HSUS Accomplishments

It's been a remarkable few years for animals. Here’s a summary of some of The HSUS' major accomplishments for animals since 2006. To  dig even deeper into our work throughout the years, click here»

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• A nine-month undercover investigation at one of the nation’s largest primate research laboratories documented a wide range of abuses of chimpanzees and monkeys, and numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
  
  
• We released a 100-point “Change Agenda for Animals” to the Obama administration and began campaigning for these reforms in Congress and in executive agencies with jurisdiction over animal issues.
  
  
• Based on an HSUS legal analysis, the U.S. Interior Department banned the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies. Efforts to expand black bear hunting in California were defeated.
  
  
• We joined with hundreds of former Petland customers to file the largest ever class action lawsuit challenging the sale of puppy mill dogs to unsuspecting consumers in more than 40 states.
  
  
• HSUS and the U.S. Department of Justice joined to pursue a $150 million federal fraud lawsuit against a California slaughter plant that used sick and injured downed animals in the federal school lunch program.
  
  
• Our boycott of Canadian seafood to pressure the government to end the commercial seal hunt grew to include some 600,000 individuals and more than,5,000 food-related businesses. The boycott has cost Canadian fisheries $750 million (CAD) in lost snow crab exports to the U.S. since it began in 2005, while the value of Newfoundland fishing and seafood preparation industries decreased by 44 percent based on 2007 figures.
  
  
• The 27 member nations of the European Union banned the import of seal pelts, dealing a major blow against Canada’s seal slaughter. Our other work to close markets to seal skins dropped the value of pelts and seal hunters killed only 70,000 seals, even though the federal government set the kill quota at 330,000; in short, our efforts helped save 260,000 seals.
  
  
• Our list of fur-free retailers and designers drew close to 150.They include  Overstock.com, Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, BCBG Maxazria, Tommy Hilfiger, Footlocker, JCPenney and Ed Hardy.
  
  
• We’ve deployed our Animal Rescue Team all over the nation to help animals in distress.  We took the lead in the rescue of more than 220 starving wild horses on a Nebraska ranch and spent two weeks nursing them back to health. Some 84 of the mustangs were transported to our Cleveland Amory Black Beauty ranch in Texas to be held for adoption or for permanent sanctuary.  We conducted an enormous puppy mill raid in Washington state, a raid in Wisconsin where 350 animals were the victims of a hoarder, and worked with law enforcement on a massive cockfighting bust in Tennessee.
  
  
• Maine became the 6th state to ban pig gestation crates and the 4th to ban crates for veal calves. We scored a victory in our long campaign against Wendy’s after it agreed to begin selling some portion of eggs from cage-free operations.

In 2008:

• We drove passage of Proposition 2, a California ballot initiative mandating more humane treatment of some 20 million animals on state factory farms.  The measure halts extreme confinement of egg laying hens, pregnant pigs, pigs and veal calves—and agribusiness spent nearly $10 million against us to defeat the measure.
  
  
• HSUS undercover video of gross cruelty against dairy cattle at a California slaughter plant led to a federal ban on the slaughter of downed cows for human consumption.  The investigation prompted the largest meat recall in American history, eight Congressional hearings, the shutdown of the slaughter plant, and a new state law on the topic in California.
  
  
• Safeway, Denny’s, Starbucks and others adopted corporate cage-free egg policies. Colorado banned pig gestation crates and veal crates.
  
  
• The Federal Farm Bill incorporated three major HSUS-initiated provisions: 1) a federal ban on all animal fighting and possession of fighting animals, if there is any interstate nexus, 2) a ban on the import of dogs from puppy mills, and 3) an upgrade of penalties for  Animal Welfare Act violations. 
  
  
• A record 93 pro-animal state laws were passed, 53 animal unfriendly laws were defeated, and 18 major legal cases were won.
  
  
• More than 2,000 puppy mill dogs were rescued in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee West Virginia, and Quebec.
  
  
• Three years after our massive deployment to Hurricane Katrina, we launched a $3.5 million initiative in Mississippi and Louisiana to underwrite a major spay/neuter campaign, provide grants to more than 50 animal shelters, and help fund an emergency shelter and a veterinary hospital.
  
  
• The HSUS Emergency Services team deployed to 40 natural disasters, puppy mill raids, hoarding/neglect cases and animal fighting raids. 
  
  
• An HSUS-backed ballot initiative ended greyhound racing in Massachusetts.
  
  
• Indiana, one of the country’s largest exporters of live coyotes for wildlife penning events in which dogs tear coyotes or foxes to pieces, cracked down on the cruel trade. Vermont and Oregon added new restrictions on captive hunting game farms, and pigeon shoots at two major gun clubs in Pennsylvania were halted.
  
  
• More than 70,000 animals received direct care services. They included animals rescued from puppy mill and animal fighting raids, cruelty and hoarding cases, and natural disasters.
  
  
• Some 33,000 cats and dogs were sterilized during our annual Spay Day program. To date, more than 1.5 million companion animals have been spayed or neutered through this event.
  
  
• A horse sanctuary was established in Oregon, increasing our national network of animal care centers to four. More than 4,700 injured animals were treated and released, or were in lifetime sanctuary at the centers.
  
  
• The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, working with 500 volunteer vets, provided 26,000 free treatments to more than 7,200 animals in impoverished communities here and overseas.
  
  
• An HSUS investigation refuted claims by Petland, Inc., the nation’s biggest puppy retailer, that it sold dogs only from reputable breeders. HSUS investigators documented the fact that many of the pet chain’s outlets were supplied by puppy mills.   
  
  
• A long-time HSUS objective, we secured felony-level penalties for dogfighting  in all 50 states, after Idaho and Wyoming adopted new laws. The HSUS assisted law enforcement at 57 animal fighting raids that netted 301 suspects and 2,649 dogs and roosters.
  
  
• Our legal team racked up 18 victories for animals in the courts, or roughly one courtroom win every three weeks. We secured court orders to combat Japanese whaling; block the killing of sea lions; knock animal-fighting paraphernalia off Amazon.com; protect endangered whales from ship strikes and fishing gear; halt major water pollution at an egg factory farm; and block the slaughter of endangered wolves in both the Rocky Mountain and Great Lakes regions.
  
  
• We also helped prosecutors win the conviction of scores of animal abusers and animal fighters — assisting with cases involving dog fighting, hoarding, farm animal abuse, and puppy mills.
  
  
• More than 57,700 law enforcement officers, educators, shelter professionals, emergency services personnel and veterinarians attended HSUS training and education classes.

Want more? Watch the video, and read the story chronicling our achievements for animals in 2008.

In 2007:

• A federal felony animal fighting law was enacted. At the state level, we helped to pass a record 86 new laws.  Louisiana and New Mexico, the last two holdout states, banned cockfighting. In scores of nationwide cockfight raids, 1,100 were arrested and 14,000 game fowl seized.
  
  
• Confidential information gathered by The HSUS was a crucial component in the successful investigation and prosecution of football star Michael Vick on dogfighting charges. In the subsequent national crackdown, 485 arrests were made and more than 1,900 dogs confiscated.
  
  
• We developed a pilot program in Chicago to combat street dogfighting through law enforcement training, youth education, focus group research, street level intervention, and dog training classes for youths most at risk.
  
  
• Horse slaughter for human food exports ended in the U.S. as we forced the closure of the three operating equine abattoirs. We shifted considerable focus to end the export of live horses to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico.
  
  
• As our factory farming campaign widened, Oregon banned gestation crates for pregnant pigs. Wolfgang Puck, Burger King, and Compass Group—the world’s largest food service provider—adopted reforms for more humane food sourcing.
  
  
• The 27 nations of the European Union banned the import and export of dog and cat fur, capping an eight-year HSUS campaign.
  
  
• We filed a legal petition before the Federal Trade Commission to stop false advertising and labeling of animal fur by Saks Fifth Avenue, Bluefly, Dillard’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and others.
  
  
• A major nationwide investigation into the growing puppy mill industry was launched. In Virginia alone, The HSUS documented some 1,000 commercial dog breeding operations, many unlicensed and unregulated. Hundreds of puppies and adult dogs were rescued for adoption. We also conducted a nationwide investigation into dog auctions, documenting animals kept in appalling conditions.
  
  
• California banned the use of lead shot by hunters in the habitat of the endangered California condor. Our successful lawsuit against hunting in National Wildlife Refuges kept untold numbers of animals safe in now-protected habitat.
  
  
• The HSUS and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights combined to launch the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, giving animals a powerful organization to coordinate the work of humane-minded vets.
  
  
• HSUS disaster response teams traveled to Mexico to assist in relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Dean, and helped save more than 1,000 animals affected by Southern California’s massive wildfires.
  
  
• A first-ever equine rescue summit cosponsored by The HSUS led to the creation of a “Homes for Horses” coalition of 20 animal welfare, horse rescue, and veterinary organizations.
  
  
• Our legal team launched a major new partnership with Georgetown University Law Center, and also won rulings stopping commercial fur trapping that kills federally protected Canada lynx; imposing thousands of dollars in fines for factory farm pollution against the nation’s largest foie gras producer; forcing the Florida Department of Agriculture to develop new veterinarian health inspection requirements for dogs sold at retail; blocking the federal government from gutting the trusted "dolphin safe" label on tuna products; and protecting three critically endangered whales from slow and horrific fishing gear entanglement deaths.
  
  
• With the help of a $1.7 million Annenberg Foundation grant, we began working with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on a five-year contraception project to replace costly and cruel roundups of western wild horses with humane population control methods.

Want more? Watch the video, view the slideshow, and read the story chronicling our achievements for animals in 2007.

In 2006:

• We led the drive for an Arizona ballot initiative (Proposition 204) that resulted in 62 percent of voters approving a ban on sow gestation crates and veal calf crates. Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pig producer, quickly announced it would phase out the use of the crates for its 1.2 million breeding sows after the vote. Maple Leaf Foods, Canada’s largest pig producer, followed Smithfield’s lead.
  
  
• More than 150 colleges and universities—plus major companies including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and Bon Appétit’s 400 cafes—eliminated the use or greatly reduced the sale of battery-cage eggs. Corporate cafeterias at major corporations such as Yahoo, Oracle and AOL also implemented cage-free egg policies.
  
  
• The HSUS sued the state of New York to block more than $400,000 in public funds it awarded to the Hudson Valley company, the nation’s largest foie gras producer.
  
  
• We created a new HSUS Animal Protection Litigation (APL) SWAT team consisting of 12 full-time attorneys and recruited hundreds of pro bono lawyers. 
  
  Our attorneys forced the USDA to mandate food and rest for livestock in long distance transportation; halted lethal research on Steller sea lions; blocked the opening of national wildlife refuges to sport hunting and closed two major cockfighting pits in Louisiana. A ban on captive or “canned” hunting in Oregon was secured; a massive Pennsylvania pigeon shoot halted, and the killing of wolves in several states prevented.
  
  
• The newly established Humane Society Legislative Fund began lobbying on Capitol Hill to secure legislation, support animal friendly Congressional candidates for office, and educate the public.
  
  
• The Doris Day Animal League joined The HSUS family, bringing special expertise and long experience in fighting greyhound racing cruelty, animal testing of household products and cosmetics, and disaster relief.
  
  
• As part of our post-Katrina campaign, we led the fight in Congress to achieve passage of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act to ensure adequate planning for moving companion animals out of harm’s way.
  
  
• We helped pass 69 new laws in state legislatures, winning measures to protect pets during disasters in 10 states, strengthening animal fighting penalties, protecting wildlife, and other much-needed reforms.
  
  
• Our Rural Area Veterinary Services program provided more than 31,000 free treatments to animals worth more than $1.1 million.
  
  
• In a major victory, nearly 70 percent of Michigan voters rejected a proposal on the November ballot to reopen the state to mourning dove hunting. It was a stinging defeat for the National Rifle Association, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, and Safari Club International who backed the measure.
  
  
• Our two-year investigation of a trophy hunting tax scam in which big game hunters financed their safaris with federal dollars resulted in Congress closing a loophole in the tax code, saving $49 million in public funds.
  
  
• Laboratory testing of fur trimmed jackets sold by some of the biggest names in fashion earned national publicity by revealing that much of the unlabeled or misrepresented fur was from raccoon dogs, a species mostly killed in China where live skinning has been documented.
  
  
• In our campaign to stop the merciless killing of seal pups in Canada, we secured pledges from more than 1,000 restaurants and grocery stores and 300,000 individuals not to sell or consume Canadian seafood.
  
  
• Humane Society International, in its continuing fight against Japanese whaling, successfully pressured a major Japanese company to end its whaling related operations and its parent company, one of the country’s biggest whale meat distributors, to get out of the business.
  
  
• We also convinced the Japanese company that owns 7-Eleven to stop selling whale, dolphin, and porpoise products in its 1,300 stores. Our continued work with these and other Japanese supermarkets has reduced cetacean product sales by at least $6 million.

Want more?  View the slideshow, and read the story chronicling our achievements for animals in 2006.

Click here to learn more about our work from 1954 to 2005»