Protego World Animal News and Positive Animal News June 2026

Protego’s June 2026 World Animal News Roundup

7/1/2026

The Protego Foundation is back with a roundup of good animal news from June 2026!

This month features lots of positive vegan news, world animal news, and great outcomes for animal welfare issues. Keep reading to learn how a British river was granted personhood rights, how thousands of dogs in the United States were freed from a laboratory, how major Bollywood stars are helping elephants, and more.

Horse Carriages Have Been Banned in Philadelphia and the Horse Carriage Industry is Under Fire after Two Deaths in New York

This month, the City Council of Philadelphia voted to ban the carriage horse business. The last of such enterprises closed in 2023, but the new policy will bar any from arising in the future.

"This new ordinance is more than a policy change," says Janet White, founder and director of Carriage Horse Freedom. "It is a moral and civic milestone — one that reflects who we are today and the humane, forward-looking city we aspire to be."
The ban comes following the death of Deniz, a 16-year-old carriage horse who collapsed during a ride after ingesting a lethal amount of Japanese yew plants in New York City’s Central Park.

Days after the Philadelphia ban was decided, New York City saw another death associated with the carriage industry. 18-year-old Indian tourist Romanch Mahajan passed away from injuries sustained during a runaway carriage ride. The horse spooked and hit another carriage, causing the one that the Mahajans were in to collapse. The victim jumped from the vehicle after his mother was thrown out, according to his father. This death marks the first time a human has been killed during a carriage ride in Central Park.

Visit The Protego Foundation’s “Release the Reins” campaign page to learn more about how to help horses who are being abused by the carriage industry.

Pressure from Film Stars to Replace Elephants with Technology in India

In more world animal news, some well-known Bollywood stars are calling for the end of live elephant use in Indian films. Actors, choreographers, and filmmakers like John Abraham, Pooja Bhatt, Richa Chadha, Farah Khan, Dia Mirza, and Shriya Saran have voiced their support to replace the pachyderms with computer generated images and robotics in a campaign introduced by PETA India.

“Films should be fun for everyone, elephants included,” says Dhoom actor Abraham. "Elephants shouldn't suffer for our entertainment. With today's technology, we can bring elephants to life beautifully through CGI or mechanical artistry, without confinement or cruelty."

The campaign is now backed by 24 film production companies that have signed an "Elephant Freedom Pledge" as a promise to no longer feature real pachyderms in their movies.

Portland City Councilors Vote to Ban Foie Gras

Good news for geese and animal lovers! In a 7-5 decision, Portland city councilors have voted to ban the sale of foie gras. The ban will come into effect in 180 days.

Foie gras is a dish that is cruelly made by gavage (force-feeding) ducks or geese to fatten up their livers.

Portland now joins the state of California and the cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Brookline, Massachusetts in banning foie gras.

According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, “Under the policy, an investigation into whether a Portland business is selling force-fed poultry would be driven by a public complaint. If the city confirms a shop is in violation, it could face between $1,000 and $5,000 per violation. A business can avoid fines if it stops selling foie gras within two weeks of receiving a warning.”

The ban was met with criticism from Portland’s restaurateurs as well as a few councilors.

Learn more about how to help ban foie gras in other regions by visiting Pro Animal Future’s website. The Protego Foundation has endorsed the group’s current efforts to enact a ban in Washington, D.C., Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Maine.

UK River Granted Cross-Border Rights

Jumping to news from across the pond, the River Wye has become the first river in the UK to be granted cross-border rights from source to sea. The personhood granted to the river allows it to hold legal rights, bear duties, and participate in the legal system. The same legal right has been bestowed upon rivers in Ecuador, Canada, and New Zealand.

The river is 155 miles long and begins in Wales. It runs through Herefordshire and Gloucestershire in England before running back across the border.

According to Oceanographic, “The charter has been endorsed by the councils of Herefordshire, the Forest of Dean, the Bannau Brycheniog National Parks Association and the Wye Valley National Landscape.”

“The river has a right to perform its natural functions and be free from pollution,” said Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, who signed the charter on behalf of Herefordshire Council.

Ridglan Farms is Permanently Closing

Good animal news from Wisconsin came earlier this month when Ridglan Farms announced it would be ending its beagle breeding operations. For 60 years, the facility had been supplying dogs to testing labs for medical and scientific research.

In 2025, former employees testified that the beagles were being mistreated by Ridglan Farms, prompting a local judge to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate. The prosecutor found that the dogs' treatment constituted animal abuse.

In April of 2026, an organized group of animal activists descended upon the Ridglan Farms property in an attempt to rescue the dogs, sparking a new wave of media coverage and widespread support of removing the abused animals. Among the hundreds of activists, some were tear gassed, and others taken into custody.

To avoid being prosecuted by the state, Ridglan Farms agreed to surrender all its beagles by July 1, 2026. Many of the dogs are receiving medical treatment and will be up for adoption following their socialization.

Upon the closure of Ridglan Farms, Marshall Farms in North Rose, New York will be the final major breeder in the United States that supplies dogs to laboratories.

Iceland Fashion Week Goes Fur-Free

Icelandic Fashion Week has joined Copenhagen, New York, and London in the banning of fur from its runways.

The decision follows the release of Iceland's first national broadcast investigating the country's mink fur industry.

"Bravo to Erlendur Fashion Week Iceland for taking fur off its catwalks and…making compassion for animals an enduring fashion trend," says PJ Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane World. "Material innovation, such as bio-based animal-free fur alternatives, are paving the way for a fur-free future of creativity and beauty without animal suffering.”

Asta Gudmondsdottir at Iceland Fashion Week stated, "From the beginning, fashion, innovation and sustainability values have been at the core of Iceland Fashion Week. As the fur trade is at odds with all these principles, it’s time for us to take this stand and be proudly fur-free.”

Fur farm bans have been enacted in 24 European countries, and the European Commission is expected to soon extend that ban to the entirety of the continent.

Greyhound Racing Has Been Banned in Scotland and Wales

Positive animal welfare news came this month in the form of Scotland and Wales banning greyhound racing.
A new bill will fine violators up to £20,000 with up to five years in prison if they allow a greyhound to compete in an oval racetrack in Scotland.

The sport has been widely criticized due to the dangers faced by dogs used for racing. According to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, 123 English and Welsh dogs died and 3,809 received injuries in 2024.

The last remaining dog track in Scotland closed in 2025, and the ban will prevent any more from opening. The Scottish vote followed a similar ban passed by Wales, which aims to close its only racetrack between 2027 and 2030.

UK greyhound racing is now only legal in England and Northern Ireland.

Canadian Horse Slaughterhouse Has Been Permanently Closed

Some positive animal news came this month from Canada. The country’s largest slaughterhouse, Bouvry Exports in Alberta, has closed for good. The facility’s closure comes after over a decade of investigations from animal rights organizations and food safety concerns from the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The investigations found that thousands of horses were kept in muddy and overcrowded outdoor pens with no protection from extreme weather. During Canadian winters, temperatures often fell to 33 C (-27.4 F), resulting in the deaths of many foals. The horses were also prone to injuries, illnesses, and hoof problems.

Public documents from authorities revealed extreme cruelty during unloading, housing, and slaughter of the animals that violated Canadian law.

In 2023, Bouvry Exports was charged with 12 violations from the CFIA, mainly regarding animal welfare concerns. The facility settled a plea deal and paid a fine of $17,000.

With the closure of Alberta's Bouvry Exports, only one horse slaughterhouse remains in Canada—Viande Richelieu, a subsidiary of Bouvry Exports.

BC Bans Breeding and Future Ownership of Exotic Cats

More good animal news recently came from Canada. British Columbia has banned the breeding, transport, and future ownership of exotic cats under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation (CASR).

The species included under the ban include servals, caracals, ocelots, European and African wildcats, Asian golden cats, fishing cats, jungle cats, marbled cats, and hybrid cats who have wild ancestry within four generations. Larger exotics like lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, and cheetahs are already regulated.

Violation of the CASR can result in a fine between $2,500 to $250,000 or imprisonment.

This concludes Protego’s June news roundup of positive animal welfare stories, world animal news, and important animal news today. Which of our stories from this month was your favorite? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Written by Visala Kantamneni and Halley Powell