In the animal protection world, there are many acronyms for very influential agencies and organizations. In this blog, we will attempt to explain some nuts and bolts of one such organization—The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

World Animal Net is pleased to share the news that three EU Member States have issued a joint declaration to improve animal welfare through a number of means. In the declaration, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to pool their activities to improve animal welfare, and “urge the EU Member States and European Commission to acknowledge the need for better regulation, better animal welfare, and to promote awareness, EU-standards and knowledge.”

For more than a decade, World Animal Net’s Constitution Project has aimed to promote the inclusion of animal protection in the world’s constitutions. We are pleased to release an updated and improved constitutions section on our website which includes a new and extensive listing of constitutional provisions impacting animals. It is our hope that this resource will be of use to organizations and scholars in their work to advocate for and analyze constitutional provisions impacting animals.

As 2014 comes to a close, we at WAN recognize that there is much work to do to make the world a better place for animals in 2015 and beyond – see our Twelve Wishes for 2015. At the same time we are thrilled to celebrate tremendous victories for animals in all corners of the globe. Many of these victories came about after the tireless efforts of the animal protection community that we are dedicated to serving. Our top picks are below:

It’s always inspiring to see professionals from a variety of fields coming together to achieve positive results for animals. That’s why I was more than enthused to attend the 3rd Annual Animal Abuse Summit in my community.