The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

With about ten million members, the Humane Society of the United States (the HSUS) is one of the largest animal rights advocacy groups in the world. Since its inception in 1954, the nonprofit organization has fought to protect animals through investigation, legislation, education, and public media campaigns. Among its many causes are protecting endangered species, banning the fur trade, making the public aware of the importance of spaying and neutering, ensuring the humane treatment of laboratory animals, and eradicating puppy mills. The HSUS is based in Washington, DC, but has regional offices throughout the country. Its international branch, the Humane Society International (HSI), has been serving Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia since its establishment in 1992. The HSUS is not affiliated with local animal shelters and humane societies. It receives little money from the federal government; its funding comes from donations, bequests, membership dues, and grants.

The Early Years

The Humane Society of the United States (the HSUS) was formed in 1954 by four former members of the American Humane Association (AHA)—Fred Myers, Larry Andrews, Marcia Glaser, and Helen Jones. At this time, shelters and pounds were required by law to turn over unwanted animals to powerful bioresearch companies that used the animals for medical experiments. The founders of the HSUS felt that the AHA was not doing enough to change this requirement. They also wanted the AHA to take a stronger stance against animal cruelty in slaughterhouses and in the wild. Their goal was to establish a national animal-welfare organization with a reach beyond that of state and local organizations. Keeping the HSUS in operation was no easy task, however. The organization had only a small staff and little money—its officers had to take personal loans to keep the HSUS afloat.

The HSUS's initial priorities were to improve the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses and medical laboratories. The organization's efforts resulted in the passage of the 1958 Humane Slaughter Act, which required any meatpacker doing business with the government to electronically or mechanically stun food animals before slaughter. To reveal the treatment of animals used in medical laboratories, most of which were located in prestigious universities, the HSUS had undercover investigators pose as animal caretakers. They collected evidence showing that the animals were made to suffer needlessly and were often neglected after undergoing painful experiments.

The HSUS did not try to end the use of animals for medical research but sought to limit and regulate this use to prevent unnecessary suffering. The HSUS published the book Animals in a Research Laboratory (1961) to make the public aware of the need for change. A cover story in Life magazine in 1966 incited public outrage against "dog dealers," who would steal pets and sell them to medical laboratories. The photographic essay "Concentration Camp for Dogs" showed the raid of a dog dealer's facility by the Maryland State Police Department and the HSUS. The article and the HSUS's efforts led to the passage of the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act in 1966 that required research facilities to purchase animals only from licensed dealers.

Later Causes

During the 1960s and 1970s, the HSUS added wildlife to its list of concerns. The organization worked to pass many laws, including the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 and the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The HSUS also ensured that government agencies correctly interpreted and effectively enforced laws protecting animals. In 1973, it investigated the Bureau of Land Management, which was responsible for enforcing the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The HSUS discovered that the bureau was incorrectly administering the law.

Around the same time, the HSUS partnered with state law enforcement officers to promote and enforce animal-welfare laws. In 1962, HSUS cofounder Fred Myers and Philip Colwell, a member of the HSUS staff, helped infiltrate a large dog-fighting ring in Mississippi. The organization promoted the enactment of felony penalties for dog fighting in many states. In 1976, the HSUS worked with states to establish disaster-relief plans for pets during emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. The organization also formed its own disaster teams to rescue pets during natural disasters.

Unwanted pets and animal overpopulation have been major concerns of the HSUS since its founding. In 1988, the HSUS launched its campaign "Be a PAL—Prevent a litter" by spaying and neutering pets. The organization also encouraged people to adopt dogs and cats from shelters and rescue groups instead of buying them from breeders. The HSUS encouraged shelters to spay and neuter adopted pets before releasing them to their new caregivers.

From the late 1980s onward, the HSUS worked to expose the horrendous conditions at puppy mills, large commercial breeding facilities in which dogs bred in filthy conditions spend their lives in cages. In 1990, the HSUS investigated and exposed the cruelties in more than six hundred puppy mills in Midwestern states such as Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Arkansas. It launched campaigns urging people not to buy puppies from pet stores. In 1990, the HSUS called for a national boycott of puppies born in puppy mills. North Carolina is one of the states that lack laws to protect dogs and cats sold online by commercial breeding facilities. However, the state did pass legislation in 2013 to focus on humane treatment in commercial breeding facilities. Despite this legislation, instances of cruelty still exist. In October 2014, the HSUS rescued fifty dogs and six cats from a suspected puppy mill in Henrietta, North Carolina; it was the HSUS's twenty-first rescue in the state since 2011. In 2023, HSUS rescued 114 dogs from a breeder in the state in one operation. The organization lobbied lawmakers to pass the Puppy Protection Act of 2023 to protect animals better. The legislation stalled, though similar legislation continues to be introduced.

Education

The HSUS believes it is important to educate students and the general public about animals and the challenges they face. Its Humane Society Academy offers courses and certificate programs for those who work with animals. The HSUS tries to instill empathy for animals in young students through publications like Kind News, which teaches children about what is being done to help animals. The organization also publishes books, magazines, and newsletters on animal welfare topics.

Bibliography

Block, Kitty. "Our Team Saves 114 Dogs and Puppies From North Carolina Breeder." The Humane Society of the United States, 17 May 2023, www.humanesociety.org/blog/breaking-our-team-saves-114-dogs-and-puppies-north-carolina-breeder. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025. 

Hood, Chayse. "Humane Society (The)." Learning to Give, www.learningtogive.org/resources/humane-society. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

The Humane Society of the United States. Animals in a Research Laboratory. Washington, DC: The Humane Society of the United States, 1961. Print.

"The Humane Society of the United States, History." Funding Universe, www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/the-humane-society-of-the-united-states-history/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

"More than 50 Dogs, 6 Cats Rescued from Suspected Henrietta Puppy Mill." The Humane Society of the United States, 3 Oct. 2014, www.humanesociety.org/news/press‗releases/2014/10/50‗dogs‗cats‗rescued‗henrietta‗100314.html?credit=web‗id97309811. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.