About
Jodie Wiederkehr
Founder & Executive Director, Chicago Alliance for Animals
​Jodie Wiederkehr has dedicated her life to protecting animals—transforming childhood empathy into impactful, city‑wide change.
Growing up in a caring family, young Jodie rescued injured birds, comforted chained dogs, and even nursed a poisoned rat to a veterinarian—early signs of a lifelong passion.
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After college, she turned advocacy into a career, founding the Center for Ethical Science to challenge animal experimentation and spotlight misuse of public funds.
In 2015, Jodie launched Chicago Alliance for Animals (CAA) with a bold vision: to make Chicago more humane.
Just 2½ years later, under her leadership—driven entirely by volunteers and grassroots effort—Chicago became the largest U.S. city to ban horse‑drawn carriage rides.​ Jodie’s hands‑on, relentless advocacy—documenting on‑street violations, lobbying aldermen, mobilizing community action via Daily Action Alerts, and collaborating with over 200 organizations—set the standard for effective grassroots campaigns.
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She also founded the Partnership to Ban Horse Carriages Worldwide in 2017, mentoring chapters around the globe.Her success earned her recognition as PETA’s 2020 “Outstanding Activist” and “Hero to Horses.”​
Under her guidance, CAA has continued to achieve: closing Chicago’s puppy‑mill loophole in 2021.
Jodie’s approach is simple, powerful, and inclusive: “easy actions anyone can take in just a minute”—from emailing officials to raising awareness online. Her work continues, inspiring us all to stand up and act for animals.
“Gratefully present the Shining World Compassion Award to Jodie Wiederkehr (vegan) in recognition of your tireless work, protecting the lives of animal-people with all love, respect and appreciation. Wishing you continued success in your noble endeavors, and may Heaven bless you abundantly, always.” -Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan)
