During the past few weeks, as several hurricanes buffeted the southeastern United States and the Bahamas, our team has been working round the clock, bringing much-needed help and relief to animals. After Hurricane Dorian swept through the Bahamas, claiming dozens of human lives and placing countless...
HSUS- and HSLF-backed plan for wild horses and burros rejects slaughter, offers much-needed reprieve
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson America’s wild horses and burros have long been engulfed in a political quagmire, and their place on our western rangelands has been hotly contested for more than half a century. But a comprehensive, science-based management proposal promises to break the stalemate...
Devastating fires are raging across California, in a terrible scene that has gripped the attention of the entire nation. There are more than 80 people confirmed dead, and countless more missing and displaced from their homes. As we’ve seen in many prior disaster scenarios, thousands of animals, lost...
Right now, as they do every year, our opponents are mobilizing in state legislatures around the country to halt the march forward for animal protection. Even as we have worked with countless stakeholders to win passage of hundreds of bills and local ordinances year after year, our opponents have dug...
As Hurricane Florence batters the coast of the Carolinas, wreaking havoc with screaming winds and lashing rain, our Humane Society of the United States Animal Rescue Team is at the ready to deploy for search and rescue in the impacted areas, and to support shelters and communities that officially...
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson Just weeks after the historic passage of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 693, in the U.S. House of Representatives, we’re opening up another front in our fight against horse “soring.” Today the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society...
Trainers who paint horses’ legs with harsh acids and chemicals that burn through the skin, causing unspeakable pain to the animals, then add heavy shoes and tie chains on top of those wounds to intensify their suffering. Trainers who hit horses with sticks and shove electric prods in their faces to...
The Humane Society of the United States, joined by several other organizations, is suing to stop the U.S. Forest Service from carrying out a plan that could result in the sale of wild horses, now being rounded up in California, to slaughter. Earlier this month, I told you about the misguided plan to...
For more than a decade, our Animal Protection Litigation team, a talented group of attorneys who use the law to advance the cause of animal protection, has been one of our most effective divisions. Each year, they file lawsuits and legal petitions to support our advocacy campaigns, draft numerous...
Our Animal Protection Litigation team plays a critical role at the Humane Society of the United States, filing lawsuits and legal petitions to support our major campaigns, drafting language for state and federal animal protection bills and ballot measures, and defending animal protection laws once...
In 2019, we made big strides for companion animals in puppy mills, dog meat trade, research and more
Each year, our campaigns work on a multitude of issues related to improving the lives of companion animals, including dogs, cats and horses. In 2019, we made incredible gains on this front, culminating with the signing of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act into law in November. The...
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to review a challenge to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was signed into law in 2020 in an effort to better ensure the safety of horses used in racing in the U.S. Prior to the passage of the Act, there was a patchwork of laws throughout the country that were confusing and didn’t help to properly protect horses. Because of this, we fought for years for the passage and proper implementation of the Act to ensure meaningful oversight over the welfare of these horses, because as long as horses are raced, they deserve to be protected from harm.
Our disaster relief team does not shy away from challenging conditions when it comes to helping animals and their families. In 2020, they responded to animals’ needs following the devastation wrought by Australia's wildfires, and last year they went to save animals after the earthquakes in Türkiye. The team’s experience, training and preparation make such a difference. Now our disaster relief team has deployed to Chile to help save hundreds of animals in the wake of devastating and fatal fires. Thousands of people and potentially hundreds of companion animals have been affected, suffering with burns, smoke inhalation and other injuries, with many dogs and cats displaced with or without their families. In this guest blog, Felipe Marquez, our program manager for Latin America region disaster response, shares a glimpse of the team’s work in the field.
