Some good news for animals (and for animal lovers too)! While the federal government has launched an unprecedented number of attacks on animal welfare in 2025, two recent victories for animals are worth celebrating.

A Massachusetts law that banned the extreme confinement of farm animals has been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals. The ballot question, known as “Question 3” was passed in 2016 with the support of 77.7% of the vote. This landmark victory ensured that mother pigs, laying hens, and calves raised for veal would have enough room to stand up, turn around, and spread their limbs. It also prohibits the sale of products in Massachusetts that are from animals who are raised in extreme confinement, either in or outside of the state.

The National Pork Producers Council has challenged this popular law several times, and they have lost every court case. Most recently, the First Circuit U.S. Court of appeals rejected the pork industry’s claims, upheld the law, and affirmed that the confinement bans are both constitutional and are not preempted by federal law. This recent court victory affirms the previous decision from the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, as well as victories on similar attacks to Prop 12, an extreme confinement ban in the state of California.

FOUR PAWS is a member of the coalition that passed the Question 3 law in Massachusetts, as well as extreme confinement bans in other states, and we are very pleased that the courts have made the decision to protect farm animal welfare and uphold the will of the people.

A major victory for endangered species also took place this past September when the House of Representatives’ “Big Extinction Bill” (H.R. 4754) failed to advance. The delay of this vote allows the Endangered Species Act to stand without alteration, which is very good news for wildlife protection. This success occurred, in part, because of advocacy efforts amongst many animal welfare and environmental protection groups, including FOUR PAWS, who all worked together as a coalition to protect the Endangered Species Act against threats like bill H.R.4754.

The so-called “Big Extinction Bill” would have undermined the Endangered Species Act and harmed wildlife such as grizzly bears, wolves, and prairie birds. This bill contained what are known as “poison pill riders,” which are latched onto government funding bills, though these “riders” do not actually affect government funding. It is a trick that elected officials sometimes use to pass unpopular legislation without allowing for actual debate on the subject.

The poison pill riders in H.R. 4754 contained twenty-four provisions that would have harmed wildlife. These included several riders which would remove protections for endangered species and other wildlife, as well as opening up protected habitat for land development and fossil fuel extraction, and rolling back regulation of air pollution, pesticide use, and forest destruction.  Thankfully, Senate bill S.2431, which would fund the Department of the Interior and did pass out of committee in July, does not contain the same dangerous poison pill riders that were included in House bill H.R. 4754. The Senate bill is the one Congress should pass; however, it cannot be pursued until the federal government shutdown has ended.

By delaying the advancement of the harmful House bill and supporting the Senate bill instead, we have collectively shown the power of advocacy and the importance of everyday people raising their voices to stand up for what is right. The fight is not yet over, but this crucial victory shows that wildlife protection is popular across the political spectrum, and that even in the time of polarization and government disfunction, victory is in fact possible.  We will continue to stand with our supporters and advocates across our coalition to fight back against attacks on animals, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support!