Many people experience their first connections with animals through relationships with dogs, cats or horses. Just as these bonds are powerful and pervasive, so must our advocacy be since companion animals face myriad injustices and difficulties in the U.S. and around the world. We’ve already detailed the incredible progress made against the dog and cat meat trades in 2023, but there is much more to say on other fronts. Here are just some of the ways we created a more humane world for companion animals in the past year.
I’ve talked about access to care as a defining animal welfare issue of our time: Everyone caring for a companion animal deserves and should be able to obtain necessary resources for their animal’s health and wellbeing. And certainly, the absence of resources shouldn’t mean that people shouldn’t experience the profound joy and love the bond with a pet can bring.
November 17, 2023, was a truly historic day in the fight to end the dog meat industry. In South Korea, where up to one million dogs are farmed and killed for human consumption each year, the government officially presented a roadmap to end the dog meat industry within a three-year period. We’ve been...
Update 12/29/22: President Biden has signed the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package into law—a big win for animals! We’ve had remarkable success in our end-of-session push for critical legislation in the U.S. Congress, with the Big Cat Public Safety Act, Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act...
Artificial intelligence, organ-on-chip technology and 3D bioprinting: These advancements promise to dramatically reshape our world, and they’ll play a part in making animal experiments obsolete. Sophisticated testing and research methods that use human cells or human biology-based technology will one day completely replace experiments on animals—a game-changer not just for animals, but for human health. The only question is how quickly it will happen.
Thirty-seven chimpanzees languishing at a New Mexico primate laboratory are still waiting for the National Institutes of Health to fulfil a promise it made in 2015---to retire them to sanctuary after a lifetime spent in research. Today, we’re giving these animals a helping hand by suing the federal...
During this holiday season, as I think about how I’ll celebrate with my family around the dinner table, I have a special appreciation for the work that our food service innovation team does: This unique team helps people around the world access healthy, delicious plant-based food, and consequently...
Last week, I told you the story of Ziva, a dog purchased from Petland who lived only a short time, leaving her family heartbroken and in debt. The sad reality is that Ziva’s story is only one among thousands that discredit the shameful puppy mill industry still thriving in the U.S. Our Stop Puppy...
Next Wednesday, trophy hunters with a yen for slaying some of the world’s most endangered and threatened animals will gather in Reno, Nevada, for the annual Safari Club International convention. This is perhaps one of the world’s largest such gatherings, and it’s a grim affair. On offer will be more...
When Russia invaded her country in late February, Larysa Frisby of Ukraine fortunately was far from the war zone visiting family in the United States. Unfortunately, her cat Persik was back home in Odesa. Frisby managed to find help to evacuate the cat as far as Warsaw in Poland, but without a way...
These are exciting times for the animal protection movement, and especially for those of us who work at the Humane Society of the United States and its affiliates, including Humane Society International and the Humane Society Legislative Fund. The year 2019 has come in with a roar. Already, we’ve...
The fatal shooting on May 12 of a mother black bear in Newtown, Connecticut, leaving two cubs orphaned, has understandably sparked widespread outrage and grief. Local residents were familiar with the bear; they knew her as “Bobbi” and have launched Facebook pages in her honor. With her death, the...
I first read the book, Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry when I was in 3rd grade. I tried for weeks to get the book from our school library, but it was always on loan. My mother finally bought it for me because I couldn’t wait any longer to read it. I loved reading about Phantom and her foal...
I was in New Orleans last week for our Animal Care Expo 2023, an inspiring event that drew more than 2,600 animal welfare professionals. I always love attending Expo, which has been building a stronger animal protection movement for more than three decades. This time around, I joined Hilary Hager...
From Rin Tin Tin to Lassie and Benji, the movies have long celebrated and reaffirmed the strength of the human-animal bond and the joy that companion animals bring to our lives. In this cherished tradition, a new movie that hits theaters tonight honors an even more special relationship – the bond...
This year's Taking Action for Animals conference takes place over one jam-packed weekend from July 19 to 22 just steps away from the nation’s capital, during which participants have the opportunity to learn about some of the most significant animal welfare issues of our time, connect with other advocates and participate in Humane Lobby Day on Capitol Hill.
When our responders rescue dogs from Korea’s dog meat farms, they invariably find the animals living in terrible conditions, in barren outdoor cages with no protection from the heat or the intense winters. Food is inadequate and the animals never feel the grass under their feet or a kind human touch...