Mike Heymsfield

Public Relations Specialist for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. @ALDF protects the lives of animals through the legal system.
Email: [email protected]

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

If you are a #journalist and need an expert source on a story involving #animals and the #law, we can help! Email: [email protected]

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

Two 7-year-old white lion sisters who appeared to have been experiencing extreme untreated medical distress while being held at a TX roadside zoo, were moved to a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries facility for treatment. https://t.co/asiJtSg9DF

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY-12), with the support of 17 members of Congress, introduced a resolution endorsed by ALDF in the U.S. House of Representatives expressing opposition to the use of declawing for elective surgery in cats. https://t.co/34S20Rymlc

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"Environmental experts say that lack of governmental oversight into industrial animal agriculture, combined with rising temperatures caused by climate change, put these vulnerable communities at risk of various health problems." https://t.co/vVwfumkxrF

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

Discussion between @jsmithhopkins and colleagues at @insideclimate about the scale of the pollution factory farms cause, what it’s like to live near one of these facilities, and whether elected officials and policymakers are addressing these issues. https://t.co/bwofAjJIKz

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

Court ruled in favor of ALDF, denying defendants’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit against the USDA for issuing an exhibitor’s license under the Animal Welfare Act to Yellowstone Bear World, a facility with decades of known violations of state and federal law. https://t.co/ejLcaAO5Yd

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

ALDF + Earthjustice filed a lawsuit against the USDA under FOIA to compel the disclosure of records concerning its oversight of the Beef Checkoff program, which has funded promotional content with misleading claims about beef’s environmental impacts. https://t.co/hdvLxjqW6e

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"I’d say this is a prime opportunity to address this — to follow the science on why this species cannot be ethically or sustainably farmed,” says ALDF Legislative Affairs Manager Allison Ludtke. https://t.co/dQFvvtnN5L

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

The OCTOPUS Act (S.1947), which would ban commercial octopus farming in the U.S. and prohibit imports of farmed octopus from foreign countries, was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. https://t.co/jGcWjHfRLU

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"The ALDF alleges the Iowa companies...conspired with others to pursue a similar scheme to illegally sell thousands of puppy-mill dogs to consumers in California through a separate, phony 'rescue' operation." https://t.co/rNUHFFzvBS

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

This week, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) reintroduced the Mink VIRUS Act to protect public health and reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission by prohibiting mink farming in the U.S. https://t.co/UdHGX9VNNZ

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

North Dakota holds the bottom of the rankings in 50th place for the second year in a row, with Alabama (49), Idaho (48), Kentucky (47), and Mississippi (46) rounding out the states with the weakest animal protection laws.

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

ALDF has released its annual report ranking animal protection laws of all 50 states. Oregon claimed the top rank — followed by Massachusetts (2), Maine (3), Illinois (4), and Colorado (5). https://t.co/crIlTiipA8

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed An Act Prohibiting Inhumane Feline Declawing into law this week. The law bans cat declawing in Massachusetts, except in rare situations of medical necessity. https://t.co/PIj5NANV00

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

A process is underway to relocate animals from a rural Pennsylvania roadside zoo to animal sanctuaries following a settlement agreement requiring 45 animals to be transferred to new homes over a five-year period. https://t.co/g83DvM6xS1

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

This week Evanston City Council passed an ordinance to prohibit the declawing of cats. In June 2024, ALDF released poll results revealing 70% of veterinary professionals oppose cat declawing. https://t.co/75D70pdpdz

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"But our state has an opportunity to protect consumers and animals, as Trenton considers...the Humane Pet Store Bill, a bipartisan bill that will prohibit the sale of puppies, kittens, and rabbits in the few New Jersey pet stores that still sell them." https://t.co/0aceErYhY1

[ALDF @ALDF]

What were some of our biggest legislative victories this year and what's in store for 2025? Join our Legislative Affairs team for a discussion about animal protection legislation now and beyond.

Our webinars are free and open to the public: https://t.co/ecs3Ehhcqm

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"The release of these two pigs not only represents a triumph for animal welfare advocates but also highlights the pressing need for reform in the treatment of animals in research," writes @_Amber_Coakley. https://t.co/1MeQ6m5igb

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"Rather than moving forcefully to contain and eradicate the virus in dairy cows, critics say, the USDA has tried to control the narrative and spread the message that everything is just fine, actually,” writes @KatherineEban for @VanityFair. https://t.co/qd6u8JTnJc

[Mike Heymsfield @aldfmedia]

"In 2020, Special Memories Zoo in Wisconsin was sued by [ALDF] for violating the Endangered Species Act. It also alleged that the zoo violated state law by 'operating as a public nuisance because it was violating animal cruelty laws.'" https://t.co/1wiq3nkTQg