On summer evenings, my husband and I head to the darkest spot of our property to look for the light—in the form of fireflies rising from meadow grasses and twinkling their way into the trees. As the tulip poplars behind this spectacular display settle in for slumber, white yucca flowers open their...
When a person you love dies, it's natural to feel sorrow, express grief and expect friends and family to provide comfort—but although people often feel the same feelings of grief when they lose a beloved pet, it might go unacknowledged by others. Know that your grief is normal, and it’s OK (and even...
Machine-washable items Add a one pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent and wash as usual, air drying if possible. If you can still see or smell the soiling, wash again with an enzymatic cleaner—these break down pet waste odors. If your pet soils the sheets or blankets on a bed, cover...
Longtime Trust friend Fred Ziegler became the first founding member of the Humane Stewardship Alliance, pledging to follow humane stewardship principles in managing his nearly 2900 acres in Tennessee. With three streams and 1.5 miles of frontage along one of North America’s most biologically rich...
Rats have gotten a bad rap throughout human history, but people who share their homes with domesticated rats ( Rattus norvegicus domestica) attest to their intelligence, charisma and social natures. So, yes, rats can make great pets—but like all pets, they need care and attention to thrive. Here are...
Teddy was never meant to have a name. He was born a number, just one of tens of thousands of dogs—mostly beagles like him, chosen for their trusting, docile nature and compact size—bred in the United States for use in experiments each year. Teddy was meant to live and die in a laboratory, without...
For wildlife on a beautiful 32-acre property in Mount Airy, Maryland, life is sweeter—and safer—because of the pledge landowners Jennifer Bevan-Dangel and Andrew Dangel made to follow the Humane Stewardship Alliance’s humane stewardship principles in managing their land. Lands of all sizes can be...
Pets get into everything and, like babies, tend to explore the world with their mouths. Make sure they stay safe by checking your home and yard for plants that could cause an emergency vet visit. It's also important to familiarize yourself with what table scraps are OK to share and which to avoid...
It began, almost certainly, in a bat. Then, just as SARS jumped to civets from bats, the virus that causes COVID-19 passed to another mammal, possibly a pangolin. Finally, late last year, the new coronavirus most likely jumped to humans in a wildlife market in Wuhan, China, a densely populated city...
It starts out mildly enough: Heading to work on the subway, you realize you forgot your wallet. No big deal, you think. I’ll borrow money to get home. Soon the lights go out and the train hurtles toward the sky, speeding through the atmosphere. Time passes—it’s hard to tell how long. The subway is...
WASHINGTON —Today, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration requesting that the agency updates regulations to make clear that animal testing is not legally required for drug approval. The petition also requests...