Animal Welfare Institute

ICYMI: Only three more days to join our bat-tacular fundraiser to support four groups working to protect bats through education, rescue and rehabilitation, and conservation. And now is the time to give—now through October 31, AWI is matching all donations up to a total of $40,000! 🦇 Bats are neither spooky nor creepy. They are the unsung heroes of healthy ecosystems—pollinating crops, dispersing seeds, and consuming vast quantities of potentially harmful insects. But bat populations are collapsing due to habitat loss, climate change, declining food supply, and white-nose syndrome, a fatal fungal disease. Now through October 31, all gifts up to a $40,000 total will be matched 1:1 by AWI and distributed equally to the following organizations: Bat World Sanctuary, Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation, Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia, and Bats Northwest. Donate here: https://lnkd.in/eMVbqEKZ 📷: Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia

Only four days remain in our bat-tacular fundraiser: Have you donated yet to support the four bat protection organizations? If you contribute now, you can double your impact—through October 31, AWI is matching all donations up to a total of $40,000! Bats are one of the world’s most misunderstood mammals—which is why Bats Northwest provides educational programming about bats and bat conservation across the state of Washington, visiting schools and community groups, hosting bat walks, and leading community science programs. Bats Northwest also assists Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife with bat-related research and studies. In this photo, Bats Northwest volunteer and licensed wildlife rehabilitator Barb Ogaard teaches an audience about the importance of local bats and introduces them to an unreleasable silver-haired bat named CleoBatra. Please donate now to help support these initiatives and more: https://lnkd.in/eMVbqEKZ And don’t forget to spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends and family!

You may have noticed our social media has gone a bit batty. That’s because, this #BatWeek, we’re raising funds for four organizations operating bat rescues, sanctuaries, and educational outreach programs to promote and protect these vanishing mammals. And, if you donate before the end of the month, AWI will match your donation, up to a total of $40,000! This video is from Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia, one of the recipients of our fundraiser. Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia strives to conserve native bat species in Virginia and beyond by engaging, empowering, and educating people of all ages and abilities. In this video clip, a silver-haired bat under their care decides he is finished with his meal. 😊 Donate to our bat-tacular campaign to support bats: awionline.org/bats2024

Have you heard? Now through October 31, when you donate to AWI’s bat-tacular fundraiser, your gift will be doubled, with AWI matching all donations up to a $40,000 total! This #Baturday, we are highlighting the second of four organizations your gift will support: Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation. Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation protects native bat species in Pennsylvania through conservation and education—and is expanding with a new rehabilitation center for fruit bats rescued from the live wildlife trade. Pictured here is Hercules, a hoary bat who suffered head trauma. After 65 days working on his flight conditioning and landing skills under the care of Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation, Hercules was successfully released back into the wild. Donate to support more bats like Hercules: https://lnkd.in/eMVbqEKZ

Yesterday, biomedical company Envigo was sentenced in court for conspiring to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and Clean Water Act following the seizure in 2022 of 4,000+ beagles from the company’s Cumberland, Virginia facility. Inotiv, Envigo’s parent company, must guarantee $35 million+ in payments—including the largest-ever fine in an AWA case. Despite the media attention and DOJ investigation, Inotiv received another beagle-related citation for AWA noncompliance as recently as June. We hope implementation of the agreement will meaningfully improve the welfare of Inotiv’s animals, but careful oversight will be needed. “Envigo’s recent sentencing, which includes an unprecedented fine in an Animal Welfare Act case, brings some semblance of justice to the thousands of beagles who were trapped in deplorable conditions. We applaud the Department of Justice for holding Inotiv accountable after the USDA documented unconscionable suffering for months at an Envigo breeding facility in Virginia but failed to act. More robust AWA enforcement is urgently needed to protect animals from unscrupulous breeders, dealers, and exhibitors.” —Dr. Joanna Makowska, director and senior scientist for AWI’s Animals in Laboratories Program. https://lnkd.in/eMzVqEqb

It’s Day 2 of our bat-tacular fundraiser! Learn more about the first of four organizations your gift will support: Bat World Sanctuary. Bat World Sanctuary—purportedly the largest bat sanctuary on Earth—rescues hundreds of bats each year and providing lifetime sanctuary to those who cannot be released back into the wild, including orphans, bats with permanent injuries, and bats from the exotic pet trade, private zoos, and research facilities. The organization promotes the humane treatment of bats in captivity and expands its reach through workshops for bat rehabilitators around the world and at satellite rescue centers in Bulgaria, Austria, Japan, and Italy. Pictured here is an elderly female fruit bat who arrived at Bat World Sanctuary from another organization to live out the rest of her life in sanctuary. Fruit bats (aka flying foxes) are among the largest bats in the world—their wingspan can reach nearly 5 feet! Native to Australia, Madagascar, and Indonesia, these bats use vision rather than echolocation to navigate, and eat fruit and flowers. Now through October 31, when you donate to AWI’s #BatWeek fundraiser, your gift will be doubled with an AWI match up to a $40,000 total! Donate here: https://lnkd.in/eMVbqEKZ

This #BatWeek, help us help bats across the US! 🦇 The United States is home to 47 species of bats that provide critical ecosystem services through pollinating crops and controlling potentially harmful insects. Bat populations are collapsing due to habitat loss, climate change, declining food supply, and white-nose syndrome, a fatal fungal disease. Join us this Bat Week in rallying to protect these underappreciated mammals: Now through October 31, when you donate to AWI’s bat-tacular fundraiser, your gift will be doubled, with AWI matching donations up to a total of $40,000! Your gift—plus our match—will support the following organizations: Bat World Sanctuary Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia Bats Northwest Learn more and donate: awionline.org/bats2024

Good news! The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled today that a state law establishing the penalty for animal cruelty as a felony applies to ALL dogs and cats, including strays. AWI, which filed an amicus brief in support of this outcome, applauds the court’s decision. This decision reverses a lower court ruling that the statutory protection applies only to dogs and cats who are cared for, thus excluding strays. “We are pleased with the court’s decision. All companion animals—whether strays or household pets—deserve protection against cruelty.” –AWI senior attorney Zack Strong https://lnkd.in/deV8kJhb

Tomorrow, October 24, is #WorldKangarooDay—a day to celebrate this beloved marsupial and recognize the importance of kangaroos to Australia. 🦘 AWI is honored to sponsor this event, coordinated by Kangaroos Alive, to help bring international attention to the relentless and cruel commercial killing of kangaroos. Each year, millions of kangaroos are slaughtered for commercial profit. Hunters, under cover of darkness and equipped with powerful spotlights mounted on trucks, ruthlessly gun down these animals. Massive quantities of kangaroo meat and hides are exported, primarily to Europe and the United States, for human consumption, pet food, soccer cleats, and other leather goods. This killing is inherently cruel, with orphaned joeys (baby kangaroos) decapitated, bludgeoned to death, or left to fend for themselves. Connect with Kangaroos Alive to learn more about the importance of protecting kangaroos and visit worldkangarooday.org to view the many events happening throughout the day and to download resources and activities.

Spiders, centipedes, flies... oh my! There are many things that might spook you this Halloween, but arachnids and insects shouldn’t be among them. These crawly creatures have an important role in ecosystems, helping to control mosquitos and other insects, pollinate plants, recycle nutrients, and improve soil health. Additionally, birds rely on beetles, caterpillars, ants, flies, and spiders to provide them with adequate energy during their breeding season, feed their young, and prepare for extensive migratory flights. Across the country, arachnids and insects are threatened by urban development, light pollution, and the use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers in industrial agriculture, golf courses, community parks, and yards. You can help spiders, insects, and the wildlife depending on them, by 🔸 avoiding the use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers in your yard; 🔸 reducing artificial outdoor light usage; and 🔸 planting native flowers, grasses, trees, and bushes in your yard. For more ways to protect native wildlife, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/exaFGR-d Stay tuned to our socials later this week for an extra-special way to help a different not-so-creepy creature! 📷 :  Jade Louis