The Humane Society of the United States presents Indianapolis City-County Council Vice President Zach Adamson and Councillor John Barth with the Humane Council Award for their efforts to help animals in Indianapolis by authoring a humane pet store ordinance to end the sale of dogs and cats in pet...

In September 2022, our responders assisted with rescue calls and community outreach in the wake of devastating flooding and destruction in Charlotte County, Florida, after Hurricane Ian.

Thanks to widespread pet vaccinations, effective post-exposure treatment and the relative rarity of undetected bites by rabid animals, the number of human deaths from rabies in the United States caused has declined to an average of only one or two per year—far less than the number of human...

Many people enjoy the booming sounds and flashing colors of fireworks, but they can be terrifying, overwhelming⁠ and hazardous for both wild and domestic animals. On the Fourth of July, many animals become so frightened by the noise and commotion of fireworks that they run from otherwise familiar...

Our Animal Rescue Team deployed to Muncie, Indiana, in October 2021 ready to rescue dozens of cats living in filthy conditions inside a residential property. As rescuers entered the house, they encountered an unexpected obstacle: A black-and-white cat approached them and began rubbing against their...

Contents Plan for your pets Make a disaster kit for pets If you evacuate, take your pet If you stay home, do it safely Pets and wildfires After the emergency Additional resources for equines, livestock and community cats

In 1988, after a decade that saw record sales of animal fur, a representative from the Humane Society of the United States met in Europe with other advocates to plan an end to an industry built on cruelty. Only a year before, the first ladies of the U.S. and what was then the USSR had famously...

A bright, loud fireworks display flashing across the night sky is often considered a fun hallmark of seasonal pastimes like baseball games and barbecues. Yet these blasts of sound and flashing color can easily frighten and even harm animals—and not just our pets. Humans jump at unexpected loud...

They were like moths to a flame or, more accurately, butterflies to a native plant. No sooner had I unloaded two joe-pye weed perennials from my car last August than three tiger swallowtails dive-bombed the pots, as if to validate my purchase. If only my fellow shoppers knew what they were missing...

To protect their pets, many owners turn to microchips. Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be implanted under your pet’s skin by most veterinarians and animal shelters; some shelters implant chips in all pets they place. A microchip isn’t the same as a GPS...

The shocking number of animal cruelty cases reported every day is just the tip of the iceberg—most cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they are. However...

WASHINGTON—As inflation pushes prices higher, many families across the country are struggling to afford veterinary care, food and supplies for their beloved pets. Nowhere is this more acute than for families who were already experiencing systemic poverty. According to the latest consumer price index...

If you've ever had to put a beloved pet to sleep, then you know how heartbreaking it can be to lose a member of your family. At the end of a cat or dog's life, the peace of a quiet room, the soft embrace of someone who cares and a gentle, painless sleep induced by a trained technician is one of the...

WARNING: This page contains graphic content. What are wildlife killing contests? While contests like dogfighting and cockfighting have been condemned in the U.S. as barbaric and cruel, wildlife killing contests still happen regularly in almost all of the 42 U.S. states they are legal in. Killing...

The Humane Society of the United States was founded to tackle animal welfare challenges that were historically beyond the reach of local organizations, supplement the essential work of animal shelters and rescues by addressing the root causes of animal cruelty, advocate for stronger laws to ensure...

Shelter, food, and water are especially important to outdoor cats--feral and stray--in the cold of winter. Follow our advice on building the best kind of shelter and keeping food and water from freezing. Also, to TNR or not to TNR? We'll answer that question.

Updates Nov. 28: The cats have been placed with our shelter and rescue partners to find loving homes. We are happy to hear that many of the cats have been adopted and are enjoying life in their new homes! Nov. 7: After almost a month of care and veterinary treatment, the cats are ready to look for...

Many Marches ago, as I mindlessly contorted myself to pull a deep-rooted weed from the garden patch, my thoughts turned longingly to the smell of fresh basil that would eventually grace what I saw as a still-barren vegetable graveyard. This spot was not so lifeless as it appeared, I would soon learn...