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Note: This blog is part of a series highlighting how we fight—and win—for animals. For this post, I join with Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, to tell the story about how we tackle institutionalized animal suffering by changing laws and government regulations. “Why

If you walk into any Petland store and ask about buying a puppy, it’s likely your salesperson will assure you that Petland’s puppies come only from high-quality breeders who don’t keep their dogs in small cages, stand among “the top 5% of breeders” in the country and are inspected by at least one

UPDATE 11/22/22: The lawsuit has been amended with another complainant who claims she was sold a sick puppy by Petland Webster. Additional claims may be added to the lawsuit in the coming weeks if more potential plaintiffs come forward. When Stephanie Gonzalez and her 7-year-old son went to the

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

An HSUS undercover investigator has recorded video footage of animals living in dismal conditions at puppy mills in the Midwest that have never or only rarely been cited for neglecting the animals in their care by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal agency whose job is to ensure these

Despite the pandemic, our fight against puppy mills continued full throttle in 2020. We won several important legal and legislative battles against these commercial enterprises that keep large numbers of dogs in sordid conditions, and we continued to raise awareness about problem mills through our

A recent court case in Florida shines the spotlight on the questionable tactics Petland uses to dupe customers and make large profits off the sales of sick puppies---most of whom come from puppy mills. The case involved a Petland store in Plantation, Florida, which sold a customer a golden retriever

Tennessee has a huge puppy mill problem and no law to fight these operations that mistreat the dogs they profit off. Just over the past year we have heard of several puppy mill rescues, including two—one in Grundy County last month and another in Madison County last June—where hundreds of dogs were

A dangerous bill in Iowa threatens to undo decades of progress for animals in the state, including dogs suffering in puppy mills and wild animals in traveling exhibits. The bill, SF 483, introduced by Sen. Dan Zumbach, ostensibly seeks to prevent cities and counties from enacting any local laws that

What dog lovers don’t know about where their beloved puppies come from can hurt them. When puppies are born to emaciated, sick or injured dogs in cramped and dirty wire cages, the physical and mental toll can extend throughout their lives, impacting their behavior and wellbeing while causing

Earlier this week, we released our Horrible Hundred report, a roundup of 100 puppy mills that keep churning out dogs in dismal conditions to be sold through pet stores, flea markets and websites across the country. This report gained headlines in top local media outlets, including ABC , Axios, the

Dogs housed in enclosures with piles of feces instead of toys. Dogs jumping frantically in raised, wire cages. Dogs in dark enclosures with hardly any space to run and play. These are just a few of the conditions we documented at puppy mills that have sold to pet stores in New Jersey. Over the

There are some 10,000 puppy mills active in the United States – a mammoth number, by any measure. Animals in these enterprises are condemned to a life of squalor and suffering with no relief in sight. At a typical puppy mill, dozens or even hundreds of animals are housed in stacked wire cages or

Each year, our campaigns work on a multitude of issues related to improving the lives of companion animals, including dogs, cats and horses. In 2019, we made incredible gains on this front, culminating with the signing of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act into law in November. The

A notorious breeder in Missouri who has been featured five times in our annual Horrible Hundred report on problem puppy mills may be closing down her operation, even as the state’s attorney general is moving to take legal action against her for mistreating the dogs in her care. Debra Ritter of

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 and left them with only frozen

Missouri has finally moved to close down a puppy mill owner who’s been on the radar of federal and state inspectors for more than two decades for serious neglect of animals in her facility. Marilyn Shepherd (a.k.a. Marilyn Williams) and her Cedercrest Kennel (a.k.a. Pup 4 U) had operated without a

Earlier this week, we joined Born Free USA, FOUR PAWS USA and Last Chance for Animals in a national campaign to persuade department store Dillard’s to go fur-free. Unlike its fur-free competitors Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, T.J. Maxx, Kohl’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s is

In 2013, our Farm Animal Protection team upped its investment in reducing meat consumption in the U.S. and around the world by expanding our work with the biggest food service companies to bring plant-based dishes to their menus. This has led to hundreds of schools and colleges, hospitals, military

In a massive step forward, Canada has just passed a ban on cosmetics animal testing and the sale of beauty products that rely on new animal test data to substantiate their safety, becoming the second North American country to do so; Mexico passed such a ban in 2021. Our Humane Society International