Animal Welfare Institute

Students ages 14–18: Submissions are being accepted for the 35th annual “A Voice for Animals” essay contest, sponsored by AWI and Humane Education Network! Now through May 31, submit essays, videos, or photo essays that explore ways to prevent animal suffering and protect vulnerable species. Open to students worldwide. Winning entries receive cash prizes. Learn more at hennet.org/contest.php

Today, AWI is celebrating one of the ocean’s most gentle and peaceful creatures—the manatee! #ManateeAppreciationDay is a reminder that these “sea cows” need protected habitat where they can rest, raise their young, and graze on seagrass. Currently, the West Indian manatee is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but earlier this year, the government proposed listing the manatee's two subspecies—the Florida manatee and the Antillean manatee—as threatened and endangered, respectively. Manatees are threatened by habitat degradation due to unchecked pollution, loss of food sources, vessel and propeller strikes, and more. Alarmingly, Florida manatees are currently experiencing a significant die-off, termed an “unusual mortality event,” or UME, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The UME has been attributed to poor water quality and starvation due to seagrass loss throughout parts of their habitat. In 2024, 565 manatees (including 154 calves) died, and at least 230 manatees have died already this year. In recent years, AWI grantees of our annual Christine Stevens Wildlife Award have conducted research projects to help inform protections for manatees:? In 2024, a group of researchers studied the negative impacts of boat-based ecotourism on Antillean manatees. The researchers found these manatees are exposed to high volumes of boat noise for up to 10 hours a day, which disrupts their ability to forage and communicate, including in critical habitat for cow/calf pairs. In 2021, a scientist from Syracuse University studied how levels of vessel traffic experienced by manatees change their behavior. The study found that Florida manatees experienced up to one close encounter with motorized boats per hour, disrupting their feeding behaviors and eliciting a flight response. TAKE ACTION: Write to your members of Congress and urge them to help protect manatees and other threatened marine mammals by defending the Marine Mammal Protection Act from legislative attacks: https://lnkd.in/eQK9Gebv ?? : NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Tomorrow, the House Committee on Natural Resources will hold a hearing on extreme bills that would weaken protections for wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) at a time when more than 1 million species around the world are threatened with extinction. The ESA Amendments Act (H.R. 1897) would, among other modifications, significantly rewrite key portions of the ESA to make it harder for imperiled species to receive protection under the law, weakening its life-saving power and placing additional administrative burdens on already over-burned agencies. The so-called Pet and Livestock Protection Act (H.R. 845) would remove ESA protections for gray wolves in 44 states, allowing open killing seasons to resume on this maligned and scapegoated species. This hearing occurs against a backdrop of sudden and indiscriminate firings across the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, robbing these agencies of the experts who implement the ESA according to the best available science. This not only jeopardizes the survival of the species that depend on ESA protections, but also prevents projects that require approvals under the ESA from moving forward—an entirely unnecessary obstacle. Watch the hearing here: https://lnkd.in/eErfJdES

Last fall, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 146 into law, making Pennsylvania the 41st state to authorize inclusion of pets in protection from abuse orders, giving domestic violence survivors a means to obtain protection for their beloved companion animals as well as themselves.? The Keystone Link Coalition has made available a valuable resource explaining the law and how to go about including pets on protection orders. View it here: https://lnkd.in/evu7MJEN ??: Reps. Christina Sappey (D-158) and Natalie Mihalek (R-40), sponsors of Act 146, are joined by representatives from the Keystone Link Coalition—including Nancy Blaney, director of AWI’s Government Affairs Program—and canine advocate Ari.?

Big news from our Safe Havens for Pets project! We’ve launched an expanded online directory that now includes sheltering services to assist individuals who are experiencing homelessness with a pet. The listings, which are searchable by zip code or state and will be updated regularly, feature organizations that provide sheltering services for the animals of unhoused individuals and/or domestic violence survivors, have a relationship with an entity that does, or provide referrals to such facilities. They include humane societies, veterinary offices, foster homes, and shelters that house people and pets together. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eU2kQyt6 View the directory: safehavensforpets.org.??

The Taiwanese white dolphin (TWD) is a unique subspecies of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. TWDs are white as adults, with gray/black spots/speckles scattered over their bodies. (They are born dark gray, with no speckles.) Their skin is often pale pink and flushes bright pink when active, due to blood vessels close to the skin surface dilating with blood. Unfortunately, the TWD is nearing extinction due to habitat degradation, fishing gear entanglement, and pollution. By current estimates, fewer than 60 remain. This #DolphinAwarenessMonth, learn more about these dolphins and the threats to their survival. Gillnets used by Yunlin County fishers pose a major threat to the TWD. During negotiations in 2020, the fishers proposed that the offshore wind industry could buy out gillnet users as part of a settlement to restrict wind farm development in TWD habitat. However, this settlement never came to fruition. Despite being critically endangered, the TWD faces another grave threat: Taiwan’s parliament has approved a port expansion project directly in the heart of TWD habitat on Taiwan’s western coast. The project area is perilously close to the Dadu River, a vital foraging area for the dolphins. AWI is supporting population assessment research on the TWD. Preliminary results show that the TWD’s population continues to decline. We must continue to provide resources and support technical expertise to increase conservation efforts. ??: Claryana Araújo-Wang (CetAsia Research Group)

Thank you, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, for reintroducing the Mink VIRUS Act! Not only do mink suffer in cramped and crowded cages on fur farms, but we also cannot ignore the risk of disease proliferation and the possibility of human infection. It’s time to leave this declining industry in the past to ensure that mink farms don’t produce the next pandemic virus. https://lnkd.in/ebYQKte7

“Wielding both literal and figurative chainsaws, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have gutted the federal workforce in recent weeks… As long-time marine conservationists, we share profound concerns about cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” Thank you, The Hill, for publishing this op-ed by Georgia Hancock, AWI Marine Wildlife Program director and senior attorney, and Doug DeMaster, PhD, retired science and research director for NOAA Fisheries. Under this second Trump administration, NOAA and its management and conservation mandates are in grave peril. https://lnkd.in/e8iWbqAU TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to oppose any effort to weaken NOAA: https://lnkd.in/ePEkd-a4

AWI mourns the passing of Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a staunch advocate for animals and the environment who dedicated half a century to public service. Rep. Grijalva’s compassion truly extended to all animals. He was a passionate supporter of the Endangered Species Act, a staunch advocate for our nation’s wild horses and burros, and sponsored several important conservation bills, working with AWI. We send our condolences to his family and staff, and we will carry on his legacy of fierce and unyielding advocacy for all living beings. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eCaZiJFX

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Friday, March 28, join the Homes for Horses Coalition to learn about the global status of equine slaughter and what you can do to help combat this industry. Equine slaughter is a prevalent policy issue both domestically and abroad. In the US, tens of thousands of horses are exported for slaughter annually, and countries such as Ireland and South Korea have faced backlash in recent years for sending ex-racehorses to slaughter. Across the globe, millions of donkeys are killed to fuel the ejiao industry. This webinar will highlight the latest legislative and advocacy actions taken to protect horses and donkeys. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e3_aimHH