Whenever humans encroach on animals' habitats or use their fellow creatures as commodities, the animals suffer. The Humane Society of the United States wants to stop that suffering. We believe that humans have a moral obligation to protect the animals whose habitats we share.
Founded in 1954, The HSUS envisions a world in which people satisfy the physical and emotional needs of domestic animals; protect wild animals and their environments; and change their relationships with all animals, evolving from exploitation and harm to respect and compassion.
In the years since its founding, The HSUS has grown into the world's largest animal-protection organization, currently drawing on the support of our seven million members and constituents. The HSUS has expanded to include nine regional offices, four affiliates, an international arm, and 250 staff members—including veterinarians, wildlife biologists, lawyers, animal behaviorists, and other professionals.
The HSUS is well known for our successful initiatives to protect America's most beloved companion animals—dogs and cats—working with owners, shelters, and animal-care and control professionals to reduce suffering and combat overpopulation. What some people might not know is that The HSUS's work also encompasses wildlife, animals raised for food, and animals used in research. Our staff employs whatever means will be most effective: investigation, rehabilitation, education, political or consumer advocacy, and litigation.
The HSUS has set our sights beyond national borders, offering other nations our expertise in finding practical, culturally sensitive, and long-range solutions to common animal-related problems. We also speak for animals in global forums, having been officially recognized by the United Nations to negotiate for animals. We believe in the possibility of a humane society, a world in which both animals and humans live harmoniously. The HSUS is dedicated to protecting animals because it's not just our world—it's their world, too.
