of Animal People. Animal People has subsequently engaged in many other hands-on research projects, particularly in the areas of improved housing for shelter animals, disease control, living in harmony with wildlife, and censusing street dogs and feral cats. International Animal People increased their emphasis on international coverage beginning in 1997, and in 1998, began relaying funding from U.S. donors to selected overseas projects. This program quadrupled in size after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when Animal People funded and mobilized 12 animal disaster relief teams, working in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand (and later in Indonesia). These were the first international animal welfare charities to respond after the tsunami. From 2000 to 2010, Animal People directly sponsored several start-up African animal charities. Youth for Conservation, and the African Network for Animal Welfare, both of Kenya, have grown and developed considerable influence. Another, the Homeless Animals Protection Society of Ethiopia, did pioneering work in the Gobe and Addis Ababa regions but has since disbanded. In 2014, Animal People provided financial support to local activists in Nepal for public awareness work against animal sacrifice at the Gadhimai festival, and sponsored the Blue Cross of India's deployment of patrol teams along the border of India and Nepal to enforce an Indian court order banning transport of animals for sacrifice at Gadhimai. Animal People has co-sponsored the Asia for Animals conference series since 2001, the Middle East Network for Animal Welfare conference held in 2007, and the Africa Animal Welfare Action conference, first held in 2010. Publications From 1992 until 2013, Animal People, Inc. published the newspaper Animal People News, as well as a stand-alone supplemental report, the annual Watchdog Report on Animal Protection Charities, which provided information on the leading animal-related charities. Both were retired in 2014. Since 2015, Animal People publishes articles and media submitted by users on the Animal People Forum. It also hosts the online exhibit Beyond Human: Animals, Aliens, & Artificial Intelligence, which explores current scientific evidence for animal intelligence and consciousness, ongoing efforts to discover extraterrestrial life and develop artificial intelligence, and the ethical implications of sentience in non-human beings. Awards and recognition Award for excellence in horse coverage from the International Generic Horse Association/Horse Aid (1994) Award for excellence in coverage of exotic wildlife issues from Wildlife Waystation (2002) Recognition for coverage of animal birth control issues from both Ahimsa of Texas and from the McKee