, which set landmark prohibitions on the in-state sale of food products from farm animals locked in cruel and extreme confinement. The U.S.
WASHINGTON (May 17, 2024)—Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee have released their version of the Farm Bill. It includes language that aims to invalidate California’s Proposition 12, a state law setting landmark prohibitions on the in-state sale of food products from farm animals locked in cruel and extreme confinement. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law as constitutional in May 2023.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Update September 24, 2024: We and our partners have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for missing its deadline to decide whether the common hippopotamus should be protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. We are determined to give these animals the protections they deserve.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Twenty-six chimpanzees at a laboratory in New Mexico have a stronger shot at spending the rest of their lives in a sanctuary now that the National Institutes of Health has dropped its appeal in a lawsuit focused on their future.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering requiring companies to conduct new animal tests for several sunscreen ingredients that have been in use for decades. If this happens, companies would be forced either to test on animals or be limited to just two ingredients to produce sunscreen and products containing SPF (sun protection factor).
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Responsibility for animals’ welfare rests with us all, including the federal government. Our work spans a range of federal agencies, all of which can do something to support the prevention of animal cruelty and suffering. A whole-of-government approach is consistent with the growth of our movement and its influence, and it’s something that will enable us to confront animal cruelty more effectively in the future.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
In a country where political tempers often run hot, agreement can seem incredibly rare. But, regardless of party affiliation, a consensus is emerging that our companion animals should be treated with basic decency—and this is not how kitten and puppy mills treat dogs and cats.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Idaho is pulling ahead in a race to the bottom for how states treat wolves. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game recently released a draft wolf management plan that will guide how the state manages the wolves who live there through 2028. The plan aims to reduce Idaho’s wolf population by 60%, primarily by promoting and incentivizing trophy hunting and trapping.
