Court gives Joe Exotic’s zoo to Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue; but no reprieve for the animals
In yet another twist in the continuing saga of Joe Exotic, a court has awarded his roadside zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, to the leader of a big cat sanctuary whom he once hired a hitman to kill. A federal judge on Monday gave the GW . . .
HSUS-led coalition launches #SpayTogether fund to spay/neuter 50,000 companion animals in wake of coronavirus crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has affected animal shelters in unprecedented ways. But the humane movement has risen to the challenge, and shelters have pivoted swiftly and efficiently to ensure animals are neither forgotten nor left out, by expanding foster programs and creating innovative adoption opportunities. Unfortunately, . . .
Report: Puppy mill revenues decline as states, localities move to end pet store dog sales
A recent industry publication paints a grim picture for the future of puppy mills, after several hundred localities and three states have banned the sale of puppies in pet stores in recent years. According to a report from IBIS World, a market research firm, fewer . . .
HSUS, HSLF urge federal consumer protection agency to crack down on Petland and other dishonest puppy sellers
Pet stores like Petland and internet puppy sellers routinely deceive unsuspecting customers into buying animals who are bred in inhumane puppy mills and who could be sick or even dying. Today, we are calling on the Federal Trade Commission, the agency charged with consumer protection, . . .
Missouri proposes opening its small black bear population to trophy hunters
Missouri has proposed a hunting season on its small and still-recovering population of black bears, who were once nearly wiped out because of overhunting and logging, which decimated their habitat. The Missouri Department of Conservation estimates that there are now approximately 540 to 840 bears . . .
As slaughterhouses continue to spread coronavirus, plant-based foods are a safe, humane alternative
This week, the Washington Post and New York Times reported rampant coronavirus spread at meatpacking plants, and efforts by large meat producers to obscure the transmission rates. “As dozens of plants that closed because of outbreaks begin reopening, meat companies’ reluctance to disclose detailed case . . .
Missouri moves to shut down Horrible Hundred puppy mill for keeping dogs in filthy conditions
Just days after the release of our annual Horrible Hundred report, Missouri’s attorney general has sued to shut down one of the puppy mills named in it. The owners of Little Bit Ranch in Unionville, Missouri, failed to provide adequate veterinary care for their dogs . . .
Breaking news: U.S. will allow cruel trophy hunting practices to kill hibernating bears and wolf pups on Alaska’s federal lands
The Trump administration has just delivered a one-two punch to Alaska’s wildlife: it has announced that it will release a final National Park Service rule allowing some of the cruelest practices for killing black bears, wolves and other wildlife on national preserve lands in Alaska; . . .
Breaking news: Chinese provinces announce plans to buy out wildlife breeders, end trade in wild animals for food
Four Chinese provinces will offer farmers a government buy-out or other financial help to stop breeding wild animals like civets and cobras for food. This move is part of a continuing crackdown by China and its individual provinces and cities on the nation’s rampant wildlife . . .
Roadside zoos lure in visitors amidst the pandemic, at great risk to animals and people
Last week, the Oklahoma roadside zoo where Joe Exotic bred tiger cubs, ripped them from their mothers as soon as they were born, hit them so they would pose with visitors for photos, and disposed of many of them when they were no longer of . . .
Pennsylvania teen who tortured dying deer avoids prison sentence; case highlights need for mental health evaluations in animal cruelty instances
A Pennsylvania court this week allowed an 18-year-old to avoid prison time for a crime that shocked Americans when a viral video of it surfaced earlier this year: in the video, the young man and his friend were seen torturing a dying deer, kicking him . . .
The Endangered Species Act is in its own fight for survival; help us save and strengthen it
Imagine our world and its wildlife without the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Had it not been for this bedrock federal law, the beloved American bald eagle would most likely have gone the way of the dodo or the passenger pigeon. Gray wolves and . . .
