Animal Welfare Institute

Since 1951, AWI has sought better treatment of animals everywhere—in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Visit awionline.org to learn more about our work and sign up for emails about critical animal welfare issues and legislation. #WorldAnimalDay

To kick off spooky season, we have something incredibly scary to talk about: ghost gear. Ghost gear is fishing gear that has been lost or discarded at sea, where it pollutes the ocean and traps and entangles wildlife, including marine mammals. It can include small fishing lines or massive nets weighing thousands of pounds. Fishing gear entanglement can render marine mammals unable to swim or so restricted in movement that they become exhausted and unable to feed, leading to slow starvation or drowning. As the animals tow the cumbersome gear through the water, the lines may cut deeply into the animal’s flesh—even severing limbs in some cases. This was the apparent fate of a gray whale, spotted off the California coast in 2023, who was missing a tail: https://lnkd.in/eTjxj3Gq All told, more than 650,000 marine mammals—including more than 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises—are killed or seriously injured each year by fishing gear. Visit TheFutureIsRopeless.org to learn more about entanglement of marine mammals and how we can address this urgent conservation and animal welfare issue. 📷: An entangled whale struggles to swim | J. Moore/NOAA MMHSRP under permit # 18786-02

Between April and September 2024, WTI in collaboration with the Maharashtra Forest Department conducted 50 joint anti-snare walks and anti-electrocution drives in and around Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR). The efforts have led to the dismantling of 82 snares, 10 bird traps, and also reported two electrocution incidents to the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB). Read more: https://lnkd.in/gqttfQuH #AntiSnareWalk #AntiElectrocutionDrive #IllegalWildlifeCrime #Poaching ifaw, Debobroto, Vivek Menon, Jose Louies, Animal Welfare Institute

For the final week of #NationalPreparednessMonth, we’re addressing the natural disaster most common to middle America—tornadoes. Disasters in “Tornado Alley” can be unpredictable, but there are still steps you can take to educate yourself and prepare your pets. During a tornado, keep animals inside and away from windows. Never leave them tied up outside. Livestock and horses should have access to a shelter on high ground,, and pastures can be made safer by removing barbed wire, power lines, and other debris. When preparing for natural disasters, it’s a good idea to keep records of your animals which include their photo, vaccination history, microchip information, and other details. Educating yourself and planning accordingly ensures you and your animals will be prepared in an emergency. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/exCcjcZs 📷: Ryo96c

Educators, how are you incorporating humane education into your curriculum this year? Since 2019, AWI has donated over 83,000 children’s books to help educators teach students compassion and empathy for all animals. Here, Animal Friends—a full-service companion animal welfare organization serving the pets and people of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area—uses AWI’s book “Pablo Puppy's Search for the Perfect Person” as part of their Pet-Assisted Literacy Services (PALS) program to develop reading skills and proper care of pets. Browse our free humane education resources, including lesson plans available in English and Spanish: https://lnkd.in/euQyZ37t

AWI is honored to co-lead the Homes for Horses Coalition—a national network of over 500 equine rescues and sanctuaries from around the country committed to advancing equine protection—with American Wild Horse Conservation. The Homes for Horses Coalition conference brought over 100 equine professionals and advocates to DC to network, learn from one another, and talk some horse sense into Congress! Speakers during the event included Dr. Joanna Grossman, AWI equine program director and senior policy advisor; Tessa Archibald, AWI policy associate and HHC manager; and Nancy Blaney, AWI government affairs program director. Lobby Day attendees met with congressional offices to urge lawmakers to pass the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R.3475/S. 2037) and put an end to the slaughter of American horses.

In our third post for #NationalPreparednessMonth, we’ll cover precautions you can take to protect animals from wildfires and earthquakes. These are especially frequent in the western United States and are some of the deadliest natural disasters because they are hard to predict. WILDFIRES: 🔹 Have an evacuation kit ready with food, water, and medication for your pets 🔹 Plan a pet-friendly evacuation route and travel method 🔹 Ensure barns and other structures have fire extinguishers 🔹 Limit the time all animals spend outdoors when air quality is poor EARTHQUAKES: 🔹 Put up “Pet Inside” stickers with the number and type of pets present for emergency responders 🔹 Allow pets to hide naturally, or bring them with you to a hiding spot 🔹 Keep a first aid kit in your home 🔹 Add identification to your pets, such as microchips or labeled collars 🔹 Be prepared to comfort distressed pets These disasters also threaten wildlife. In 2022, AWI supported wildlife sanctuaries caring for animals impacted by massive wildfires in Australia. Taking steps to prevent wildfires, especially in dry areas, can save animals’ lives—and their homes. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/exCcjcZs 📷: Tony Campbell

Are you ready to vote this November? Remember to update your voter registration, request an absentee ballot, and take other steps to #getoutthevote this election year. If you plan to vote in this election, note that, in some states, registration deadlines fall as early as October 6 and absentee ballots must be received (not merely postmarked) the day before Election Day. To find deadlines and voting information for your state, visit vote.gov. 📷 : Lena

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has fined Mystic Aquarium $12,200 as part of a settlement agreement resulting from alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act related to the improper care of beluga whales at the aquarium. The USDA alleges the aquarium - improperly handled the whale Havok after an aquarium visitor dropped a foreign object into the tank, - failed to provide adequate veterinary care during the eight hours preceding Havok’s death, and - had multiple instances of harmful water quality occur over multiple consecutive days. This fine comes after three of the five beluga whales Mystic Aquarium imported as purported rescues from Marineland in Canada died under the aquarium’s care. “This was supposed to be a rescue—Mystic itself characterized this import as such when the whales were transported from Marineland in spring 2021. For at least two of the whales, this was no rescue at all. According to APHIS, the conditions at Mystic contributed to their deaths. We are deeply disappointed in the process that allowed whales with preexisting conditions to come into the country and be subject to inadequate housing conditions.” – Dr. Naomi Rose, AWI senior scientist, marine mammal biology https://lnkd.in/eRnhQNe4

AWI is devastated by the confirmed death of five red wolf pups following their father’s death by vehicle strike on Highway 64 in North Carolina. The mother of the pups was unable to care for the litter alone, resulting in their tragic death. Vehicle mortality is the leading cause of death for the critically endangered red wolf, and wildlife crossings are an essential component of bringing this species back from the brink of extinction.  AWI helped fund a roadkill survey and submitted a letter in support of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s application for $25 million in funding to build wildlife crossings along Highway 64, where the pups’ father—and other wolves before him—was struck and killed. https://lnkd.in/gAGbU6Pj