Friends of Animals

06/28/2024

: Friends of Animals has filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management for its decision to rip more than 900 wild horses from their families and home on the range in California’s Twin Peaks Herd Management Area.

“While we are hopeful we can put this fire out and save California’s beloved wild horses, overall there needs to be a major overhaul of the Department of the Interior, which oversees the BLM, so that its decisions are no longer based on pressure from the meat industry and others who profit from exploiting public lands,” said Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals.

Friends of Animals has filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management for its decision to rip more than 900 wild horses from their families and home on the range in California’s Twin Peaks Herd Management Area. The lawsuit states that the agency broke the law when it issued its plan because...

06/27/2024

After being left for dead by the side of the road, Chevy the dog was lucky enough to have a kind passerby not only nurse him back to health, but give him the forever home he so deserves. Thousands of other abandoned pets have not been as lucky, however.

In her latest column, FoA president Priscilla Feral asks the question, what’s prompted this epidemic of pet abandonment, this crime wave? Learn more and see how you can take action below.

by Priscilla Feral During the last few months, I’ve noticed a chilling number of dogs and cats dumped and left to die most everywhere. In Connecticut, a dog was found tied to a tree in South Windsor; a young bulldog was abandoned at the base of a tree in Page Park in Bristol; and a […]

06/26/2024

Whether they’re in the schoolyard or your backyard, please lay soccer nets down or put them away after use because they can be deadly for birds and other wildlife! While some animals survive, many die after getting injured while struggling to get free.

Luckily this red-shouldered hawk from Woodbridge, Connecticut, recovered from the dehydration and abrasions he suffered and was released back into the wild so he and his mate could resume care of their offspring! Thank you to A Place Called Hope for making this happy ending possible. It only takes a minute to do the right thing and to save an animal from suffering a horrible death.

06/24/2024

Horseshoe crabs remind many of summer shores, but unknown to some, their blue blood is used in medicine testing. A synthetic alternative, rFC, can replace this cruel practice. The U.S. Pharmacopeia is now supporting non-animal testing, aligning with global standards and advocacy groups push for this change to protect crabs and improve testing efficiency. Learn more in our recent "Action Line" magazine cover article.

By Nicole Rivard I’ve always appreciated horseshoe crabs for their compelling appearance and because they evoke nostalgia. They transport me back to renting summer cottages along the shore of Clinton, Connecticut, and Misquamicut, Rhode Island, with my family, grandmother, aunt and cousins. Back t...

06/20/2024

In Connecticut, a mother bear and her three cubs were tranquilized and relocated to the forest after making their way into a Simsbury home last week.

But not all of CT’s black bears have been so lucky. Earlier in June, a business owner in Canton shot and killed a bear in what he claimed was an act of self-defense. The bear had been rummaging in a trash bin. The business owner was cleaning up and the bear returned to the bin.

Both interactions could have been prevented. Public education campaigns are key to keeping black bears and the residents who live near them safe no matter what community they live in. “Let’s hope people don’t continue to make it easy for the mother bear to get snacks around homes, which will unfortunately teach the cubs bad behavior, too. Everyone needs to help,” said CT DEEP Wildlife Division Director Jenny Dickson. Please read and share our tips here:

● Store garbage in secure, airtight bear-proof trash cans inside a locked garage or storage area. Adding ammonia to cans and bags will reduce odors that attract bears. Bear-resistant cans and dumpsters are available at https://www.bearicuda.com/enclosures/bear_proof_dumpsters.php if your trash h...

06/17/2024

You can celebrate pollinator week with us by going pesticide free! We’re sick and tired of people in pursuit of the perfect lawn. Because it comes with a cost. Toxic pesticides are responsible for the indiscriminate poisoning of pollinators and entire ecosystems—not only do they kill essential pollinators like bumblebees, butterflies, moths and beetles, they are devasting to the birds, bats and small mammals who eat insects to survive. Please read and share our tips (in the link below) on how to have a beautiful yard while safeguarding all the little creatures who run the world.

We’re sick and tired of people in pursuit of the perfect lawn. Because it comes with acost. Toxic pesticides are responsible for the indiscriminate poisoning of pollinators and entireecosystems—not only do they kill essential pollinators like bumblebees, butterflies,moths and beetles, they are d...

06/14/2024

NOAA betrays whales by allowing Makah Tribe to slaughter them!

We are outraged that the Makah Tribe, which has long sought approval to resume hunting gray whales off the Washington State Coast, won consent from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to slaughter 25 gray whales over the next decade.

Friends of Animals sent comments to NOAA in Aug. of 2022 protesting the Makah’s request and imploring the agency not to ignore the intrinsic value of each whale and their importance to the conservation of the species.

No U.S. resident should ever be entitled to kill whales. This is animal cruelty under the guise of “tradition,” “preserving identity and culture.”

Torture is not culture. This is a total waste of 25 gray whales, who have a culture of their own and complex social interactions, which will be destroyed by hunting and have a lasting impact on individuals left behind. Not to mention gray whales have a myriad of threats to deal with including the climate crisis, ship strikes, entanglement and bycatch, underwater noise, pollution and habitat loss.

FoA attended an International Whaling Commission meeting years ago and overheard a Makah elder claim they needed to be able to kill whales to keep kids away from drugs. We think there are better ways to keep young people out of trouble.

The last time the Makah won permission to kill a whale was in 1999—they took the life of a magnificent juvenile 30-ton whale by striking it with harpoons and then finishing it off with a gunshot from a high-caliber military assault weapon to the back of the head. Adding insult to injury, photographs surfaced of members of the whaling team drinking Pepsi and doing back flips of the back off the dead whale.

Some tradition. Shame on NOAA and the Makah Tribe.

(photo circa 1910. Makah Indian Whalers Stripping Their Prey at Neah Bay.)

06/13/2024

Some Wisconsin lawmakers, led by Rep. Paul Tittl, are considering hunting sandhill cranes under the pretext of managing their population. These majestic birds, once nearly extinct, have rebounded significantly due to the Migratory Bird Protection Act of 1918. Despite this recovery, 17 states, excluding Nebraska, permit sandhill crane hunting.

In Wisconsin, the crane population has grown from 15 breeding pairs in the 1930s to nearly 95,000 today. Friends of Animals urges Wisconsin residents to contact their legislators to oppose crane hunting and promote non-lethal solutions for crop damage.

Bird hunters typically think the only good bird is a dead one. It is shameful that some lawmakers in Wisconsin share that mentality and are planning to meetin July to lead a Legislative Council Study Committee that will weigh options for hunting sandhillcranes under the guise of managing them. The c...

06/11/2024

Iceland is killing whales again so it’s time to boycott the country! It doesn’t deserve anyone’s tourism dollars. Despite a worldwide moratorium accepted by nearly every civilized country on earth and mounting opposition among its own citizens, the government of Iceland has decided to allow the slaughter of up to 129 fin whales in coming months

Despite a worldwide moratorium accepted by nearly every civilized country on earth andmounting opposition among its own citizens, the government of Iceland has decided to allow theslaughter of up to 129 fin whales in coming months. On June 11, the country’s Food Minister Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdótt...

06/10/2024

Urge Gov. Hochul to sign horseshoe crab protection bill

Friday evening, the NY State Legislature passed A10140/S3185A, legislation that protects horseshoe crabs by banning their capture or killing for commercial fisheries and biomedical purposes. It allows capturing for scientific and educational purposes, to be regulated by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

We urge Gov. Hochul to sign the bill quickly! And we urge our New York members to contact Hochul to tell her to sign the bill. You can reach her by calling her at (518) 474-8390 or sending an email to https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form.

Friends of Animals brought the plight of horseshoe crabs to the attention of NY Assemblymember Deborah Glick and helped advocate for the legislation when she introduced it. We express our gratitude to Assemblymember Glick and Senator Hoylman-Sigal for stepping up for these ancient mariners before they run out of time. We helped CT pass a similar ban on killing horseshoe crabs in 2023, and their efforts bolster its effectiveness. Long Island Sound will be a safer place for horseshoe crabs!

“The momentum to protect this keystone species continues to build,” said Joe Gresko, House Chair of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environment Committee, which passed a ban on killing horseshoe crabs in 2023. “Many thanks to advocates and my peers in New York for allowing horseshoe crabs the ability to repopulate Long Island Sound and return to abundant numbers.”

Friends of Animals works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living and domesti

06/07/2024

No one tells a story like Janis Carter, who was recognized by Smithsonian Magazine as one of “35 who made a difference" and is director of the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, which was established in 1979.

This time it's not a chimp, but a wild warthog, who she provides an up close and personal look at.

In a November 2008 landmark agreement with the Gambian government, Friends of Animals agreed to help fund the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project in The Gambia . It is home to approximately 140 chimpanzees who live in four groups in relative freedom—without bars or cages—on three of the park’s five islands. For information on visiting the CRP, send an email to [email protected].

Discover the unique bond between Janis Carter and a warthog named Morris. Explore their shared experiences and treasured memories.

06/05/2024

Today is World Environment Day, an opportunity to expose the biggest contributors to the climate crisis—ranchers who raise doomed cattle and sheep for the meat industry. A new PEER report exposes the Bureau of Land Management’s Big Lie—cattle and sheep grazing, not wild horses, are devasting public lands. Read more here:

It comes as no surprise to us that a new report by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) shows that cows and sheep are responsible for the degradation of America’s public rangelands, not wild horses. The tragedy of wild horse roundups exists because the Bureau of Land Management...

06/04/2024

We can’t believe these foolish people left their dog in the car while they parked themselves on the beach for an hour. Luckily, the dog was rescued by police before it was too late! Never leave your pet alone in a parked vehicle—not even for a minute with the window cracked. Hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion every year due to being left in vehicles, according to American Veterinary Medical Association. The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, and almost 30 degrees in 20 minutes. Not to mention, it’s against the law in many states—as of 2020, 31 states plus the District of Columbia have some form of a “hot car” law on the books.

A dog was left inside a dangerously hot U-Haul truck for roughly an hour at New Smyrna Beach in Florida, according to a report received by the local police department.

06/03/2024

Costa Rica has closed its state zoos for good, setting set an example for other countries on how to move away from keeping and exploiting animals in captivity. Some animals will be reintroduced to the wild. Learn more and see what else has been recently:

Photo taken at the Simon Bolivar Zoo Costa Rica outlaws public zoos In a historic move, Costa Rica announced recently that it would close its two remaining state zoos, more than a decade after it passed a law to ban keeping wild animals in government-sponsored captivity but was met with legal blowba...

05/30/2024

In celebration of World Environment Day on June 5, Friends of Animals’ Wildlife Law Program is hosting its first annual park cleanup. People from more than 150 countries participate in this United Nations international day, which celebrates environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world. This year’s campaign focuses on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are .” Learn more here:

In celebration of World Environment Day on June 5, Friends of Animals’ Wildlife Law Program is hosting its first annual park cleanup Saturday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vanderbilt Park in Denver.

05/28/2024

While Astoria the wild turkey, who wildlife photographer David Lei photographed here on Roosevelt Island last week, is capturing the hearts and minds of everyone in New York City—not to mention bird watchers around the world—on May 15 the simpletons at the NYS Dept. Of Environmental Conservation and some hunting organizations hosted “Turkey Hunting 101” at the upscale outdoor clothing retailer Filson NYC.

You can’t make this stuff up!

It really goes to show how desperate the dying hunting industry is. Overall, the U.S. hunting industry has failed to attract new hunters—a measly 4 percent of the population in the United States hunts, and that has remained the same for the last 11 years. In New York, only 700,000 out of 19.5 million residents enjoy slaughtering wildlife for fun.

As people continued to be enamored by Astoria’s activities—including traversing city streets, roosting in Park Avenue trees and landing at Saks Fifth Avenue before settling at Roosevelt Island— these b***s were trying to recruit people to get started on their turkey hunting journey by teaching them about “ethical” shot practices, post-hunt protocols and transportation logistics pertinent to city dwellers.

While they were touting how few hunting experiences can rival the excitement as a turkey approaches a hunter, the rest of NYC was relishing the excitement of getting to know Astoria as their fellow New Yorker. She was humanizing humans, and these hunters were trying to recruit more people to make fools of themselves.

“Fanning” permits these goofballs to use and hide behind a gobbler decoy—they can be foldable plastic or inflatable— and advance toward the turkey to trick him into thinking they are a turkey so he’ll charge them and be in shooting range.

How pathetic. By the way, wild turkeys in NY were hunted nearly to extinction in the 19th century.

We are hoping that Astoria and her kin can stay out of the crossfire of NY turkey hunters.

Friends of Animals works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living and domesti

05/23/2024

'Shellabrate' World Turtle Day with us! Every year since 2000, May 23 is dedicated to raising awareness about turtles and why we should all be making an effort to protect them. Check out our tips on how you can help, from safely assisting them across the street to conserving habitats. Read more here on our website:

Today is World Turtle Day! It’s meant to raise awareness about turtles and why we should all be making an effort to protect them. Among vertebrate orders, turtles are second only to primates in the percentage of threatened species; 61% of the 356 modern species are considered threatened or alr...

05/22/2024

Jeers to Japan’s government for building a new 9,300-tonne whaling 'mothership,' which has departed on its maiden slaughter of whales. The antiquated, ghastly idea that minke, Bryde's and sei whales are food continues to be defended by the government as an integral part of Japanese culture. That’s why we’re telling the public to boycott tourism in Japan. Read more here:

Jeers to Japan’s government for building a new 9,300-tonne whaling 'mothership,' which has departed on its maiden slaughter of whales. It will be used to store and freeze the bodies of whales killed by smaller vessels from whaling company Kyōdō Senpaku.

05/20/2024

Please don’t panic if you see a raccoon out during the day this time of year—there’s a good chance it’s a nursing mother. Young raccoons take about 20 days before their eyes and ears open. They feed strictly on their mother’s milk at this point. Mother raccoons require more food during birthing and nursing seasons to produce milk and may venture out of the den for hours at a time during the day to meet those needs. Our wildlife rehabber friends are caring for many helpless baby raccoons right now because too many are orphaned after their mothers are trapped! Not to mention trapping and removing animals is never a good solution—it only opens a void for other animals to fill. Signs of a sick raccoon are difficulty walking, foaming at the mouth and acting disoriented.

05/17/2024

Today is ! The process of protecting species under the Endangered Species Act can be long and frustrating, but worth the wait. When protective status is finally achieved for a particular species, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that Friends of Animals' hard work can actually lead to these animals being saved from further human exploitation.

You can learn more about the some of the species we’ve gotten protections for here: https://friendsofanimals.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ESAday2024.pdf

Friends of Animals works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living and domesti

05/15/2024

Thanks to the Hartford Courant for this piece about how Friends of Animals and other advocates like A Place Called Hope, along with our legislative champions, will continue the fight to ban second generation anti-coagulant rodenticides in Connecticut. Lawmakers who spoke out during the debate on the House floor in support of SGARs or against banning them have blood on their hands. We feel if you don’t support banning SGARs, then you do support animal cruelty. CT’s raptors are being brought in convulsing and dying … and that is animal cruelty.”

A ban on controversial second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides did not move forward during this year’s legislative session, but activists are continuing the fight.

05/13/2024

We look forward to this time of year because horseshoe crab spawning season is one of our favorite things!



It’s even sweeter this year because it’s now illegal in Connecticut for bait fishers to kill these ancient mariners thanks to legislation we helped draft and get across the finish line last year.



Horseshoe crabs start showing up in late April and stick around until early July. However, the best time to see them is at night now through mid-June. They began coming ashore to lay their eggs at high tide during the new moon (May 9 ) and will return on the full moon (May 23), new moon (June 6) and full moon (June 21). The absolute best time to see them is the exact time when these two events happen at the same time. For example, if high tide happens at 11:37 p.m. on the night of a full moon, then make sure you are on the beach at that time to see the most crabs. Check the tide charts and moon charts and plan!

FoA has been working to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world since 1957. Animal rights. Veganism.

05/09/2024

Want another reason to be vegan? The meat industry is guilty of not only exploiting and causing animals to suffer, it also abuses children. Two separate slaughtering and meat packing facilities, Seaboard Triumph Foods LLC in Sioux City, which claims to be in the “pursuit of pork perfection” and Perdue Farms in Accomac, Virginia, which says it only kills “healthy” antibiotic-free chickens, were breaking the law and employing children, some just 13 years old, on overnight shifts. They were assigned to use corrosive cleaners to clean dangerous kill floor equipment, including head splitters, jaw pullers, bandsaws and neck clippers. It’s gratifying to learn the janitorial service is being held accountable, but what about Seaboard and Perdue? You can read more about the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s case here: https://friendsofanimals.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/News-Release.pdf.

FoA has been working to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world since 1957. Animal rights. Veganism.

05/08/2024

Rare, promising news out of Florida—the legislature passed a bill that will ban the intentional release of lighter-than-air balloons outdoors. It’s a big win for wildlife, both on land and at sea: A 2019 study found balloons and their ribbons are the highest-risk plastic debris item for seabirds—32 times more likely to kill them than ingesting hard plastics. They’re often mistaken for food by sea turtles and marine mammals.

The Florida ban, expected to be signed into law, will take effect July 1. It carries a $150 fine and closes a loophole in an existing law that allowed for the outdoor release of up to nine balloons per person in any 24-hour period. The Sunshine State will become the fourth state to prohibit outdoor balloons releases altogether, joining Hawaii, Maryland and Virginia. We hope it stimulates other states to follow suit, like Connecticut, where Friends of Animals is headquartered and actively campaigning to ban balloon releases. To learn more about our campaign, click on the link below:

There is no such thing as an environmentally friendly released balloon  Most people would never throw litter out their car window because it’s illegal. Yet many participate in balloon releases at celebrations and memorials, and their remnants too often become deadly to wildlife, particularly sea ...

05/07/2024

Sweetgreen, a fast restaurant chain with 225 locations, and founded in 2006 by three college students, has added steak to its menu. They claim more people are eating more meat, so they should seize the opportunity and be a "change agent" for the bloody nonsense in the supply chain.

In truth, Sweetgreen's move contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and makes their commitment to sustainability and becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2027 a farce. Not to mention you can't regulate the atrocities of animal farming.

Sweetgreen's online promotion had promised "nutritious vegetarian and vegan food options." They even claimed to be leading a movement to "reimagine fast food for a new era." How nauseating.

And worse, Sweetgreen said they thought climate change was the defining challenge of their generation. Their generation aside, beef and animal farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions (methane) measured in carbon dioxide -- 18 percent -- than transportation, and concern about the climate crisis and the horror of raising and killing animals for food is everyone's call to action. That means sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and focusing more on eating lovely salads and other food that doesn't bleed.

The fast-casual chain aims to be climate neutral by 2027, but beef is a big contributor to climate change.

05/06/2024

Thank you to our members who helped Friends of Animals move the needle to ban second generation anticoagulant rodenticides in Connecticut because they pose a drastic risk to our state’s raptors and other wildlife. Owls, eagles, and hawks are not only dying from internal bleeding after consuming poisoned rodents, they are being sickened, making them vulnerable to other causes of death such as vehicular collisions.

On Friday we decided to let the legislation die, rather than be compromised. We couldn’t let a bill move from the House to the Senate that had been hijacked and gutted by the opposition. We are disappointed to not pass a ban this session, but FoA will settle for nothing less than real, meaningful action to protect CT’s wildlife.

Rest assured that we have a commitment from both the Senate and House leadership to make this issue a priority next year, as well as a better roadmap to avoid pitfalls, and we believe the effort will be unstoppable in 2025.

We will continue to go from community to community across CT educate residents who use pest management companies to make sure they are not using bait boxes with SGARs.

FoA has been working to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation around the world since 1957. Animal rights. Veganism.

05/03/2024

Don’t be fooled by the big hats, celebrity sightings or mint juleps—the Kentucky Derby and all horse racing is abusive, and a halt to this industry is long overdue.

Last year at Churchill Downs seven horses died during the week of the event — two of them in races in the hours leading up to the Derby. In the days after, five more sustained fatal injuries, prompting officials to move their races to another Kentucky racetrack. Instead of watching the race, check out this piece by The New York Times. In the past 12 months reporters have analyzed confidential documents and covert recordings made by law enforcement, and obtained exclusive interviews as part of an investigation. In “The New York Times Presents: Broken Horses,” now streaming on Hulu, The Times found reckless breeding and doping practices, compromised veterinarians and trainers, and decades-long resistance to changes that could save horses lives.

The breakdown of 12 horses in the days surrounding the celebrated race a year ago has led to existential questions about the sport and its future.

05/02/2024

Bravo to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Blumenauer and Fitzpatrick, who have introduced the Captive Primate Safety Act, which would ban interstate commerce and private ownership of primates, marking a significant step towards safeguarding these intelligent and social animals. At Primarily Primates, the sanctuary Friends of Animals has managed since 2007, an astounding half of our approximately 200 primates are former pets. Read more about the legislation below:

Primarily Primates

05/01/2024

“It’s corrupted thinking by U.S. Fish & Wildlife to shoot more than 470,000 barred owls over the next 30 years for the sake of spotted owls, while the real threat to spotted owls—humans logging the forest they call home—goes unabated,” says Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals. “We will not sit by and watch bureaucrats involve themselves in nature and create owl wars when the threats these species face are our making to begin with. We don’t want to live in a society that’s numb to shooting lovely owls to death under the guise of conservation.”

An audacious federal plan to protect the spotted owl would eradicate hundreds of thousands of barred owls in the coming years.