Animal Welfare
As an animal lover and dog dad to Maisy, Finneas, and Penny, advocating for animal protection is very important to me. Animals bring great joy to our lives—they also play a crucial role in our environment and public safety. I’m honored to serve as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, where I work to raise awareness about animal welfare issues in Congress.
One of my recent legislative accomplishments was sponsoring the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Signed into law in 2022, the Big Cat Public Safety Act improves community and first responder safety while ensuring better protection for tigers and other big cats. In the 119th Congress, I recently sponsored and introduced the Captive Primate Safety Act, to ensure the same protections for monkeys, apes, and other primates.
I have also consistently advocated for stronger enforcement of the 1966 Animal Welfare Act. In 2022, I called out violations at the Envigo beagle breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia. This year, I sponsored the bipartisan Better CARE for Animals Act, which will hold animal abusers accountable and remove or relocate animals who may be experiencing harmful treatment.
At home in Chicago, I partnered with PAWS Chicago and the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue to reach an agreement with the CDC allowing a group of neglected French bulldog puppies—shipped to O’Hare Airport from Jordan—to stay in the U.S. and receive proper care in 2020.
To learn more about my work on animal welfare, read on.
More on Animal Welfare
On Wednesday, Congressmen Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02) introduced the Wildlife Confiscations Network Act of 2025, legislation to support federal law enforcement in combating wildlife trafficking and ensure the proper placement and care of confiscated live animals.
Today, Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) concluded a trip to Texas to visit the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary and the San Antonio Zoo, following his introduction of the Captive Primate Safety Act with Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), and Nancy Mace (SC-01) earlier this w
Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Mike Quigley (IL-5) announced they have introduced the Honoring Our K9 Heroes Act, bipartisan legislation establishing a first-of-its-kind federal grant program to expand access to critical veterinary care for retired federal and military working dogs.
Mission
The Congressional Animal Protection Caucus (CAPC) is a bipartisan group of lawmakers committed to raising awareness of animal welfare issues in C
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking answers after USDA failed to act following the rescue of more than 4,000 beagles from a breeding facility. In September, thousands of beagles were removed from a USDA-licensed facility called Envigo RMS, Inc.
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley's (IL-05) public safety legislation the Big Cat Public Safety Act, passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Representative Nancy Mace (D-SC) led a letter urging the U.S. Chief Postal Inspector to improve enforcement against the widespread transport of animals for illegal fighting purposes using the United States Postal Service. The letter was signed by 34 House Democrats and Republicans.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released a statement after receiving a letter from the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that failed to adequately address concerns about their Animal Welfare Act (AWA) enforcement.