Companion Animals
The United States needs a federal anti-cruelty statute
I’ll get to that matter, but some background first. In 2014, South Dakota became the 50th state to adopt felony-level penalties for malicious cruelty. That action puts an exclamation point on the notion that opposition to the worst forms of cruelty is a universal value . . .
Airplane-aided hunting, contest killing, ag-gag, tigers in the backyard, and dogs in hot cars flare up in legislative debates across the nation
Legislative activity is furious at the federal and state level. This week, lawmakers introduced three new animal protection bills (banning the sale of dog and cat meat in the United States, creating a federal anti-cruelty statute, and outlawing the sale of shark fins). Next week, . . .
Lawmakers target dog meat trade in the United States
If we are going to ask the rest of the world to end the era of dog- and cat-meat consumption, we have to establish a bright-line legal standard against the practice in the United States. We took one big step toward achieving that goal today . . .
Federal court upholds New York City ban on puppy mill sales
In an important ruling for dogs and a critical ruling for all animals protected by local and state laws, a federal appeals court today upheld New York City’s law restricting pet stores to selling only dogs obtained from breeders licensed by the U.S. Department of . . .
Breaking news: Guatemala passes omnibus anti-cruelty law, striking blow against wide range of practices
Guatemala, Central America’s biggest and most populous nation with more than 15 million people, has adopted one of the world’s most comprehensive anti-cruelty laws – an omnibus measure that, in addition to its basic anti-cruelty provisions, creates protections for wildlife, companion animals, animals used in . . .
Stateside shelters help attack mass euthanasia, other animal problems in Puerto Rico
We launched our Humane Puerto Rico program two years ago because animals are in crisis in this long-neglected, populous part of the United States. One fact, among all others, stared us in the face: some shelters in the Commonwealth had a euthanasia rate of 95 . . .
USDA bends to massive national campaign to restore animal care inspection reports
Nobody much likes what the U.S. Department of Agriculture did two weeks ago in purging thousands of inspection reports for the animal facilities and horse shows under its authority, and pledging not to post new reports on a go-forward basis. USA Today panned the action . . .
Horse soring crowd conspires with USDA to bury vast trove of inspection reports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s jarring removal of thousands of Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act inspection reports from its website has caused anger among animal advocates, concern among many in the regulated industries who want to be able to show their clean records, . . .
Movie producer speaks out on controversy over ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ and on American Humane Association
Gavin Polone is a big name in Hollywood, even if he’s not known to the average film-goer and television watcher. He’s an Emmy-nominated film and television producer behind such hits as “Panic Room,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Zombieland,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” But those of us who . . .
The HSUS challenges USDA over mass removal of animal welfare records
There’s an outpouring of anger and mistrust about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s abrupt decision late last week to delete from its website inspection reports on some 9,000 licensed facilities that use animals, including commercial dog breeding operators, Tennessee walking horse show participants, roadside zoos, . . .
BSL is Bad, Senseless Lawmaking
Our fight against discriminatory, breed-specific legislation (BSL) is likely to gain momentum with a raft of states considering legislation to remove and prevent restrictions on pet owners keeping certain breeds and types of dogs. Dog experts and researchers – along with just about every reputable . . .
Mexico says ‘no mas’ to dogfighting
There’s a lot in the news about Mexico and our border with that populous nation to our south. While that discussion swirls, we continue to make steady progress on animal welfare in Mexico, even though our Humane Society International office there is still in its . . .
