By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

In a pet store’s back room, a tiny brown-and-white Havanese puppy was vomiting and lethargic—and left entirely alone in a pen. On seeing her in that state, our undercover investigator alerted Puppy Heaven’s manager, urging that the dog needed to be seen by a veterinarian. When the staff refused, the investigator alerted law enforcement authorities, who insisted that the store manager take Cindy Lou to a veterinarian.

It was too late.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

Every day of every year, we take meaningful action to create a better world for animals. In the U.S., our State Affairs team works across the country to help protect animals in a variety of ways. One of the most important involves partnering with elected officials, law enforcement agencies, individual advocates and other parties to ensure that animal welfare legislation is put into place and then properly enforced.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The flood of inspection reports detailing animal neglect and suffering at puppy mills, wild animal attractions and animal laboratories in the U.S. regulated under the federal Animal Welfare Act continues to be overwhelming. Strengthening the ability of the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in cases involving welfare violations would do a world of good for animals.

Our annual legislative scorecard is a trusted source for evaluating the animal protection commitments of elected officials at the federal level. This preview version of our 2024 Humane Scorecard allows you to determine where your federal legislators stand now on key animal protection priorities. It also gives you a chance to encourage them to strengthen their support―and their ratings―before the 118th Congress wraps up and we publish the final version in January 2025.

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