ANIMAL WELFARE FUND
Impact Overview
March – June 2026
Over four months, the Animal Welfare Fund portfolio advanced animal protection through legislative victories, corporate accountability campaigns, direct rescue efforts, and scientific innovation. Together, participating nonprofits strengthened legal protections for animals, expanded rescue and disaster response programs, accelerated alternative protein research, and drove global progress toward more humane systems.
NONPROFITS
WHAT MOVED
Themes Across The Portfolio
Six threads tie the quarter’s work together. Expand any theme for the detail behind it.
Animal Rescue & Disaster Response
Organizations provided direct protection and care for animals affected by cruelty, disasters, and exploitation. Humane World for Animals rescued dogs from dogfighting operations and slaughterhouses, delivered veterinary care following natural disasters, and supported animals in crisis worldwide.
Legislative & Legal Advocacy
The portfolio achieved major legal milestones, including Iowa becoming the 50th state to classify first-offense animal torture as a felony, Maryland’s advancement of animal research protections, Colorado’s puppy mill sales ban, and progress toward foie gras and octopus farming restrictions.
Corporate Animal Welfare Campaigns
Mercy For Animals expanded corporate accountability by securing Ahold Delhaize’s cage-free egg commitment across 2,000+ stores, publishing its Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard, and continuing campaigns encouraging companies to improve animal welfare standards.
Alternative Protein Research & Food Innovation
The Good Food Institute strengthened the alternative protein ecosystem by surpassing $24 million in research grants across 129 projects in 25 countries, supporting scientific advancement, industry growth, and sustainable food innovation.
International Animal Protection
Humane World for Animals advanced global campaigns against animal cruelty, including a 700,000-signature petition calling for an end to the dog and cat meat trade and efforts to close slaughterhouses and improve protections worldwide.
Wild Animal Welfare Research
Wild Animal Initiative expanded the emerging field of wild animal welfare science by selecting 13 research projects from 400 proposals, supporting research that improves understanding of animal suffering and conservation outcomes.
THE RECORD
Key Milestones
In reverse chronological order, from June to March.
MONTH BY MONTH
Monthly Snapshots
Expand each month for its highlights.
June 2026
At A Glance: June closed the quarter with continued progress in animal protection legislation, research investment, and global rescue efforts.
13 research projects selected by Wild Animal Initiative from 400 proposals.
New York advanced a ban on octopus farming with Animal Legal Defense Fund support.
Humane World for Animals rescued 9 dogs from a Yulin slaughterhouse.
Mercy For Animals published its fifth Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard ranking 46 companies.
May 2026
At A Glance: May showcased the portfolio’s ability to combine direct rescue, legal advocacy, corporate campaigns, and scientific advancement to create measurable change.
$24M+ awarded through Good Food Institute’s Research Grant Program.
34 dogs rescued from a suspected dogfighting operation.
700,000+ signatures delivered supporting an end to the dog and cat meat trade.
Iowa became the 50th state to classify first-offense animal torture as a felony.
April 2026
At A Glance: April brought significant legislative victories and expanded investment in animal protection, research, and sustainable food innovation.
Maryland’s animal research protections became law.
Colorado became the 9th state to ban pet store puppy sales.
New York City’s foie gras ban moved forward after years of litigation.
Good Food Institute released its 2026 State of the Industry reports.
March 2026
At A Glance: March highlighted major advocacy wins, corporate accountability efforts, and direct rescue operations across animal welfare and food system organizations.
Ahold Delhaize committed to cage-free eggs across 2,000+ stores.
Humane World for Animals closed a dog meat slaughterhouse in Indonesia.
Good Food Institute marked 10 years of alternative protein innovation.
Animal Legal Defense Fund mobilized 100,000+ petition signers opposing harmful animal agriculture practices.
This impact analysis is generated by our partner Daffodil using AI to help you understand the collective effectiveness of your portfolio. If you have any questions about this report or would like to discuss these insights further, please don’t hesitate to reply back to this email.