WASHINGTON (February 25, 2026)—Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislation Fund, announced the endorsement of Deborah Ross for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. As the nation’s leading political animal advocacy organization, Humane World Action Fund endorses candidates based on their demonstrated commitment to animal protection, evaluating each candidate only on their record and positions on animal welfare issues.

"Congresswoman Deborah Ross has a proven record of standing up for all animals, from wolves to horses and other companion animals,” said Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund. “Her actions in Congress since 2021 helped advance humane policies and protect animals from cruelty and exploitation. We urge voters in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District to reelect Deborah Ross to Congress.”

Rep. Ross is a member of the bipartisan Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, which works to promote animal protection initiatives to other members of Congress. She earned a perfect score of 100+ on Humane World Action Fund’s 2025 Humane Scorecard.

Pro-animal actions taken by Rep. Ross in the 119th Congress include:

  • Cosponsoring the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act (H.R. 3112), which would strengthen collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure sufficient enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and help deter violations.
  • Cosponsoring the Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 2253) to address serious gaps in welfare standards for tens of thousands of breeding dogs and puppies at large-scale breeding operations licensed by the USDA.
  • Cosponsoring the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1661) to prohibit the reopening of horse slaughter plants in the U.S. and the export of American horses to slaughter for human consumption.
  • Co-leading the People and Animals Well-being (PAW) Act (H.R. 1842) to expand eligibility to include veterinary care expenses under tax-advantaged health care spending accounts, specifically Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
  • Voting against the misleadingly named Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which would force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the lower 48 states and block judicial review of the action, leaving wolves vulnerable to an onslaught of trophy hunting and recreational trapping.

View a running list of 2026 endorsements made by Humane World Action Fund at humaneaction.org/endorsements.

Media Contact: Liz Bartolomeo; ebartolomeo@humaneaction.org, 240-472-0475 

Paid for by Humane World Action Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Humane World Action Fund, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.