Action Alerts

H.R. 712 would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment act to expand the data collected around child abuse cases to include information about animal abuse further creating a better foundation for child abuse screening, prevention, and treatment programs and ultimately provide substantial benefits to children, families, and pets. 

OAA Program Area: Pet Protection

Action Level: Federal 

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association over 70% of the population owns a pet. Imagine if even half of those households were also abusing those pets and subsequently the children in the home. The first indicator could be a bit of suspicion from an animal cruelty officer responding to a call at the home. Decades of research and practical experience have established something called The Link. 

The Link, more simply stated, is the phenomenon referring in which violence towards animals and violence towards people are often interconnected occurrences. Data collected internationally and nationally find the same thing: a correlation between child and abuse. Noted in the NIH article Understanding the Link, since the 1980s there has been an over 80% overlap in homes that have had reports of animal cruelty and child abuse. Currently there is a lack of data collection around animal abuse especially in relation to being a risk factor of indication for potential child abuse in the household. 

H.R. 712 would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment act to expand the data collected around child abuse cases to include information about animal abuse further creating a better foundation for child abuse screening, prevention, and treatment programs and ultimately provide substantial benefits to children, families, and pets. 

Introduced by Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Julia Brownley (D-CA) with the understanding that it is critical to pay attention to animal abuse in terms as a risk factor within the family to more accurately examine trends in child abuse and neglect.

According to the Animal Welfare Institute “...an article published in the FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin entitled The Link Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence acknowledges animal cruelty as a form of domestic violence and makes clear the connection between animal abuse in the home and child abuse, and the likelihood of ongoing negative effects.” Read the Full Fact Sheet on H.R. 712

What You Can Do:

Contact your U.S. Representatives right now, and urge them to cosponsor these bills using the sample letter below. You can find your Representatives here.

Share this Action Alert on your social media to raise awareness, educate, and encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to contact their U.S. Representatives about these important bills!

Take Action:

Dear Representative ______ ,

As your constituent, I am writing today to urge you to cosponsor and support the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act. H.R. 712. 

H.R. 712 would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment act to expand the data collected around child abuse cases to include information about animal abuse further creating a better foundation for child abuse screening, prevention, and treatment programs and ultimately provide substantial benefits to children, families, and pets. 

There is a consistent, coorelated, link in reports of homes with animal abuse and child abuse or neglect. Often times, this data is being collected by two different agencies minimizing the impact for potential screening, prevention, and proactive treatment to protect children and animals. 

I urge you to support H.R. 712, and I look forward to hearing back from you on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your mailing address

Your email

In 2024 over 100 bills and amendments were introduced in Congress with the varying goals of weakening the Endangered Species Act. Approaching it from funding, removing protections, and overall undermining the Act. Many of those bills and amendments have been reintroduced this year. An additional Act facing weakening measures is the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Both work to provide safe guards and protections to animals who cannot protect themselves in legislation. 

OAA Program Area: Wildlife Protection

Level: Federal 

We understand that unlike our other action alerts this one does not have a specific bill or resolution to address. Due to the sheer volume of bills and attacks on the Endangered Species Act, it would be overwhelming to ask you, a concerned and active voice to review and address each one. That is why we’re using an umbrella approach and asking that you do the same with your state Representatives and members of the Senate.   

The Endangered Species Act as we know it came to be a bill in 1973 following years of various acts protecting animals on a case by case basis. This came shortly after the Environmental Protection Agency was formed leading to other environmentally focused bills and acts such as the Clean Water Act. A full historic overview can be found here on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Website. 

It’s easy to think of exotic animals or notably significant species when it comes to the Endangered Species Act. What’s impactful and intentional with this act is that it covers all animals, fish, insects, plants, fauna, anything that is impactful to the overall ecosystems and habitats of the environments they are a part of when they are in times of noticeable risk or danger of becoming extinct. This is so vital because each organism plays an important role in their ecosystems and habitats regardless of whether or not we as humans notice said impact daily. Eventually, we will notice, to our own detriment, their impact. 

As of September 2024, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has listed 132 Ohio Native animals as endangered and 20 as extinct. For a full list of specifics from mammals and birds to insects and mollusks visit this link from the ODNR.  While we all get annoyed with bugs in the summertime, their larger role within the balance and health of the ecosystem is worth that small nagging buzz. Every state has their own unique yet nationally intertwined ecosystem and the core piece of legislation to protect and prevent the breakdown of those ecosystems is being attacked. 

While Ohio itself is not known for marine mammals, MMPA is incredibly important as it provides safeguards to marine mammals nationwide and worldwide. Protecting in turn their ecosystems and habitats which ultimately impacts us as humans. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was enacted in the 1970s with bipartisan support. Utilizing three federal entities to help enforce their policies and regulations, the impact is MMPA is more widespread than we realize. For a full list and outline of the MMPA’s functions and guidelines visit MMPA. 

What You Can Do: 

Contact your U.S. Congress members right now, and urge them to fight and push against these bills using the sample letter below. You can find your congress members here. Please send to both your senators and house representatives. 

Share this Action Alert on your social media to raise awareness, educate, and encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to contact their U.S.Congress members about these important bills and fights!

Take Action:

Dear Congress Member  ______ ,

As your constituent, I urge you to strongly support preserving imperiled species. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the strongest law we have to protect biodiversity, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) holds a stronghold of guidelines and regulations that benefit not only the United States, but many nations across the globe. I hope you will vigorously defend the ESA and MMPA against efforts in Congress to weaken it.

Although the economic benefits of the ESA are rarely acknowledged, they are significant. We rely on innumerable plants and animals for medicine, jobs, recreation, clean water, and abundant natural resources. The ESA balances economic development with species protection, providing a sensible consultation process to ensure projects can move ahead while also preventing undue harm to our most vulnerable species. Both elements are vital to America's long-term prosperity. On the other hand, the MMPA provides invaluable research opportunites, insights and protections to marine mammals. Through the MMPA and ESA we’ll see the benefits for our future generations. 

The ESA is a remarkably successful law--99% of listed species have been spared from extinction, and a number of others, such as the bald eagle, grizzly bear, and humpback whale, are on the road to recovery. Not only is the ESA effective but it is also immensely popular: Multiple surveys have shown that four out of five Americans support the law. Additionally when signed into law in 1973, it was bipartisanly supported. Similarly the MMPA had bipartisan support when enacted in 1972. 

We need this law to protect the web of life that helps us and our economy thrive. I ask that you reject any legislation that seeks to undermine the ESA and MMPA. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your mailing address

Your email

ption

We understand that unlike our other action alerts this one does not have a specific bill or resolution to address. Due to the concentrated efforts to undermine these critical, crucial, and effective pieces of legislation and operations, it would be overwhelming to ask you, a concerned and active voice to review and address each one. That is why we’re using an umbrella approach and asking that you reach out with a concentrated message to your state Representatives and members of the Senate.   

OAA Program Area: Wildlife Protection

Level: Federal 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is more commonly thought of in parallel with weather alerts and warnings, it also holds a great responsibility within our environment and natural habitat. While we may not think of our natural living spaces as our habitats, it is and the wildlife and nature within those habitats deserve to function as naturally and safely as possible. Holding its start in a bipartisan path, the value of this agency and its operations were once seen as valuable, effective, and necessary. Your voice can help ensure they stay that way. 

Until recently, we had taken the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for granted. They provide us with accurate weather forecasts, storm alerts, climate information, and do so much more beyond that scope! They monitor ocean health, mitigate threats to water mammals such as whales and dolphins, and many other fields of the workforce depend on the data and services of the NOAA. Check out this powerful summary from NOAA on what they do “NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them.” Their work is vital. 

Currently numerous steps are being taken to dismantle this agency. Steps including budget cuts, layoffs, and attempts to privatize (often leading to monetized) their efforts. The consequences of these actions could be felt on a local to global scale from losing public access to weather alerts, losing accurate data relied on by farmers and first responders, protections for marine mammals and other wildlife would be impacted and in turn impact fishing communities, habitats, and ecosystems. 

We understand it is difficult to visualize the depth of responsibility and consequence this agency holds. It is set up in a way so that the public not only has a voice, but access to them. When that is taken away our resource to remain knowledgeable, informed, and protective of the environment and wildlife is also removed. We may not immediately feel the impact, but we are part of said ecosystems and habitats. 

What You Can Do: 

Contact your U.S. Congress members right now, and urge them to fight and push against these steps using the sample letter below. You can find your congress members here. Please send to both your senators and house representatives. 

Share this Action Alert on your social media to raise awareness, educate, and encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to contact their U.S. Congress members about these important and consequential issues. 

Take Action:

Dear Congress Member  ______ ,

As your constituent, I urge you to strongly oppose the dismantling of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Public access to the data and information provided by the NOAA is critical and crucial to us as a species as well the wellbeing of our hard working farmers, fisherman, emergency responders, and many others. 

Mankind is but one part in our ecosystem and these administrations are put into place to help ensure all pieces of said ecosystem can exist, flourish, and survive. The impacts of dismantling and undermining these systems have a waterfall effect of not only affecting the immediate environment and wildlife, but also those who depend on the resources from them, specific workforces, communities, and eventually your constituents. 

We need these systems to protect the web of life that helps us and our economy thrive. I ask that you reject any legislation or actions that seek to undermine the NOAA. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your mailing address

Your email

OAA PROGRAM AREA: Wildlife Protection

ACTION LEVEL: Federal

Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) has introduced a bill that would phase out mink farming in the US over one year and establish a grant program to reimburse mink farmers for the full value of their farm so that they’re able to transition to another industry. This new bill seeks to address the public health and animal welfare crisis created by farming mink for their fur. Facing an evolution over the years this bill is named appropriately as the bill To protect public health and human safety by prohibiting the farming of mink for their fur, to compensate farmers as they transition out of the industry, and for other purposes; H.R.2185

Expanding upon the Mink VIRUS Act (H.R. 3783) introduced in 2023, this bill looks to impress the urgency of minimizing this practice. Not only are farmed mink highly susceptible to COVID-19, but they are also capable of transmitting the virus to humans. A growing body of science such as this study from the National Library of Medicine shows how mink are particularly high-risk “mixing vessels” for producing dangerous variants of respiratory diseases that are potentially transmissible to humans. Farmed mink-to-human transmission of the virus has been reported in at least six countries so far, including the U.S. Moreover, transmission of COVID-19 from fur-farmed mink to humans could introduce new variants, undermining the effectiveness of vaccines. Mink are also known to carry and transmit the H5-N1 virus. This ability to share viruses to humans is known as zoonotic transmission and minks are especially transmissible consider their proximity to humans and their stressful living conditions making them more susceptible to these viruses. 

Fur farms house mink in crowded, cruel environments that create an ideal setting for pathogens to circulate. Wire cages are packed together and may be stacked on top of each other so that waste falls on the animals below. These animals are highly stressed due to the miserable conditions and are thus more susceptible to infection.

Every year at U.S. fur farms, more than a million mink are killed—typically by gassing to avoid damage to their pelts— for no purpose other than to provide trim on coats and poms on hats, purses or gloves. They suffer immensely on these factory farms, where they typically live in horrendous conditions, cramped into small wire cages that deny them the ability to express their natural behaviors such as running, digging and swimming.

This level of zoonotic disease risk for the sake of fur fashion simply cannot be justified.

What You Can Do:

Contact your U.S. Representatives right now, and urge them to cosponsor and support the H.R.2185 to protect both mink and the public using the sample letter below. You can find your Representatives here.

Share this Action Alert on your social media to raise awareness, educate, and encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to contact their U.S. Representatives about these important bills!

Take Action:

Dear Representative ______,

As a constituent, I want to communicate my deep concern about COVID-19 and avian flu outbreaks on mink farms and urge you to cosponsor the H.R.2185 - To protect public health and human safety by prohibiting the farming of mink for their fur, to compensate farmers as they transition out of the industry, and for other purposes.

Farms that raise mink for their pelts present a clear, immediate danger to public health. A growing body of science shows how, due to their lung physiology, mink are particularly high-risk “mixing vessels” for producing dangerous variants of respiratory diseases that are potentially transmissible to humans. These fur farms house mink in crowded, cruel environments that create an ideal setting for pathogens to circulate and threaten to usher in the next pandemic.

Not only are farmed mink highly susceptible to disease, but they are also capable of transmitting the virus to humans. For example, COVID-19 infected millions of farmed mink, and there were several recorded instances of the mink passing a mutated form of this virus back to humans. 

H.R. 2185 is an opportunity to address this public health crisis by phasing out mink farming in the US and establishing a grant program to reimburse mink farmers for the full value of their farm. The mink farming industry, already struggling due to a decreased demand for fur in recent years, has been reliant on taxpayer-funded subsidies and relief dollars. This grant program would provide mink farmers with the resources to transition to other industries that are more financially sustainable and do not threaten public health.

I urge you to support H.R. 2185, and I look forward to hearing back from you on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your mailing address

Your email

Support the Prioritization of Non Animal Methods in Research and Testing

OAA Program Area: Animal Testing

Level: Federal 

Sponsored by Representative Ken Calvert [R-CA-41] H.R. 1291, or Humane and Existing Alternatives in Research and Testing Sciences Act of 2025 known as the HEARTS Act of 2025, works to amend the Public Health Service Act to further ensure non animal methods are prioritized in proposals for all research to be conducted or supported by the National Institute of Health wherever applicable and feasible. It will additionally establish the National Center for Alternative to Animals in Research and Testing and for other unidentified purposes. 

This bill looks to expand upon the Public Health Service Act which was originally enacted in 1944. Amendments to bills and acts are an important part of helping us grow and progress as a nation as time moves forward. This act holds an outline for a variety of health related services and process. This Act looks to help encourage progress through alternative methods outside of animal testing. 

In 2023 the USDA reported over 774,000 animals used for testing purposes by USDA and federally registered facilities.  774,065 animals to be exact which surpasses the population of all but three individual counties of Ohio or the whole population of Wyoming. While the HEARTS Act is not looking to fully eliminate the use of animals in testing, it is looking to minimize that number whenever feasible and possible. Animal testing takes place in a variety of sectors from pharmaceuticals and medicine to basic research, chemical testing and cosmetics. This is so important to factor because testing and research include colleges and universities. Ohio alone has 142 higher education institutions, while not all of them use animals in their facilities for research purposes, a large portion including OSU do include animals in their research. These include rats, mice, invertebrates such as snakes, and for some any approved testing species by form. 

Science, technology, genetics and countless other areas of science have benefited from animal testing and research in the past, but now thanks to those previous methods we are able to move forward with non animal methods of testing and research. In turn, protect thousands of animals from harsh, unnatural conditions that prohibit their natural instincts and behaviors as well expose them to, at times, potentially fatal circumstances. 

What You Can Do:

Contact your U.S. Representatives right now, and urge them to cosponsor and support the H.R.2185 to protect both mink and the public using the sample letter below. You can find your Representatives here.

Share this Action Alert on your social media to raise awareness, educate, and encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to contact their U.S. Representatives about these important bills!

Take Action:

Dear Representative ______,

As a constituent, I urge you to support the HEARTS Act of 2025. Over the years, the Public Health Service Act has seen a variety of acts improving its purpose through progress. Now is the time to act on behalf of testing and researching animals within our nation. 

In 2023 there were a reported 774,065 animals of a varying species utilized in testing and research according to the USDA. That equates to more than the state population of Wyoming. Testing and research exposes a variety of animals from wildlife to domestic animals to potentially fatal conditions. This act would encourage researchers and testing practices to utilize non animal methods first. 

Testing and research is used in a variety of sectors from pharmaceuticals, medicine, cosmetics, and even chemical testing. Our state alone has numerous colleges and universities who utilize animal testing but this Act would create an enhanced environment of critical thinking to look for the best non animal method in their studies. 

I urge you to support H.R. 1291 also known as the HEARTS Act of 2025 to help minimize the lives of animals used in testing and research. 

Sincerely,

Your name

Your mailing address

Your email