Wildlife

The results are in! Our final 2023 Humane Scorecard is now available, providing a snapshot of where federal legislators stood on our core priorities for the first session of the 118th Congress.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Inscribing the humane treatment of animals into our laws takes years, and so we are heartened by some key measures at the state level taking effect in 2024, which are the result of so much rallying and advocacy, and which will contribute to shaping the humane world we envision.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The fight for public policy gains for animals at the federal level is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of spirit. Every day, in every congressional session, it’s an all-out battle to secure humane laws and regulations. Whatever we achieve, we achieve against determined opposition, including special interest groups with deep pockets, and 2023 was no exception. This was a banner year for rulemaking and key legislative work that made a difference.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child has formally recognized the damage that witnessing violence, including violence to animals, can cause to children. The U.N. declared that children have a right to be protected from exposure to that violence.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Wild animals face a chilling multitude of threats. At a time when so many are vulnerable to the unprecedented impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and ongoing human encroachment on shrinking habitats, imperiled animals continue to be killed for nothing more than a trophy, a prize, a pelt or a trinket. Others suffer at the hands of traffickers and breeders who want to lock them in cages for entertainment.

Each year, we use the Humane Scorecard to provide a snapshot of some key animal protection issues and this year is no different. There are many new members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in the 118th Congress who need to see the importance of animals in our communities—and there’s still time.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Just a few weeks short of the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act’s passage, opponents in the U.S. Congress have pushed through a series of hostile amendments to undermine the landmark law during the House appropriations funding process. That’s the grim reality of the contemporary political landscape for the Endangered Species Act, which was one of the most popular and bipartisan laws passed in American history.