On August 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Joel Brown, 38, of Franklin County, Ohio, pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting and drug crimes.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has reported an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, in whitetail deer in several counties across the state.

Earlier this summer, the Friendship Animal Protective League (FAPL), with support from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Department, seized 239 birds connected to an illegal cockfighting operation in Sheffield Township, Ohio. This marks the fourth cockfighting-related seizure in Lorain County this year alone.

When someone experiences domestic violence, the safety of their pets is often at risk too. Abusers may harm or threaten animals as a way to maintain control. Recognizing this, many states have adopted animal-inclusive protection order statutes, allowing survivors to include their pets in protective orders.

Some books break your heart. Others ignite it. Dr. Nancy Kay’s middle-grade novel A Dog Named 647 manages to do both. Inspired by the hidden world of puppy mills, this story follows twelve-year-old Mia, who discovers an emaciated retriever identified only as 647. What begins as one girl’s encounter with a neglected dog quickly unfolds into a journey of courage, friendship, and activism.

In Orange, Vermont, beavers have been given a chance to thrive thanks to an innovative flow device known as a “beaver deceiver.” Installed by Beaver Deceivers LLC and funded primarily by In Defense of Animals (IDA), the device allows beavers to remain in their natural habitat while also preventing flooding that can damage roads and culverts.

On the morning of July 21, law enforcement officers responded to a false emergency call in Madison Township. The caller falsely claimed that a “grandma” had been shot in the kitchen of a home on the 3300 block of South Hamilton Road, near Hott Road.

A love for birds and the natural world has taken one Gahanna teen to national heights. Thirteen-year-old Killian Sullivan was recently honored with the American Birding Association’s 2025 Young Birder of the Year Award, the highest recognition for young birders across the country.

Claire Coughlin, Director of the Companion Animal Program at the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), describes her position as her “unicorn job”, a perfect match of her passion and purpose. With a career spanning human services, support for abuse survivors, and animal welfare, Claire has long worked at the intersection of compassion for both people and pets. “A central part of my role is ensuring that policies and programs translate into real outcomes,” Claire shared. “The work we do at AWI isn’t abstract; it’s about creating tools and resources that truly help people and animals in crisis.”

On July 29, 2025, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced that his office has filed a lawsuit against a now-defunct nonprofit and its former executive director, alleging that more than $25,000 in charitable donations were misused for personal expenses.