2021 was a really big year for us at In Defense of Animals - not only for our team but also for the army of compassionate activists and donors who have made this work possible. Thank you for signing and sharing our Action Alerts, thank you for your generous gifts, and thank you for being part of this incredible community standing in defense of animals.

 

Arctic Animals & Endangered Species SAVED

We resisted attacks on the Endangered Species Act — and now five endangered species protections will be reinstated! Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is also suspended. Thanks to you, musk oxen, gray wolves, grizzly bears, polar bears, and 270 other at-risk species now have a chance for survival!

 

 

Dog Meat Victims Saved, Illegal Farm Shuttered!

With your caring support, we saved over 100 lives from the Korean dog meat trade in 2021! A collaboration between you, us, caring local residents, and our Korean rescue partners makes it all possible. Our happiest moment was rescuing 16 dogs from an illegal farm on the North Korean border... then shutting it down forever! We won’t stop until we ban the cruel dog and cat meat trade for good!

 

Wildlife-Killing Contests BANNED in Maryland!

Wildlife-killing contests — where people compete to see how many animals they can kill — are one of the most gruesome, deplorable acts imaginable. Animals are killed purely for fun and thrown out like trash. With your support and our advocacy system, we achieved results! Maryland residents called for an end to this horrific practice and local representatives passed a statewide law that bans wildlife killing contests!

 

An Unprecedented Number of Leading Fashion Brands Go Fur-Free!

The year 2021 may have been the best year ever for animal protection victories in the fashion industry! With your help, countless brands have gone fur-free, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Canada Goose, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Neiman Marcus, Balenciaga, and more. Your unrelenting wave of anti-fur activism even inspired our anti-fur ad with Ricky Gervais! 

 

Disney Cancels Development of a Film Glorifying Rodeo Violence

Perhaps no other entity on Earth has a greater cultural reach and influence than Disney. Like you, we were horrified when we learned that the company was working on a film glamorizing the excessively violent entertainment of steer roping. Over 13,000 of you made your voices heard and Disney announced the cancellation of the film a short while later!

 

60 Geese Saved From Death

Geese are relentlessly persecuted simply for leaving droppings behind and defending themselves. With your support, our National Goose Protection Coalition is achieving results! In 2021, over 45,000 actions were taken by In Defense of Animals supporters halting goose slaughters across different states!

 

Paul McCartney to the Rescue

We cannot let it be while species extinctions, pollution, extreme weather, and global warming cause havoc. With a little help from our friends, including Sir Paul McCartney, we urged world leaders to endorse the Plant Based Treaty to end animal agriculture and avert the climate crisis.

 

Justice Served... for Animals!

Our dynamo Doll Stanley is the real deal. From dawn until dusk she saves dogs starving on chains in the freezing cold, rescues puppies from dog fighting rings, and undertakes major multi-animal rescues with partners and law enforcement… and gets justice!

In the courts, Doll saw justice upheld for one of the most horrifying dogfighting cases we’ve ever seen. Intentionally-burned puppy Kora got a happy ending too — and got three years in jail for her abuser!

 

Our Shining Beacon of Hope for Animal in the Deep South

Your gifts have meant the difference between life and death for suffering animals in the Deep South at Hope Animal Sanctuary. You have fed hundreds of hungry mouths, healed wounds, and seen them off to their loving forever homes.

This year, our rescues included a 2-week-old kitten almost mown down by a tractor, and three orphaned baby opossums!

Our Fight Continues… Join Us To Save Animals in Need!

 

 

Fighting To Save the Iconic Tule Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore

Captive Tule elk suffered another long year of starvation and thirst. Trapped behind a huge fence, they remain cut off from adequate forage and water.

Your generous gifts have provided emergency water drops and newsworthy demonstrations. But the National Park Service is moving forward with rancher-backed plans to start shooting Tule elk!

These beautiful animals are barely hanging on.

Bay Area Cats in Trouble

Late last year, we discovered community cats were being shot in San Francisco’s East Bay. We put the East Bay Regional Park District in the spotlight and prevented cats from being killed this year… but we won’t be satisfied until they pledge “never again.”

The Worst Year for Wild Horses?

Some of the biggest ever roundups have taken place, causing misery and death even to beloved herds. Our Ginger Fedak is doubling down, working with Colorado government insiders and other influential wild equine activists nationally to protect mustangs and burros on their ancestral lands. We are making our presence felt!

Our Fight To End the Sickening Abuse of the Memphis Zoo Pandas

We are leading the campaign to free YaYa and LeLe from horrendous conditions in Memphis Zoo… but the zoo won’t give them up easily, and we need your continued support!

Elephant Exploiters Exposed

Our 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America for 2020 exposed the undeniable parallels between the global COVID-19 lockdowns to the life-long imprisonment of elephants in zoos. #1 on our list is African Lion Safari which has been closed for several months… help us push them to retire the elephants to accredited sanctuaries!

 

World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing

Thanks to your generous donations, In Defense of Animals was able to give the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars Campaign Leader Beth Pratt a check for $6,400 on the home stretch of a marathon fundraiser to build the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the world. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon will reconnect a long-fragmented ecosystem and help protect locally endangered mountain lions and other wild animals in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles, California.

Your generosity defends these animals!

As the year comes to a close, we’re working to secure enough funding to get us through 2022 and beyond! Please consider a year-end gift today of $25 or whatever you can afford. Together, we can continue improving the lives of animals everywhere.