As monarch butterflies and hummingbirds headed south this fall, I dreamt of following my favorite snowbirds to Mexico and Central America. But I stayed home instead, where I have a window onto the spectacular world of winter wildlife: northern flickers tossing maple leaves with their beaks in search...

We’re delighted to welcome the Unexpected Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey’s Pinelands region to the Humane Stewardship Alliance. With 767 acres of swamps, bogs, forests, fields and lakes, this new HSA member’s land supports an impressive array of woodland warblers and other songbirds, several owl...

Skunks, easily identifiable by their characteristic black and white striping, are infamous for producing a foul odor when frightened. Although a skunk’s spray is known mostly for its robust smell, it can also cause intense discomfort if it gets into a person or animal’s eyes. People will go to...

Prairie dogs are one of the most controversial and widely misunderstood wildlife species in North America. Since early European migration onto the North American grasslands, prairie dogs have been celebrated as an essential keystone species for healthy grasslands ecosystems, but also vilified and...

Maryland legislators have introduced three bills to improve wildlife management and coexistence in the state. These bills promote humane coexistence with black bears, increase the diversity of voices and scientific input in the state’s wildlife policymaking process, and improve the procedure for...

The Humane Society of the United States works with community leaders and animal care and control agencies to create Wild Neighbors communities, where humane and non-lethal solutions are given priority.

Animals with fur suffer immensely in the name of "fashion." Fortunately, more and more brands, designers and retailers are going fur-free. The companies listed below have announced that they don't sell animal fur or are phasing in a fur-free policy. (Please note that leather and shearling are not...

What is bear hounding? Bear hounding is the practice of using packs of radio-collared dogs to pursue a bear until the exhausted, frightened animal climbs a tree, where they are shot, or turn to fight the hounds. Dogs are often injured or even killed. What is bear baiting? Trophy hunters and hunting...

What is captive hunting? Captive hunting operations—also referred to as "shooting preserves," "canned hunts" or "game ranches"—allow trophy hunters to shoot animals who are fenced in. The animals are often semi-tame—some have even been hand raised or bottle fed by humans. Operators often offer...