By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act passed the Senate Commerce Committee with a near-unanimous voice vote this week, with American lawmakers leaving no doubt of how they view the nefarious global trade in which fishermen cut the fins off sharks and dump them back in...

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson As the U.S. Congress takes up the business of funding federal programs, some good news for animals has emerged. Today, the House Appropriations Committee approved two Fiscal Year 2020 bills that cover funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental...

Hawaiian spinner dolphins, named for their acrobatic displays like leaping out of the water and spinning in the air, are nocturnal. To make it harder for sharks to detect them, they hunt for food and socialize at night. During the day, they rest in sheltered coves—safe from sharks and other ocean...

Floridians face a critical decision on their November ballots, one that will shape the future of wildlife, land and the legacy they leave as voters for generations to come. That’s how significant—and dangerous—Amendment 2 is. The seemingly innocuous measure has been characterized by lobbyists as a way to protect hunting and fishing interests, but in reality, it goes so much further, setting a dangerous precedent for how wild animals are viewed and treated.

Fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remain on our planet; fins from 73 million sharks are traded every year; warming waters render habitats increasingly unlivable for animals once at home there. Clearly, the status quo for the animals of our oceans urgently needs to change. On World Oceans...

This past year has been a mixed one for animals under President Donald Trump. On the one hand we’ve seen federal agencies take steps to improve the fortunes of animals used in testing and the wild horses and burros on our public ranges, and also to end breed discrimination of companion animals. On...

Our agenda for the protection of wildlife is an ambitious one, focusing on the most serious threats to threatened and endangered animals in the United States and around the world. We’ve invested a lot of energy and resources in the fights to stop the trophy hunting industry in its tracks, to...

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his State of the Union address today, it’s a good time to take stock of how his administration has dealt with animal protection issues of interest to us at the Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society...

Every year, our Humane Awards recognize elected officials who help animals through public policy efforts in the U.S. Congress. As sponsors of positive legislation, and as champions of strong regulatory reforms, these legislators are in the vanguard of the fight for creating more protections for...

A new United Nations report out today foretells a dire future for Planet Earth: as many as one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction, mainly due to human actions, including development, the cutting of down forests and exhaustion of natural resources, and poaching. More than a...

The federal government has fired another volley in its assault on the Endangered Species Act, and this time it’s aimed at paving the way for corporations to take over lands that could, if​ conserved and restored, help in the recovery of imperiled American wildlife. Under changes proposed in a new...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will allow an American trophy hunter who killed a critically endangered black rhino to import the animal’s body parts into the United States, in complete disregard for the precarious status of this species and despite overwhelming opposition from the American...

It’s hard to imagine our oceans without the beautiful and diverse creatures who inhabit them. Sharks, whales, dolphins, seals, sea turtles and thousands of other marine animals who call the waters their home are not simply representative of the wonders of the natural world, they also play an...

President Trump has just signed into law the omnibus appropriations package with major victories for animals, including horses and burros, companion animals, marine mammals and animals in zoos and research facilities. The package, comprised of two bills (H.R. 1865 and H.R. 1158) funding all federal...

In 2019, the Humane Society of the United States and our affiliates delivered many victories for wildlife, here in the United States and globally. We made great strides in protecting giraffes, native carnivores like bobcats and cougars, and marine mammals, including whales and dolphins in captivity...

We’re fierce defenders of wildlife in the United States, and we made major strides on that front in 2018. We won major victories for grizzly bears and black bears, defeated attempts to remove federal protections for gray wolves, helped shine a spotlight on cruel wildlife killing contests, and...