August 16, 2023 – In the aftermath of devastating wildfires that claimed the lives of a still unknown number of people on Maui, we mourn with our supporters and colleagues in Hawaii. As with most disasters, the loss of human life and the financial and other damages incurred by individuals, governments, businesses and institutions are […]
Humane Society International
Posted inLife
Fireworks and your pets: Tips for keeping pets and wildlife safe and happy during seasonal celebrations
June 26, 2023 – Many people enjoy the booming sounds and flashing colors of fireworks, but they can be terrifying, overwhelming and hazardous for both wild and domestic animals. On the Fourth of July, many animals become so frightened by the noise and commotion of fireworks that they run from otherwise familiar environments and people, […]
Posted inLife
What I saw after Hurricane Ian as a veterinarian in a pop-up clinic
In the weeks after Hurricane Ian devasted communities across Florida, our team coordinated the creation of a distribution center for pet food and a pop-up veterinary clinic offering free vet services in a regional library parking lot in Port Charlotte, Florida. Dr. Katherine Polak, the vice president of Companion Animals and Engagement for Humane Society International, who […]
Posted inCalifornia
Op-Ed | Kitty Block: California bear injured by arrow is first heartbreaking sign of cruel trophy hunting season
Last week, residents of Arcadia, California, spotted a black bear they were used to seeing around the neighborhood. But this time, something was different. The bear was moaning and was clearly suffering; an arrow was sticking out of his flesh. This is a heartbreaking reminder that black bear hunting season is underway in the Golden State. […]
Posted inWorld
In an historic vote, Italy to ban all fur farming and shut down all mink farms within six months
ROME, December 21, 2021—The Budget Committee of the Italian Senate today voted to approve a modified version of an amendment to the budget law which will see the country’s 10 remaining mink fur farms closed within six months and a permanent ban on fur farming throughout Italy. The vote follows discussions with animal protection organisation Humane Society […]
Posted inCalifornia
California Senate committee advances bill to prohibit certain toxicity tests on dogs
April 7, 2021 – As a bill to outlaw chemical tests on dogs that are not required by law advances in California, we are releasing a new poll today that shows overwhelming support among the state’s residents for ending such procedures. The poll, commissioned by the Humane Society of the United States and conducted by […]
Posted inLife
As fur farms prepare to breed mink, global health bodies issue warning on high coronavirus risk
February 18, 2021 – Mink fur farms have emerged as hotspots for the coronavirus, with 11 nations in Europe, Canada and the United States reporting such infections and, in some cases, transmissions from animals to human workers. The infections have resulted in millions of animals, including pups, on fur farms being culled by gassing—a particularly […]
Posted inUS
More than 2,900 veterinary professionals and advocates call on AVMA to prevent brutal ventilation shutdown on farms
NEW YORK December 16, 2020 – Today, veterinary and animal protection groups sent a petition signed by over 2,900 veterinary professionals and advocates to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) asking the organization to take a stand against ventilation shutdown (VSD). VSD is a cruel method of depopulation—mass, on-farm killing—that has been used on untold numbers of […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Sara Amundson and Kitty Block: A time of hope for animals
November 9, 2020 – As Joe Biden and Kamala Harris head to the White House, they bring with them a proven track record of protecting animals. In past years, we have worked with both the president- and vice-president-elect to strengthen laws on wildlife, marine mammals, farm animals, and so much more, and we look forward […]
Posted inWorld
Denmark will slaughter 15 million mink on fur farms over pandemic concerns
November 5, 2020 – Reports from Denmark this week are making it clearer than ever that mink fur farming is a public health minefield and an animal welfare nightmare. The European nation announced that it would slaughter all 15 million mink on its 10,000 fur farms following concerns that a mutation in the virus that has infected […]
Posted inUncategorized
The protection of wildlife is not about killing; it’s about cooperation that stops the killing
October 25, 2020 – Our agenda for the protection of wildlife is an ambitious one, focusing on the most serious threats to threatened and endangered animals in the United States and around the world. We’ve invested a lot of energy and resources in the fights to stop the trophy hunting industry in its tracks, to […]
Posted inEnviro
USFWS director says federal protections for wolves will be removed by end of year
September 1, 2020 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency tasked with protecting American wildlife, is getting closer to allowing trophy hunters and cattle ranchers to open season on the gray wolf, one of our nation’s most iconic—as well as most persecuted—animals. USFWS director Aurelia Skipwith told the Associated Press in an interview this […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Kitty Block and Sara Amundson: U.S. proposes more changes to chip away at Endangered Species Act
August 25, 2020 – The federal government has fired another volley in its assault on the Endangered Species Act, and this time it’s aimed at paving the way for corporations to take over lands that could, if conserved and restored, help in the recovery of imperiled American wildlife. Under changes proposed in a new rule, the […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Kitty Block and Sara Amundson: Shaking it up for sharks in 2020
August 11, 2020 – We’ve never cared for the cheap, lurid television programming tied to Shark Week, preferring to join with other groups and media outlets in a celebration of this apex species found in all of the world’s oceans and even sometimes in rivers. Sharks are part of an incredibly diverse taxon, a cluster […]
Posted inWorld
Vietnam bans wildlife imports, closes illegal wildlife markets as part of global crackdown
July 27, 2020 – Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a new directive that bans wildlife imports and closes illegal wildlife markets, a move applauded by Humane Society International/Vietnam. This directive provides clear instructions to relevant enforcement agencies and authorities to take immediate actions to better control wildlife trade as part of the […]
Posted inLife
Putting an end to lion trophy hunting in memory of Cecil
June 30, 2020 – 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 turned out, this was a shot heard around […]
Posted inLife
HSUS-led coalition launches #SpayTogether fund to spay/neuter 50,000 companion animals in wake of coronavirus crisis
June 1, 2020 – 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, communities in every state have been […]
Posted inWorld
China’s wildlife farmers offered buy-out to grow plants instead of porcupines in COVID-19 crackdown
WASHINGTON, May 18, 2020 – Wildlife farmers in two provinces in mainland China are being offered a government buy-out to facilitate a move away from breeding wild species for consumption, as part of the country’s crackdown on the wildlife trade in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plans, published on May 15th, see Hunan […]
Posted inWorld
Humane Society releases policy plan on wildlife markets, factory farms, and more to avoid another global health crisis
May 14, 2020 – The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the world to acknowledge the pressing need to change our relationship with animals. From the wildlife markets implicated in the origin of the novel coronavirus to the slaughterhouses that have become clusters for its spread, we now know only too well that our uncaring attitudes and indifferent practices […]
Posted inEnviro
Iceland may have killed its last whale; whaling company says it will hang up its harpoons for good
April 27, 2020 – One of Iceland’s two whaling companies has announced it will stop whaling for good. This welcome decision, which comes just days after Iceland announced it will cancel all whale hunts for the second consecutive year, takes us one step closer to the demise of an inhumane industry built on immense suffering […]