Chinese activists who fight the dog and cat meat trade see some pretty horrible sights in their work, and this is no less true of a recent rescue of 150 cats who were lured and trapped by thieves using wild-caught sparrows as bait. According to police—who arrested members of a gang in the city of...
Tennessee has a huge puppy mill problem and no law to fight these operations that mistreat the dogs they profit off. Just over the past year we have heard of several puppy mill rescues, including two—one in Grundy County last month and another in Madison County last June—where hundreds of dogs were...
We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the 82 beagles languishing at Inotiv’s Mount Vernon, Indiana, laboratory that was the site of our recent undercover investigation. A Humane Society of the United States investigator found 80 beagle puppies being force-fed potentially toxic...
For years, we have been fighting the dog meat trade alongside local activists who seek to eradicate this cruelty from their countries. In China, the infamous Yulin dog meat “festival, which takes place annually in June, has gained international attention. Ahead of this year’s festival, our Chinese...
After being shuttered for six years because of flagging ticket sales and financial troubles, a new kind of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will kick off a nationwide circus tour this month, this time without a single animal caged, held captive and forced to perform for public entertainment...
The pursuit and promotion of humane business models for pet stores carries so much promise in our work, and we’re gaining ground in our campaign to halt the sale of puppy mill puppies in retail settings. To date, 300 local governments—cities, towns and counties—of all sizes and demographics across...
Update 3/25/22: Earlier this week, the Court denied Safari Club International’s motion to dismiss our case. Now that trophy hunters' attempt to derail our lawsuit has been shut down, the judge will allow us to proceed to the merits. The number of leopards in sub-Saharan Africa has plummeted by 30%...
Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays and I especially enjoy watching the fireworks with my family. Although this year I can’t help but worry a little as the holiday approaches. That’s because last year my dog, Lilly, suddenly developed an incredible fear of fireworks -- a fear...
Breeding dogs at puppy mills rarely get to retire. Most of the mother dogs are considered spent at just 6 years old because they can no longer reliably produce litters. They’re only halfway through their lives, and if given a chance, they could live into their teens, but too often, the end of their...
At the Humane Society of the United States, we take on the toughest fights for all animals, and we do our best to live up to an early mission statement of our founders: Every field of humane work – everywhere. From working with state and federal lawmakers to ensure maximum protections for animals...
Thanksgiving can be a reminder of how difficult it can be to change cherished traditions, which is why I’m increasingly inclined to view the holiday as an opportunity to reflect on who we are as a society and an impetus to create new traditions that help to shape and usher in the humane world at the center of our vision.
It was November 2022 when, at the request of the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, our Animal Rescue Team arrived at a property in Ohio that seemed abandoned. Inside two ramshackle barns, filled with cobwebs and feet of filth and manure, there were animals struggling to survive. The horse who would later be named Magnolia had a ruptured eye that had scarred over and was pacing anxiously in her pen as rescuers surveyed the conditions of all the horses.
Over the past two years, local animal rescue organizations across the country have been struggling. While we never lose sight of the incredible progress that’s been made by local shelters and rescues in curbing the intake of pets (down tens of millions in the past 50 years), recent challenges have been sobering, to say the least. According to Shelter Animals Count (of which the Humane Society of the United States was a founding member and ongoing sponsor) shelters are caring for an astounding 245,000 more companion animals than they did in 2022.
Enthusiasts across the U.S. are gearing up for the spectacle of the season taking place this weekend. Of course, I’m talking about the Puppy Bowl, an event that promotes animal adoption by showing adoptable pups “playing” a football game inside a model stadium. Year after year, the Puppy Bowl, which...
The fight for public policy gains for animals at the federal level is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of spirit. Every day, in every congressional session, it’s an all-out battle to secure humane laws and regulations. Whatever we achieve, we achieve against determined opposition, including...
For some years now, we have been keeping a close eye on three Chicago pet stores that have been finding their way around a city ordinance that prohibits the sales of commercially raised dogs and cats in pet stores to fight the problem of puppy mills. Instead of following the law and doing the right...
The rescue and reunion of animals whose lives we touch comprise the most joyful elements of our work within the Humane Society of the United States and across the range of our affiliates. In a season of reflection, gratitude and transition to a New Year, I draw special hope from the stories of three...
When it comes to the private ownership of captive tigers in the United States, you just can’t make this stuff up. Through the years, we’ve seen reports of tigers kept in apartments, tigers in garages, tigers in gas stations, tigers in tattoo parlors, tigers in junkyards and more. The other day, in...