As a new homeowner susceptible to sales pitches from the garden industrial complex, I spent my early planting years salivating over glossy magazine spreads exploding with color and texture and promises of endless summers. “Flower porn” was how my husband described those lushly photographed...

I've put it off for months, but the dreaded day is here. An hour before the appointment time, I grab the cat carrier from the garage and, faking a nonchalance I’m far from feeling, enter the living room. Nellie isn’t fooled. Even though she’s my “easy” cat, the only one I can pick up, the one who...

With a mission to protect all animals, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) stands on common ground with those who care about both cats and wildlife. With determination, innovation and collaboration, we can implement and sustain effective programs to humanely resolve human-cat-wildlife...

Although community cats are resourceful and instinctively seek out safe places in times of danger, extreme weather may pose a threat to them. If you take care of a colony of cats, there are many things you can do to increase their chances of coming through the storm safe and sound. What to do right...

Internet pet sale scams We all know the internet can be a great place to buy anything from books to rare gifts, but it's not where you should go to buy a new pet. In addition to disreputable dealers and puppy mills, internet scammers have crept into the realm of online pet sales, stealing money from...

You find your cat rolling and twisting on the floor, rubbing his face against it and drooling everywhere. Right away you know — they've been in the catnip.

A humane backyard is a safe haven for wildlife—a space where animals can thrive free from pesticides, trapping and other threats.

As my neighbors and I stood 10 feet apart and swapped tips for scavenging kitchen staples this spring, the wilder residents of our community shared no such concerns. Squirrels twirled maple seed clusters like bouquets to reach every tidbit. Bumblebees made a mockery of social distancing in their...

The delegate seemed ready to pick a fight, already having mocked a proposed plastic bag ban and other pro-environment bills on the day’s agenda. As I finished my testimony in support of wildlife-friendly plantings, I steeled myself for a heated debate. But on that gray afternoon in February 2020...

If you’ve ever eaten a juicy ear of corn or admired a perfectly manicured garden, you can probably thank a chemical engineer. But the pesticides and herbicides that make mass food production and smooth grass easier may negatively impact not just the ecosystem, but the health of our pets. All cancers...

It seemed like a good idea at the time: Buy a house with a two-acre property, let our energetic herding dog have the run of the place and spend blissful summer days digging side by side in the dirt with her. And it was blissful, watching Mattie carve out her napping spots behind the ferns and tall...

“There's another house burning,” Kristen Huston says, steering her white sedan, its trunk loaded with pet supplies, into one of the neighborhoods where her organization, All About Animals Rescue, does outreach. “Do you smell it?” In the back seat, HSUS staffers Jason Schipkowski and Ashley Mutch...

WARNING: This page contains graphic content. Editor's note: A day after the Humane Society of the United States released the results of its undercover investigation and two days after police searched the premises, Petland announced that it was cutting ties with the franchise store in Fairfax...

Set up a scavenger hunt Hide some treats in sneaky spots around the house and let your dog use their strong sense of smell to find them. Rotate their toys If you spoil your pet with a mountain of toys, some of the selection is surely forgotten during daily playtime—refresh their collection by...

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund released the following statements in response to the introduction of the “Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression” (EATS) Act. The EATS Act was modeled after the notorious “King amendment” which former Rep. Steve King (R-IA)...

Contents What is the Humane Society of the United States doing to help farm animals? What are some of the biggest problems farm animals face? Aren't there laws that protect farm animals from abuse? What are ag-gag bills? Don't animals have to be treated well to be productive? What can I do to help...

Many people enjoy the booming sounds and flashing colors of fireworks, but they can be terrifying, overwhelming⁠ and hazardous for both wild and domestic animals. On the Fourth of July, many animals become so frightened by the noise and commotion of fireworks that they run from otherwise familiar...

Of all the surprising twists and turns my venture into the world of wildlife gardening has taken, the one that stands out most is the day I learned about the dark side of my favorite symbol of hope and summer: the sunflower. It was in the early 2000s and the fledgling gardens at my new home were...

The words might seem alarming: “Positive for FIV.” Because many people are unfamiliar with feline immunodeficiency virus, it can seem like a daunting diagnosis for potential adopters. Yet the myths and misconceptions around FIV—such as the mistaken assumption that it is a “death sentence”—might...