Abhishek Rastogi
Kathy Milani / HSI 2010
Dog and cat welfare
Every day around the world, millions of dogs and cats face neglect and cruelty. Humane World for Animals rescues animals, works to end puppy mills and expands access to veterinary care.
Did you know?
Through rescues, direct care, education and policy reforms, Humane World for Animals works to protect companion animals and to support people in caring for them.
60,000
cats and dogs
received vaccinations, spay/neuter and other veterinary care through our multiyear Spayathon for Puerto Rico collaborative project
73,000+
street dogs
in Lucknow, India have been sterilized and vaccinated since 2019
40+
countries
plus three U.S. states (Maryland, New York and Virginia), and more than 20 U.S. municipalities ban the nontherapeutic declawing of cats
Take a look inside the problem
The situation for dogs and cats varies among countries and cultures. In some places, pet adoption is still a relatively new concept. But even where it’s common, animal shelters are often underfunded and overwhelmed.
Karma Sonam Bhutia/AP Images
Vaccinating a dog in Dehradun, India.
Amie Chou/Humane World for Animals
Rescued from a puppy mill.
Micki Rosi Richter /For Humane World for Animals
TNR helps community cats
Kristin Lamy/Humane World for Animals
Spay/neuter saves lives.
/The HSUS
Petland sells sick puppies
Petland is the largest retailer of puppy mill dogs, and while the company claims their puppies come only from reputable breeders and are in good health, our investigations prove otherwise. You can help end this cruelty.
Our work around the world
We work on companion animal issues across 13 countries, and reach many more through our training programs and partnerships with local animal welfare organizations.
Across Asia, millions of dogs and cats are kept in terrible conditions and then killed for their meat.
In truly humane communities, everyone can obtain what they need for the animals in their lives.
No animal should have to suffer the barbaric practice of dogfighting.
Whether they are unowned street animals, community animals or pets, dogs and cats worldwide face challenges to their welfare.
Our undercover investigators document abusive practices so that they can’t be ignored by the public and lawmakers.
Puppy mills are inhumane commercial dog breeding facilities that disregard dogs' health—both physical and emotional—in order to maximize profits.
Julia Gerasina/iStock.com
All Animals magazine
Animal shelters are in crisis
As people struggle to afford pet care, animal shelters are feeling the impact.
Dig deeper
Learn more about our efforts to improve life for companion animals and how to avoid unknowingly participating in cruelty.
News coverage of bad breeders is one of the ways we alert the public about the reality of puppy mills and encourage enforcement agencies to act.
Over the last few decades, the AKC has become little more than a front for the puppy mill industry, one that serves the interests of large-scale mass breeders while charging them for certifications of pedigree and litter registrations.
The campaign to end declawing is a call to veterinarians to abandon a non-therapeutic procedure—once commonly performed—that is now recognized as inherently cruel by a large portion of the general public.
More and more municipalities are seeking effective strategies to manage community (feral and stray) cats and owned cats whose owners let them outside.
By spaying or neutering your pet, you can help protect them against certain illnesses, perhaps address certain unwanted behaviors and save money.
Flat-faced cats such as Persians struggle to breathe. Learn how to help.
French bulldogs, pugs and other beloved dog breeds pay the price—serious health issues—for our aesthetic desires.
Take action
Help improve the lives of dogs and cats worldwide by taking action today. Your support can make a lasting impact on the care, well-being, and health of beloved companions everywhere.
Related Petitions to Issue
Stop Yulin cruelty
Ask Premier Li Qiang to end this animal welfare and public health nightmare in and around Yulin.
Ban the cruel and inhumane declawing of cats!
Declawing is a painful, irreversible surgical procedure that amputates part of a cat’s toes.
Animal Welfare Act
Puppies and mother dogs suffer in puppy mills and urgently deserve better conditions.
Keep pets and their families together
Help us increase access to affordable veterinary care, pet food and pet-inclusive housing.
Help dogs and cats on the streets
Millions of dogs and cats roam the streets worldwide.
Petland cruelty exposed
Undercover investigations in Petland stores have revealed terrible suffering and even death.
End organized dogfighting
Dogs forced to fight for human entertainment suffer horrific injuries and sometimes death.
End dog testing
40,000 dogs are used in painful and often deadly experiments each year in the United States alone.
Latest news
States and Union Territories ordered to effectively implement the Animal Birth Control Framework
India
After hearing all parties, a three-judge bench in the Supreme Court of India, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria, pronounced its final judgment in the suomotu case on
Humane World for Animals helps over 1,100 animals in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku
United States
WASHINGTON—Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, has provided veterinary care to more than 1,100 animals in Saipan the
Reward offered in Lebanon, Indiana: Emaciated dog found abandoned in a trash can
United States
BOONE COUNTY, Ind.—Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of
Your gift can do so much for animals in need
Your gift can do so much for animals in need
Start saving lives by making a one-time gift today. You can also help animals all year long with a monthly contribution.
Meredith Lee/Humane World for Animals