Contents What is meant by "chaining" or "tethering" dogs? Why do people tether their dogs? Why is tethering bad for dogs? How does tethering dogs pose a danger to humans? How should dogs be confined and restrained safely? Should tethering ever be allowed? What about attaching a dog's leash to a...

Glue boards (also known as glue traps) might seem like a safe solution to ridding your home of uninvited guests of the crawling, flying or scurrying sort, but they are one of the cruelest.

By some human standards, my pond is a hot mess. Underneath and around the water lilies are fallen leaves, branches and other debris of decomposing plants. Along the edges, sea oats, sedges and swamp sunflowers hug the rocks. But if humans are picky in their desire for orderliness, frogs are just as...

It’s not easy to accept that all things must eventually come to an end. We often go into denial in the face of the inevitable and airbrush away the aftermath when it does occur. So it probably shouldn’t have surprised me to read about a gardener who glossed over the demise of an entire tree with...

Sharing your life with a horse can be a rewarding experience, but it includes the responsibility of caring for your equine companion for life. Your horse depends on your love, care and commitment, which you can show through grooming, petting, riding and the occasional treat. With good care, your...

How to spur wildlife-friendly projects in your community.

Skunks, easily identifiable by their characteristic black and white striping, are infamous for producing a foul odor when frightened. Although a skunk’s spray is known mostly for its robust smell, it can also cause intense discomfort if it gets into a person or animal’s eyes. People will go to...

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...

Opossums get a bum rap. Often seen as pests and accused of everything from knocking over garbage cans to killing chickens, these quiet marsupials are rarely a threat and easily sent on their way. Learn More About Opossums Contents What are common problems and solutions with opossums? How can I keep...

It’s not easy to write a book roundup for All Animals. As the magazine’s name implies, we don’t discriminate. A book that celebrates butterflies and birds but maligns squirrels and snakes will never make the cut. That narrows the field considerably but still leaves treasures for summer reading. From...

Keeping your pet cats inside is the best way to ensure their safety and protect wild animals in the area. But if you’re feeding community cats or your neighbors let their kitties roam—and you also enjoy putting out bird feeders—follow these tips to promote everyone’s safety.

Fading yellow leaves fall from tulip trees, settling as quietly as a whisper into piles of gold among the ferns. A catbird calls from a walnut branch, warning competitors away from the pokeberries. A flock of pine siskins descends to the pond, chattering softly as they sip. Young green frogs dive...

Last summer, deer snipped the tops off goldenrods and helped themselves to swamp milkweed buds. They had wild lettuces for breakfast and black raspberries for dessert. Despite the diverse tasting menus on offer, most plants in my garden didn’t tempt these gentle herbivores, who sampled purpletop...

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...

What does it take to keep the nearly 650 animals at Black Beauty Ranch satiated, medicated and hydrated? A whole lotta produce, plus a dash of creativity. Here’s how sanctuary staff provide balanced diets, guided by the veterinary team.

If community cats are aggravating you or your pets, you should first identify who is caring for the cats and connect them with local trap-neuter-return ( TNR) resources. Simply removing outdoor cats is seldom a long-term solution as more cats move into the area to take advantage of handouts from...

It starts out mildly enough: Heading to work on the subway, you realize you forgot your wallet. No big deal, you think. I’ll borrow money to get home. Soon the lights go out and the train hurtles toward the sky, speeding through the atmosphere. Time passes—it’s hard to tell how long. The subway is...

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...

Fur factory farms and trappers kill millions of animals each year using brutal methods just for their fur. With your help, the Humane Society of the United States is fighting back—and winning—with brands, cities and countries moving away from fur. But to make progress, we need you. There are five...

To experience the natural world, we often navigate congested highways to swim in the sea, fly over patchworked terrain to hike through preserved forests and climb distant mountaintops to catch rare views. Largely because of our ever-increasing mobility, the areas nearest to us are rarely the dearest...