For decades, a disturbing truth has remained largely hidden in plain sight: millions of animals used in U.S. laboratories and exhibitions aren’t even considered “animals” under the law.
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the only federal law to offer even minimal protections to animals used in research and public display, excludes cold-blooded animals from its definition of “animal.”
This means that fish, reptiles, amphibians, and cephalopods — beings proven to be sentient, capable of feeling pain, fear, and stress — are deliberately left without even the most basic recognition or oversight. There are no standards for their care. There is no mandated reporting of their use. There is no accountability for their suffering.
But there’s a chance to change that.
The Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition (CARE) Act (H.R. 2976) would amend the AWA’s outdated definition of “animal” to include cold-blooded species.
This simple update could bring tens of millions of animals under federal awareness for the first time — including fish, who are one of the most-exploited species in animal research today.
While the AWA is far from comprehensive, recognition matters. Legal inclusion signals that these beings, too, are sentient and that their suffering should not be roundly ignored.
Here’s why we need to rally behind the CARE Act:
- Cold-blooded animals are used widely in research studies and classroom experiments — but are invisible in federal records.
- Cold-blooded animals are scientifically proven to feel pain, experience stress, and demonstrate intelligence and social behavior.
- The U.S. is falling behind: countries like the U.K. and E.U. already extend legal consideration to many of these species.
Enacting the CARE Act won’t fix the broken system of animal research. But it would take a vital step toward dismantling a culture that allows cruelty to flourish in the shadows.
Your call to action: Tell your U.S. Representative: Cold-blooded animals are animals! Urge them to support H.R. 2976 and stand up for the fish, reptiles, amphibians, and cephalopods who have been ignored under federal law for far too long.
Take Action: Protect Cold-Blooded Animals Now
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actionnetwork.org/letters/hr-2976