Winter can be deadly for stray and homeless dogs. Freezing temperatures, lack of shelter, hunger, and exhaustion combine into a dangerous reality that claims countless lives each year. In parts of Europe, that reality has sparked a powerful innovation, one that blends compassion, sustainability, and smart design.

Despite public commitments to reduce and eventually end experiments on cats and dogs, new reporting reveals that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) continues to fund invasive and painful laboratory experiments on cats.

Winter in Ohio can be brutal, not just for people, but for outdoor animals who don’t have warm homes to retreat to. Community cats, birds, squirrels, and other wildlife rely on the kindness and awareness of neighbors to help them make it through freezing temperatures safely.

The good news? Small, thoughtful actions can make a big difference.

In November 2025, the City of Sturgeon, Missouri agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a federal lawsuit over the police shooting of Teddy, a 13-pound blind and deaf Shih Tzu mix who posed no threat to public safety.

The settlement follows a lawsuit supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), which argued that the city and its police department violated the Fourth Amendment by using lethal force instead of humane animal control methods.

For decades, real fur symbolized glamour, wealth, and high fashion, especially in Hollywood. But in 2025, that image is rapidly unraveling.

This fall, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced that beginning in September 2026, real animal fur will be banned from all CFDA-supported New York Fashion Week runways. The decision reflects growing awareness of animal cruelty in fur farming and a clear shift in consumer values toward more humane, sustainable fashion.

A rare and exciting wildlife moment was captured on a trail camera at Prairie Oaks Metro Park: a bobcat trotting down a trail before slipping back into the brush. Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks shared the video publicly and noted the sighting happened in the early morning hours of Nov. 21.

A recent animal cruelty investigation in Preble County, Ohio has led to the seizure of 51 animals living in severe neglect and unsafe conditions, a heartbreaking reminder of why strong animal protection laws and enforcement matter.

For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been one of our nation’s most powerful and effective environmental laws. It was created with a clear purpose: to protect wildlife on the brink of extinction — and it has succeeded, saving or helping recover 99% of species listed under the Act.

In Penelope: The World of Each Other, author Paul Bochner offers a moving and intimate memoir that challenges the way we understand and relate to wildlife. Through his evolving relationship with a wild deer named Penelope, Bochner invites readers to witness the depth of connection, communication, and shared experience that can exist between humans and the animals who live alongside us.

The Ohio Pet Fund provided Rascal Charities with an educational grant to offer teaching opportunities to veterinary students to improve their skills, confidence and experience while helping the community and animals. We are mentoring the veterinarians of tomorrow while helping the animals of today.

This year, OAA has increased our training efforts – from workshops on the link between animal and human violence, to community cat summits, and the Cleveland State University Animal Law Conference. Thanks to the support of the Kenneth Scott Charitable Trust, the Joanie Bernard Foundation, and United Spay Alliance, OAA, in partnership with Together Initiative for Ohio's Community Cats and Give Them Ten, was able to continue our annual in-person community cat summits in Cincinnati and Cleveland and expand our reach into communities in need.