Kitty Block leads one of the world's most effective animal protection organizations in ending cruelty toward all animals. Block was named president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, now called Humane World for Animals, in January 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the organization’s history.
Block first joined the organization as a legal investigator in 1992 and was instrumental in bringing cruelties such as horse slaughter and the killing of dogs and cats for their fur in China to light. She led efforts to secure protections for dolphins with successful litigation and landmark dolphin-safe tuna legislation. In addition, she was one of the architects of a successful lawsuit over commercial whaling brought against Japan by Australia in the International Court of Justice.
She has served as an adviser to the White House on trade and the environment, and she has served multiple elected terms on the International Dolphin Conservation Agreement International Review Panel, which works with governments on monitoring violations of the agreement. In 2023, Forbes named Block to its 50 Over 50 list of women who are changing the world.
Block received a law degree from George Washington University in 1990 and a bachelor’s degree in communications and philosophy from the University of New Hampshire in 1986. She is a lifelong animal lover who helped her mother rescue and care for pets and other animals in need as a child. Block lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and daughter, and rescue cats, Misti and Storm.
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A Humane World
"A Humane World" is the official blog of Humane World for Animals—a first-hand account of our ongoing efforts to protect animals, as told by our president and CEO, Kitty Block. Subscribe for updates.