Ashley Ridgway

Ashley Ridgway, a policy advisor and staff attorney at the Animal Welfare Institute, dives into the dramatic drop in Animal Welfare Act fines following the Supreme Court's SEC v. Jarkesy decision. She reveals that fines plummeted from 63 to just 5 in 14 months, raising concerns about enforcement effectiveness. Ridgway and her colleague Joanna Makowska discuss the implications for animal protection, including inspection challenges and legislative efforts to strengthen the Act. They also explore the ongoing use of animals in labs and the limitations of non-animal methods.