Philadelphia Eagles, Chris Long, Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition, Juan Pablo Di Pace, In Defense of Animals, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Defenders of Wildlife, World Wildlife Fund, Tigers, Trump cuts wildlife protections, Animal Folks MN, Iowa Voters for Companion Animals, Maine Friends of Animals, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, The Waccatee Zoo, Demand Dog Starvation Deaths Never Happen Again at No Kill Shelter & Jail Animal Snuff Film Makers, 'Lost City' of Petra, Sustainable Action Network (SAN) and much, much more Animal cruelty, crime & welfare to report

"Regulations – oh, boy. It's a lot of regulations."

President Trump wants to move America forward by taking us two steps back. In 2018, Defenders is resolving to fight harder than ever against the Trump administration's attempts to undo decades of protections for wildlife and wild places. Are you with us?

President Trump has been on a mission to "cut the red tape." In other words, eliminate laws and programs he peddles as nothing but useless paperwork that hinders profit. He has even boasted about his desire to gut regulations back to the levels of the 1960s.

But what he fails to realize – and what you and I both know – is that many of these laws and regulations mean the difference between life and death for wildlife and people.

We've already seen this administration's nostalgia for a time when corporate interests were free to run roughshod over our lands and waters and cast aside wildlife and their critical habitats in the name of profit.

Join the fight! Refuse to let the abuses of the past once again wreak havoc on wildlife and wild places.

Because if that's what Mr. Trump thinks will "Make America Great Again," then it's time we served up a dose of reality.

Take a quick journey with us back to 1960…

DDT was carelessly being sprayed in massive quantities, endangering human health and leading to the near extinction of the bald eagle, the brown pelican and the peregrine falcon;
In 1969, the Cuyahoga River – yes river – near Cleveland Ohio, burst into flames because of toxic contamination;
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hadn't been formed yet, and
There was NO Endangered Species Act (ESA) until 1973!

But it doesn’t end there:

It was a terrible, unregulated, exploitative time for our nation's resources – and a hostile environment for wildlife and humans.

We won’t let President Trump propel us back in time to some of the darkest days for wildlife in our history – a time before the ESA even existed.

With your help, we will fight to save vital protections and push for progress.

Together, we can achieve a healthy future for wildlife, wild places and our shared environment – one where rivers are clear, habitats are protected and imperiled wildlife come before profit.

How These Local Organizations Are Using the Law to Fight Against Animal Cruelty. When humans are harmed or in danger, we rely on the law to protect us and take action against those who cause harm. Animals deserve just the same, but sadly, many of the laws designed to protect animals are outdated or fail to fully protect them from cruelty.

Whether it’s dogs suffering in puppy mills, exotic pets held captive in backyards, or companion animals affected by discriminatory or harmful laws, all animals deserve to be protected — and those who harm them need to be held accountable for their actions.

Organizations that rescue and rehabilitate animals play an important role in helping those that have been neglected and abused, but we also need organizations that turn to the law to protect those who have no voice. By lobbying to create new laws and improve those that already exist, these organizations are working to fight animal cruelty in their states and make the world a safer and more humane place for all animals.
1. Animal Folks MN

How These Organizations Are Using the Law to Fight Against Animal Cruelty

Animal Folks MN/Facebook

Animal Folks MN aims to prevent animal cruelty by working to pass laws that help protect animals, educating community members, and training veterinarians and law enforcement on reporting and investigating animal cruelty.

The organization served on a coalition that helped pass state-level licensing and inspection requirements for commercial dog breeders and helped pass Minnesota’s first pet store retail ban in the city of Roseville. Animal Folks also took legal action against the USDA for the removal of animal welfare documents, and they are working on a bill that will give immunity to Minnesota veterinarians who report suspected animal cruelty to law enforcement.

You can get involved in their efforts by signing up for their email alerts to receive information on legislative action and community outreach efforts.
2. Iowa Voters for Companion Animals

Iowa Voters for Companion Animals/Facebook

Based in Iowa, one of the worst states for puppy mills, Iowa Voters for Companion Animals and its sister organization, Iowa Friends of Companion Animals, works to educate people about puppy mill cruelty and enacts laws that will help protect animals from abuse and neglect.

One of the ways they’re doing this is by working to pass a law that will require state oversight of breeders licensed by the state, as well as the USDA. The extra level of inspections can help prevent cruelty by imposing stricter guidelines on the commercial breeding industry and enforcing state-level cruelty laws when there’s evidence of abuse.

Help fight against cruel puppy mills by signing up for the organization’s action alerts or getting involved with their lobbying efforts to create stronger animal protection laws in Iowa.
3. Maine Friends of Animals

Maine Friends of Animals/Facebook

PSPCA teams up with ACCT, PAWS for Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition

With a goal of protecting companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife, Maine Friends of Animals works at the legislative level to change Maine’s animal welfare laws and helps educate community members about fair treatment of all species.

Their recent work includes supporting an ordinance banning the display of wild and exotic animals and a bill aimed at improving animal control efforts in Maine. The organization also helped improve Maine’s law regarding animals left in hot cars by allowing authorities other than law enforcement to intervene to help save an animal’s life without legal repercussions.

If you live in Maine and want to help with the organization’s legislative and outreach efforts, you can sign up to volunteer by visiting their website.

We are happy to share the exciting news with you - we have joined forces with ACCT Philly and PAWS to create the Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition, working toward making Philadelphia the state's first no-kill city.

It is the mission of this coalition to attain 100% safe placement of healthy and treatable pets in Philadelphia.

Through this partnership, we will commit to making Philadelphia a city where no healthy or treatable pet dies in a shelter. We have made tremendous progress in recent years and together, we know we can strengthen that safety net until every pet owner can get the help they need, and every homeless animal finds a home.

Of course we can’t do this alone. Eleven animal welfare organizations throughout our city and surrounding region have answered the call and joined the coalition. This announcement is just the first step, but we know that the only way to create a truly no-kill city, and an environment of compassion and care, is to work together and help each other, which will ultimately lead to saving the lives of countless animals in our city.

We are proud to be a founding member of the Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition and we hope that you will be too. To learn more, visit nokillphilly.org.

4. Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation

Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation/Facebook

The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation works to protect all animals, including companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife, by working to educate the public and participate in legislative initiatives aimed to increase animal welfare standards. They also work to fight against legislation that is not beneficial to animals or could result in them being allowed to be harmed.

The organization played a role in the passing of the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act, which, since its passing in 2011, has resulted in over 1,200 puppy mills closing in Missouri. The organization also helped pass the Large Carnivore Act to help protect large cats kept as exotic pets or in captive environments, and they have helped change the state’s animal abuse laws so that animals of all species are now protected.

You can get involved by signing up for their action alerts or by volunteering to help the organization with their educational and community outreach efforts.

What You Can Do
The laws that protect animals are slowly improving, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Join the fight by getting involved in legislative efforts in your community or by joining forces with a local animal protection organization in your area. If your state doesn’t have an organization working locally, you can get involved with organizations like the Animal Legal Defense Fund that work on a national level. Image source: Iowa Voters for Companion Animals/Facebook, Compiled by Arianna Pittman.

Gov't Does a 180 on Protecting Farm Animals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is once again putting corporate interests ahead of animal welfare and consumer rights, and we urgently need your help.

In December, the USDA announced plans to scrap the Organic Animal Rule requiring organic farmers to raise their animals more humanely than animals on factory farms. The agency seems determined to ignore the fact that tens of thousands of you spoke up over many years in support of the new rule.

As required by law, USDA has opened one last comment period before it intends to pull the plug for good. We only have until this Wednesday, January 17, to tell it that this decision is irresponsible and unacceptable.

Most people assume that "USDA Organic" farm animals spend time outdoors, with the sun on their backs and grass beneath them. But in reality, the Organic program has only a handful of poorly defined, completely inadequate animal care standards. Some large-scale “organic” farms take advantage of this and keep animals crammed indoors. The Organic Animal Rule would finally define outdoor access and provide other basic protections for farm animals so all organic farms would be required to give their animals better lives.

If the USDA succeeds in killing this rule, it would put the 100 million animals raised on organic farms each year in danger and prioritize the profits of a few companies at the expense of consumers, who expect better when they pay a premium for Organic products.

With just 4 days left to fight back, the clock is ticking, so please take action before it's too late: Visit ASPCA.org to quickly and easily submit a comment to the USDA demanding the Organic Rule be implemented as promised. On behalf of America’s farm animals, thank you.

The Waccatee Zoo Needs to Shut Down

peta2TV

Juan Pablo Di Pace: Extinguish Circus Cruelty

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

They Were Supposed to be Stunned

peta2TV

Don't Let Tigers Vanish

World Wildlife Fund

Celebrating Philadelphia's True Underdogs, with the help of the Eagles

Though they may be the #1 seed in their conference, the Philadelphia Eagles are being hailed as the underdogs this postseason. After beating the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, players Chris Long and Lane Johnson embraced the name by donning dog masks. Of course, the real underdogs aren't the Eagles, but rather the dogs rescued from cruelty and neglect in search of a second chance at the loving homes they always deserved.

In the days after the victory, Chris Long got on his twitter account and showed his support for the PSPCA's animals and our mission by sharing the story of Haze. We are sure that this support went a long way in helping Haze find a home, and bringing attention to all of our underdogs!

Haze was injured by the very person he trusted most - his owner. He arrived to our Shelter Hospital with a severe injury to his back right leg; an injury that was intentionally inflicted. Unfortunately, our team would ultimately decide that Haze had to lose his leg to save his life - but we never counted him out. Now, he gets around on three legs like it's no big deal, and his playful, spunky personality shines bright for everyone to see.

To help the real underdogs of Philly, pups rescued from cruelty and neglect. Donate to our underdog fund now!

Animals Beaten and Whipped in 'Lost City' of Petra. Visitors go to Petra to marvel at its ancient monuments and temples, yet the "Lost City" has a dark and ugly side: More than 1,300 horses, donkeys, mules, and camels are forced to carry tourists or pull carriages in the city every day, and they are suffering terribly.

As PETA’s latest exposé shows, handlers routinely whip and beat the animals as they haul tourists on a grueling 10-kilometer trek in the sweltering heat, and there's no water or shade for them. Donkeys are forced to carry people up and down the 900 treacherously steep and eroded steps to the city's iconic monastery. If they resist or falter, the beatings intensify. Authorities' lack of interest in helping these animals is blatant: Indignant tourists are directed by the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority to report cruelty to animals by sending a message to an e-mail address that doesn't even work.

Jordan can and must replace Petra's working horses, donkeys, mules, and camels with modern motorized vehicles and spare them a lifetime of suffering. Please speak up for the working animals languishing in the ancient city by asking Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to ban their use at the historical site. Take Action Now

Victory! Fur Farms Are Now Banned in Norway

Abused Mama Dog Lost a Whole Litter of Puppies, So She Snuggles Stuffed Animals for Comfort (VIDEO)

Check Out the World’s First Book Bound in Leather That Was Created in a Lab – Without Harming a Single Animal!

Dairy Farmers in New Zealand Are Switching to Hemp Because Industrial Dairy Is ‘Soulless’

Think Buying Exotic Animals on Social Media Is a Cool Trend? Think Again

Kick Out Shelter President Complicit in Death of 16 Dogs. We recently created an alert regarding the arrest of Carly Jo Underwood, of Midland, Texas. Carly was arrested in December for having left her foreclosed-upon house eight months previously with sixteen dogs inside, some loose in the house, others caged, to die the horrid deaths of dehydration and hunger. Upon further review, it's become increasingly apparent that this simply wouldn't have happened with better shelter management and/or procedures in place. We must act now to ensure nothing like this happens ever again at a shelter aspiring to the high standards of a "no kill" facility. TAKE ACTION

Jail People Who Abuse and Torture Animals for Sick Fun. In a world where terrible things are commonly done to animals, few can compare to the horrors of "crush videos" and "crush porn." In these horrific videos, sadists torture and kill animals. Women in high heels crush kittens, puppies, rabbits, mice, and other animals whose gruesome deaths are filmed for profit. These videos are then sold to vile people who find this sort of malicious torture entertaining. While a federal law was passed not too long ago that banned the creation, sale, and marketing of these videos, it failed to address and punish people for the actual violence done to the animals during the making of these videos. TAKE ACTION

Join Us as We Combine Vegan Cooking and Food Psychology. We are thrilled to announce our first online vegan cooking show presented by our Carnivores Anonymous 12-step program. Vegan Cooking & Food Psychology with Chef Carolyn and Dr. Marilyn features In Defense of Animals President Marilyn Kroplick, MD, and Wellness and Vegan Coach Kathleen Kastner. Together, they make a great team. During our first episode, Kathleen demonstrates how to make vegan cheesecake while Dr. Marilyn reveals "step 1" of the Carnivores Anonymous 12-step recovery process. Register for this free, online event today! JOIN TODAY

Demystifying Vegan Nutrition: Top 4 FAQs Explained. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, has stated that a vegan diet is healthy for us at any stage of our lives. This includes infancy, childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, lactation, older adulthood and for athletes. A vegan diet also provide a number of health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases including ischemic heart disease, certain types of cancer, hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes. READ MORE

We've Begun to Break the Chains! How do we change the lives of thousands of innocent victims across an entire nation? One patient and determined step at a time.
As it is famously stated, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Thus, we should expect that it will take a little more than a day to pass a country-wide law. This, however, does not dissuade our vision of a United States where our canine companions can enjoy the very thing upon which our land was founded on... the concept of freedom! It just means that there's more work to do. READ MORE