Sara Amundson

She leads our efforts to improve the lives of animals through the legislative, regulatory and political processes.

Amundson has more than 30 years’ experience in animal protection lobbying, starting with the Doris Day Animal League, where she served as the deputy director and legislative director. As one of HSLF’s first employees, she worked tirelessly to expand the organization’s legislative impact.

Over the years, she’s testified before Congress and state legislatures on numerous critical animal protection issues. Some of her proudest achievements include successful negotiations with the chemical industry to add bittering agents to household antifreeze and to minimize, and ultimately replace, the use of animals in chemical safety testing.

Amundson grew up in the tiny town of Gatzke, Minnesota, in a pay-it-forward household. Her parents raised three biological children, adopted Amundson and invited six foster children into their home. Now living in Washington, D.C., with her husband and their special needs cat Peanut, Amundson views her work to end animal suffering as a way of following in her parents’ compassionate footsteps.