Animal Welfare Investigations Project

The Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP) is an animal-welfare investigations organisation established in England in November 2021 by Jacob Lloyd, who is also its chief executive officer. The organisation is headquartered in London and works on cases involving organised or serious animal cruelty, with particular attention to dog fighting, wildlife crime and puppy farming. Its work is intended to support disruption, enforcement activity, animal rescue and criminal prosecutions rather than to operate as a conventional animal shelter or general-purpose campaigning charity. AWIP is registered as a limited company in England and Wales. According to the organisation's stated rationale, it does not operate as a charity because a company structure gives it greater flexibility in investigative operations and campaigning. It is also registered with the Fundraising Regulator. The organisation's activities combine field investigations, intelligence gathering, liaison with police and other authorities, and public-interest campaigning. Dog fighting is one of AWIP's principal areas of activity. The organisation investigates suspected fighting networks in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Philippines and other jurisdictions, seeking to identify participants, document evidence and assist enforcement agencies. In July 2025, an intelligence-led AWIP investigation in Tarlac City, Philippines, was followed by the execution of a search warrant involving the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission. A man was arrested, and dogs alleged to have been used in fighting, together with dog-fighting paraphernalia, were recovered. The incident was reported as the first investigation of its kind in the Philippines in more than thirteen years. The organisation also investigates wildlife crime, including badger baiting, fox hunting and bird trapping. Its work may involve collaboration with local law enforcement and other agencies. In the Philippines, AWIP was involved in an investigation into a wildlife-trafficking network that led to the rescue of 149 turtles. It has additionally worked with the Philippine National Police on investigations concerning the dog-meat trade. A further part of AWIP's work is open-source intelligence training. It provides specialised instruction to law-enforcement agencies and investigators on collecting, verifying and analysing publicly available online information relevant to organised animal crime. In May 2024, it hosted an OSINT training webinar for investigators and prosecutors based in the United States, addressing investigative capabilities related to dog fighting and other forms of animal cruelty. AWIP's public profile is therefore built around investigative services, intelligence support, enforcement cooperation and advocacy. Available reference material does not establish a broad commercial product catalogue, revenue figures, a listed status or a parent group. Its international activity is documented through investigations and training partnerships, while its organisational base remains in the United Kingdom.

The Animal Welfare Investigations Project was established on 23 November 2021 by Jacob Lloyd, who became and remains its chief executive officer. The organisation was formed to investigate organised animal cruelty and related criminal activity, rather than to function primarily as a shelter, veterinary provider or conventional charitable fundraising body. Its stated areas of concern include dog fighting, wildlife crime and puppy farming. AWIP is incorporated as a limited company in England and Wales. It has explained that the company structure allows it to retain operational and campaigning flexibility that it considers important for investigative work. The organisation is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, but the available reference material does not describe it as a registered charity. Its headquarters are in London, England. From its establishment, AWIP's investigations have had both domestic and international dimensions. In the United Kingdom it has focused on forms of wildlife crime such as badger baiting, fox hunting and bird trapping, as well as organised animal cruelty. It has also investigated dog fighting in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Philippines and other countries. The purpose of these investigations is to identify individuals and networks, collect relevant information and evidence, work with enforcement bodies, and contribute to disruption, prosecution and animal rescue. The Philippines became a particularly important setting for the organisation's documented activities. AWIP worked with the Philippine National Police on investigations into the dog-meat trade and participated in work concerning wildlife trafficking. One such investigation led to the rescue of 149 turtles. In July 2025, an intelligence-led investigation in Tarlac City concerning suspected dog fighting was followed by a search-warrant operation involving the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission. Authorities arrested a man and recovered dogs alleged to have been used in fights together with equipment associated with dog fighting. The operation was reported as the first investigation of its kind in the Philippines in more than thirteen years. AWIP has also developed an investigative-training function. Its open-source intelligence, or OSINT, work is designed to help law-enforcement agencies and other investigators gather and assess information available online. In May 2024, it hosted a webinar for United States-based investigators and prosecutors, with training relevant to dog-fighting cases and other organised animal-cruelty investigations. The organisation's development has consequently combined casework, international enforcement cooperation, intelligence analysis and campaigning. Publicly available material identifies Jacob Lloyd as its founder and current chief executive, but does not provide a broader executive roster, detailed financial information, annual turnover, ownership disclosures or a documented sequence of corporate restructurings. AWIP remains active, with its public identity centred on specialist investigations and support for enforcement responses to animal cruelty and wildlife crime.

• 2025

  Tarlac City dog-fighting investigation

  [1]Animal Welfare Investigations Projecten.wikipedia.org

  An AWIP intelligence-led investigation was followed by a Philippine search-warrant operation, an arrest and the recovery of dogs and dog-fighting paraphernalia.

• 2024

  OSINT training webinar delivered

  [1]Animal Welfare Investigations Projecten.wikipedia.org

  AWIP hosted an open-source intelligence training webinar for investigators and prosecutors based in the United States.

• 2021

  Animal Welfare Investigations Project established

  [1]Animal Welfare Investigations Projecten.wikipedia.org

  Jacob Lloyd established AWIP on 23 November 2021 in England and became its chief executive officer.

An investigation-led animal-welfare organisation combining intelligence work, field investigations, enforcement cooperation and campaigning against organised animal cruelty and wildlife crime.

• Investigative services · 2021

  Organised animal-cruelty investigations

  AWIP investigates organised forms of animal cruelty, particularly dog fighting. Its work is described as intelligence-led and may include identifying participants, documenting suspected activity, gathering information for enforcement purposes and cooperating with police or other authorities. The organisation's documented geographic focus includes the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines.

• Investigative services · 2021

  Wildlife-crime investigations

  The organisation investigates wildlife crime including badger baiting, fox hunting, bird trapping and wildlife trafficking. Its Philippines-related work included an investigation into a trafficking network that resulted in the rescue of 149 turtles. AWIP describes cooperation with local law-enforcement bodies as part of its approach.

• Training · 2024

  Open-source intelligence training

  AWIP provides specialised OSINT training for law-enforcement agencies, investigators and prosecutors. The training concerns the collection and analysis of publicly available information relevant to organised animal crime. A documented May 2024 webinar addressed dog fighting and related animal-cruelty investigations for a United States-based audience.

• 2024OSINT training for animal-crime investigators

  United States

  AWIP hosted a webinar intended to improve the ability of investigators and prosecutors to use open-source intelligence in dog-fighting and other animal-cruelty cases.

  Outcome. The webinar was described as successful and expanded the organisation's training and investigative-support work.

  Source

1. 1Animal Welfare Investigations Projecten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Animal Welfare Investigations Project official websiteawip.org.uk