WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy expressed deep sadness over the loss of one of history’s greatest moral voices for animals. Dr. Jane Goodall passed away at age 91 after a lifetime devoted to promoting better understanding of animals.
“Jane Goodall taught us first to understand animals,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “She alerted us that animals are like us in so many ways. Then, in the last third of her life, she taught us to act with conscience toward all animals.”
During her adult life, Dr. Goodall transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and, by extension, ourselves — infusing science with empathy, showing that animals are individuals with emotions and social ties, not mere test subjects.
Pacelle worked with Dr. Goodall, then-NIH Director Francis Collins, and then-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe to end the use of chimpanzees in invasive experiments in 2015. She worked more broadly to urge a shift to the federal government and private institutions away from outdated, cruel animal tests and toward more predictive, human-relevant methods. She endorsed our efforts to pass the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 to eliminate an 84-year animal-testing mandate for drug development. With her support, that measure was enacted in December 2022.
“Dr. Goodall’s voice was relentless — she knew that progress depends on both science and morality,” said Tamara Drake, director of research and regulatory policy at the Center for a Humane Economy. “We carry forward her conviction by advocating for modern, humane testing strategies that spare animals needless suffering and yield better outcomes for people.”
Dr. Goodall was there for all animals — from animals on factory farms to captive wild animals in circuses to all free-roaming wildlife. As we honor Dr. Goodall’s memory, we recommit ourselves to her deepest values: compassion, curiosity, and unwavering courage.