LOS ANGELES (November 6, 2018)—California voters resoundingly said “YES!” to Proposition 12, which ushers in the strongest farm animal protection law in the world. The passage of the transformational proposition builds on protections first passed by voters in 2008 to now ensure that pork, eggs and veal products produced or sold in the California marketplace come from facilities that do not confine animals in tiny cages for their entire lives.

“California voters have sent a loud and clear message that they reject cruel cage confinement in the meat and egg industries.” said Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “Thanks to the dedication of thousands of volunteers and coalition partners who made this victory happen, millions of veal calves, mother pigs and egg-laying hens will never know the misery of being locked in a tiny cage for the duration of their lives.”

Proposition 12 was led by a broad coalition of leading animal protection, environmental, food safety and sustainable farming organizations. It was supported by more than 600 California veterinarians and veterinary clinics, over 100 California family farmers and thousands of volunteers.

“The passage of Proposition 12 is ground-breaking for the welfare of animals and has raised the bar at an important time in our consideration of what farm to table means in this country,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Californians have resoundingly voted to acknowledge that further expanding the humane treatment of animals matters in our society and we applaud them.”

In addition to the successful campaign to pass Proposition 12, a dozen states now have laws cracking down on extreme confinement, and the biggest food retailers in the nation, including Walmart, Safeway, Costco, Burger King and hundreds of others, are requiring their meat and egg suppliers to eliminate cages.

Media Contact: Anna West: 240-751-2669 awest@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

TAMPA (November 6, 2018)—The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Doris Day Animal League are celebrating a tremendous victory in the campaign to end greyhound racing in Florida with the passage of Amendment 13.

“Because of the decisions of millions of Florida voters, thousands of dogs will be spared the pain and suffering that is inherent in the greyhound racing industry,” said Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “We are so grateful to the volunteers, campaign members, coalition partners, contributors and endorsers who came together in support of this historic effort to end the cruelty of greyhound racing.”

Florida is home to 11 of the remaining 17 greyhound racing tracks in the country. The groups hope that passage of Amendment 13 sounds the death knell for an industry that is responsible for inflicting pain, suffering and death on thousands of gentle greyhound dogs.

“The passage of Amendment 13 demonstrates that voters support animal protection laws and that they will see through the smokescreens and untruths of opponents who make last ditch efforts to confuse and misdirect,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. Amundson is also the executive director of the Doris Day Animal League, which made a $1.6 million contribution to Protect Dogs- Yes on 13 campaign the group that led the campaign to pass Amendment 13.

“The campaign team poured their hearts into this effort and it’s so gratifying to know their hard work has paid off,” said Kate MacFall, Florida state director of the Humane Society of the United States. “Greyhounds are sweet and loyal companions and the phase out of this industry provides an incredible opportunity for thousands of these gentle dogs to find loving homes.”

Media Contact: Anna West: 240-751-2669 awest@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

WASHINGTON (October 27, 2018)—Today the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal protection, released an ad highlighting Pete Sessions’ abysmal voting record. Pete Sessions has been in Washington for over 20 years and has abandoned his responsibility to the voters of Texas’ 32nd Congressional District, and to the animals so many of his constituents expect him to protect.

"Pete Sessions is out of touch on commonsense animal protection issues. He has repeatedly failed to vote for or cosponsor bipartisan legislation his constituents support, including eliminating animal fighting and cracking down on puppy mills,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "Texans put their trust in Pete Sessions to protect their pets, horses and iconic wildlife species. But, time and again, he has put animals and consumers at risk with his indifference to their interests.”

Sessions, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for two decades, has voted against vital animal protection legislation 40 times.

As the Chair of the House Rules Committee, he has prevented animal protection measures with significant bipartisan support, including protecting horses from slaughter for human consumption in foreign countries, from reaching the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

View the ad here.

View Pete Sessions’ inhumane voting record here.

Media Contact:Sarah Barnett sbarnett@hslf.org 240-654-7544

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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

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

Unprecedented move by world’s 2nd largest beauty brand hailed as “beginning of the end for cruel cosmetics”

WASHINGTON (October 9, 2018)—Personal care giant Unilever has announced its support for the #BeCrueltyFree campaign to end animal testing for cosmetics across the globe within five years. Humane Society International, the Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund lead the #BeCrueltyFree campaign. Unilever’s support includes an ambitious new collaboration aimed at accelerating regulatory acceptance of modern, non-animal approaches to consumer safety assessment.

Unilever, known for such popular brands as Dove, Degree and TRESemmé, is the second largest beauty company globally and the first among the sector’s top 10 to actively support legislative reform to prohibit animal testing for cosmetics. The organizations hope that this new collaboration will accelerate policy change in the cosmetics sector globally toward a shared goal of animal testing bans in 50 major beauty markets worldwide by 2023.

HSUS Vice President for Animal Research Issues Kathleen Conlee said: “We commend Unilever for making this commitment to ending cosmetic animal testing once and for all. We look forward to working with them to stop this unnecessary cruelty in the United States and across the globe and urge all cosmetics companies to join us in making cosmetic animal testing a thing of the past.”

“This is a tipping point in the fight to finally ban new animal testing of cosmetics and their ingredients and we applaud Unilever for throwing their weight behind this legislation in the U.S. and beyond,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We have been working decades for this moment which will end this use of hundreds of thousands of animals worldwide and we urge other companies to join Unilever in this quest.”

The new collaboration will include:

• Unilever’s support for passage of the U.S. Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2790), which would prohibit both domestic animal testing for cosmetics as well as the sale of cosmetics that have undergone any form of new animal testing after the ban comes into effect, consistent with the precedent established in the European Union.
• Launch of a multi-year, open collaboration to develop capability across companies and regulatory authorities so safety decisions for cosmetics are based exclusively on non-animal approaches. Investment in the training of our future safety scientists in non-animal “next generation” risk assessments to build capability for the long-term.
• Unilever Chief Research and Development Officer David Blanchard added: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Humane Society family of organizations to bring the era of cosmetic animal testing to an end, and would welcome other companies, regulators, and other interested stakeholders that want to join this important initiative.”

HSI Vice President for Research & Toxicology Troy Seidle said: “Every company will tell you it supports alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics, but Unilever is the first of the beauty giants to throw its weight behind banning it altogether. With hundreds of thousands of animals still used in toxicity tests for cosmetic purposes each year around the world, Unilever is to be commended for standing with us to end this cruelty once and for all. We urge other large beauty brands to follow this example and join us on the right side of history.”

Across the globe, lawmakers in 37 countries so far have already enacted legislation to fully or partially ban animal testing for cosmetics. HSI played a key role in securing enactment of the final phase of the EU ban in 2013, and in subsequent victories in India, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Korea, Guatemala, and seven states in Brazil. Today HSI and its partners are driving forward legislative efforts in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and in the United States via HSUS and HSLF.

Last month, California became the first state in the United States to prohibit the sale of animal-tested cosmetics. As the world’s fifth largest economy, California’s decision to remove animal-tested cosmetics from its store shelves will no doubt have a huge impact and highlights the need and urgency for Congress to pass the Humane Cosmetics Act, federal legislation that would end the production and sale of animal-tested cosmetics in the United States.

Animal tests carried out in the cosmetics sector include eye and skin irritation experiments, in which a cosmetic product or ingredient is rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of rabbits; skin allergy tests using guinea pigs or mice; and force-feeding studies lasting weeks or months. These tests inflict considerable pain and distress, which can include blindness, swollen eyes, sore bleeding skin, internal bleeding, organ damage, convulsions and death. Pain relief is seldom if ever provided, and at the end of a test the animals are killed, normally by asphyxiation, neck-breaking or decapitation.

• Unilever's press release is here.
• Unilever’s position on alternative approaches to animal testing (October 2018) is available here.

Media Contact:  Humane Society International: Nancy Hwa, 202-676-2337 (o), 202-596-0808 (c), nhwa@hsi.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

WASHINGTON (October 9, 2018)—Today the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee for election to the U.S. Senate.

Gov. Bredesen has long been a proponent of animal protection in Tennessee, and has pledged to continue this mission in the U.S. Senate. As governor, Bredesen signed H.B. 386 into law, mandating basic humane care standards for dogs kept by commercial breeders, and requiring these facilities to operate as legitimate businesses, subject to licensure and inspection. In 1999, as mayor of Nashville, he issued an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Advisory Board on Animal Control. The members of this advisory board recommended policy changes to maximize adoptions and govern animal control in the city, while increasing communication and coordination between groups that help animals.

"Phil Bredesen will be an effective voice for animals on behalf of the Tennesseans who love them," said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "The Humane Society Legislative Fund is pleased to announce our support, and we encourage voters to back his election to the U.S. Senate."

In a stark contrast to Bredesen’s proven record of animal protection, his opponent Rep. Marsha Blackburn has repeatedly supported legislation that enables cruelty to animals. She blocked efforts to strengthen the federal law against the cruel practice of “soring” Tennessee Walking show horses—using caustic chemicals and other painful substances to injure the horses’ hooves and legs, thereby inducing a high-stepping gait. She supported an amendment to H.R. 3354 that allows hunters to kill defenseless hibernating mother bears and cubs in Alaska for sport alone. Blackburn also failed to support common sense measures to crack down on puppy mills, protect horses from slaughter for human consumption overseas, or protect women and pets from domestic violence.

For those in Tennessee who value the humane treatment of animals, this election carries high stakes. The Humane Society Legislative Fund encourages them to choose Phil Bredesen.

Media Contact: press@hslf.org

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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

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

WASHINGTON (October 3, 2018)—Today the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of Martin Heinrich of New Mexico for re-election to the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Heinrich led the charge in the Senate to oppose H.J.Res. 69, a Congressional Review Act resolution that allowed egregiously cruel and unsporting hunting methods on more than 76 million acres of National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska. He also vocally opposed the administration’s efforts to eliminate and diminish national monuments, which are home to numerous wildlife species.

"Sen. Heinrich is a leading voice in the Senate for the protection of our wildlife," said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "The Humane Society Legislative Fund is pleased to announce our endorsement, and we encourage voters who love animals to back his re-election."

Sen. Heinrich supports important federal animal welfare legislation while opposing bills that would harm animals, including:

• Voted for Senate Amendment 3074 to the Farm Bill, to correct abuses that have undermined agriculture promotion programs and to prevent funds intended to promote American agricultural products from being misused to lobby against animal welfare reforms and family farmer interests.
• Voted against House Joint Resolution 69, a Congressional Review Act resolution to revoke a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that prohibits specific egregiously cruel and unsporting hunting methods on more than 76 million acres of National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska.
• Cosponsored the Pet and Women Safety Act (S.322) to protect the human and animal victims of domestic violence and support the work of domestic violence shelters to accommodate pets.
• Cosponsored the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act (S.793) to prohibit the trade of shark fins, for which sharks are hunted and their maimed bodies returned to the ocean.
• Cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act (S. 2957) to strengthen the federal law against the “soring” of Tennessee Walking horses in shows—using caustic chemicals and other painful substances to injure the horses’ hooves and legs to induce a high-stepping gait.

Media Contact: press@hslf.org

###

HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

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

WASHINGTON (September 24, 2018)—Less than 24 hours after Judge Dana Christensen’s order restoring Endangered Species Act protections to Yellowstone-area grizzly bears, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. introduced a bill that would reverse the Yellowstone-area grizzly court ruling, despite the fact that Rep. Cheney’s attempt to add the bill to a wolf delisting bill (H.R. 6784) in the House Resources Committee was quashed as “non-germane”. Rep. Cheney’s attempt to amend the wolf delisting bill to add a provisions that would remove federal ESA protections from grizzly bears and prevent any kind of judicial review of that removal is worrisome and the problem is not over.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund and the Humane Society of the United States are criticizing the move and eyeing a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee that would remove Endangered Species Act protection for wolves, despite a similar court ruling that restored protection for wolves.

Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, issued the following statement:

“Some members of Congress and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are moving to remove federal protections from wildlife threatened with extinction. This is shameful pandering to a vocal minority of special interests and an affront to American taxpayers who have supported and underwritten decades of efforts restoring these species. The duty of the federal government is to protect threatened and endangered species, not to pander to trophy hunters and predator-control agents. Cutting off citizens’ access to our judicial system is just not the American way.”

Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, said:

“The Humane Society Legislative Fund is pleased the House Natural Resources Committee struck Rep. Cheney’s attempt to legislatively delist grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act. However, we are concerned Rep. Cheney’s standalone bill is an added marker in the quest to delist, but we will continue to fight for these bears to remain protected under the ESA from cruel trophy hunting. Any legislative attempt to overturn a court decision is blatantly disregarding the American public’s wishes. Congress and the Administration continue to attempt to dismantle the ESA irrespective of the majority of American’s support for providing protections for imperiled species.”

Media Contacts:

Kirsten Peek: 301-548-7793, kpeek@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Billionaire Texas hunter seeks to import endangered animal’s entire body

WASHINGTON (September 24, 2018)—Conservation and animal-welfare groups today urged Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider a federal decision to allow a Texas billionaire to import a critically endangered black rhino shot as a trophy hunt in Namibia.

The Fish and Wildlife Service gave notice Sept. 20 of its intent to issue the permit in 10 days. Black rhinos are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, but the government unlawfully approves trophy imports in a “pay-to-play” scheme.

Today’s letter from the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Center for Biological Diversity argues that such permits undermine conservation of Africa’s endangered wildlife, contrary to industry claims. “[K]illing a critically endangered rhinoceros and importing the trophy does not benefit the species,” the letter states.

The approximately 27-year-old western black rhino was shot last year by the Dallas hunter, who has his own museum of trophy kills. The permit application notes the intent to import a life-size mount of the rhino.

“Approving this permit betrays the core principles of the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service is endorsing the import of a hunting trophy of an endangered species under the pretense that killing animals promotes conservation,” said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. “It is telling that the three endangered species that FWS has authorized trophy imports for — black rhinoceros, bontebok and cape mountain zebra — are highly prized by trophy hunters.”

Black rhinos are highly imperiled with roughly only 5,500 existing worldwide by 2015, of which 1,946 are in Namibia.

“It’s disgusting to see federal wildlife officials giving a Texas billionaire a pat on the back for blowing away this incredibly rare rhino,” said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “We shouldn’t be sanctioning the death of this majestic animal by allowing this trophy into the United States. The cruelty of trophy hunting simply doesn’t comport with efforts to save Africa’s imperiled wildlife.”

Poaching of rhinos for their highly coveted horns still threatens to drive the species toward extinction. Official Namibian government figures show that rhino poaching escalated from nearly zero to more than 80 in 2016, and the vast majority of rhinos poached were black rhinos. Due to the poaching crisis, the country is under consideration to join a handful of “Priority Countries for Attention” at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which will meet in Russia next week.

The agency also approved elephant and lion trophy imports from Zimbabwe and Zambia last fall and has adopted policies favorable to trophy hunters.

The administration set up the International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory committee packed primarily with trophy hunters to further advise officials on how to liberalize trophy imports. The council is scheduled to meet later this week. The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Natural Resources Defense Council, represented by Democracy Forward, have a pending lawsuit in New York challenging the various illegalities in the establishment and operation of the IWCC.

Media Contacts:

Nancy Hwa, Humane Society International, (202) 596-0808 nhwa@hsi.org

Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.6 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

WASHINGTON (September 20, 2018)—Two days before World Rhino Day, in a disgraceful action that disregards the precarious status of a critically endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has granted approval for the importation of a black rhino hunting trophy into the United States from Namibia, where rhino poaching has dramatically increased in recent years. The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund call on the agency to rescind its approval and deny any other trophy import permits to hunters seeking to import their kills of the world’s last remaining black rhinos.

“It is shocking that the Fish and Wildlife Service has chosen to issue a permit when rhino poaching in Namibia has skyrocketed from zero in 2006 to 90 rhinos killed in 2015. The agency should not endorse the killing of a critically endangered species to cater to a wealthy few,” said Iris Ho, senior specialist for wildlife programs and policy at Humane Society International. “The rise of rhino poaching in Namibia shatters the claim that trophy hunting benefits conservation. The United States shouldn’t indulge such pay-to-slay schemes by trophy hunters in search of gruesome prizes to take home. We call on the Fish and Wildlife Service to rescind this permit.”

Background information:

• Two trophy hunting organizations, the Dallas Safari Club Foundation and Conservation Force, auctioned off the killing of the rhino in December 2016 for $275,000. The hunt took place on Feb. 26, 2017, at the Veronica Game Lodge in Namibia. Conservation Force filed the import permit application on behalf of the billionaire hunter on April 12, 2017, and the USFWS opened a 30-day public comment period on Jan. 4, 2018.
• Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to import endangered species unless such action is determined to enhance the propagation or survival of the species or for scientific purposes. Given the increasingly precarious status of black rhinos and the fact that trophy hunting itself constitutes a threat to the species, this vanity import fails to meet that standard.
• Fewer than 5,500 wild black rhinos are left in the world, with just 1,946 in Namibia. Poaching of black rhinos and white rhinos there jumped from zero in 2006 to 30 in 2014 and then tripled to 90 just one year later. The vast majority of rhinos poached in Namibia between 2014 and 2016 were black rhinos. According to the IUCN Species Survival Commission African and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups and TRAFFIC, “The geographical shift in poaching to Namibia over the last two years is worrying.”

Media Contact: Nancy Hwa: 202-676-2337 (office), 202-596-0808 (cell); nhwa@hsi.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide—on the Web at hsi.org.

WASHINGTON (September 19, 2018)—Today the Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of Dr. Kim Schrier for Washington’s 8th Congressional District.

"Dr. Schrier is a strong proponent of wildlife protection legislation. As a pet owner, parent, and pediatrician, the humane treatment of animals is of personal importance to her," said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "The Humane Society Legislative Fund is pleased to announce our support, and we encourage voters who love animals to back her election."

Schrier has pledged to support critical federal animal welfare issues, including:

• Supporting the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (H.R. 1494) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce, and complement the state anti-cruelty laws.
• Supporting the Safeguard American Food Exports Act (H.R. 113) to prohibit the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption overseas.
• Supporting the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017 (H.R. 1406) to prohibit the domestic slaughter, trade and import of dogs and cats for human consumption.
• Supporting the Pet and Women Safety Act (H.R. 909) to protect the human and animal survivors of domestic violence and support the work of domestic violence shelters to accommodate pets.
• Supporting the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act (H.R. 2327) to make grants to eligible nonprofit organizations that provide trained service dogs to veterans with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Supporting the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act (H.R. 1847) to strengthen the federal law against the “soring” of Tennessee Walking horses in shows—using caustic chemicals and other painful substances to injure the horses’ hooves and legs to induce a high-stepping gait.
• Supporting the Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 4693) to upgrade standards of care for dogs in large-scale commercial breeding operations.
• Supporting the Welfare of our Friends Act (H.R. 4691) to prevent problem dog breeders from receiving USDA licenses.

Media Contact: press@hslf.org

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