Animal Welfare Is on Proxy Ballots Two Years After Icahn’s Fight

Animal welfare is making records this proxy season.

So far more than 40 shareholder resolutions have been or are planning to be filed to address animal safety at companies, including Wendy’s Co., Kraft Heinz Co. and Maple Leaf Foods Inc., according to the Sustainable Investments Institute, the Humane Society of the US and the Accountability Board. This is more than double the number of similar proposals filed last year and shows how the treatment of animals is becoming a growing concern for investors.

Animal-welfare resolutions have historically failed to get much backing. Proposals, going back to 2015, ...