The Humane Legislator of the Year Award goes to Rep. Paul Tonko

While 2020 was no ordinary year, each and every one of us associated with the Humane Society family of organizations did our best to make it an extraordinary one for animals. Here in the U.S., our colleagues at the Humane Society Legislative Fund finished strong . . .
Spinner dolphins finally get the much-needed protection they deserve

Hawaiian spinner dolphins, named for their acrobatic displays like leaping out of the water and spinning in the air, are nocturnal. To make it harder for sharks to detect them, they hunt for food and socialize at night. During the day, they rest in sheltered . . .
It’s National Voter Registration Day: Here’s why your vote matters for animals

Our mission is to end suffering for all animals, and this so often centers around boosting the public policy work of the humane movement. That’s why we encourage supporters to advocate for animal protection legislation and related proposals by contacting their elected officials and becoming . . .
Wolves in the Northern Rockies move closer to getting protections they desperately need

Wolves in the Northern Rockies may warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week, largely because of extreme wolf-killing laws recently passed in Idaho and Montana. The agency’s decision comes in response to a legal petition . . .
More victories leading to the end of the cage age for farm animals

For years, we at the Humane Society family of organizations have waged campaigns—through the boardroom to the ballot box—to eliminate the abusive practices of locking egg-laying hens in cages and mother pigs in gestation crates, practices that cause immense suffering for a staggering number of . . .
‘Increasing public health threat’ from disease found in pet store puppies

By selling puppy mill dogs, some pet stores are spreading severe diseases that are dangerous to the public. We’ve been saying this for years. And now a new scientific investigation published this month by the Journal of the American Medical Association Network reinforces this fact. . . .
Breaking: European Parliament votes to phase out animal testing and research

On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution that calls on the European Commission to draw-up an action plan to phase out animal experiments. This is a momentous political victory in a region where recent setbacks have occurred for animals in . . .
Why fostering an animal is especially meaningful right now

COVID-19 has made the past year and a half challenging, difficult and painful for so many individuals and institutions across the world. The animal sheltering and rescue community is no exception. Last summer, as the pandemic worsened across the U.S., shelters responded by growing programs . . .
New law increases availability of service dogs for veterans with PTSD

President Biden recently signed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act (PAWS), which increases the number of service dogs available to support veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions. We’re elated at the thought that more veterans will have access to the . . .
What the 9/11 search and rescue dogs show about our interdependence on animals

Twenty years ago, in the days after September 11, 2001, heroic first responders did the unthinkable task of going into the wreckage to search for signs of life. By their sides were the search and rescue dogs who, over the last two decades, have garnered . . .
A massive blow to puppy mill industry: Illinois ends the sale of puppies in pet stores

In a major win in the fight against cruel puppy mills, Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed the Humane Pet Store Bill (HB 1711) into law. The state’s 21 puppy-selling pet stores have 180 days from August 27, the date the bill was signed, to . . .
In major win for animals, Mexico bans animal testing for cosmetics

Even in our age of advanced technologies, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats continue to have chemicals and substances forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes or slathered on their skin to satisfy new regulatory demands that undercut progress against cosmetic animal testing. That’s . . .