
She embodied all the magic and the misery of modern parrots. Sofia popped off her perch, climbed up my arm, and leaned into my face. A Moluccan cockatoo, among the world’s most stunning birds, Sofia’s most distinctive feature is her huge round head—big, white, and inviting as a fluffy pillow. She...

Danielle Tepper had always loved dolphins. When she went on vacation to Hawaii, 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...

Minnow It makes sense that her best friends are turkeys. Minnow spent the first five months of her life on a dog meat farm in South Korea before she was rescued by Humane Society International in 2015 and adopted by Abbie Hubbard, who worked at a Virginia shelter where the rescued dogs were flown...

Twenty-three years ago, as the Humane Society of the United States launched a campaign to protect captive marine mammals, SeaWorld invited the organization to visit its Orlando theme park. Dr. Naomi Rose, the newly appointed head of the HSUS campaign, and her colleagues went to the park for a behind...
This editorial originally appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on November 14, 2005. The Georgia Aquarium will have its grand opening on November 23. Highlights include two whale sharks, the only exhibit of this species in North America, and its newest acquisitions, five beluga whales, two...
About our volunteers Animal rescue volunteers work with the Animal Rescue Team to help save animals who are the victims of illegal animal cruelty and natural disasters. Whether an out of control hoarder or dogfighting operation, or hurricane or puppy mill, animal rescue volunteers travel from all...
Who are Shelter and Rescue Partners? Our Shelter and Rescue Partner program is a network of organizations committed to serving as a safety net for pets and mentors for overwhelmed shelters. In collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, program partners drive advancements in the...
The Humane Society of the United States is proud to launch the Forward Food Challenge – a sustainability campaign to help dining operations address the climate crisis by providing an incentive to change their menus to focus on plant-based meals. The goal for the challenge is to collectively prevent...

In October 2021, the Humane Society of the United States arrived in Muncie, Indiana to assist local police in rescuing of dozens of cats from an alleged severe neglect situation. Video producer Thom Stromer joined the HSUS Animal Rescue Team to assist with the rescue and document the scene and the...

When a railroad track bed blocked their path, the two HSUS rescuers and the head of Beaumont’s animal shelter got out of their boat and waded a mile in the brown water pouring through the neighborhood. They pushed toward a house where the owner had reported a Chihuahua and kitten still inside...
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...

At Tim’s Reptiles and Exotics, the bunnies looked “deflated.” The rabbits at the Pulaski County, Kentucky, store were so undernourished, says Shalimar Oliver, animal crimes manager for the HSUS, that they had almost no body fat, leaving their skin and fur “rolling around” loosely. Their cages were...
The Humane Society of the United States, which was a leader in the successful fight to end the use of chimpanzees in research, has for years been the biggest supporter and donor to Project Chimps, a Georgia sanctuary that cares for chimpanzees retired from New Iberia Research Center. The sanctuary...
MURCHISON, Texas—The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, is celebrating the holiday season this year with 12 days of Facebook videos that feature some of the nearly 400 horses and donkeys living at the sanctuary. Hosted by the equine caregivers at Black Beauty from December 14 to...
What is the Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team? How/when does the team get called in to help? What sort of situations are you typically called in for? If you hear about a situation where animals need help, can you just go? Can I call you if I know of animals who need help? How...
TEXAS – COVID-19 is not impacting the care of nearly 800 animals representing 40 different species who live at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. The residents, who were rescued from testing laboratories, circuses, roadside menageries or saved from other dire circumstances, luckily do not know...

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...