Pets & Cruelty, Federal Legislation, In the News /
BREAKING NEWS: President Trump signs PACT Act; law will crack down on some of the worst animal cruelty crimes
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Starting today, those who commit the most extreme acts of cruelty against animals will face severe federal penalties.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation /
BREAKING NEWS: House votes to end shark fin sales in the U.S.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
The U.S. House just said a decisive and resounding “no” to the terrible shark fin trade, in which fishermen cut the fins off sharks and dump them back into the waters to drown, be eaten alive by other fish, or bleed to death.
Animals in Research, Action Alerts, Federal Legislation /
Bill to end animal testing for cosmetics introduced in Congress with support from industry leaders
The movement to end the testing of personal care and beauty products on animals has gained unprecedented momentum in recent years, with three U.S. states, 39 countries, and more than a thousand manufacturers abandoning this outdated and unnecessary practice. Today, Congress took an important step toward ending cosmetics animal testing in all of the United States, with the introduction of the Humane Cosmetics Act.
Animals in Research, Pets & Cruelty /
USDA moves to permanently hide animal welfare records on puppy mills, walking horse shows and other regulated businesses
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to permanently conceal crucial animal welfare records, including inspection reports and enforcement records of puppy mills and horse shows where Tennessee walking horses and other related breeds are vulnerable to the heinous practice of soring.
Federal Legislation /
Are your lawmakers making the grade?
We do our best to make it simple for voters to determine how federal lawmakers have sided on crucial animal protection legislation. That’s the purpose of the Humane Society Legislative Fund 2019 Humane Scorecard, a snapshot of each federal legislator’s record on animal issues for the first session of the 116th Congress. The scorecard scores a cross section of key matters of concern to the HSLF.
Equines, Federal Legislation /
Louisville, KY, urges Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul to stop blocking efforts to end horse soring, pass PAST Act
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Council members of the largest city in Kentucky last night adopted a resolution with a strong message for the state’s two U.S. Senators, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul: co-sponsor and help enact the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act to end the torture of Tennessee walking horses and other related breeds.
Elections /
The November 2019 election: building political support, from the ground up
By Brad Pyle
For all sorts of reasons, we tend to pay attention to the big, top-of-the-ticket races and their potential impact on the welfare of animals. But the truth is that races at every level have consequences for animals—and this year’s election was no different. We saw the opportunity to greatly expand our work to state and local elections at a level we’ve never attempted before—and the results made us very glad we did.
Pets & Cruelty, Federal Legislation /
BREAKING NEWS: PACT Act passes U.S. Senate two weeks after clearing House; Bill now awaits Trump's signature
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
A long-awaited law that would make some of the most brutal acts of animal cruelty federal felonies is just one signature away from becoming reality.
AwaylGl, iStock.com
Uncategorized /
HSUS- and HSLF-backed plan for wild horses and burros rejects slaughter, offers much-needed reprieve
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Farm Animals, Pets & Cruelty, Federal Legislation /
VICTORY: Court rejects challenge to federal cockfighting ban in Puerto Rico, Guam and other U.S. territories
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
A federal court has rejected an attempt to stop Congress from closing a loophole that allowed cockfighters to continue operating in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam, despite the fact that cockfighting is a felony in all U.S. states.
Wildlife, Federal Legislation, In the News /
Scientists carry water for trophy hunting industry
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
For years now, trophy hunters have spun a web of lies to tie their ruthless killing of some of the world’s most at-risk animals to fake conservation benefits. A recent exchange in the prestigious Science magazine has laid bare links some scientists have with the trophy hunting lobby, and it has led to the magazine revising its own policy on how it identifies letter writers with ties to lobbying interests.
Animals in Research, Wildlife, Action Alerts /
BREAKING NEWS: NIH reneges on promise, will not send 44 research chimpanzees to sanctuary
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
In a stunning about-face on its own promise, the National Institutes of Health today announced it will not send 44 chimpanzees, now held by the Alamogordo primate laboratory in New Mexico, to sanctuary.
