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.

There are many ideas for holiday gifts, from insipid to inspired. One of the best would be to give a shelter dog or cat a forever home, but only if you have room in your heart and your life. One of the worst gift ideas would be a surprise pet. That adorable fuzzy face under the tree or next to the menorah will live another decade or more. By all means adopt if you can! Just do it as a thoroughly considered commitment, not as spontaneous gesture. Live animals are not merely things to be given for surprise and delight. They have feelings, emotions, and needs. 

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

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.