What goes up must come down – eventually. Americans watched with great fascination this week as a raccoon climbed up a 23-story Minnesota building. A video of the little creature’s derring-do went viral as the social media universe lit up with interest. Millions wondered whether or not the raccoon...

The devastation wrought by earthquakes in Türkiye earlier this year is almost unfathomable. Our rescue team is still on the ground, honored to bring some joy and relief to survivors, who lost virtually everything, by reuniting them with their animals. With each passing day, our team gathers more...

It could have been the setting of an eerie movie that our Humane Society of the United States rescuers and law enforcement officers walked into this cool fall morning. The location was Washington County, Pennsylvania, and they were responding to an alleged large-scale animal neglect situation...

Yesterday, emergency officials in Horry County, South Carolina, which has been bracing for record flooding following Hurricane Florence, received a call from a couple with 12 cats. Their home was surrounded by rapidly rising waters, and they didn’t want to evacuate without making sure their animals...

In a photo taken by a state inspector, a dog stands looking away from the camera, her tail pointing down. At first glance, this image may seem like a sweet photo because of the boxer’s soft brown eyes and emotional expression. But farther up in the frame, the dog’s body tells a different story. Her...

We received the sad news today that Buddy, the first dog in the United States known to have contracted the novel coronavirus, passed away on July 11. We share in the grief Buddy’s family is no doubt feeling over the loss of their beloved companion during what already is an extremely stressful time...

Last week, the Oklahoma roadside zoo where Joe Exotic bred tiger cubs, ripped them from their mothers as soon as they were born, hit them so they would pose with visitors for photos, and disposed of many of them when they were no longer of any use to him, reopened to the public. The Greater...

Doc Antle, a notorious roadside zoo owner who has been on our radar for years, has been indicted on animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking charges in Virginia. Attorney General Mark Herring announced the indictment today after a months-long investigation of the trafficking of lions between Wilson’s...

In a sweeping victory, San Antonio, Texas, voted last night to prohibit the sale of commercially raised puppies and kittens in pet stores. The city is home to one Petland and three other puppy-selling stores, and it has been a focal point in our work to end the sales of puppy mill dogs. San Antonio...

This week, we presented the Russell & Burch Award to Dr. Donald Ingber, a professor at Harvard University and the founding director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. Dr. Ingber is one of the pioneers behind the development of organ-on-a-chip technology, which is...

The Humane Society of the United States and its partners are back on the ground for the second round of Spayathon for Puerto Rico, an ambitious project that aims to provide free spay, neuter and vaccination services to 30,000 dogs and cats in the commonwealth over 12 months. The first round in June...

With many of our Animal Rescue Team members still in Killeen, Texas caring for the nearly 200 cats we rescued there less than two weeks ago in an alleged neglect case, other HSUS responders went to another property in Texas on Thursday rescuing approximately 150 equines—including horses, mini-horses...

The Senate Committee on Appropriations today released a package of 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021, and it is a mixed bag for animals. The House has already approved its appropriations bills, which fund federal government agencies, and they include significant protections for animals...

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson Ten years ago, Americans were stunned by a pet chimpanzee’s vicious attack on a Connecticut woman, Charla Nash. The animal bit off Nash’s fingers and toes, tore off most of her face, and left her fighting for her life. The chimpanzee, Travis, was shot and killed by a...

South Korea moved one crucial step closer to condemning its dog meat trade to history this week, with the last three dog meat shops in Seoul agreeing to stop all slaughter for dog meat within the capital city. "We will maintain the city as a slaughter-free place to promote the dignity of animal...

Shenzhen has become the first city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat, marking one of the biggest wins yet in the global battle to end the dog meat trade. This is China’s fifth largest city. Although not itself a major center for dog and cat meat consumption, Shenzhen is...

As 2018 draws to a close, so too does the 115th Congress. Each year, the federal team at our affiliate Humane Society Legislative Fund pushes hard to advance legislation that protects animals, and this year, we saw strong progress. Notably, in the Farm Bill signed last week by President Trump, we...

A key panel appointed by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in South Africa recommends banning captive lion breeding and the commercial trade of lion parts such as lion skeletons. Humane Society International/Africa has been a key player in the campaign to phase out these...

South Dakota has a notorious history of mismanaging its mountain lion population and playing into the hands of trophy hunters. In past years, the Mount Rushmore state has repeatedly increased its hunting quota for the animals, despite evidence that its lion population is on the decline. But this...

Last week, South Korean authorities made history by closing down Taepyeong, the country’s largest dog slaughterhouse. The slaughterhouse had been the main facility used for the notorious Moran dog meat market for generations, and thousands of dogs were killed there brutally by electrocution each...