Berry raised animals for slaughter. Steinem believed “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.” Neither Wendell Berry and Gloria Steinem, each deceased at 92, on August 31, 2026 and September 2, 2026, respectively, were known primarily––or perhaps even at all––for their considerable influence on the late 20th century rise […]
Alfred M. Kailihiwa & Susan Solari died in the line of duty toward animals
Murder victim Alfred M. Kailihiwa was feeding cats; fire victim Susan Solari stayed with her dogs KAHULUI, Hawaii; ANGELS CAMP, California––Neuter/return cat trapper Alfred M. Kailihiwa, 71, of Waihee, Hawaii, allegedly murdered on August 6, 2026, and German shepherd breeder Susan Solari, 70, of Angel’s Camp, California, a wildfire victim reported dead the same day, […]
Tommy was a good dog today: the heartbreak of behavioral euthanasia
by Beth Clifton We made the difficult but necessary decision to end Tommy’s eight-year life today. This morning Tommy woke up hungry and happy. That boy could eat! Tommy was a mix, but definitely had Great Dane and hound in him. Two veterinary clinics we visited with him agreed that he weighed just over 100 […]
Martha Lillard, 73 years in an iron lung, warned against vaccine resistance
Martha Lillard worked on behalf of beagle rescue, & to encourage vaccination of both dogs and humans SHAWNEE, Oklahoma––Martha Lillard, 78, a longtime Pottawatomie County Humane Society online volunteer, a strong advocate for vaccination of both people and dogs, and the last known U.S. polio victim to spend most of her life in an iron […]
Naked Ape author Desmond Morris, 98, helped to shape AR movement
Desmond Morris’ ideas helped to form “animal rights” arguments, but Morris stood apart from the cause LONDON, U.K.––Naked Ape author Desmond Morris, 98, an influence upon and fellow traveler with the animal rights movement for much of his life, but at odds with vegans and vegetarians, died on April 19, 2026, in Naas, County Kildare, […]
In memoriam: Mark Bittner, Edward Hoagland, Anthony McAllister
Parrot man, writer, and activist Mark Bittner, 74, who died on March 1, 2026, and Edward Hoagland, 93, who died on February 17, 2026, were both known to millions and are remembered for their unique insights into animal and human relationships. Anthony McAllister, 36, killed in a March 22, 2026 motorcycle accident, was known mostly […]
Orangutan rescuer Biruté Galdikas, last of “Leakey’s Angels,” dies at 79
Born a “displaced person,” Biruté Galdikas spent her life aiding & advocating for displaced orangutans LOS ANGELES––Orangutan researcher, rescuer, and conservationist Biruté Galdikas, 79, died on March 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, after a prolonged illness. “Born in Germany, on May 10, 1946, while her parents were en route from Lithuania to Canada,” as displaced […]
Six recent animal advocate deaths of note
New York City veterinarian Ashraf Hussein, Alabama humane officer Mary Stanley Mosely Mansour, California broadcaster Jerry Cesak, sanctuary founder JP Novic, and eagle advocate Sandy Steers, as well as Canadian bee expert Sheila Rafaela Colla Vet died on the job Ashraf Hussein, DVM, 56, died from carbon monoxide poisoning inside the Low Cost Vet Mobile […]
Syed Abulbar Rizvi, 92, linked Islamic & western animal advocacy
Syed Rizvi, a founding member of PETA, also founded Engineers & Scientists for Animal Rights Syed Abulbar Rizvi, 92, founder of Engineers & Scientists for Animal Rights, a longtime leading link between the animal advocacy communities of Pakistan and those of the west, and a leading voice for animals within Islam, died in his sleep […]
Five little noted but accomplished animal advocates who died in 2025
Marshall R. Thompson, Jamie Massey, Sarah Fisher, Neil C. Wolff, DVM, and Vincent van der Merwe Among the many accomplished animal advocates whose passage in the last months of 2025 mostly escaped notice from all but family and friends were Marshall R. Thompson, Jamie Massey, Sarah Fisher, Neil C. Wolff, DVM, and Vincent van der […]