Larkspur, CA — Film production company Comfort Theory, in partnership with the California-based nonprofit organization Project Coyote, announced today the release of a new documentary, Wildlife Killing Contests.

Santa Fe, NM — An anonymous good samaritan shared with Project Coyote a video showing the first-hand experience of encountering and rescuing a coyote ensnared in a leghold trap. This video comes at the same time the New Mexico legislature is considering Roxy’s Law, a bill that would ban cruel traps across the state’s public lands. Today, Dr. Michelle Lute will testify before the New Mexico Senate Conservation Committee to explain that trapping has no basis in science and cannot be justified as serving any legitimate wildlife management purpose.

Calabasas, CA—Calabasas resident and Project Coyote Southern California Representative Randi Feilich has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2020 Carl Gibbs Environmental Excellence Award. The Award, which will be presented during the upcoming February 2 Calabasas Environmental Commission meeting, is a symbol of commitment to California’s environment.

SANTA FE, NM—Today, WildEarth Guardians and members of the TrapFree New Mexico coalition released a detailed report that makes an in-depth case for banning traps on public lands. Touching on a wide array of topics, the report goes into detail on the economics of trapping versus other uses of public lands, common trap types and the injuries they cause, and the environmental impacts trapping may have on New Mexico. The report relies on data from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, fur auctions, and other scientific sources.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Sunday, November 1st marks the beginning of the 2020-2021 commercial trapping season in New Mexico. Every year, November 1st through March 15th is when “protected furbearers”—species for which at least some regulation on manner or method of trapping exists—can be trapped and killed for pelts and fur, although some “unprotected” species can also be legally trapped year-round. During trapping season, an exponential increase of leghold traps, body-crushing traps, and strangulation snares will be placed on public lands across the state, maiming and killing domestic pets and native wildlife, including endangered species.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service finalized a rule removing protections for all gray wolves in the lower-48 states except for a small population of Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.

LOS ANGELES, CA—A thorough investigation and sustained pressure from California-based Project Coyote, along with support from PETA, have resulted in Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey filing two criminal charges against Richard Wallem. The District Attorney found that Mr. Wallem committed felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor use of an illegal trap when he trapped a coyote pup in the Valley Village neighborhood adjacent to North Hollywood on the Fourth of July weekend this year, then failed to check the illegal leghold trap for over 24 hours.

SEATTLE (September 11, 2020)—A coalition of state and national wildlife protection organizations is applauding the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for its vote today banning wildlife killing contests, in which participants compete to kill the most, the largest, or even the smallest animals for cash and prizes. The new rule, put forth by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, prohibits the killing of unprotected species including coyotes, bobcats, crows, foxes and raccoons as part of a contest. Contest participants killed at least 1,427 in these events in Washington between 2013 and 2018.

VALLEY VILLAGE, CA—California-based Project Coyote has released a video depicting a coyote pup captured in an illegally set leghold trap in the upscale neighborhood of Valley Village (adjacent to North Hollywood), and law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the incident for possible criminal violations.

Ukiah, CA – The Mendocino Non-lethal Wildlife Alliance (MNWA) and Project Coyote urge Mendocino County residents to virtually attend the July 14th County Board of Supervisors meeting via the tele-meeting option and express their strong opposition to the County’s likely renewal of their $170,000 contract with USDA Wildlife Services. Those who are unable to attend the meeting on the 14th are encouraged to urge their Supervisor to oppose the renewal of the contract. Residents are also encouraged to sign a related petition urging the Board to end their contract with Wildlife Services at this link: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/842/567/041/stop-the-killing-now/#published

EUREKA, Calif. — A coalition of animal protection and conservation groups today announce that Humboldt County will rely on non-lethal mitigation measures for native animals while using a lethal approach only as a last resort as part of the Humboldt County Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) Program.

A coalition of leading wildlife protection organizations is applauding the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission for their vote today to ban wildlife killing contests for furbearer and certain small game species in the state. Colorado is now the sixth state in the country to ban these cruel events. The proposal, advanced by Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff and approved today by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, prohibits killing contests that target species including mink, pine marten, badger, red fox, gray fox, swift fox, striped skunk, western spotted skunk, beaver, muskrat, long-tailed weasel, short-tailed weasel, coyote, bobcat, opossum, ring-tailed cat, raccoon, as well as Wyoming ground squirrel. Species also include white-tailed, black-tailed and Gunnison’s prairie dogs.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — In response to a lawsuit filed by wildlife advocacy groups, a federal animal-killing program must restrict its use of bird-killing poisons in Northern California and stop setting strangulation snares and other traps in places like the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

DENVER, CO – The Institute for Human-Animal Connection, Sturm College of Law, and DU Media, Film & Journalism Studies, in partnership with Project Coyote, will host Banning Wildlife Killing Contests in Colorado on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the University of Denver. This free event will raise awareness about wildlife killing contests in Colorado — where participants compete to kill wild animals, including coyotes and prairie dogs, for entertainment and prizes.

UKIAH, CA – Two wildlife conservation organizations filed suit today against Mendocino County. The suit challenges the County’s certification of its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) on its wildlife management program. It further seeks to reverse a controversial decision by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors to renew its contract with USDA Wildlife Services (WS) for killing wildlife in the county.

Boston, MA – A coalition of leading wildlife protection organizations is applauding MassWildlife staff and the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board for their vote today to ban wildlife killing contests in the Commonwealth.

Phoenix, AZ – Today the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) approved a rule banning wildlife killing contests for predatory and furbearing species in Arizona. For months a powerful coalition comprised of concerned citizens and wildlife conservation organizations has been working to ban wildlife killing contests statewide.  The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) passed the initial rule unanimously on June 21st.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Animal Legal Defense Fund and Project Coyote today sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program over its outdated wildlife-killing plan for 10 counties in Northern California.

Washington, D.C. – Today is the final day to submit comments on the Trump Administration’s proposal to strip Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection for all gray wolves living in the lower 48 United States, except for the separately listed Mexican gray wolf.

Phoenix, AZ – Today the Arizona Game and Fish Commission (AZGF) voted unanimously (4 to 0) to ban wildlife killing contests (WKCs) for predatory and furbearing species in Arizona. For months a coalition comprised of concerned citizens and wildlife conservation organizations has worked tirelessly to ban WKCs statewide.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a coalition of animal protection and conservation groups sent a letter to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and Humboldt County Agriculture Commissioner, urging them to terminate their contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services (“Wildlife Services”). The federal wildlife-killing agency’s methods are unnecessarily cruel, and the Humboldt County contract violates state law. The coalition, led by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, includes the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Mountain Lion Foundation, Project Coyote, and WildEarth Guardians.