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by Kitty Block Bullfighting—a horrible spectacle of animal abuse that ends in the slow and tortuous death of an animal provoked and repeatedly gored with knives and swords—is justly in decline. The torment and death of animals for amusement can never be acceptable. With so much of the world

by Iris Ho Humane Society International has been working with Buddhist communities in both the U.S. and Asia since 2009 to address our concerns about the Buddhist practice of “ mercy release.” The release ritual, based on the Buddhist belief that freeing a captured animal creates good karma and

by Peter Li In April, we reported that more than 400 frightened, apparently abused dogs in China had been rescued from a slaughterhouse-bound truck that was part of the culinary sub-culture of dog eating in the country. The animals were freed after more than 300 animal advocates, including

The annual event, organized by the city's government, was originally intended for people emerging from the region's brutal winter to enjoy as a public gathering of "walking for health," but Chinese activists have taken advantage of the opportunity to publicize their causes. This year drew more than

In April 2013, more than 2,000 dogs were intercepted and seized as smugglers attempted to ship them out of Thailand via Laos. They were bound for Vietnamese restaurants, victims of the illegal dog meat trade. Overwhelmed and at risk Our local partner organization, Soi Dog Foundation, put out a call

In September 2011, HSI/Canada assisted the Quebec government in the rescue of 527 dogs and puppies from inhumane conditions at Canada’s largest commercial breeding facility. One year later, Canada celebrates this historic rescue with the Valley Mastiff Rescue, which helped find loving forever homes

Humane Society International’s Latin America office has been working with the Costa Rica government to crack down on illegal dogfighting industry in that country. On October 10, 2012, HSI staff worked with local police and officials to rescue 28 dogs from a breeding facility. The following is a

In China to raise awareness about the Yulin Dog Meat Festival on June 21, HSI China Specialist Dr. Peter Li rescued two puppies from the butchers’ knives. An HSI partner group saved two more. What were the circumstances of the rescue? On June 13, I went to two slaughterhouses and one live dog

Members of the European Parliament have voted in favour of ending EU subsidies to farmers who specifically breed bulls for bullfights. Joanna Swabe, Ph.D., Humane Society International/Europe’s executive director, issued the following statement: “Bullfighting is a cruel practice that inflicts a

New Delhi—In a move that will spare the lives of millions of animals over coming years, animal sacrifice has been cancelled indefinitely at Nepal's Gadhimai festival, the world's biggest animal sacrifice event held every five years for around 265 years. The decision announced by the Gadhimai Temple

by Keren Nazareth When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in November 2013, HSI was on the ground in the days immediately following the storm to help the animals left lost or injured by it. Now, a year later, we celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to demonstrate our long-term

by Rebecca Aldworth What a horrible difference three days can make. On Monday, the ProtectSeals team visited the baby grey seals on Hay Island, a nature reserve off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The scene was stunning: baby seals nursed from their mothers while older pups slept and played in the snow

As today the Home Office publishes its annual UK statistics on scientific procedures using animals - revealing animal use has reached a shocking 4.11million procedures - Humane Society International/UK calls for a substantial increase in government funding for the development of non-animal

Update, May 15, 2014: Hong Kong began incinerating part of its 28-tonne stockpile of seized ivory today, the entirety of which will be destroyed by the end of the year. Earlier this month, the Chinese government destroyed more than six tons of confiscated ivory held in government stockpiles

It’s rare that animal abuse ends with one blow to the head. Typically, it takes a thousand strikes before the perpetrator—whether it’s an industry, a nation, or an individual—moves on. That’s been the case with all of the major breakthroughs in civil rights, women’s rights, and so many other

It is ironic that, while elephant populations in many African and Asian countries are increasingly threatened by poaching for the illegal ivory trade, those herds confined to parks and reserves continue to grow and, if unchecked, can exceed available food and space within these confined areas. In

by Julie Falconer What awakens Fausto Limón in the middle of the night isn’t a sound but a smell. Since 1994, the Perote Valley, Mexico, resident’s closest neighbor has been a massive pig farm co-owned by U.S.-based Smithfield Foods. When the stench is unbearable, Limón and his family get out of bed

by Cynthia Dent Should an animal be afforded dignity and protection against cruelty? In Costa Rica, the answer was a resounding “Yes,” effectively halting a proposed Pamplona-esque bull run. Bringing bull runs to Costa Rica At the beginning of 2012, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce joined with

On April 17, 2015, HSI helped rescue 64 dogs—including poodles, Maltese, Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers and Pekingese—from a puppy mill in Costa Rica. Neglected and used Many had been kept in overcrowded, filthy aerial enclosures and had never seen sunlight or received veterinary