Lewin, Julie

A resident of Connecticut, Julie Lewin began her career as a freelance writer and journalist after obtaining degrees from Barnard College and Columbia University. Always politically active, she went from writing articles about the sexual abuse of children and women's prison reforms to becoming an important advocate for the protection and treatment of animals. Beginning with the Fund for Animals from 1986 to 2000, Lewin led an expose of the Connecticut Humane Society's donation policy, revealing the world of inhumane practices in the pet industry from puppy mills to illegal pet acquisition and kennel management, and she lobbied for new laws to protect animals in research.

Since 1990, Lewin has been the Executive Director of the Connecticut Council for Human Education, an organization that both educates the public about animal rescue and rescues inner-city animals. She has also been involved in establishing new, politically-aware organizations to advance animal rights. In 2001, she founded Animal Advocacy Connecticut to lobby state officials on animal issues, and in the following year, she founded The National Institute For Animal Advocacy (NIFAA), an organization that trains activists to win strong state and local laws for animal protection through political action. Reflecting the evolution in Lewin's thought, NIFAA was established specifically to create a political culture among animal rescue and rights advocates; to train advocates how to form voting blocs for animals in their towns, cities, counties and states; and to develop local political leadership among animal advocates to lead these voting blocs.

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