TIN:
SCHEDULE O
(Form 990)
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
(Form 990)
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Supplemental Information to Form 990 or 990-EZ
Complete to provide information for responses to specific questions on
Form 990 or 990-EZ or to provide any additional information.
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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OMB No. 1545-0047
2021
Open to Public
Inspection
Inspection
Name of the organization
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION
Employer identification number
82-5477192
82-5477192
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| FORM 990, PART III, LINES 1, 4A, 4B AND 4C | ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION (AWA), ALONG WITH ITS AFFILIATES THE CENTER (CENTER) FOR A HUMANE ECONOMY AND THE ANIMAL WELLNESS FOUNDATION (AWF), WORK TO PREVENT CRUELTY TO ALL ANIMALS, TAKING ON THE ANIMAL-USE SECTORS THAT THREATEN TO DO THE MOST HARM TO ANIMALS. DURING 2021, AWA WORKED TO REDEFINE THE NATIONAL AGENDA FOR ANIMAL WELFARE WITH NEW IDEAS AND POLICY PROPOSALS AND BREATHING LIFE INTO THESE IDEAS. IT WORKS BOTH TO DEVELOP AND ADVANCE NEW POLICIES TO HELP ANIMALS AND TO PROMOTE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS. OUR BROAD REACH IS UNIQUE AND EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT PULLS AT THE VERY ROOTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY BEFORE IT CAN HAPPEN, THUS STEMMING THE FLOW OF INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS IN DIRE NEED OF RESCUE. TOGETHER, WE CAN SAVE ANIMALS BEFORE THEY GET INTO A SITUATION OF DISTRESS; THESE ARE SYSTEMATIC CHANGES THAT CAN ULTIMATELY HELP MILLIONS, IF NOT BILLIONS, OF ANIMALS. THROUGH OUR CAMPAIGNS, OUR BUILDING BLOCKS OF A HUMANE ECONOMY AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS IN 2021, WE CONTINUED TO SET THE FOUNDATION FOR A HUMANE ECONOMY AND A MORE PEACEFUL WORLD FOR ALL LIVES ON THIS PLANET. RESHAPING THE NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AT THE CENTER OF OUR WORK IS OUR EFFORT TO PUT NEW REFORMS INTO PLAY IN CONGRESS, TAKING ON THE BIGGEST FORMS OF ANIMAL EXPLOITATION AND PRESCRIBING LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS. IN 2021, AWA WORKED TO INTRODUCE, OR PREPARED FOR INTRODUCTION, 10 NEW BILLS IN CONGRESS, REDEFINING THE NATIONAL AGENDA FOR ANIMAL WELFARE WITH THESE OFFERINGS. THERE'S NEVER BEEN THIS KIND OF SURGE IN NEW IDEAS AND NEW POLICY PROPOSALS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. THIS WORK IS IN ADDITION TO OUR WORK TO PROMOTE THE ADOPTION OF EXISTING POLICY REFORMS, SUCH AS BANNING THE TRADE IN BIG CATS AS PETS, ENDING THE SLAUGHTER OF AMERICAN HORSES THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, BANNING THE SALE OF SHARK FINS, CRACKING DOWN ON PUPPY MILLS, AND ENDING THE INTENTIONAL INJURING OF THE FRONT LEGS AND FEET OF TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES - A PRACTICE KNOWN AS HORSE "SORING." 10 NEW POLICY REFORMS FROM AWA DELIVER EXCITEMENT, ENERGY IN NEW CONGRESS 1. THE FDA MODERNIZATION ACT, AN ELEMENT WITHIN OUR MODERNIZE TESTING CAMPAIGN TO MOVE AWAY FROM ANIMAL TESTING FOR NEW DRUG DEVELOPMENT ON APRIL 22, AWA, THE CENTER AND AWF, ALONG WITH THE MICHELSON CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY, AND OTHER AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS WORKED WITH REPRESENTATIVES VERN BUCHANAN, R-FLA., ELAINE LURIA, D-VA., NANCY MACE, R-S.C., MIKIE SHERRILL, D-N.J., AND BRENDAN BOYLE, D-PA TO INTRODUCE THE FDA MODERNIZATION ACT. H.R. 2565 THAT WOULD LIFT REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMAL TESTING FOR ANY NEW DRUG. HALTING THE UNNECESSARY AND PAINFUL USE OF ANIMALS FOR TESTING PHARMACEUTICALS IS ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES AND THIS BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD LIFT AN OUTDATED GOVERNMENT MANDATE ON ANIMAL TESTING FOR ALL NEW DRUG DEVELOPMENT PROTOCOLS. ANIMAL TESTING FOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT IS BY FAR THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO ANIMAL TESTING OVERALL, WITH MILLIONS OF ANIMALS BEING TESTED, TORMENTED, AND TORTURED EACH YEAR, INCLUDING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BEAGLES AND PRIMATES, MANY CAPTURED FROM THE WILD. IN OCTOBER, WE FOLLOWED UP WITH SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN THE SENATE, WITH RAND PAUL, R-KY., CORY BOOKER, D-N.J., MIKE BRAUN, R-IND., BEN RAY LUJAN, D-N.M., AND JOHN KENNEDY, R-LA., INTRODUCING A COMPANION MEASURE AND SIGNALING THAT ANIMAL TESTING FOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT WAS TO BECOME FRONT AND CENTER ON THE NATIONAL ANIMAL WELFARE AGENDA. OUR WORK TO SECURE SUPPORT AMONG DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS REMINDED EVERYONE THAT ANIMAL WELFARE AND NATIONAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT POLICIES ARE NOT PARTISAN INITIATIVES, BUT A POSITIVE MANEUVER DESIGNED TO HELP ANIMALS, INDUSTRY, AND PATIENTS. ELIMINATING A GOVERNMENT MANDATE FOR ANIMAL TESTING THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE SINCE THE DEPRESSION ERA WOULD NOT JUST BE GOOD FOR ANIMALS, BUT ALSO DRUG PRICING, DELIVERY TO PATIENTS, AND RELIABILITY AND SAFETY. INDEED, THE ONEROUS REQUIREMENT ON DRUG DEVELOPERS TO DO EXTENSIVE ANIMAL TESTING IS SLOWING DOWN DRUG DEVELOPMENT AND INFLATING PRICES, WITH CAPITAL INVESTMENTS OF $1 BILLION TO $6 BILLION REQUIRED FOR A SINGLE NEW DRUG. THIS PRICE OF ENTRY ALSO MEANS THAT DRUG DEVELOPERS WILL RARELY PURSUE TREATMENTS OR CURES FOR THOUSANDS OF MINOR DISEASES. HUMAN-RELEVANT AND CELL-BASED ASSAYS, ORGANS-ON-A-CHIP, HUMAN-ON-A-CHIP MODELS, AND SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER MODELING ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO ANIMAL TESTS IN PREDICTING HUMAN RESPONSES TO DRUGS. BETWEEN 90% AND 95% OF DRUGS FOUND SAFE IN NONCLINICAL TESTS FAIL DURING HUMAN CLINICAL TRIALS. IN-VITRO TESTING METHODS ARE 1.5-TO-30 TIMES LESS EXPENSIVE THAN ANIMAL TESTS, AND THEIR USE COULD BRING NEW DRUGS TO MARKET IN HALF THE TIME. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAD BUILT A COALITION OF 150 ORGANIZATIONS AND CORPORATIONS, INCLUDING THE DOZENS OF PATIENT ADVOCACY GROUPS, MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS, BIOTECH AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, AND ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS. OUR GOAL IS TO HITCH THE MEASURE ONTO A MUST-PASS BILL TO FUND NEARLY HALF OF FDA'S BUDGET, WITH THAT LEGISLATION SET TO WRAP UP BY THE END OF SUMMER 2022. IF WE SUCCEED, IT WILL BE THE BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT GAIN AT THE NATIONAL POLICY LEVEL SINCE THE LABORATORY ANIMAL WELFARE ACT OF 1966. WE ARE IN A SOUND POSITION TO GET THIS BILL ACROSS THE FINISH LINE IN 2022, GIVEN ITS BROAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. THE FDA MODERNIZATION ACT WOULD END ENORMOUS SUFFERING THAT IS POINTLESS WHEN THERE ARE MANY ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING COMPUTER MODELING FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE DRUGS. 2.MINKS ARE SUPERSPREADERS ACT, AS A FEATURE OF OUR RETHINK MINK CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE MINK FARMING IN THE U.S. AWA AND ITS PARTNERS SHINED A BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON THE TREMENDOUS HEALTH RISKS AND ABJECT CRUELTY OF MINK FARMS. EARLY IN THE YEAR, AWA AND THE CENTER RELEASED AN EXHAUSTIVE ACADEMIC REVIEW BY JIM KEEN, D.V.M., PH.D., OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF VETERINARY SCIENCES, THAT EXPOSED THE CRUELTY AND CONTAGION ASSOCIATED WITH MINK FARMING. THAT REPORT WAS AN ANTECEDENT TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MINKS ARE SUPERSPREADERS ACT, H.R. 4310 BY REPRESENTATIVES ROSA DELAURO, D-CONN., NANCY MACE, R-S.C., AND OTHER LAWMAKERS EVENLY DIVIDED BY POLITICAL PARTY. THIS LEGISLATION WOULD RAPIDLY PHASE OUT MINK FARMING IN THE UNITED STATES. "IF SARS-COV-2 COULD DESIGN ITS PERFECT HABITAT, IT MIGHT CLOSELY RESEMBLE A MINK RANCH: A HIGHLY STRESSED, IMMUNO-SUPPRESSED INBRED HOST WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER MINK KEPT IN VERY SMALL CAGES, NOTED DR. KEEN IN HIS LANDMARK REPORT. MINK ARE THE ONLY NON-HUMAN SPECIES DOCUMENTED TO HAVE SPILLED THE VIRUS TO PEOPLE. MINK FARMS IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE SPAWNED FIVE COVID-19 VARIANTS THAT SPILLED OVER TO PEOPLE (CLUSTER 5 IN DENMARK AND NETHERLANDS, MARSEILLE-4 IN FRANCE, N501T IN MICHIGAN, Y453F IN POLAND, AND UNREPORTED MUTATIONS IN LATVIA). MINK FARM VARIANTS UNIQUELY THREATEN HUMAN HEALTH AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. INDEED, A MASSIVE WORLDWIDE SARS-COV-2 EPIDEMIC IN FARMED MINK HAS PARALLELED THE HUMAN COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WITH OUTBREAKS ON AT LEAST 450 MINK FARMS IN 13 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE, CANADA, AND THE UNITED STATES, SPAWNING FOUR VARIANTS, WITH THE LATEST ONE CONFIRMED IN AN APRIL 2022 PEER-REVIEWED PAPER FOCUSED ON PROGRESSION IN POLAND. THE VIRUS INFECTED ONE-THIRD OF THE UNITED STATES' 60 OR SO MINK FARMS (DOWN FROM MORE THAN 7,000 A HALF-CENTURY AGO). THE COVID-19 OUTBREAKS AT U.S. MINK FARMS ARE LIKELY UNDERCOUNT BECAUSE OF DEFICIENT U.S. GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT AND A FAILURE TO FOCUS ON ZOONOTIC DISEASE PREVENTION. THE U.S. HAS NO ACTIVE OR MANDATORY COVID-19 SURVEILLANCE OR TESTING OF MINK FARMS OR FARMERS BY FEDERAL (CDC, USDA) OR STATE AGENCIES CHARGED WITH PROTECTING THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH NOR MANDATORY MINK CULLS ON INFECTED FARMS NOR MINK-ISOLATE GENETIC SEQUENCING. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH, AND FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT (QRA) FOR THE 36 NATIONS THAT RAISE MINK, ESTIMATING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A HAZARD (RANGING FROM IMPOSSIBLE TO CERTAIN) WITH THE SEVERITY OF ITS CONSEQUENCES (FROM NEGLIGIBLE TO CATASTROPHIC). BASED ON THAT QRA IN 2021, THE U.S. AND CANADA ARE THE "HIGHEST RISK COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD" FOR SARS-COV-2 SPREAD FROM (1) FARMED MINK-TO-FARMED MINK; (2) FARMED MINK-TO-HUMANS; AND (3) FARMED MINK-TO-WILDLIFE, AN UNWANTED PUBLIC HEALTH RISK "TRIFECTA." AS HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE AND TERRITORIAL PREDATORS, CAPTIVE MINK OFTEN INJURE, KILL, AND EVEN CANNIBALIZE WEAKER CAGEMATES. BECAUSE OF STRESS-RELATED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES (ESPECIALLY RESPIRATORY) FROM CAPTIVITY, INBREEDING TO PRODUCE AN ARRAY OF COAT COLORS, DENSE OVERCROWDING, UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, A POOR-QUALITY DIET OF SLAUGHTERHOUSE OFFAL, MINK ON FARMS ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO THE SPREAD OF SARS-COV-2. |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINES 1, 4A, 4B AND 4C - CONTINUED | MINK ARE THE ONLY ANIMAL WITH A LARGE POTENTIAL WILD ANIMAL RESERVOIR FOR COVID (I.E., THE MILLIONS OF WILD OR FERAL MINK IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE). CAPTIVE MINK, WHO ARE ESCAPE ARTISTS, CAN INFECT WILD POPULATIONS, CREATING AN INERADICABLE SOURCE OF SARS-COV-2, JUST AS RABIES, PLAGUE, AND BRUCELLOSIS HAVE TAKEN PERMANENT HOLD IN WILDLIFE POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. IF OUR COUNTRY DOES NOT BAN MINK FARMING, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SURGE, COMPOUNDING THE VIRAL RISKS IN THE HOMELAND. DENMARK, WHICH WAS THE WORLD'S TOP PRODUCER, KILLED ALL 17 MILLION MINK AND HAS EFFECTIVELY CLOSED OUT MINK FARMING. THE FOURTH LARGEST PRODUCER, THE NETHERLANDS, SHUT DOWN MINK FARMING IN MARCH 2021. IRELAND RECENTLY BANNED MINK FARMING, AND A PROVINCIAL COURT HAS PRELIMINARILY SIDED WITH THE BRITISH COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC-HEALTH RATIONALE IN BANNING MINK FARMING. THE US MINK INDUSTRY GENERATED 1.4 MILLION PELTS (5% OF GLOBAL PRODUCTION) AT A FARMGATE VALUE OF JUST $47.4 MILLION IN 2020 (WITH COSTS EXCEEDING REVENUES BY MILLIONS, AND WITH STATE AND FEDERAL SUBSIDIES KEEPING THE SMALL NUMBER OF FARMS AFLOAT). IT MAKES LITTLE SENSE TO KEEP AFLOAT A DYING, SUBSIDIZED MINK INDUSTRY THAT THREATENS HUMAN AND WILDLIFE HEALTH FOR A LUXURY FASHION ITEM THAT AMERICANS DO NOT WANT. IT IS ENTIRELY AN EXPORT MARKET, WITH NEARLY ALL PELTS SOLD TO HIGH-END CONSUMERS IN CHINA. CHINA'S ELITES GET THE COATS AND THEY OUTSOURCE THE VIRAL RISK TO OUR HOMELAND. 3. KANGAROO PROTECTION ACT, AS A COG IN OUR 'KANGAROOS ARE NOT SHOES' CAMPAIGN WE EXPANDED OUR CALL FOR ACTION ON OUR "KANGAROOS ARE NOT SHOES" CAMPAIGN IN 2021 WITH A PUSH FOR THE KANGAROO PROTECTION ACT, H.R. 917 WHICH WOULD HALT ANY TRADE IN THE UNITED STATES IN KANGAROO PARTS, AS A WAY OF GETTING NIKE, ADIDAS, AND OTHER ATHLETIC SHOE COMPANIES TO STOP USING THESE SKINS IN THEIR PRODUCTS. THESE COMPANIES ALREADY HAVE ENDLESS NUMBERS OF SHOE MODELS MADE FROM NON-ANIMAL FABRICS AND FIBERS, AND THERE'S JUST NO REASON TO SOURCE SKINS OF WILDLIFE TAKEN FROM THEIR NATIVE HABITATS. COMMERCIAL SHOOTERS KILL 2 MILLION KANGAROOS A YEAR, MAINLY FOR MATERIAL FOR ATHLETIC SHOE COMPANIES: IT'S THE LARGEST MAMMALIAN SLAUGHTER IN THE WORLD. THIS YEAR, WE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN IN EUROPE WITH 14 MAJOR EUROPEAN-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE AN EU-WIDE BAN ON KANGAROO PARTS. THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE EACH PROMOTING A 60-SECOND FILM SHOWING, IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGY, HOW A KANGAROO ENDS UP BECOMING PART OF A SHOE IN A SOCCER MATCH. WE ALSO SENT A MAY 10 LETTER TO JOHN DONAHOE, NIKE CEO, WITH 62,167 NAMES, TELLING HIM IN PART: "TO BE CLEAR, KANGAROO LEATHER SOCCER CLEATS DRIVE THE WORLD'S LARGEST COMMERCIAL WILDLIFE SLAUGHTER. THIS FACT VITIATES NIKE'S PLEDGE TO ITS CUSTOMERS TO ADHERE TO PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN ITS SOURCING PRACTICES." THE KANGAROO KILL IS 10 TIMES BIGGER THAN THE NOTORIOUS CANADIAN SEAL HUNT. THE UNITED STATES BANS IMPORTS OF THE PELTS, AND, FOR REASONS RELATED TO CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, WE DON'T ALLOW TRADE IN HARPOONED WHALES KILLED BY NORWEGIAN VESSELS OR SLAIN DOLPHINS ROUNDED UP IN JAPAN'S DRIVE FISHERIES. OUR MAJOR INVESTIGATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT WORK CONTINUE IN CALIFORNIA TO DRY UP ANY SALES OF KANGAROO-BASED SHOES, IN OUR ATTEMPT TO BIFURCATE THE U.S. MARKET FOR NIKE AND EVENTUALLY TO CLOSE IT ENTIRELY TO SOCCER CLEATS MADE FROM KANGAROOS. 4. THE PIGS IN GESTATION STALLS ACT, AS PART OF OUR CAGE-FREE FUTURE CAMPAIGN THANKS IN LARGE PART TO OUR WORK, 10 STATES AND MORE THAN 60 AMERICAN FOOD RETAILERS NOW HAVE POLICIES AGAINST GESTATION CRATES - A METAL ENCLOSURE IN WHICH A PREGNANT PIG IS KEPT WITHOUT BEDDING OR SPACE TO MOVE. BUT THE INDUSTRY IS FIGHTING EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE PIGS IN GESTATION STALLS (PIGS) ACT, H.R. 7004 TO BAN THE USE OF GESTATION CRATES. THE PIGS ACT BANS KEEPING BREEDING SOWS IN CRATES OR CAGES SO NARROW THAT THE ANIMALS CANNOT EVEN TURN AROUND. IT SETS A MINIMUM SPACE ALLOTMENT FOR A BREEDING SOW TO HAVE 24 SQUARE FEET OF LIVING SPACE, WHICH MATCHES THE STANDARD IN CALIFORNIA'S LAW THAT REQUIRES THAT SPACE ALLOTMENT FOR PRODUCTION AND SALE OF PORK WITHIN THE STATE. THE MEASURE ALSO ALLOWS FOR $10 MILLION A YEAR FOR ASSISTANCE TO PIG FARMERS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR HOUSING SYSTEMS TO CONFORM, TAKING THE MONEY FROM THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS RAISED THROUGH THE NATIONAL PORK CHECK-OFF PROGRAM THAT WAS CONSTITUTED TO BENEFIT FARMERS. THE MEASURE IS ENDORSED BY RANK-AND-FILE PIG FARMERS THAT KNOW THAT GOOD HUSBANDRY REQUIRES GIVING ANIMALS SUFFICIENT SPACE TO MOVE, INCLUDING NIMAN RANCH, WHICH INCLUDES 600 PIG PRODUCERS IN THE MIDWEST NETWORK OF PRODUCERS. THIS LEGISLATION COMES AS THE PORK INDUSTRY AND ITS ALLIES CHALLENGE THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF PROPOSITION 12 IN CALIFORNIA THAT BANS THE SALE OF PORK IN THE STATE, NO MATTER WHERE PRODUCTION OCCURRED. IF THE PORK INDUSTRY SUCCEEDS, IT THREATENS TO WEAKEN STATE AUTHORITY TO RESTRICT COMMERCE BASED ON ANIMAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS. THAT'S WHY WE ARE FIGHTING IN STATE AND FEDERAL COURT TO PROTECT PROP 12. 5. BEAR POACHING ELIMINATION ACT, AS PART OF NO TRAFFICKING OF WILDLIFE CAMPAIGN SO-CALLED BEAR "FARMERS" IN CHINA, SOUTH KOREA AND VIETNAM ARE KEEPING WILD BEARS CAGED IN CONCRETE PITS TO "MILK" THEM FOR THEIR BILE USED IN ASIAN MEDICINES. BEARS ARE STARVED, DEHYDRATED AND SQUEEZED INTO TINY CAGES WHERE IT IS EASY FOR HUMANS TO EXTRACT THEIR BILE. IT'S AN UNBELIEVABLY HORRIFIC PRACTICE THAT NEEDS TO STOP, AND THAT'S WHY WE PUSHED FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BEAR POACHING ELIMINATION ACT, S. 3472 AND THE BEAR PROTECTION ACT, H.R. 2325 TO BAN THE TRADE IN BEAR GALL BLADDERS AND BILE. IT ADDRESSES TWO PROBLEMS: 1) THOUSANDS OF BEARS IN ASIA ARE CRUELLY CONFINED IN SMALL CAGES WHILE BILE IS EXTRACTED FROM THEIR GALLBLADDERS TO BE USED IN COSMETICS AND CHINESE MEDICINE, AND 2) IN THE U.S., FEDERAL AND STATE OFFICIALS HAVE REVEALED THAT POACHERS KILL AMERICAN BEARS FOR THEIR VISCERA, PUTTING SPECIES AT RISK AND CAUSING INHUMANE TREATMENT TO SUPPLY THIS ILLICIT MARKET. BEAR BILE, ACCORDING TO ANIMALS ASIA, IS MARKETED AS A CURE FOR CANCER, COLDS, HANGOVERS, AND A RANGE OF OTHER AILMENTS WITH LITTLE EVIDENCE THAT THEY MEANINGFULLY ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS. IN 2022, THE CHINESE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ANNOUNCED THAT BEAR BILE WAS AN ACCEPTABLE PALLIATIVE TREATMENT FOR COVID-19. THIS COULD HAVE DEVASTATING IMPACTS ON BEARS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, INCLUDING IN NORTH AMERICA, IF THERE WERE A SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES THERE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 HERBAL ALTERNATIVES AND MANY INEXPENSIVE SYNTHETIC ALTERNATIVES TO BEAR BILE THAT ARE WIDELY USED AND ACCEPTED. OF COURSE, THERE ARE WIDELY ACCEPTED VACCINES AND TREATMENTS FOR COVID-19. CHINA HAS MORE "BEAR FARMS" THAN ANY OTHER NATION, WITH THE BEARS KEPT IN PITS AND BILE HARVESTED FROM THEM WITH NO PAIN-KILLING AGENTS. WHILE THEY ARE STILL PRESENT IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS, THEY ARE IN DECLINE AND THAT DIMINISHING OUTPUT OF BILE FROM THE FARMS WILL RESULT IN GREAT DEMAND OF BILE FROM WILD BEARS. SOUTH KOREA IS PHASING OUT ITS BEAR FARMS, AND THERE ARE EFFORTS TO HALT THE TRADE IN VIETNAM, TOO. AS BEAR FARMING WANES, THERE COULD BE A SUPPLY-SIDE SHIFT TO NORTH AMERICA WITH ITS RELATIVELY ABUNDANT BEAR POPULATIONS. 6.THE ANIMAL CRUELTY ENFORCEMENT ACT, AS PART OF OUR JUSTICE FOR ANIMALS CAMPAIGN CONGRESS HAS PASSED THE PREVENTING ANIMAL CRUELTY AND TORTURE (PACT) ACT, THE PARITY IN ANIMAL CRUELTY ENFORCEMENT ACT (FEDERAL BAN ON ANIMAL FIGHTING), THE PET AND WOMEN SAFETY (PAWS) ACT, THE HORSE PROTECTION ACT, THE CRUSH VIDEO LAW, AND DOG AND CAT MEAT PROTECTION ACT, AMONG OTHER FEDERAL ANTI-CRUELTY LAWS. THE CONGRESS PASSED THESE LAWS SO THAT THESE FORMS OF ANIMAL EXPLOITATION WOULD CEASE. THE ANIMAL CRUELTY ENFORCEMENT ACT AIMS TO DO THAT VERY THING BY CREATING AN ANIMAL CRUELTY CRIMES SECTION AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. WE KNOW THAT VIOLENCE AGAINST ANIMALS IS OFTEN A PRECURSOR TO OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL VIOLENCE AND CRIMINAL CONDUCT. THAT RELATIONSHIP IS PARTICULARLY STRONG IN DOMESTIC SETTINGS, WHERE ANIMAL ABUSE IS OFTEN ENTANGLED WITH SPOUSAL, CHILD, AND ELDER ABUSE. WITNESSING ACTS OF CRUELTY CAN RESULT IN EITHER ADOPTING THE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR (THROUGH MODELING) OR INDUCE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA. THE LINK MAY ALSO BE EVIDENT IN MORE ORGANIZED FORMS OF ANIMAL EXPLOITATION, SUCH AS STAGED ANIMAL FIGHTING. IN THESE SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS MAY BECOME DESENSITIZED TO THE SUFFERING OF ANIMALS, MANIFESTING OTHER DANGEROUS SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. STILL, IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THERE ARE DISTURBING ACTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY THAT OCCUR EVERY DAY, WITH MANY FORMS OF CRUELTY OF AN INTERSTATE OR INTERNATIONAL SCALE AND OFTEN BUILT AROUND THE USE OF THE INTERNET AND OTHER INTERSTATE INSTRUMENTALITIES. AWA AND AWF CONDUCTED INVESTIGATIONS AND FOUND LARGE-SCALE FIGHTING OPERATIONS AND ALSO TRAFFICKING OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS FOR FIGHTING ACROSS STATE, TERRITORIAL, AND NATIONAL LINES. |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINES 1, 4A, 4B AND 4C - CONTINUED | THIS BILL STARTS TO SHIFT ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES FROM THE AGENCY WITH BUILT-IN CONFLICTS (THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) TO A MORE NEUTRAL ONE THAT CAN METE OUT JUSTICE WHEN DESERVED. WE ARE PUSHING FOR MILLIONS IN NEW DOLLARS FOR ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION FOR ALL THE FEDERAL LAWS FOR ANIMALS. 7. THE GREYHOUND PROTECTION ACT, AS PART OF OUR ENDING GREYHOUND RACING CAMPAIGN GREYHOUND RACING HAS BEEN IN STEEP DECLINE, WITH ONLY THREE STATES CONDUCTING LIVE RACING, AND TWO ARE SET TO CEASE THOSE OPERATIONS BY 2022. WE WANT TO FINISH THE JOB WITH NATIONAL LEGISLATION -- THE GREYHOUND PROTECTION ACT - TO BAN GREYHOUND RACING IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS SPRING, WE WORKED WITH CONGRESSIONAL ALLIES AND GREY2K USA TO INTRODUCE THE GREYHOUND PROTECTION ACT, H.R. 3335 IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, LED BY REPS. TONY CARDENAS, D-CALIF., MIKE WALTZ, R-FLA., STEVE COHEN, D-TENN., ELVIRA SALAZAR, R-FLA., STEPHANIE MURPHY, D-FLA., AND BRIAN FITZPATRICK, R-PA. WE REMAIN OPTIMISTIC THAT, JUST AS WE WORKED TO CLOSE OUT LEGAL COCKFIGHTING THROUGH A COMBINATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION, THIS WILL HAPPEN. 8. LEAD ENDANGERS ANIMAL DAILY (LEAD) ACT, AS PART OF OUR GET THE LEAD OUT OF HUNTING CAMPAIGN IT HAS BEEN COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS THAT LEAD IS A DEADLY TOXIN. YET IT'S ONLY IN RECENT DECADES THAT WE'VE TAKEN IT OUT OF GASOLINE, PAINT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES. THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF LEAD PIPES STILL POSE HAZARDS FOR COMMUNITIES, AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE DEVASTATING WATER CRISIS IN FLINT, AND THE LARGER DEBATE OVER CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS THE SENSIBLE AND CONSERVATIVE MOVE TO GET LEAD OUT OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THERE ARE READY ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE FOR EVERY SINGLE HUNTER AND FISHERMAN. THAT'S WHY WE WORKED WITH OUR ALLIES TO INTRODUCE THE LEAD ENDANGERS ANIMALS DAILY (LEAD) ACT, H.R. 405AND S. 4157 TO BAN THE USE OF LEAD AMMUNITION ON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES. SCIENTISTS HAVE PUBLISHED A RANGE OF PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES DEMONSTRATING THAT LEAD IS A LONG-LASTING TOXIC METAL THAT IS UNSAFE FOR HUMANS AND WILDLIFE, KILLING MILLIONS OF WILD ANIMALS A YEAR, DIMINISHING GAME POPULATIONS, AND PUTTING HUNTING FAMILIES AT RISK. IN 1991, THE SERVICE BANNED TOXIC LEAD AMMUNITION FOR WATERFOWL HUNTING, PRODUCING A CONSERVATION AND ANIMAL WELFARE SUCCESS STORY. WITHIN 10 YEARS, RESEARCHERS FOUND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLOOD AND BONE LEAD LEVELS IN A VARIETY OF WATERFOWL SPECIES. THE USE OF NONTOXIC SHOT REDUCED THE MORTALITY OF MALLARDS BY 64 PERCENT AND SAVED APPROXIMATELY 1.4 MILLION DUCKS IN A SINGLE FALL FLIGHT. DESPITE ITS KNOWN TOXICITY, LEAD-BASED AMMUNITION IS THE SINGLE LARGEST SOURCE OF UNREGULATED LEAD KNOWINGLY DISCHARGED INTO OUR LANDS AND WATER. ADDITIONALLY, AN ESTIMATED MORE THAN 4,000 TONS OF LEAD FISHING SINKERS ARE LOST TO THE ENVIRONMENT ANNUALLY IN THE UNITED STATES. MORE THAN 130 SPECIES-INCLUDING HUMANS-ARE EXPOSED TO TOXIC LEAD SHOT, BULLET FRAGMENTS, FISHING TACKLE, OR PREY CONTAMINATED WITH SPENT LEAD AMMUNITION. ANIMALS CONSUME SPENT LEAD AMMUNITION OR LEAD FISHING TACKLE BY FORAGING SPENT LEAD SHOT FROM THE GROUND, FEEDING ON THE REMAINS OF LEAD-CONTAMINATED GUT PILES, SCAVENGING THE REMAINS OF ANIMALS THAT WERE SHOT WITH LEAD AMMUNITION AND LEFT BEHIND, OR DIRECTLY INGESTING LEAD SINKERS AND JIGS. 9. RESTORE OUR AMERICAN MUSTANGS ACT, AS A PATHWAY TO PROTECT OUR LIVING SYMBOLS OF FREEDOM AND THE FRONTIER SPIRIT, AS PART OF OUR KEEPING WILD HORSES IN THE WILD CAMPAIGN AMERICA'S WILD HORSES AND BURROS OCCUPY A SPECIAL PLACE IN THE AMERICAN CONSCIOUSNESS AND CULTURE. DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF A FEDERAL LAW TO PROTECT THEM (THE WILD AND FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT), THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN SUBJECTING THE ANIMALS TO HARSH TREATMENT AND UNYIELDING ROUNDUPS AND REMOVAL FROM OUR PUBLIC LANDS, AT GREAT EXPENSE TO TAXPAYERS. THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) IS MANAGING HORSES AND BURROS LIKE RUN-AWAY CATTLE POPULATIONS. THE AGENCY HAS TURNED TO HELICOPTER ROUNDUPS AS ITS PREFERRED TOOL FOR MANAGING POPULATIONS ON THE RANGE, GATHERING UP HORSES AND BURROS AND IN THE PROCESS INJURING AND KILLING THE ANIMALS, ORPHANING FOALS, AND SEVERING FAMILY BONDS. IN MAY 2021, THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THAT BLM IS PAYING PEOPLE $1,000 TO BRING IN A HORSE OR BURRO THROUGH ITS ADOPTION INCENTIVE PROGRAM (AIP) AND THAT SOME "ADOPTERS" ARE POCKETING THE MONEY AND SELLING THE ANIMALS TO SLAUGHTER - DOUBLE-DIPPING AND UNDERCUTTING FEDERAL LAW. A NEW APPROACH IS DESPERATELY OVERDUE, ONE THAT REIMAGINES THE ROLE THESE CREATURES PLAY ON OUR PUBLIC RANGELANDS. A REVAMPED RESTORING OUR AMERICAN MUSTANGS (ROAM) ACT WILL AMEND THE WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSE AND BURROS ACT TO KEEP HORSES ON THE RANGE, PUT ROBUST FERTILITY CONTROL PROGRAMS TO WORK IN THE FIELD, LIMIT ROUND-UPS FOR THE HEALTH OF THE HORSES AND BURROS AND THEIR HABITATS, AND SCALE DOWN THE EXPENSIVE LEASING AND FEEDING PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOW CONSUMING TWO-THIRDS OF THE BLM'S BUDGET. 10. OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAIRNESS IN FARMING, AS PART OF OUR BREAKING UP BIG AGRICULTURE CAMPAIGN WE WORKED THIS YEAR WITH LEADING SENATORS -- U.S. SENS. MIKE LEE, R-UTAH, CORY BOOKER, D-N.J., RAND PAUL, R-KY., ELIZABETH WARREN, D-MASS., AND KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, D-N.Y. -- TO REINTRODUCE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAIRNESS IN FARMING (OFF) ACT, H.R. 4291 AND S. 2861, DESIGNED TO REFORM AND BRING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY TO THE USDA'S COMMODITY CHECKOFF PROGRAMS. THE CHECK-OFF PROGRAMS FOR DAIRY, PORK, AND BEEF GENERATE MORE THAN $500 MILLION A YEAR AS A SLUSH FUND FOR INDUSTRIALIZED ANIMAL AGRICULTURE, AND THE PROGRAMS HAVE LONG BEEN PLAGUED BY MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, AND MISDIRECTION OF FARMER AND RANCHER TAX DOLLARS. ENFORCING THE LAWS END COCKFIGHTING. CASE CLOSED ON COCKFIGHTING IN AMERICA IN 2021 IN 2021, THE FEDERAL COURTS DELIVERED A SERIES OF RULINGS - WITH AWA, AWF, AND THE CENTER IN THE THICK OF THEM - THAT AFFIRM THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED STATES TO BAN COCKFIGHTING IN THE TERRITORIES, ELIMINATING ANY AMBIGUITY ABOUT OUR NATION'S TOTAL BAN ON STAGED ANIMAL FIGHTS. THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR BOTH THE FIRST CIRCUIT AND THE NINTH CIRCUIT EACH RENDERED OPINIONS IN 2021, AFFIRMING THAT COCKFIGHTING IS ILLEGAL IN GUAM AND PUERTO RICO. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IN OCTOBER DENIED A CHALLENGE FROM PUERTO RICO'S COCKFIGHTING COMMUNITY AND THE COMMONWEALTH'S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, CEMENTING THE RULINGS OF THE APPELLATE COURT JUDGE. MEANWHILE, AWA INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUED IN CALIFORNIA, NEW MEXICO, AND NORTH CAROLINA, WHILE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS IN ALABAMA, GUAM AND OKLAHOMA YIELDED EXPOSES IN THE MEDIA. WITH INFORMATION GLEANED FROM ONE OF THOSE INVESTIGATIONS, A GRAND JURY INDICTED, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARRESTED, ONE OF OUR TOP TARGETS IN ALABAMA, AND SIX OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, AFTER AWA PROVIDED A DOSSIER ON HIM IN 2020. TO BUILD CAPACITY TO COMBAT CRUELTY, A KEY SENATE COMMITTEE CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF AN ANIMAL CRUELTY CRIMES SECTION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO CRACK DOWN ON ANIMAL FIGHTING, WHILE DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS WROTE TO THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND TOLD THE AGENCY TO CRACK DOWN ON SHIPMENTS OF LIVE ANIMALS FOR FIGHTING THROUGH THE MAIL. SAVING WOLVES. A HIGH-IMPACT LEGAL MANEUVER IN WISCONSIN DELIVERS AN ESSENTIAL SHIELD FOR WOLVES AS SEVERAL STATES DECLARED WAR ON WOLVES. A LAWSUIT INITIATED BY AWA AND ITS AFFILIATES SHUT DOWN WISCONSIN'S FALL AND WINTER HUNTING SEASON, WHICH WAS TO INCLUDE THE USE OF PACKS OF DOGS, NECK SNARES, AND LEGHOLD TRAPS AND WOULD HAVE CLAIMED A LARGE PORTION OF THE STATE'S SURVIVING WOLVES. OUR DRAMATIC WIN IN A WISCONSIN COURT SPARED THE DIRECT KILLING -- WITH PACKS OF DOGS, NECK SNARES, NIGHT HUNTS - OF HUNDREDS OF WOLVES. THE WIN RESTORED TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR WOLVES IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION FROM TROPHY HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS. ALONG WITH THE DECISIONS OF GOVERNORS IN MICHIGAN AND MINNESOTA WHO DECIDED NOT TO OPEN HUNTING SEASONS AFTER FEDERAL DE-LISTING, THIS WAS THE BEST NEWS OF THE YEAR FOR WOLVES. WOLVES FACED AN ONGOING MASSACRE IN IDAHO AND MONTANA, AND WE HAVE PLEADINGS BEFORE THE INTERIOR SECRETARY TO INTERVENE. |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINES 1, 4A, 4B AND 4C - CONTINUED | RETHINK MINK. POLICY MAKERS AND HEALTH POLICY EXPERTS SHUTTER NEARLY HALF OF GLOBAL MINK PRODUCTION, AS U.S. DITHERS. AT THE END OF 2020, AND THROUGHOUT 2021, SEVERAL MAJOR JURISDICTIONS BANNED MINK FARMING, INCLUDING BRITISH COLUMBIA, FRANCE, AND THE NETHERLANDS. ITALY ALSO TOOK ACTION, AND THIS CAME ON THE HEELS OF DENMARK'S SHUTDOWN OF THE LARGEST MINK FARMING SECTOR IN THE WORLD. THE EU IS GEARING UP TO BAN ALL FUR FARMING. THIS HAS BEEN OUR MOMENT TO DRAMATICALLY SHRINK THIS INDUSTRY GLOBALLY. AWA'S JIM KEEN, D.V.M., PHD., AUTHORED THE WORLD'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE AND AUTHORITATIVE REPORT ON MINK FARMING AND SARS-COV-2. IT WAS RELEASED IN CONCERT WITH BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION IN THE CONGRESS TO BAN MINK FARMING IN THE U.S. - THE MINKS ARE SUPERSPREADERS ACT. KANGAROOS ARE NOT SHOES: GLOBAL EFFORT TO STOP TRADE IN KANGAROO SKINS GAINS MOMENTUM. OUR CAMPAIGN, WHICH INCLUDED A VIRAL VIDEO DEPICTING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NIKE AND ADIDAS SOCCER CLEATS AND THE KILLING OF TWO MILLION KANGAROOS ANNUALLY, HAS GONE GLOBAL. WE'VE STRENGTHENED THE EUROPEAN AND AUSTRALIAN MOVEMENTS TO CONFRONT THE LARGEST TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE SLAUGHTER IN THE WORLD. AT HOME, WE WORKED TO ENFORCE CALIFORNIA'S BAN ON THE SALE OF KANGAROO PRODUCTS, SHUTTING DOWN SALES AT STORES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WHILE WE PRESS FOR CONGRESS TO EXTEND THE CALIFORNIA BAN NATIONWIDE. OUR STUDY OF EUROPEAN SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS REVEALED THAT SYNTHETIC SHOES OUTPERFORMED KANGAROO SKINS BY A COUNTRY MILE - PROVING THERE'S NO PRACTICAL NEED FOR THE SYSTEMIC, COMMERCIAL SLAUGHTER OF AUSTRALIA'S GLOBAL SYMBOL. TOURISM WITHOUT TROPHY HUNTING: MAJOR PLEDGES IN SOUTH AFRICA TO STOP CANNED LION HUNTS. CALLING FOR "THE ENDING OF CERTAIN INHUMANE AND IRRESPONSIBLE PRACTICES THAT GREATLY HARM THE REPUTATION OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE POSITION OF SOUTH AFRICA AS A LEADER IN CONSERVATION," SOUTH AFRICA'S TOP ENVIRONMENT OFFICIAL ANNOUNCED RECOMMENDATIONS TO END TROPHY HUNTING OF CAPTIVE LIONS AND COMMERCIAL CUB PETTING IN THE NATION'S HUNDREDS OF LION FARMS, WHICH MAY CONTAIN MORE THAN 12,000 LIONS COLLECTIVELY. A MAJOR NATIONAL PANEL AFFIRMED THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE CHALLENGE IN 2022 AND BEYOND IS TO HOLD ONTO THESE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO SEE THAT THEY ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE. KEEPING HORSES WILD. WE ARE FIGHTING THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT'S EFFORTS TO DEPOPULATE WILD HORSES AND BURROS IN THE WEST. IT'S HIGH TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHTFUL PLACE OF HORSES ON OUR WESTERN LANDS, RESTRICT ROUNDUPS TO EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND USE FERTILITY CONTROL AS THE MAJOR ON-THE-GROUND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. THE RESTORE OUR AMERICAN MUSTANGS ACT, WHICH WE'VE WORKED TO DRAFT, WOULD AMEND THE WILD AND FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT AND DO JUST THAT. IN 2021, WE ANNOUNCED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ACTRESS KATHERINE HEIGL ON THE ISSUE HERE, AND WE SENT A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM MORE THAN 90 GROUPS, BUSINESSES, AND HORSE RESCUES AND MORE THAN 1,100 INDIVIDUALS CALLING FOR A MORATORIUM ON WILD HORSE AND BURRO ROUNDUPS. WE ALSO STAGED A RALLY FOR THE ONAQUI WILD HORSE HERD IN UTAH WITH HEIGL ON JULY 2 IN SALT LAKE CITY. WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION IN 2022. GETTING OTHER CRUELTY REFORMS OVER THE FINISH LINE NO BIG CATS AS PETS: COMMERCIAL CUB PETTING IN U.S. ON THE BRINK IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR FOR ROADSIDE ZOOS EXPLOITING BIG CATS AS PETS. MAJOR CUB PETTING OPERATORS AND EXHIBITORS WERE SHUT DOWN, WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WATCHING OVER JOE EXOTIC IN PRISON AND FEDERAL AND STATE ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST OTHER BIG COMMERCIAL CUB PETTING OPERATORS IN THE NATION, INCLUDING ACTIONS AGAINST JEFF LOWE IN OKLAHOMA, TIM STARK IN INDIANA, AND "DOC" ANTLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT HAS NEARLY 300 COSPONSORS AND IS POISED FOR SUCCESS IN 2022. IN THE STABLE - NOT ON THE TABLE: U.S. HOUSE PASSES ANTI-HORSE-SLAUGHTER MEASURE, BUT SENATE FAILS TO ACT EVEN THOUGH A MAJORITY OF LAWMAKERS FAVOR THE BAN THE HOUSE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A DECADE, PASSED A BAN ON THE SHIPMENT OF HORSES TO CANADA AND MEXICO FOR SLAUGHTER WITH NO VOCAL OPPOSITION. THE SENATE DID NOT PICK UP THE AMENDMENT, BUT WE HAVE CEMENTED SUPPORT ON THIS ISSUE TO SET US UP FOR SUCCESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS HAVE STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND SUPERMAJORITIES OF LAWMAKERS FAVORING THEM. WE'LL BE WORKING TO SECURE VOTES IN BOTH CHAMBERS IN 2022. BANNING THE SHARK FIN TRADE. CONGRESS POISED TO BUILD ON SHARK FINNING BAN IN U.S. BY BANNING THE TRADE IN SHARK FINS THEMSELVES A KEY SENATE COMMITTEE PASSED A SHARK FIN BAN, GIVING US A VERY REAL OPPORTUNITY TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION IN 2022 AND GET IT SIGNED INTO LAW. SOME EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT COMMERCIAL OPERATORS KILL AS MANY AS 70 MILLION SHARKS A YEAR FOR THEIR FINS TO SUPPLY THE DEMAND FOR SHARK FIN SOUP, MAINLY IN CHINA. WE ALSO HAD WINNING AMENDMENTS TO CHALLENGE CDC'S BAN ON DOG IMPORTS (INCLUDING RESCUES) FROM 113 NATIONS, INCLUDING CHINA WHERE THERE IS A ROBUST EFFORT TO SAVE DOGS DESTINED FOR THE MEAT TRADE. THE PAWS FOR VETERANS THERAPY ACT, AS PART OF OUR HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND CAMPAIGN. WE UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF ANIMALS TO HEAL AND TO HELP. AT AWA AND OUR CLOSEST AFFILIATES, OUR SLOGAN IS "HELPING ANIMALS HELPS US ALL, AND THE PUPPIES ASSISTING WOUNDED SERVICEMEMBERS (PAWS) FOR VETERANS THERAPY ACT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE WORKING TO PROVIDE POLICY SOLUTIONS THAT HELP BOTH ANIMALS AND HUMANS ALIKE. SIGNED INTO LAW IN AUGUST - THE SEVENTH ANIMAL LAW ENACTED WITH AWA'S HELP SINCE THE ORGANIZATION'S INCEPTION IN 2018 - THE MEASURE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR DOGS AND VETERANS TO BE PAIRED IN AN EFFORT TO HEAL BOTH ABUSED ANIMALS AND VETERANS WITH PTSD AND OTHER DISORDERS. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B | THE PROCESS FOR REVIEWING THE FORM 990 PRIOR TO FILING INCLUDES CIRCULATION TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS, THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. IT IS ALSO CAREFULLY REVIEWED BY ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL PERSONNEL WITH EXPERIENCE IN PREPARING THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENT. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C | THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY IS BASED ON THE IRS RECOMMENDED POLICY. THIS POLICY, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IS CIRCULATED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, THE PRESIDENT, AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH A REQUEST FOR DISCLOSURE OF ANY CONFLICTS NOT KNOWN TO BOARD. ANY CONFLICTS THAT ARISE ARE ADDRESSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY BY THE DISINTERESTED BOARD MEMBERS. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 15 | IN DETERMINING THE COMPENSATION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND OTHER OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES, THE ORGANIZATION TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE INCUMBENT AND COMPARABLE COMPENSATION DATA FOR SIMILAR POSITIONS WITHIN THE MARKET AREA AND INDUSTRY. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 | THE ORGANIZATION PUBLISHES ON ITS WEBSITE AN ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH DESCRIBES THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE YEAR JUST ENDED AND INCLUDES A SUMMARY PARAGRAPH WITH SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION. THE WEBSITE INSTRUCTS ANYONE DESIRING A FORM 990 OR ANY GOVERNING DOCUMENTS TO CONTACT THE ORGANIZATION. |
For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Cat. No. 51056K
Schedule O (Form 990) 2021
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