Center for Wild Animal Welfare

The Center for Wild Animal Welfare (CWAW) helps policymakers consider the welfare of wild animals. We provide evidence-based recommendations on wild animal welfare policy in Westminster (the UK) and Brussels (the EU).

We’re dedicated to improving the lives of wild animals today, and building support for wild animal welfare policy around the world. Our current focus is rodent control, which is the largest source of anthropogenic mammal suffering. We’re working with policymakers to restrict the worst poisons and accelerate more humane alternatives like fertility control.

Who we are

CWAW is co-founded by Richard Parr MBE (former adviser to the UK Prime Minister) and Ben Stevenson (formerly a researcher at Rethink Priorities and Animal Ask).

We’re one of the first organizations focused on promoting evidence-based wild animal welfare policy.

What we do

We’re publishing the Humane Rodent Management Index, which ranks 30 European countries against ten policy indicators relevant to wild rodent welfare – like banning cruel glue traps, and restricting the use of the worst poisons. We’re working with policymakers across to Europe to improve their rodent control policies.

We’re working with scientists, the pest management industry and regulators to review the regulations around wildlife fertility control. By reducing birth rates rather than increasing mortality, fertility control could be a more humane rodent management strategy. We’ve been invited to put together a stakeholder group in the UK.

We focus on rats and mice because they are harmed at great scale with hundreds of millions suffering painful and prolonged deaths by poisoning across Europe each year. But we care about every animal; we’ve also met with Defra to discuss wild animal trap regulations, and supported efforts to promote bird-safe glass in Britain. We look forward to doing more work to help more animals in 2027.

Why wild animal welfare policy?

• Wild animal welfare is one of the world's biggest problems. Wild animals face immense suffering from human activities and natural hardships
• It's extremely neglected. The US spends 500x more on companion animal welfare than the entire world spends on wild animal welfare
• It's tractable. Wild animal welfare science is beginning to identify ways we can help
• Policy is the right approach because government decisions impact countless wild animals, and governments have the capacity and authority to make large-scale changes

What we've achieved

• Developed the Humane Rodent Management Index, and met with European policymakers to discuss opportunities to improve their rodent control policy
• Engaged the UK Animal Welfare Minister and regulators (Defra, VMD, HSE) on the regulatory pathway for rodent fertility control
• Secured sympathetic discussion of wild animal welfare in UK Parliament
• Submitted evidence to the UK and the EU on issues including mole traps, mouse poisons and biocides policy
• Secured amendments to the UK’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill which would have mandated systemic consideration of wild animal welfare during construction and conservation

We need your support

CWAW needs additional support to increase our team's capacity, attend key conferences, and cover operational costs.

How to donate

Every.org covers processing fees for ACH (bank) transfers, stock gifts, and DAF donations, so 100% of your donation reaches our organization when you use these payment methods. For credit card and PayPal/Venmo donations, we incur a small processing fee (2.2% + $0.30 per transaction), although you have the option to cover these fees.

We’re grateful for donations of all sizes. To help us keep administrative costs low and direct more resources to our work, we suggest a minimum contribution of $50. For donors considering monthly gifts below $50, quarterly or semi-annual contributions can be a great alternative that still spreads support across the year. We truly appreciate your contribution.

Donations made through Every.org are tax-deductible in the United States. We can also accept tax-deductible donations from a number of different countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and more. If you are donating from outside the US, please refer to the information on this page. You can donate to our fiscal sponsor, Rethink Priorities, through one of the listed channels. After donating, please email team@wildanimalwelfare.org to let us know, so we can ensure your contribution is earmarked for the Center for Wild Animal Welfare. If you have any questions, please contact us. Thank you!