This ANIMALS 24-7 guest column originally appeared as the September 1, 2026 installment of author Ed Boks’ own blog, Animal Politics with Ed Boks. Boks may be reached at animalpolitics8@gmail.com. Ed Boks’ resumé in animal welfare includes having headed the animal control departments in Maricopa County, Arizona; New York City; Los Angeles; and Yavapai County, […]
Is your allegiance to movement leadership or those you serve? by Ed Duvin
Choose wisely, as homeless animals have no choice. Editor’s note: ANIMALS 24-7 guest columnist Ed Duvin began his long career in social justice movements in civil rights and anti-poverty work during the Lyndon Johnson presidential administration. He later advised animal advocacy organizations including the Humane Society of the U.S., the No-Kill Conference, and In […]
Two-year-old girl maimed for life by cop’s K9, but nobody pays for her care
Father injured too, but Colorado liability limit keeps lawyers from taking their case CASTLE ROCK, Colorado––The injustice to victims inherent in current dog bite and civil liability law has seldom been more blatantly illustrated than in the case of Nicholas and Lily Dean, father and daughter, spotlighted by Michael Abeyta for CBS Colorado on […]
Where do the Democratic Socialists of America stand on animal issues?
Activist, author, & Slaughter-Free America blogger Jon Hochschartner looks for answers ANIMALS 24-7 preface: Founded in 1982, but emerging only recently as a leading political influence on the U.S. national scene, the Democratic Socialists of America campaign in primary elections and caucus in elected office as Democrats. Yet, drawing distinct lines between themselves and traditional […]
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 […]
Save Our Pigs! Guest column by Lewis Bollard
The pork lobby is one farm bill away from gutting our strongest farm animal welfare laws Lewis Bollard heads the Farm Animal Welfare Program at Open Philanthropy. Lewis Bollard’s ANIMALS 24-7 guest column, below, was originally posted to Bollard’s own Substack blog, ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Narrow aim, wider reach Last Thursday, April 30, 2026, the U.S. House of […]
Make cruelty unprofitable again, by Lewis Bollard
How to crack the cruelty collective action problem Lewis Bollard heads the Farm Animal Welfare Program at Open Philanthropy. Lewis Bollard’s ANIMALS 24-7 guest column, below, originally posted to Bollard’s own Substack blog, spotlights a situation in the United Kingdom paralleling what would happen in the United States if U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee […]
What animal advocates owe to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Leading influence on rise of animal rights movement Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968, in whose honor we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, never had any visible direct involvement with animals or animal issues––but he was profoundly influenced by several African-American evangelists who were animal advocates. (See Four black leaders who built the […]
“No kill”: Still stumbling in the dark after all these years, by Ed Duvin
Metrics of misery: a flawed live release rate Editor’s note: ANIMALS 24-7 guest columnist Ed Duvin, often called “The Father of the No-Kill Movement” for his widely distributed 1989 essay In the Name of Mercy, wrote in that essay, “If our movement spent as much time soberly evaluating our policies and programs as we do […]
Mute swans & trumpeter swans: bird artist Barry Kent Mackay testifies
“The trumpeter swans where I live, in southern Ontario, associate with non-native mute swans” Barry Kent Mackay, a friend for 47 years, a longtime colleague on the animals and nature news beat, and among the senior animal advocates in Canada, also happens to be a distinguished ornithological painter with an especially strong fondness for waterfowl. […]