Search

Every year that passes sees hundreds of thousands of wild animals in the U.S. and around the world killed by trophy hunters, whose main motivation is to display whole animals or their body parts for bragging rights. Given all the threats facing wild animals, including habitat loss, environmental

Update: The full Trophy Hunting by the Numbers report has been released, providing a global look at the scope and impact of trophy hunting. A new poll shows that more than 75% of Americans oppose trophy hunting, and 82% oppose the trophy hunting and import of African lions and elephants, both listed

Today, we released the grisly findings of three undercover investigations into wildlife killing contests in Virginia, including the largest contest held east of the Mississippi River. The heartbreaking callousness and carnage our investigators saw at the weigh-ins of the three contests, which took

We are fighting hard right now for wolves with legal petitions, lawsuits and lobbying pressure designed to protect this most besieged wildlife species. This is a perilous time as one state after another has surrendered to trophy hunters and special interest groups seeking to kill wolves. At the same

Today, we’re releasing the findings of our undercover investigation revealing a thriving market for ivory products in Maryland. A lot is at stake. Each year, between 10,000 to 15,000 African elephants are killed by poachers. A recent assessment found that the population of the endangered savanna

As fashion week begins tomorrow in New York City, and then in London, Milan and Paris, I’m reminded that not so long ago these weeks were a time of worry for our fur-free team and fellow advocates around the world. Not knowing how many models would be wearing fur as they took to the runway, we would

Wolves across most of the continental United States must have Endangered Species Act protections restored, a federal judge ruled yesterday, effectively prohibiting trophy hunting of the species across most of the country. This tremendous victory is the result of a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society

Back in the 1940s, when government scientists were asked to check cosmetics for safety, they turned to rabbits. Dr. J.H. Draize and colleagues at the Food and Drug Administration dropped chemicals into the animals’ eyes and applied them to their skin, then assigned scores to the redness, swelling

For many years, the modest stretch of forested land surrounding our office in Maryland has offered a refuge to wild animals whose habitat is shrinking around them. Year after year, our staff members excitedly share sightings of our wild neighbors: the mama fox who births kits in a den under our

Today we are releasing the results of our seven-month undercover investigation at one of America’s largest animal testing laboratories. We’re asking you to join us in changing an outdated industry— animal testing—and, more immediately, in urging the release of more than 80 dogs still suffering at

One of our most urgent fights at the federal level centers on passage of the Humane Cosmetics Act in Congress. It’s got strong bipartisan support, cosmetics industry approval and the backing of scientists who understand the limitations of conventional animal tests and are committed to new approaches

It is a long way from the stable, paddock and winner’s circle at Churchill Downs to the dark, dank and bloody slaughterhouses in which tens of thousands of American horses meet their sad and pitiable end each year. Yet some former racehorses do make that terrible journey, and it’s hard not to think

Our sanctuary in Texas, Black Beauty Ranch, plays an extremely important and inspiring role for animals who have nowhere left to go. Take Chip, the horse who arrived at Black Beauty this week from Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland. He had to be removed from his home, but through no

When I joined the Humane Society of the United States back in 1992 as a legal investigator, I couldn’t have predicted that my career path would lead me to the role I serve now, as president and CEO of the HSUS and CEO of Humane Society International. In my three decades of service, I’ve had the

In a major win for America’s most imperiled wildlife, this week a U.S. federal judge voided a package of regulations enacted by the Trump administration that weakened the Endangered Species Act. We’ve been fighting these dangerous rollbacks since they were proposed. And as soon as they were enacted

You may have seen in the news that our Animal Rescue Team was approached by the U.S. Department of Justice to remove roughly 4,000 beagles from a breeding facility that supplied laboratories that test on animals. We are honored to have been chosen to lead this historic effort and to coordinate the

This week marks the 40 th anniversary of the global moratorium on commercial whaling, a momentous achievement that turned the course for long persecuted cetacean species. Slow to reproduce, whales were nearly wiped out altogether in the 20th century, with an estimated three million killed for profit

Just recently, I had the pleasure of meeting virtually with our organization’s summer intern cohort and the opportunity to meet several interns in person at our Taking Action for Animals conference. I look forward to these meetings in every internship cycle, and so do the senior colleagues who

Less than two years after Wisconsin held one of the cruelest and most disastrous trophy hunting seasons in recent memory, wolves across most of the country will enjoy a desperately needed reprieve this fall because of our successful lawsuit that restored their federal Endangered Species Act

Note: This blog is part of a series highlighting how we fight—and win—for animals . This post focuses on our direct care, rescue and sanctuary work. Previous posts have covered how we’re ending the worst forms of institutionalized animal suffering through our efforts with corporations and