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...

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas—Today, four leading animal protection organizations—the Humane Society of the United States, Born Free USA, FOUR PAWS USA and Last Chance for Animals—launched a national campaign urging Dillard’s, the last major U.S. department store still selling animal fur, to adopt a fur...

As my neighbors and I stood 10 feet apart and swapped tips for scavenging kitchen staples this spring, the wilder residents of our community shared no such concerns. Squirrels twirled maple seed clusters like bouquets to reach every tidbit. Bumblebees made a mockery of social distancing in their...

The delegate seemed ready to pick a fight, already having mocked a proposed plastic bag ban and other pro-environment bills on the day’s agenda. As I finished my testimony in support of wildlife-friendly plantings, I steeled myself for a heated debate. But on that gray afternoon in February 2020...

It seemed like a good idea at the time: Buy a house with a two-acre property, let our energetic herding dog have the run of the place and spend blissful summer days digging side by side in the dirt with her. And it was blissful, watching Mattie carve out her napping spots behind the ferns and tall...

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.

Following one former lab worker's path to advocacy.

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...

Glue boards (also known as glue traps) might seem like a safe solution to ridding your home of uninvited guests of the crawling, flying or scurrying sort, but they are one of the cruelest.

SALEM, Ore.—Wildlife-advocacy and animal-protection groups sent an urgent letter today calling on Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and state officials to address mink fur farms’ escalating threats to public health and wildlife. The groups are asking the governor to fast-track phasing out commercial mink fur...

If you find a wild animal in distress while you're out for a hike, traveling or even in your own backyard, get them the help they need. Find a wildlife rehabilitator in the alphabetical list below. IMPORTANT! Before you " rescue " any wild animal, make sure the animal really needs your help...

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...

Learn how you can turn community parks, corporate properties, places of worship and even apartment balconies into havens for wildlife, people and pets.

Fur factory farms and trappers kill millions of animals each year using brutal methods just for their fur. With your help, the Humane Society of the United States is fighting back—and winning—with brands, cities and countries moving away from fur. But to make progress, we need you. There are five...

Did you know that 72 % of renters have pets, yet problems finding and keeping rental housing is a leading reason dogs and cats wind up in shelters? It doesn’t have to be that way! Pets are a part of every community and live in two-thirds of American homes, yet renters often have trouble finding...

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...

Somewhere toward the end of the last ice age, we formed an alliance with wolves: Maybe the ancestors of dogs got food scraps while our own ancestors gained protection from predators and other humans. These social species eventually collaborated on a vast scale, possibly even hunting woolly mammoths...

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...

Goblin might not have lasted much longer at Tim’s Reptiles and Exotics in Pulaski County, Kentucky. The sulcata tortoise was one of about 150 animals rescued in September from nightmarish conditions at the pet store when local police arrested the store operator on 19 counts of animal cruelty...

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...