We’re thrilled to announce that Ohio Animal Advocates has been awarded the Gold Seal of Transparency by Candid (formerly GuideStar)! This recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to openness, accountability, and trust—and it’s a testament to YOU, our incredible community of supporters.

The bald eagle—America’s national bird and a symbol of strength and resilience—is thriving in the Buckeye State. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), there are now 964 confirmed active bald eagle nests across 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties, marking a 36% increase since the last statewide census in 2020.

We are excited to announce our new policy area on equines! Ohio Animal Advocates is dedicated to championing a higher standard of well-being for all equines. Our equine advocacy page aims to educate Ohioans on some of the most prevalent issues facing horses and other equines, including horse racing, soring and performance-enhancing drugs, horse slaughter, wild horse helicopter round-ups, and horse-drawn carriages. Read more about these topics here!

It seems every month we hear about horrific cruelty to animals in the media in Ohio this year. From an ESA cat freezing to death on Summit Lake to more than a hundred farm animals being hoarded by a veterinarian in Sandusky, animal cruelty must be stopped. 

A major milestone in the fight against government-funded animal testing was achieved this month as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) officially shut down its last in-house dog lab. The closure comes after nearly a decade of relentless advocacy from White Coat Waste Project (WCW), a watchdog organization known for exposing and challenging taxpayer-funded animal experiments.

Shelley Lieberman has built a life around a simple but powerful idea: when you care deeply about something, that’s where your work should begin. That mindset has guided her journey as a passionate advocate for both animals and the people who love them. As a longtime board member of Ohio Animal Advocates (OAA), Shelley has helped lead efforts that connect the dots between animal welfare, domestic violence, and homelessness.

Jill Herbst, a founding board member of the Ohio Animal Foundation (OAF), has been deeply involved in advancing animal welfare in Ohio since the organization’s early beginnings in 2016. From shaping the foundation’s strategic vision to authoring educational content and coordinating outreach, Herbst has played a central role in OAF’s development.

This year’s Spring Fling was filled with sunshine, smiles, and stories that remind us why we do what we do. Ohio Animal Advocates was thrilled to visit Sunrise Sanctuary and meet some of their incredible residents — each with their own journey of resilience, love, and second chances.

Two animals who captured everyone’s hearts were Trevor the turkey and Daisy the blind mini horse.

In the spring of 2025, a striking silver fox captured the attention of Medina County residents—and raised a red flag for wildlife advocates. The animal, later named Lake, was not just beautiful, he was out of place.

Unlike Ohio’s native red and gray foxes, Lake’s dark, shimmering coat marked him as a melanistic or “silver” fox—a trait rarely seen in the wild, but common in captive-bred foxes raised to be pets. His calm behavior around humans and lack of fear signaled something else: this was no wild animal. Lake had been bred and likely raised in captivity.

And, like many exotic pets, he had been abandoned.

OAA strives to make Ohio a place where all animals are protected from cruelty, abuse, and neglect. Currently, thousands of innocent puppies and breeding dogs are vulnerable to the inhumanities of puppy mills, and we need your help to change this.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has continuously failed to control the abusive puppy mill industry in Ohio and to hold the abusers accountable. Breeders disregard the health of their dogs to keep costs low and maximize their profits. According to Humane World research, most puppies sold in pet stores and through online retailers are born in puppy mills.

In April 2025, the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) launched its inaugural Survivor Voices Council, a transformative initiative supported by a $200,000 grant from the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF). This funding underscores the critical role OHTF plays in supporting life-saving programs for Ohioans facing domestic violence and housing insecurity.

At Ohio Animal Advocates, we believe that protecting animals and protecting children go hand in hand. That’s why we are urging support for H.R. 712 – the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act—a bipartisan bill that seeks to improve how we track and respond to child abuse cases by including animal abuse as a critical data point.