Saving Her Starts With You
We provide legal defense for animals
and education for all.
Litigation for Animal Welfare is a legal defense, investigative, and education fund dedicated to protecting animals through strategic litigation, advocacy, and public education. Committed to enforcing and strengthening animal protection laws, the organization provides legal representation or referral in cases of animal cruelty, exploitation, and neglect, while also working to advance policies that promote animal welfare. Through public awareness and education campaigns and legal training, Litigation for Animal Welfare empowers advocates, attorneys, and communities to establish and defend the rights and well-being of animals nationwide.
But we cannot achieve our goals alone. Find out how you can help.
An estimated 10 million animals die from abuse or cruelty every year in the United States alone.
We believe that ending animal abuse begins with recognizing and safeguarding their rights.
Litigation for Animal Welfare, a nonprofit legal defense and education fund, is committed to protecting animals through strategic litigation and targeted education programs. We also offer free litigation strategy and training for lawyers handling animal protection cases, guidance to advocates and activists working on animal rights legislation, and support for rescues with resources that promote animal welfare and transparency.
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Litigation for Animal Welfare is dedicated to advancing the cause of animal rights through strategic legal action. We handle high-impact cases of national importance, connecting compassionate animal stewards with local legal representation and offering vital education on animal welfare issues.
Our mission is to protect animals who face unjust legal challenges, including those wrongfully labeled as dangerous to those suffering from neglect, abuse, or abandonment. Through our tireless efforts, we seek justice for animals at risk of execution, hoarding situations, and other forms of mistreatment.
By supporting Litigation for Animal Welfare, you are not only providing these vulnerable creatures with fair representation but also championing the broader cause of animal justice. Your donation empowers us to defend the voiceless and foster a world where every animal receives the care, compassion, and protection they deserve. Together, we can make a lasting difference in the fight for animal welfare.
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For other recurring, monthly donation amounts or for quarterly, annual, or employer matching programs please contact us here.
NEWS
Dog Meat Trade Rescues
We have just completed an investigative white paper entitled:
The Chinese Dog Meat Rescue Scam
This exposes a growing global fraud in the animal welfare industry, where emotionally charged rescue narratives are used to solicit millions in donations under false pretenses. It uncovers how supposed "rescues" from China’s dog meat trade are often staged, how most Chinese rescue dogs are actually from the US, and how funds meant for urgent care and transport are misappropriated and used for founder’s luxury lifestyles.
Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with the CDC, airlines, legitimate Chinese rescues, financial audits, and whistleblower testimony, the paper reveals how a network of U.S.-based organizations have built lucrative operations with little transparency or accountability. This report is a call to action for donors, rescues, regulators, and the media to demand ethical reform and greater oversight in international rescue practices.
Read the white paper HERE
Investigations into specific Chinese Dog Meat Market Rescues are ongoing. If you have any information about a specific organization, please contact us, your anonymity can be protected. If you have adopted or fostered a dog from such an organization, sharing your adoption paperwork including CDC certifications and any transportation paperwork will help us to bring legal action against fraudulent rescue organizations.
SPCA Overreach Targets “Dangerous Breeds”
Litigation for Animal Welfare (LAW) is actively pursuing cases against the SPCA for what it sees as systemic overreach in the handling of dogs labeled as “dangerous breeds.” Frequently targeting pit bulls, mastiffs, and similar breeds, SPCA officers have seized family pets based on vague complaints and generalized breed assumptions rather than individual behavior or evidence of abuse.
UNCHECKED AUTHORITY: SPCA Overreach Targeting Breeds and Eroding Due Process
In numerous instances, dogs have been removed without prior warning or due process—often from loving homes—and euthanized before owners had any chance to respond legally. These seizures are frequently justified using loosely defined public safety concerns or minor care issues, such as a worn fence or a less-than-pristine water bowl. LAW contends that this pattern reflects a deeply troubling misuse of authority, and is working to hold the SPCA accountable through legal action.
Read the White Paper HERE
Declawing Bans Expand
The City Council in Evanston, Illinois has banned cat declawing, a procedure likened to amputating the last knuckle of a human finger. Declawing can cause lifelong medical and phycological issues for cats, including chronic pain, nerve damage, litterbox avoidance, and biting or other aggressions, all which lead to an increase in shelter surrenders and abandonment.
In 2019, New York became the first state to ban declawing, followed by Maryland, and Virginia. Dozens of other cities around the country have followed suit and even in areas where the practice isn’t legally banned, many veterinary clinics refuse to perform the procedure.
FUNDING USAGE
At Litigation for Animal Welfare, donations and grants are directly invested in defending and advocating for animals in need. Every dollar goes toward providing legal representation to animals at risk and promoting animal advocacy and education, ensuring their rights and lives are protected.
NO board member takes a salary, reflecting the team’s genuine commitment to this cause. Over 85% of all funds raised are allocated exclusively to the defense and care of animals and the promotion and education of animal rights initiatives, with less than 15% used for essential administrative costs.
Your contributions empower this vital work, helping animals escape unjust outcomes while fostering a society that values compassion and justice for all living beings.
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