AWI Quarterly

1 month ago | awionline.org

On February 20, the National Mar

1 month ago | awionline.org

In honor of National Horse Protection Day on March 1, a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers today reintroduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act to permanently protect American horses from commercial slaughter. Sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), the SAFE Act would expand the Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act—which passed as part of the 2018 Farm Bill—to include equines, prohibiting the commercial slaughter of horses in the United States and ending their export for that purpose abroad.

1 month ago | awionline.org

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) appreciates that the US Department of Agriculture has developed a revised strategy to address the staggering impacts of the current bird flu outbreak, yet the five-point plan continues to incentivize producers to maintain massive flock sizes and overcrowded conditions that encourage disease transmission while undermining animal welfare.

1 month ago | awionline.org

The Prohibiting Threatened and Endangered Creature Trophies (ProTECT) Act (H.R. 1934) was reintroduced yesterday by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA). The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends Lieu for continuing to champion this legislation following the death of its long-time sponsor, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX). The ProTECT Act would prohibit importing a trophy of a species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, as well as ban the killing of a listed species for a trophy within the United States. This reflects the values of American citizens, 86% of whom oppose all big game hunting, according to a 2015 poll.

1 month ago | awionline.org

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of the Refinement Research Award, which funds research projects that develop or test novel refinement methods, and the Implementing Refinement Grant, which funds the purchase of equipment or training meant to improve the welfare of animals used in research. Since its founding in 1951, AWI has encouraged laboratory personnel to provide animals with comfortable housing and the opportunity to engage in species-typical behaviors, while sparing them needless suffering. AWI awards individual grants of up to $15,000 to develop and demonstrate innovative methods of refinement to the housing or care of animals in research to better their lives, and grants of up to $8,000 toward the purchase of equipment or staff training.