Humane Society International
Vietnam cracks down on wildlife trade in wake of pandemic

Vietnam’s prime minister has issued a directive that will ban most wildlife imports into the country and crack down on the illegal wildlife trade there. The directive from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, which will go into effect immediately, comes in response to concerns about . . .
More than 100 dogs rescued from Korean dog meat farms arrive in the U.S. for adoption

When Winkie, a Boston terrier, landed at Dulles airport in Virginia last week, he had a life filled with hope to look forward to: something he’d never had before. Humane Society International rescuers found Winkie earlier this year on a South Korean dog meat farm. . . .
Right whales are now ‘critically endangered’—just a step away from extinction

In late June, the body of a dead North Atlantic right whale calf was found floating off the coast of New Jersey—a victim of two boat strikes, according to a preliminary analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While this would have been a . . .
HSI undercover investigation shows foxes bludgeoned, skinned alive on Asian fur farms

The cruelty of fur is on terrifying display in these scenes from a fur farm, captured on video by investigators working with Humane Society International. Foxes are pulled out of their cages, one by one, usually by their tails as they try to cling to . . .
Putting an end to lion trophy hunting in memory of Cecil

The killing of Cecil the lion five years this week ago by an American trophy hunter in Zimbabwe triggered worldwide outrage. Father of a pride, lured with an elephant carcass, wounded by an arrow, he suffered for hours before being killed by gunshot. As it . . .
HSI brings much-needed food, medical help to companion animals affected by pandemic around the world

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on companion animals around the world. Shelters and rescues in many countries are seeing an increase in abandoned dogs and cats or have had to remove animals from homes and localities where people have become sick or . . .
Breaking news: Dutch parliament votes to permanently close mink fur farms

The Dutch parliament has voted to permanently shut down an estimated 128 mink fur farms in the wake of coronavirus outbreaks on 17 of these farms since April. If approved by the Dutch government, the decision would bring a welcome end to the cruel business . . .
Tragedy highlights Canada’s puppy mills problem

A tragic story from Canada underscores the vast, global scale of the puppy mill problem, and how important it is that we root it out wherever it exists. On June 13th, a Ukraine International Airlines flight carrying approximately 500 puppies, including at least 200 French . . .
Scotland bans fish farmers from shooting seals; law inspired by U.S. reforms for marine mammals

For years, Scotland has allowed fish farmers and other fisheries to shoot seals in order to keep them from eating their fish —a brutal practice that has resulted in so much unnecessary suffering and death among these charismatic marine mammals. Last week, in a long-awaited . . .
Yulin dog meat festival to begin this weekend, defying Chinese declaration that dogs are pets not food

Once again, we are seeing heartbreaking visuals from Yulin, China, in the run-up to the annual dog meat “festival” there this Sunday. A video recorded by Humane Society International’s partners on the ground shows rows and rows of dog carcasses lying on tables or being . . .
Dutch fur farms have killed 575,000 mink, mostly pups, following coronavirus outbreak

Update (6/12/2020): Dutch authorities have confirmed they have killed 575,000 mink, including 480,000 pups, during the cull on 13 fur factory farms. The killing will conclude tomorrow. The Netherlands is expected to kill more than 350,000 mink by gassing, in a massive cull following an . . .
Trump Jr.’s argali trophy hunt in Mongolia cost American taxpayers $77,000

We’ve just learned that Donald Trump Jr.’s trophy hunting trip to Mongolia, where he hunted an argali sheep—an animal listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act—cost American taxpayers a whopping $77,000. The revelation comes from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics . . .