Animal Welfare Institute

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. We advance our mission through strategically crafted political and legal advocacy, educational programs, litigation, research, and engagement with industry, policymakers, scientists, and other NGOs.

AWI seeks better treatment of animals everywhere—in the wild, in research, in agriculture, in commerce, and in our communities. AWI employs more than 30 staff and consultants located in our headquarters in Washington, DC, and remotely across the United States.

AWI is program oriented—more than 90 percent of our budget goes to support our programs to protect terrestrial and marine wildlife, farmed animals, animals in research, and companion animals. AWI is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in our culture, policies, and practices.