WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263) by a vote of 278 to 134. The bill would prohibit keeping tigers, lions and other big cat species as pets, and ban direct public contact like cub petting. Sponsored and championed by Rep. Michael Quigley...

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate just passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263, Senate companion bill S. 1210) by unanimous consent. This follows the bill’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 29. The legislation prohibits keeping tigers, lions and other big cat species as pets, and...

The first time Tim Harrison rescued privately owned big cats was back in 1982. A public safety officer at the time, Harrison and other responders found a male lion pacing around a small enclosure, a lion cub who appeared severely ill, bears, snakes and other animals on an Ohio property. It was rare...

Danielle Tepper had always loved dolphins. When she went on vacation to Hawai'i, she knew she had to see them firsthand. Tepper—now a senior editor at the Humane Society of the United States—wanted to do it ethically, so she avoided captive dolphin attractions. Instead, she booked an excursion to...

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...

WARNING: This page contains graphic content. Editor's note: In late August, as mink on fur farms in the Netherlands continued to fall sick with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, the Dutch government announced that it would require all mink fur farms to close by March of 2021...

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...

MURCHISON, Texas—Five years ago, Humane Society International rescued over 200 wild exotic animals from decrepit, barren and disturbing conditions at St. Edouard Zoo, an unaccredited facility in Canada. The animals were taken to sanctuaries and qualified facilities throughout North America...

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...

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...

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...

INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana’s law prohibiting direct public contact with big cats and bears goes into effect on July 1. Implementation of this law brings much needed protection for some of the animals who have been subjected to public handling and forced to live in abysmal facilities in the state...

Springfield, ILLINOIS─Today, the Humane Society of the United States released the shocking results of a February 2023 undercover investigation at Nuggets Night Vision Coyote Hunt, a wildlife killing contest in Mendon, Illinois. The HSUS investigator attended the weigh-in event that followed the 45...

WASHINGTON—Wildlife conservation organizations sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for missing its deadline to decide whether gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. The deadline was set following a May 2021 petition filed by...

WASHINGTON—Animal welfare and conservation non-profit, Born Free USA, working in collaboration with Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, has today released a shocking undercover investigation exposing the cruelty of animal trapping, including for the fur trade...

NEW YORK—The Humane Society of the United States released the findings of a recent undercover investigation at Sloth Encounters in Hauppauge, New York, owned by Larry Wallach. The investigator captured disturbing footage of staff hitting sloths, stressed sloths kept in crowded conditions, sloths...

Waconia, MINNESOTA—On Aug. 10, the Humane Society of the United States attended the Carver County Fair Tiger Encounter exhibit to witness firsthand how the animals were being treated in a show that claims to raise awareness about the plight of tigers in the wild and their rapid rate to extinction...

Humans are fascinated by the intelligent and gregarious nature of the dolphin. As one consequence of this fascination, dolphins are commercially exploited in marine parks, aquaria and "swim-with-the-dolphins" (SWTD) attractions worldwide. In the United States, the Department of Commerce's National...