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, . . .
Talk Back: Readers Release the Hounds
Last week, Fox 5 in Atlanta aired an exposé of fox pens. Reader responses rolled in, ranging from disgust for the practice to defense of it. Among the comments we received: Thank you so much for addressing this issue. About a year ago, I read . . .
Exotic Animal Import a Risky Business
Exotic pets may be beautiful, but the trade that gets them here is far from benign. Hundreds of thousands of wild animals—squirrels and rats from Africa and Asia, small carnivores from South America, birds, reptiles and amphibians from around the globe, and fish from coral . . .
Taking Stock for Animals
The Humane Society of the United States focuses its work in four major areas: public policy and enforcement of laws, public education (including our extensive youth education programs), hands-on care, and corporate policy reforms. Our work on the corporate policy front is among our most . . .
