Nathan Winograd is an attorney, a journalist, an animal advocate, and the Executive Director of The No Kill Advocacy Center.
“This extraordinary pet-loving… attorney is out to make the world safe for homeless animals—one region at a time.”
“Millions of healthy animals are [killed] in shelters every year. Nathan Winograd wants that reduced to zero; Winograd is helping to save thousands, even millions.”
“The voice of America’s displaced pets and the conscience of the animal sheltering industry.”
Nathan is the Executive Director of The No Kill Advocacy Center, the author of nine books, and the producer of an award-winning documentary film on the history of American animal shelters. Under his leadership, Tompkins County, New York, became the first No Kill community in the United States.
A former shelter director and chief of animal control, he has written animal protection legislation at every level of government, spoken nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, created successful No Kill programs across the country, and advised animal protection groups and municipalities, including many of the largest and well-known in the nation.
Nathan is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a former criminal prosecutor and corporate attorney.
Legislative & Litigation
Nathan has written federal, state, and local animal protection legislation, including in Texas, Florida, Indiana, Delaware, and California. His work includes the first American law making it illegal to kill community cats unless they are irremediably suffering; the first American law making it illegal to kill animals if qualified rescue groups are willing to save them, which alone has saved over two million animals to date; and the Delaware Companion Animal Protection Act, which is credited with reducing statewide killing by over 90%.
His litigation work includes groundbreaking and first-of-their-kind lawsuits establishing that shelters cannot kill dogs by claiming that "the animal has a behavioral problem or is not adoptable or treatable” when rescue groups offer to save them, clarifying that volunteers and rescuers have a First Amendment right to criticize shelters without retribution, and extending reporter’s shield privileges to non-traditional media, like blogs.
Investigative Journalism
Nathan’s investigative journalism has uncovered corruption in some of the largest, best funded, and best known “animal protection” organizations in the nation, including PETA, the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, and others. His tenacity has also earned him important legal victories for that work, including a groundbreaking ruling extending reporter shield privileges to non-traditional media.
Vegan Advocacy
Nathan has co-authored two vegan cookbooks with his wife Jennifer: All American Vegan: Veganism for the Rest of Us and All American Vegan Candy Cookbook. These books showcase how delicious a humane diet can be with innovative plant-based recipes for America’s favorite foods and confections.
Books
Awards
Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation
Best Book, USA Book News
Silver Medal, Independent Book Publishers Association
Best Book, Cat Writers Association of America
Runner-Up, Best Book, Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Publishing
Certificate of Excellence, Dog Writers Association of America
Redemption: The No Kill Revolution in America
Audience Award for Best Film, San Pedro International Film Festival
Official Selection, Torchlight Film Series
Official Selection, PBS
Welcome Home
Silver Medal, Independent Book Publishers Association
All American Vegan
Best Book (Health/Wellness), USA Book News
All American Vegan Candy Cookbook
Finalist, American Book Fest
