From California to Gorontalo, Indonesia, wins for animals were everywhere in 2025. As we look ahead to what is possible in 2026, let us also take a moment to celebrate the monumental compassionate changes advocates like you ushered in over the past twelve months.
The Dog and Cat Meat Trade
(Lady Freethinker Investigation/Ben Jackel)
The fight for dogs and cats in slaughterhouses isn’t over, but the end is finally in sight.
While our advocacy in Southeast Asia continues, huge strides were made for dogs and cats in Indonesia in 2025. Lady Freethinker successfully negotiated an end to the dog and cat meat trade in Gorontalo, Indonesia. We were pleased to see that Jakarta, Indonesia also banned dog and cat meat this past year, thanks to efforts by Dog Meat Free Indonesia. If this momentum continues, a national ban is likely on the horizon.
Keep it going: We hope to see similar momentum in Vietnam in 2026. Sign our petitions to end the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam and to encourage Los Angeles to adopt the Sister City designation with Hanoi.
Online Animal Cruelty
Representative Image (Edwin Butter/Adobe Stock)
New laws bring hope for more successful prosecutions of sick animal torturers in 2026 and beyond.
Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates were the first to expose online monkey torture groups in 2021 and continue to fight to end this horrific phenomenon. At least 19 individuals were prosecuted this year for their involvement in monkey torture groups, with sentences ranging from two to four years in prison. We are thrilled to see courts taking these heinous crimes seriously.
We expect additional prosecutions in 2026 as new, inventive laws take hold. Following an unfathomable animal cruelty case, Bulgaria increased penalties for animal cruelty committed for profit, for filming, and for distribution. In the United States, a new Oregon law criminalizing certain forms of digital animal cruelty went into effect this year following the prosecution of a monkey “hater” in that state in 2024. Though these laws are the first of their kind in the European Union and the United States, we hope to see similar laws passed in other states and countries in the years to come.
Keep it going: Telegram continues to be the biggest source of baby monkey torture videos. Sign our petition to demand the removal of animal torture groups and content from the platform.
Puppy Mills
Lady Freethinker Investigation
“Adopt, Don’t Shop” took on a whole new meaning in 2025, with major cities banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores around the United States.
As our 2025 investigative report into Pennsylvania puppy mills revealed, breeding facilities harm thousands of animals per year by prioritizing profit over welfare. Worse still, every animal purchased at a pet store funds this cruelty. Recognizing this connection, Detroit and Madison joined several cities this year in banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores, while other cities, including Denver and Las Vegas, went even further by banning the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet stores. West Hollywood took a ban nearly all the way by banning most live animal sales within its borders.
Keep it going: Dogs in puppy mills need protection through federal oversight. Sign our petition urging U.S. lawmakers to pass the Better CARE for Animals Act, which will expand the ability of the U.S. Department of Justice to take action against puppy mill operators.
Fur
Times Square Billboard (Lady Freethinker)
With advocates, governments, and fashion insiders aligned, the cruel, outdated fur industry is on its way out.
Poland officially banned fur this year, and the European Union added American mink to its list of “invasive alien species,” which will end the keeping, breeding, and farming of American mink when it takes effect in August 2027. Though American policy has a way to go to catch up to what’s being achieved in Europe, the U.S. fashion and media industries made it clear that fur is not fashion. Conde-Nast finally banned fur in editorials and advertising, as did Hearst Magazines. Fur was even banned from runways at New York Fashion Week, where last year we sponsored our “Fur = Cruelty” billboard in Times Square.
Keep it going: Despite demonstrations and ongoing pressure from advocates, Berluti continues to profit off the cruelty of fur. Sign our petition to tell Berluti that it’s time to drop fur for good.
Animal Experimentation
Representative Image (unoL/Shutterstock)
Some of this year’s biggest wins were for animals in labs around the world.
The United States government began phase-outs of animal testing in most federal agencies, prioritized human-based research methods, and defunded horrifying experiments on dogs and monkeys. The United Kingdom announced its own plan to phase out animal testing, while Ontario, Canada announced legislation to eliminate testing on dogs and cats, and the Dutch parliament voted to phase out funding for primate experiments. As we previously reported, animal testing fails humans and non-humans alike, and we are ecstatic to see policy finally catching up with science and compassion.
Keep it going: Though animal testing is reduced, animals are still being used in experiments in the U.S. Sign our petition to pass the SPARE Act, which would help former lab animals find homes instead of losing their lives.
Thank you for speaking out for animals in 2025. Your actions are making change. We look forward to continued progress in 2026 and are so grateful to have you by our side, making the world more compassionate for all beings!
