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Politicians have the blessing and the curse of being in public life, and every move they make is closely scrutinized. We have learned an awful lot about Hillary Clinton’s tax returns, Barack Obama’s pastor, and John McCain’s temper—even though for ordinary citizens those would be considered private matters.

It means that lawmakers and candidates have to worry about their personal behavior as much as they worry about their votes and policies. They not only have to obey the laws, but also have to exhibit good judgment and set a positive example for others.

The slaughter of sick and crippled cows, Oprah’s exposé on puppy mills, a tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo, research laboratories ignoring compliance requirements, the routine

Today, one of the most powerful voices in media will inform television viewers around the world about the cruelties of puppy mills.

The recent mortgage crisis has taken its toll not only on homeowners, but also on their pets.

Today, Canadian fishermen on the Atlantic coast set out on their annual ritual of killing hundreds of thousands of baby seals for their fur pelts. One of the world’s most beautiful nurseries—as vulnerable seal pups, just weeks old, emerge on the ice floes—will be stained red in the world’s largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals.

An article by Winston Ross in the web edition of Newsweek reports on the trend of increased lawmaking and law enforcement actions to crack down on the cruel and bloody sport of cockfighting. Because state and federal legislators have upgraded the laws to root out this criminal enterprise, and because police and prosecutors around the country are aggressively enforcing those laws, the so-called “cockers” are waging a futile war to repair their public image.

Last week, the Associated Press and other news outlets reported that a park ranger was arrested for masterminding the illegal massacre of endangered mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park in eastern Congo.  Only about 700 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, and most of them are in the conflict-ridden Virunga range which straddles Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The ranger apparently orchestrated the slayings to deter and demoralize environmentalists who are working to preserve the gorilla’s rainforest habitat.

Following up on yesterday's photos of our legislative award winners, I want to share with you another set of winning photos. The HSUS's Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest has come to a close, and the winning shots are touching and outstanding. (The four Markarian kitties—Georgia, Mario, Misty, and Oliver—were in the running, but were apparently disqualified due to bad behavior.)

Earlier this week I wrote about the awards that The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund presented to members of Congress, honoring their leadership on animal protection protection issues in the 110th Congress.  Today we've created a photo album of many of these lawmakers who received humane awards, and I invite you to check out the photos.

Last week, as members of Congress and their staff worked to take care of business before leaving town for the spring recess, Capitol Hill was buzzing with recognition for lawmakers who also take care of animals. The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund held two awards receptions in the U.S. Capitol, honoring members of Congress who have been leaders in the cause of animal protection.