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In West Point, Iowa, a large-scale, commercial breeding facility called the Stonehenge Kennel contains more than 800 dogs. Here, since 2015, more than 100 dogs have been found sick or injured; some had open lesions and could barely walk. As recently as December 2022, the U.S. Department of

In a country where political tempers often run hot, agreement can seem incredibly rare. But, regardless of party affiliation, a consensus is emerging that our companion animals should be treated with basic decency—and this is not how kitten and puppy mills treat dogs and cats. While we advocate for

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. The pet industry

Many people experience their first connections with animals through relationships with dogs, cats or horses. Just as these bonds are powerful and pervasive, so must our advocacy be since companion animals face myriad injustices and difficulties in the U.S. and around the world. We’ve already

Our mission is to build a more humane world, and over the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on our progress toward this vision by recounting 2023’s wins for animals of all kinds: wildlife, dogs, cats and other companion animals, animals used in labs, and animals farmed for food and for fur.

The Farm Bill, a legislative package the U.S. Congress approves every five years or so to govern agricultural and food programs, has the potential to instill animal welfare and sustainability into food practices for years to come. Instead, the 2024 Farm Bill just approved in the House Agriculture

Earlier this year, I told you about lawsuits filed in Ohio against Petland that revealed heartbreaking stories of sick puppies. Now, two new lawsuits seek to hold Petland accountable for business practices that mislead customers and prop up the cruel puppy mill industry. Attorneys with our Animal

Since we first started publishing our Horrible Hundred report on problem puppy mills in 2013, at least 2,500 animals have been rescued from these bad breeders, and more than 250 puppy mills from our reports have closed. This year, our Horrible Hundred report, released this past April, generated more

We’re devoted to ending the worst forms of systemic animal suffering by working with corporations—and while we’ve had some immense wins, some companies refuse to listen to calls for change. A fascinating discussion on our corporate policy work took place on our Humane Voices podcast, which came out

Last fall, our Animal Rescue Team worked with authorities in Virginia to help remove 110 cats from a U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed dog and cat dealer as part of an alleged cruelty situation. Since March 2023 alone, the USDA had documented more than 50 Animal Welfare Act violations at the

Early Monday morning, our Animal Rescue Team arrived at two properties in Milburn, Oklahoma, with officers from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, who served search warrants as part of an alleged animal cruelty situation. Law enforcement requested our assistance with rescuing potentially hundreds

Some of the findings of our latest Horrible Hundred report sound like scenes from horror films. A puppy mill operator in Iowa performed do-it-yourself surgeries on puppies. A breeder in Ohio is suspected of using rusty scissors to cut the tails off puppies. A breeding facility in Oklahoma was so

New research conducted by our Stop Puppy Mills campaign reveals that the American Kennel Club, a purebred dog registry organization that used to call itself “the dog’s champion,” has opposed more than 450 bills that aimed to help pups since 2008. What’s more, its opposition has escalated, at the

Our investigator found puppies suffering from hacking coughs, nasal discharge or open wounds at a Petland store in Novi, Michigan.

Since we started publishing our Horrible Hundred reports about puppy and kitten mills across the U.S. in 2013 almost 250 of these high-volume breeding facilities have finally closed.

In recent years, we’ve made incredible progress for dogs in puppy mills by raising broad awareness of their plight and by advocating for the passage of local ordinances and state laws that prohibit the sale of puppies in pet shops. Fighting this progress are those who benefit from selling dogs in

In a photo taken by a state inspector, a dog stands looking away from the camera, her tail pointing down. At first glance, this image may seem like a sweet photo because of the boxer’s soft brown eyes and emotional expression. But farther up in the frame, the dog’s body tells a different story. Her

Lovie Langston’s complaint came to our Stop Puppy Mills team in December 2022. “I am paying $7,000 for ashes,” she stated. Langston said she purchased a Maltese puppy whom she named Ziva Girl as a holiday gift for herself and her family at the Petland (Bellaire) store in Houston, Texas in November

Over the weekend, the 86th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration concluded in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and we are determined that this be the last Celebration with abused walking horses on display. A rule finalized earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and slated to