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WASHINGTON (May 6, 2025)—Today Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislative Fund, announced its endorsement of Adelita Grijalva in the special election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District. “Adelita Grijalva understands that the most vulnerable among us deserve protection,” said Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund. “Animals need allies like Grijalva in Congress who will protect wildlife and companion animals alike. We urge Arizonans in the 7th District to make the humane choice and elect Adelita Grijalva to Congress.”
Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund call for continued action to protect racehorses WASHINGTON (May 2, 2025)—As the Triple Crown begins with this weekend’s Kentucky Derby, we are again reminded of the risks horses face in the name of sport and entertainment, notes Humane World Action Fund President Sara Amundson: “At Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund, our position remains clear: we support the strongest possible protections for racehorses—and we reject any system that tolerates animal suffering and exploitation.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block It’s estimated that more than 50 million mice, rats, dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits and other animals endure experiments in U.S. laboratories each year. The sheer scale of this animal suffering is hard to imagine, but thanks to new commitments to phase out animal testing and prioritize replacing animals in research, things could soon drastically change.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block There are leaders in the U.S. Congress stepping up to meet the need for enhanced Animal Welfare Act enforcement through the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act. There’s a new chance to strengthen the Animal Welfare Act’s enforcement in the U.S., and such progress cannot come soon enough for animals currently languishing in facilities such as research laboratories, roadside zoos and puppy mills that aren’t meeting minimal standards of care.
NIH joins FDA and EPA in pivotal shift toward human-based research WASHINGTON (April 29, 2025)—The National Institutes of Health’s announcement that it will prioritize human-based research technologies to reduce use of animals in NIH-funded research is applauded by Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block Volunteers are the beating heart of the animal protection movement, and their engagement is a lifeline for animals. So much of the good we can accomplish flows directly from the selfless service of people who give their time, energy, expertise, labor or funds to the cause. It makes all the difference. We see it every day.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty BlockAfter 50 years in a laboratory, Montessa is finally getting a chance to enjoy life to the fullest. The 51-year-old chimp was brought to Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico in 1975 when she was just a year old. She spent her first 30 years there being used in harmful biomedical research experiments.But a few weeks ago, after years of delays, and half a century at Alamogordo, Montessa made the journey to her new home at Chimp Haven, a lush 200-acre sanctuary in Louisiana.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block Our fight to end puppy mill cruelty has reached a milestone well worth celebrating: 500 localities across the U.S. have banned the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet shops.
The 2025 Virginia Humane Scorecard is now available online and demonstrates the commonwealth’s commitment to combatting animal testing. From nonhuman primates to dogs, state lawmakers passed critical bills defending the most vulnerable animals in our care.
From animals sold through pet shops to nonhuman primates used in research and testing, Virginia lawmakers step up for animals in the 2025 legislative session RICHMOND, Va. (April 23, 2025)—Today Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislative Fund, released its 2025 Virginia Humane Scorecard. Now in its third consecutive year, the scorecard evaluates Virginia’s state lawmakers on their actions during the most recent legislative session to advance animal protection.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block At a property in Illinois buzzing with hundreds of flies, a water bucket stood empty in an enclosure where three puppies were living. When the bucket was finally refilled, a federal inspector observed the puppies as they desperately “climbed on top of each other trying to get water.” At another breeder’s property in Iowa, state inspectors found dogs who were limping and dogs with matted fur living in a “nearly overwhelming” odor of waste.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block In a sign of progress for animals used in laboratories, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a strong commitment to reduce animal testing and advance new, superior approaches that don’t use animals for pharmaceutical testing.
WASHINGTON (April 14, 2025)—Humane World for Animals, Humane World Action Fund and Animal Protection New Mexico are delighted to announce that the remaining chimpanzees from the Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico have been successfully relocated to Chimp Haven, a 200-acre forested sanctuary in Louisiana dedicated to providing a natural and enriching environment for chimpanzees formerly used in biomedical research.
WASHINGTON (April 10, 2025)—The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that they will reinstate a plan to phase out animal testing on mammals and prioritize non-animal alternatives for chemical and pesticide safety assessments.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block Those who are determined to defend the cruelties of factory farming are never at a loss when it comes to sowing chaos and distortion on the subject, especially in the U.S. Congress.
WASHINGTON (April 8, 2025)—Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislative Fund, issued the following statement on the introduction of the Food Security and Farm Protection Act in the United States Senate.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block In a blow to horses, the Trump administration has postponed implementation of a long-overdue federal rule to combat horse soring—–the deliberate infliction of pain on horses' legs and hooves to force an exaggerated gait—delaying enforcement until February 2026 and opening the door to even further setbacks.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block We are united by our singular vision to end animal cruelty and create a humane world. So, when it comes to our federal policy work in the United States, it is essential to invite everyone to join this hopeful cause, regardless of their other political beliefs. We believe that a love of animals can bring much-needed nonpartisan solidarity.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block Imagine a dog forced to stand for hours in the hot sun without shelter, or a puppy suffering from a condition so severe that one eye was sealed shut with a crusted-over discharge. Or a puppy who lost a leg after another dog attacked him. Or puppies who died in a cold, barren cage. Who would make the case that we should not take steps to protect animals from such neglect and suffering?
WASHINGTON (March 19, 2025)—A new report released by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a federally mandated regulatory group that monitors thoroughbred racehorse safety, confirms that thoroughbreds are not only dying on race day but face significant risks in training as well. This data-based, revelatory report confirms the deep failures of those in the horse racing industry who have resisted reform for too long.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block The extreme confinement of farm animals in cages and crates where they cannot turn around or even move a few inches is not only immensely cruel—it is dangerous. Packing animals so tightly in factory farms means zoonotic disease can spread so quickly as to spin out of control. This is what we are seeing with avian flu right now, and we’ve seen it before with other viruses. We have been warning about this and fighting against it for years.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty BlockTwo bills reintroduced to the U.S. Congress this week could prevent the protracted suffering of so many horses: One would outlaw the painful soring techniques some trainers still inflict on horses to force them into the “Big Lick,” an exaggerated gait for horse shows, and the other would ban horse slaughter in the U.S. as a matter of federal law and end the export of American horses for slaughter in other countries. You can act now to show your support for ending these cruelties.
Our final 2024 Humane Scorecard is available, with a look at where federal legislators stood on our core priorities for the second session of the 118th Congress. The scorecard tracks animal-friendly actions by lawmakers while creating greater awareness and increasing legislators’ support for our priorities.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block You don’t need to see a cockfight in progress to comprehend the misery, suffering and death that animal fighting causes. All you need to do is look at the breeding operations that service the cockfighting industry—barren, dismal and hopeless places, every one of them—and there are thousands across the country, even though cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states and under federal law.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block In a victory for wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently denied two petitions filed by trophy hunting organizations aimed at removing federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Western Great Lakes region and reducing or removing protections for wolves in other areas of the lower 48 states.
WASHINGTON (Feb. 3, 2025)—A federal court approved an agreement today that requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine by July 27, 2028, whether the common hippopotamus should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
We have a new name—Humane World Action Fund—and an ambitious agenda, grounded in the mission we’ve pursued for several decades: to deliver positive and permanent policy outcomes for animals. We are as committed as ever to bringing laws into greater alignment with humane values—the values of kindness, compassion and fairness to all creatures. These are values we share with tens of millions of people not simply within the United States but throughout the world.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block On Wednesday afternoon, in a move supporting the notion that the species needs more time to recover, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would not prematurely remove Endangered Species Act protections from grizzly bears living in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems—the two largest populations in the continental U.S. Wyoming and Montana had petitioned the agency to delist grizzly bears and turn the management of the animals over to the states.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block Inevitably, the passing of an American president offers an opportunity to think not only about an individual’s achievements in office, but to reflect on what those achievements say about our nation, and who we are, and what we can be. In this regard, Jimmy Carter leaves one of the richest legacies of anyone who has ever occupied the White House.
As we often say, every year is an election year. And every election gives us an opportunity to improve prospects for the lives of millions of animals. Last year, HSLF proudly supported 775 candidates up and down the ballot, and a substantial number of them—736, or 95%—won their races. Now, we’re ready to continue the fight in 2025, and we’re asking you to join us at the ballot box for animals, because with the new year comes a new set of elections for federal, state, and local offices.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month for a second term, his administration has been issuing dozens of executive orders, some of which can have an impact on animals.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block With allies and supporters, we have been doing all that we can to keep more sharks swimming safely in oceans all over the world. For years, we advocated for the passage of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, which President Biden signed into law in December 2022, with strong bipartisan support.
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 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.