In the News

📍 WCPT 820 – Sep 24 2025
Chew's Views With Richard Chew
Interview with Richard Chew – starts at 23:50

📍 FOLIO Weekly – August 22, 2025
Ban or Preserve? The Ongoing Controversy Surrounding St. Augustine’s Horse Carriages
Animal-rights activists argue that St. Augustine’s horse-drawn carriages expose horses to dangerous heat, scorching pavement, and stressful traffic conditions that can’t be made humane. They say the tradition is an outdated tourist attraction maintained at the expense of the animals’ safety and well-being.

📍 Chicago Tribune – June 24, 2025

Activist group continues its ‘Walk for Spur’ the giant tortoise at pet store in Lincolnwood. But the owner is over it: ‘I don’t engage them’
Activists rallied in Chicago (and nearby Lincolnwood) demanding the release of Spur — an endangered African spurred tortoise held for decades in a tiny, cement‑tiled display at a pet store, deprived of sunlight, proper ground, and the space needed to roam or dig.

They argue keeping Spur in those conditions — with no access to natural habitat, fresh air, or species‑appropriate care — is cruel and violates local ordinances banning the keeping of wild animals.

📍 IDA - In Defense of Animals – June 5, 2025
MEDIA RELEASE: Marchers Urge Mayor to End Illegal Imprisonment of Endangered Tortoise in Lincolnwood
"In Defense of Animals and Chicago Alliance for Animals rallied in Lincolnwood on Friday to demand freedom for Spur..."

📍 In Defense of Animals – May 23, 2025

Chicago: Walk for Spur the Imprisoned Sulcata Tortoise on Friday
Activists organized a march in Chicago’s Lincolnwood to call attention to Spur — an African Sulcata tortoise who has spent roughly 35 years confined in a small, tiled display case at The Animal Store, deprived of sunlight, fresh air, and any opportunity to roam, dig, or engage in natural behaviors. IDA USA
The event—organized by Chicago Alliance for Animals (CAA) together with advocates — urged local officials to enforce an existing ordinance banning the sale and keeping of wild animals, and demanded that Spur be sent to a sanctuary where she can live with dignity.

📍 CBS News Chicago – June 3, 2025
Alarming video shows dog being dragged from minivan on Chicago's Eisenhower Expressway
A horrifying video shows a dog being dragged on a leash behind a minivan along the outbound lanes of Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) in Chicago — with horrified bystanders waving, honking, and yelling while the dog was clearly in distress.
Animal-welfare advocates — including Chicago Alliance for Animals — say the dog likely suffered fatal injuries, calling the incident “intentional cruelty” and urging witnesses to call 911 if they see such abuse.

📍 UNCHAINEDTV – April 14, 2025
Shocking Rodeo Abuse: Illinois Under Fire for Steer Tailing Events
The video documents what critics call horrific cruelty during “steer‑tailing” rodeos in Illinois: riders chase down steers, grab their tails, wrap the tails around their legs, and violently drag or slam the animals to the ground — often causing broken bones, tail‑bone stripping (“degloving”), and other serious injuries.
Advocates including Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) argue these events repeatedly violate animal‑welfare laws and call on state lawmakers and law enforcement to enforce bans and end steer‑tailing competitions.

📍 Heartland Signal – January 31, 2025

Joan Esposito: Live, Local & Progressive
Joan Esposito interviews animal‑welfare advocates about ongoing campaigns in Illinois, including Chicago Alliance for Animals’ efforts to expose cruelty in horse‑drawn carriages, steer‑tailing rodeos, and other exploitative practices. The discussion emphasizes how investigative reporting and local activism can shine a light on abuse, inform the public, and encourage stronger animal‑protection laws.

📍 Block Club Chicago – March 13, 2025

Should Chicago Ban Fur? Proposal Puts Animal Rights Activists And Small Businesses At Odds

"Animal rights advocates push for a citywide ban on the sale of new fur products, citing the cruelty of the fur trade and growing support for cruelty-free fashion."

📍 Chicago Sun Times - WBEZ Chicago – March 12, 2025

Put animal welfare first and ban fur sales in Chicago

Activists and animal-welfare supporters urge the Chicago City Council to ban fur sales in the city, arguing that fur production involves cruel conditions — wild animals confined in cramped, unsanitary sheds, suffering lifelong misery and being ultimately killed for fashion. They say continuing to allow fur sales means condoning that suffering and call on Chicago to adopt humane, modern alternatives.

📍 WTTW – January 15, 2025

Cook County Forest Preserves Gets Humane Society’s Stamp of Approval for Animal Ambassador Program

The Humane Society’s endorsement has raised concerns among animal advocates, who question whether any program that keeps wild animals in captivity for public display can truly be considered “humane.” The certification highlights the need for greater scrutiny and transparency in animal-related programming — and sparks important conversations about what real compassion for animals looks like.

📍 Talking Animals – October 30, 2024
Jodie Wiederkehr, Founder-Executive Director of the Chicago Alliance for AnimalsJodie Wiederkehr, founder and executive director of Chicago Alliance for Animals, describes how the group launched its first campaign — targeting horse-drawn carriages — by documenting violations of animal-welfare regulations, such as overwork, heat stress, and lack of rest periods. Their research and advocacy persuaded a city alderperson to introduce legislation to ban carriage rides — illustrating how grassroots activism can translate into concrete policy change for animal protection.

📍 WBEZ Chicago – October 4, 2024
Zoo Vets Create Groundbreaking Animal Radiology Database
A new medical imaging database for zoo animals marks progress in veterinary care — but also raises important ethical conversations about keeping wild animals in captivity.

📍 CBS News – November 1, 2024
Pigeon Trapping in Niles Sparks Outrage Among Animal Advocates
Video footage of dozens of pigeons being trapped in a suburban parking lot drew sharp criticism from animal protection groups concerned about the methods and lack of humane oversight.

📍 Block Club Chicago – March 12, 2025
Chicago City Council Votes Down Fur Ban Proposal
Despite strong support from animal rights activists, a proposed fur ban was rejected by City Council. Advocates vow to continue fighting to end the sale of new fur products in Chicago.

📍 Chicago Tribune – June 28, 2024
Opinion: Chicago Leadership Needs to Prioritize Compassionate Policies
In this letter to the editor, a veteran calls on local leaders to embrace policies that reflect compassion, integrity, and justice — values that also drive the animal advocacy movement.

📍 Spectrum News – July 28, 2022

Rocky the Illinois Coyote Gets Larger Enclosure — But Advocates Know It’s Not Enough
Rocky, a lone coyote kept for years on public display in suburban Chicago, is getting a slightly larger enclosure — but remains without a companion, natural environment, or real freedom. Advocates say his continued pacing signals severe stress, and call for his release to a true wild animal sanctuary where he could finally live with dignity, space, and the chance to be among his own kind.

📍 WTTW – July 24, 2019
Chicago Advocates Promote ‘Anti-Horse Carriage’ Pedicabs as Ethical Alternative
With slogans like “Save a Horse, Ride a Bike,” local animal advocates sponsored pedicabs to raise awareness about the cruelty of horse-drawn carriages in downtown Chicago.

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Letters to the Editor

Aldermen should follow through to limit horse carriage rides

Like in Montreal, ban horse-drawn carriages

Fair Oaks Farms just tip of iceberg on animal abuse in dairy industry

Animal experiments need public scrutiny

Animal treatment fosters disease

Montreal just passed a one-year ban on horse-drawn carriages. I applaud Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre for his forward thinking and hope he will make the ban permanent. I also urge Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and the City Council to do the same in Chicago. There may have been a time when horses in big cities made sense, but that is no longer the case. Forcing these majestic animals to walk on hard or icy pavement in extreme temperatures, breathe exhaust fumes and deal with erratic, honking taxis, buses and cars and walking [_] is indefensible. It is no way of life. Nobody wants people to lose their jobs, but no one should make a living off the suffering of animals. Proponents of the horse carriages will talk of romance and history, but as someone who loves to travel, I am saddened when I see horse carriages. Animal welfare plays a big role in how I, and many others, spend tourist dollars. The Chicago Alliance for Animals has an online petition with more than 5,000 signatures to ban horse-drawn carriages in Chicago and has gotten hundreds of signatures in person over the last year at our monthly educational outreach demonstrations. We talk with many locals and tourists alike who tell us they don’t like seeing the horses suffering in the street. Recently, the notion of Israel and the cities of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Asheville, North Carolina, have ended this archaic practice, as have many other progressive cities. Chicago should join these compassionate locales and be a leader in animal protection. Jodie Wiederkehr, Chicago Alliance for Animals

Fair Oaks Farms and Fairlife, your apologies aren't worth much. If you are truly sorry for what happened to the calves and cows on your farms, exposed by Animal Recovery Mission, you would get out of the dairy industry completely. Dairy is synonymous with animal suffering. Mike McCloskey and Mike Saint John, if you care about animal welfare at all, you would upgrade your business model to producing plant-based milk, which is a booming industry. I'm pretty certain you are unwilling to do that, so I would hope you would at least make your farms a bit more humane by keeping babies with their mothers and not confining calves to isolated, barren crates. Can you imagine a human baby forced to be all alone without their mother? At the very least, your companies should install security cameras, so the public can see how your employees handle the animals you profit from and to ensure that this type of disgusting terror never happens again. If dairies are unwilling to take these proactive steps, their apologies will fall on deaf ears. Animal abuse is inherent in animal agriculture and happens every single day, despite farms such as Fair Oaks promoting compassionate family farming. It's just rare that such an in-depth investigation gets such widespread media attention. Jodie Wiederkehr, Chicago Alliance for Animals

Now that the bill to limit horse carriages in St. Louis has passed out of committee, the Chicago Alliance for Animals strongly urges the rest of the Board of Aldermen to ignore state legislators and pass this ordinance ("State moves to block St. Louis' curbs on horse carriage rides." Jan. 31). There are countless reasons why horse carriages should be relegated to the history books, and neither tradition nor romance are good enough reasons to keep them. Just recently, the operator of a Texas carriage horse outfit lost her life, as did her horse, when an SUV crashed into her carriage. As many may know, there have been several serious accidents in St. Louis as well, including when Cash, the horse, dashed into freezing waters and drowned. If any passengers had drowned with him, a ban would have likely passed shortly thereafter. More than 60 businesses have officially endorsed our Chicago campaign to ban horse carriages with more coming in every day. Those who want to see animals protected and not abused are not a vocal minority of opponents like the horse carriage industry wants the public to believe. Times and attitudes have progressed, and the majority of society no longer approves of animals being exploited for profit. I visited St. Louis in July and I love the city. I'm just one of millions who does not want to see horses suffering in your streets when I come to town for a Cardinals/Cubs game. Jodie Wiederkehr • Chicago

Regarding the article, "UNC-owned animal research facility showing improvement," Mr. Lowman's statement, "We have created a facility that should once again, with the completion of our wastewater system this spring, fade into obscurity again as a very quiet place where we are doing good research and should not, we hope, be bothering the neighbors," is very telling. That is exactly what animal experimenters want – to be hidden from public view or scrutiny. Regardless if you care about the lives of these 200 dogs, animal experimentation is flawed because social animals live very unnatural lives in cages, in artificial light and in constant fear of the next painful procedure. This can lead to stress, compromised immune systems, boredom, self-mutilation, depression, aggressive behavior, decreased motivation and a whole host of other issues which can then lead to inaccurate scientific results. Humans who develop disease have very personal, individual experiences. Diet, traumatic experiences, abuse, family history, race, gender, use of pharmaceutical or recreational drugs, alcohol and cigarettes and many other factors influence how one gets disease. Trying to genetically create artificial disease in a dog, cat or any other species will not give us accurate answers. Epidemiology studies, prevention and progressive technology will. UNC, it's time to get transparent about your animal experiments. Please let the public know what you are doing to help those with heart disease and blood disorders, what happens to the dogs after their service is over and how much your researchers get paid with public tax dollars. Jodie Wiederkehr Center for ethical science Published January 21, 2014 in Letters, Opinion

Why do diseases like coronavirus, mad cow disease, bird flu, swine fever, foot and mouth disease, anthrax and salmonella emerge? Answer: The mass breeding, intense confinement, horrific slaughtering and eating of animals. It's not rocket science how much filth is involved in the extreme confinement of billions of animals and then the violent butchering of them. Then, there's the immense amount of chemicals and water needed to clean up the feces, blood, vomit, urine, pus, skin, bones, hooves, teeth, feathers, etc. This enormous waste must then be disposed of, which often ends up in our soil, groundwater, lakes, rivers and oceans. If we want a safer world from disease and climate change, we must embrace health and compassion, and animal agriculture is the opposite of both. –Jodie Wiederkehr, Chicago Alliance for Animals

THE MOLINE DISPATCH

THE DAILY TAR HEEL

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

CORONAVIRUS IN ILLINOIS UPDATES

There are alternatives
to dissection of animals

As the new school year approaches, the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), headquartered in Chicago, would like to remind students and teachers of the Student Choice Law in Illinois. Illinois lawmakers wisely understood that elementary and secondary school students should have a right to choose an alternative method to the dissection of animals in their study of the life sciences without fear of retribution. While many students have long objected to causing harm to any animal in the course of their studies, under this law, students can now learn without compromising their ethics or their science education. Fortunately, more and more teachers are discovering many advantages to the innovative educational tools available today. NAVS has established the largest free lending library of alternatives to dissection in the country. Designed to assist students, teachers and school administrators, the NAVS Dissection Alternatives Loan Program consists of an extensive collection of alternatives including software, models and videos that are loaned free-of-charge. Please visit www.navs.org or call 1-800-888-NAVS for more information. Jodie Wiederkehr, coordinator NAVS dissection alternatives loan program NAVS

It would be nice if the priorities of our elected officials and presidential wannabes included finding solutions to the real problems Americans face such as creating jobs, protecting Medicare and our seniors, providing health care for all, decreasing our thirst for foreign oil, ending violence in our communities, preventing the epidemics of cancer and heart disease, etc. Yet, Donald Trump's main objective lately has been to get the public to focus on Obama's birthplace. By fear-mongering and draw- ing attention away from the real issues, conservatives know they will get the ignorant and narrow-minded vote in 2012. Jodie Wiederkehr, Lake View

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Trumped up nonsense hides issues

THE READER

ST LOUIS TODAY

Jodle Wiederkehr Brighton, Mass. I always find it so interesting that whenever there is a question of animal abuse or a violation of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rules, Cindy Schonholtz and the rest of the PRCA constantly refers to their 20-page report on animal welfare and its animal welfare program that has been around for 25 years. I guess the public should be comforted in the fact that the violation in question simply didn't happen because the PRCA has guidelines. Anyone with half a brain can see through these cowboys' lies. The following quotes from the WTE article, "Hot-Shot use at CFD challenged," reveal exactly how these macho men see and treat their beloved stock. Use of the Hot-Shot at least "gets everyone out of the chute safe," she said. (Cindy Schonholtz) I could hit them with a stick or poke them - I could poke holes in 'em, but that would hurt 'em. Or, I could just touch 'em with the Hot-Shot. (Chad Burch) "If you draw a piece of junk, you say no, and you can get a re-ride," Jamie Willert said. It doesn't matter if the PRCA's animal welfare policies were etched in gold, cowboys will always abuse the animals because without the electric prods, tail twisting and raking, hitting, kicking, ear pulling, etc., there simply would be no animals bucking out of the chutes and therefore, no rodeo.

WYOMING TRIBUNE-EAGLE

Cowboys will always
abuse their animals

Thank you, Oprah Winfrey, for doing a show on veganism! But toward the end of the show, Winfrey responded to her vegan guest's reasons for her diet by saying that, based on reporter Lisa Ling's visit to a Cargill meatpacking plant, the animals are slaughtered humanely there. It's important to note that Cargill wouldn't let Winfrey's staffers film the slaughter of the cows, nor did anyone tell the audience why Cargill would not. One reason is because the bolt gun, which is supposed to render the animals brain dead, doesn't always work successfully. This means that animals are slaughtered and skinned while fully conscious, which does happen. We just don't know to what degree because they won’t let us see. And they don't want you to see the terror in the eyes of your future steak. Chicago's own Mercy for Animals has investigated many slaughterhouses and factory farms and documented numerous acts of abuse, cruelty and suffering. Although I truly appreciate Winfrey for taking on this issue, the cruelty of meat production is still very hidden. The public should see and hear the undercover footage that Cargill and every other slaughterhouse desperately doesn't want you to see or hear. Jodie Wiederkehr, Lake View