Christine Stevens, known as the Mother of the Animal Protection Movement, founded the Animal Welfare Institute in the year 1951. Its main goal is to alleviate the fear and pain caused by humans to animals. They started their campaign with tending to the needs of those animals used for experimentation. Later on, they expanded their works to include other areas of animal suffering that the foundation can address.

With the help of the Society for Animal Protective Legislation, their legislative division, they are able to push for laws that will further their campaign. This is the first organization in the United States that is focused solely on animal protection. This is the solution Stevens created after they are faced with the challenge of losing their tax-exempt status.

Through the years, the group has been fighting the battle of presenting alternatives in animal experimentation. They have called for humane slaughter of animals that are raised for food and the obliteration of the use of steel-jaw leghold traps and other means of brutally capturing and killing of wildlife. The group and its fellows have been receiving the Schweitzer Award year after year for their contributions to animal welfare.