Compass Charts A New Course

The movement to ban battery cages had its single biggest moment yesterday as Compass Group—the world’s largest food service provider, which services hospitals, corporations, universities, even the U.S. House of Representatives and Microsoft—announced that it would in time sell eggs only from cage-free sources. In . . .
Critical Reforms Move Forward

Congress has been in gridlock most of the year, with the Republicans and Democrats quarreling over the Iraq war, judicial nominations, spending bills, and just about everything else. But one issue that they can often agree upon is animal welfare. On Friday, the Senate approved . . .
You Asked: Puppy Protection

Today I would like to respond to a question from reader Linda Jordan, who is concerned about pet store puppy sales. Q. The HSUS does a great job! I would love to see a day when pet stores would be no longer allowed to sell . . .
Talk Back: Consequences
Michael Vick’s Dec. 10 sentencing produced a mixed reaction from readers. Among the comments we received: I’ll be the first to admit that I wanted Michael Vick to serve the maximum of 5 years. I also wish he could’ve been charged for each dog like . . .
Empty Excuses
Companies and people who are not doing right by animals resort to rationalizations to live with themselves and to convince the public that their conduct is socially acceptable. Every target of The Humane Society of the United States has a shtick—whether they are dogfighters, cockfighters, . . .
Puppy Cruelty Chronicled

The press attention generated by our exposé of the pet store-puppy mill connection, highlighted by our investigation of Pets of Bel Air and broken in a press conference I led yesterday at a Los Angeles Animal Services shelter, has been more than considerable. There are . . .
Pet Store Fraud
I just led a press conference in Los Angeles and released our undercover footage from an investigation centered around the business practices of Pets of Bel Air, a high-end L.A. pet store that caters to wealthy clients, including many celebrities. Here is the link to . . .
Puppy Trouble in Tinseltown
Today I am in Los Angeles where, in a few hours, we will unveil new undercover footage from The Humane Society of the United States on the connection between pet stores and puppy mills. To be released at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST, our investigation . . .
Dogfighting’s Day of Reckoning
Michael Vick is already in jail, and now he’s going to stay there for a while. This morning, U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced him to 23 months. No football and no freedom for two years because of dog abuse. There wasn’t much . . .
Talk Back: Animal Instincts
Readers offered praise for Noah Williams, the second grader whose essay about why animals should not be called things was published in the The Hartford Courant. Oh, out of the mouths of babes! Noah is a wise little boy. I hope his compassion is contagious. . . .
You Asked: Calls Against Cruelty

Today I would like to pause to respond to the following question from reader Dawn Kopp. Q. For years I received alerts regarding incidents of cruelty along with the names of prosecutors and judges crucial to the punishment of the perpetrators. Now it seems HSUS . . .
Tough Choices for Change

As CEO of the nation’s largest animal protection group, I receive a cascade of requests for assistance and financial support from individuals and organizations on a dizzying array of matters, including spay and neuter and pet overpopulation programs, captive wildlife issues, sanctuary assistance, hunting issues, . . .