The American Heart Association (AHA) has released updated dietary guidance encouraging Americans to eat more plant-based foods and reduce their reliance on animal products as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The new scientific statement, 2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association, highlights growing evidence that diets rich in plant-based foods can significantly improve cardiovascular health outcomes.

From community cats to equines, wildlife protection to anti-cruelty advocacy, Ohio Animal Advocates works every day to create a more humane future for animals across our state. During OAA Giving Week, May 25th to May 29th, supporters have the opportunity to directly fuel that work and make an even bigger impact for Ohio’s animals.

That means every donation goes even further to support advocacy, education, collaboration, and lifesaving programs throughout Ohio.

As conversations around climate change continue to grow, many people are reevaluating the impact of their daily choices, from transportation to fashion to the food they eat. Increasingly, that conversation also includes what we feed our companion animals.

A recent article published by Ohio Animal Foundation, explored the rise of sustainable pet food options, highlighting alternatives like insect-based proteins, responsibly sourced fish, regional ingredients, and upcycled food products. The article sparked an important conversation about how the products we purchase for our pets can also impact the environment, agriculture systems, and animal welfare on a larger scale.

Ohio Animal Advocates (OAA) recently joined a broad national coalition of animal welfare, public health, environmental, and legal advocacy organizations in submitting formal comments opposing proposed federal rules that would increase slaughter line speeds for pigs, chickens, and turkeys.

Transportation is one of the most physically demanding and stressful experiences a horse can endure. Yet for decades, horses have been moved long distances in trailers that were never designed with their size, posture, or safety in mind. Among the most concerning of these are double-deck livestock trailers.

As of December 31, 2025, Ohio officially became the 11th state to restrict the use of gestational crates for pigs—marking the end of a 15-year effort to improve animal welfare standards in one of the nation’s leading pork-producing states

When four new portraits were unveiled at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, they honored individuals whose work reshaped American history and culture. Among them was Temple Grandin—a woman whose influence spans animal welfare, science, and how society understands autism.

When you’re standing in the grocery store aisle faced with countless labels—“natural,” “free-range,” “pasture-raised,” “humanely certified”—it can be hard to know which ones actually reflect higher animal welfare standards and which are just marketing buzzwords.

Earlier this spring, more than 200 animals were rescued from a farm in Wellington, Ohio, after investigators uncovered what one shelter called “deplorable and inhumane” conditions. The rescue, led by the Friendship Animal Protective League (FAPL), marks the third large-scale animal seizure in less than 30 days for the organization.

In a shocking move that threatens farmers’ access to vital resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been sued for scrubbing its website of critical information related to climate change and conservation. Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Environmental Working Group (EWG).