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116-527: API was founded by Belton P. Mouras and Kenneth E. Guerrero, both former employees of the Humane Society of the United States . API's primary campaign areas included animals used in entertainment, captive exotic animals, companion animals, compassionate consumerism, farmed animals, and wildlife protection. API achieved significant results in working with state and local legislatures to pass laws restricting

232-404: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that implements innovative strategies to promote conscientious food choices, reduce farmed animal suffering, and advance sustainable agriculture. The Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy (HSISP), founded in 2010, supports the application of scientific and technical analysis and expertise to animal welfare issues and policy questions worldwide. HSISP

348-550: A Canadian murderer who uploaded YouTube videos of himself torturing and killing cats; Rubén Marrero Pernas, a man in Cuba who was found to be raping, torturing then killing dogs and recording the acts online for an audience; and Leighton Labute, a Canadian man who was arrested in 2020 for torturing and killing three hamsters, and uploading the video to social media. The video-sharing site YouTube has been criticized for hosting thousands of videos of real-life animal cruelty, especially

464-550: A behavior known as zoosadism , is considered one of the signs of certain psychopathologies , including antisocial personality disorder , also known as a psychopathic personality disorder. According to The New York Times , "[the FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appears in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers , and the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals

580-575: A campaign against puppy mill cruelty in Missouri in 2010. The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, known as "Prop B", was narrowly passed by Missouri voters. For several years, HSUS cooperated with the United Egg Producers to secure federal legislation to phase out barren battery cages for all laying hens in the United States. Discussion between HSUS and the United Egg Producers concerning

696-411: A class action suit against Petland on behalf of patrons who allegedly purchased sick animals from the chain, under the alleged pretense that the animals had come from the nation's finest breeders. On August 8, 2009, the case was dismissed by a United States district judge for lack of facts concerning the case. Petland responded to the dismissal by stating: "The Humane Society of the United States touted

812-512: A decade as HSUS's chief lobbyist and spokesperson, and expressed a strong commitment to expand the organization's base of support as well as its influence on public policies that affect animals. Under Pacelle's leadership, HSUS has undertaken several dozen ballot initiative and referendum campaigns in a number of states, concerning issues like unsportsmanlike hunting practices, cruelty in industrial agriculture, greyhound racing , puppy mill cruelty and animal trapping . In August 2014, Pacelle

928-407: A deep level of appreciation for wilderness and for nonhuman life. With The Great Chain of Life (1957), Krutch established himself as a philosopher of humaneness, and in 1970, HSUS' highest award was renamed in his honor. The growing environmental movement of the early 1970s also influenced the ethical and practical evolution of HSUS. The burgeoning crisis of pollution and wildlife-habitat loss made

1044-673: A diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders ." "A survey of psychiatric patients who had repeatedly tortured dogs and cats found all of them had high levels of aggression toward people as well, including one patient who had murdered a young boy." Robert K. Ressler , an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's behavioral sciences unit, studied serial killers and noted, "Murderers like this ( Jeffrey Dahmer ) very often start by killing and torturing animals as kids." Acts of intentional animal cruelty or non-accidental injury may be indicators of serious psychological problems. According to

1160-555: A donkey was bled to death for dramatic effect for the Danish film Manderlay (2005), in a scene later deleted from the film. There is a case of cruelty to animals in the South Korean film The Isle (2000), according to its director Kim Ki-Duk . In the film, a real frog is skinned alive while fish are mutilated. Seven animals were killed for the camera in the controversial Italian film Cannibal Holocaust (1980). The images in

1276-536: A federal law to prevent cruelty to animals destined for use in laboratories. The five-year investigation into the multilayered trade in dogs paid off in February 1966 when Life published a photo-essay of a raid conducted on a Maryland dog dealer's premises by McMahon and the state police. The Life spread sparked outrage, and tens of thousands of Americans wrote to their congressional representatives, demanding action to protect animals and prevent pet theft. That summer

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1392-648: A fly with a book (S07E08). In the Hungarian Sons of the Stone-Hearted Man (1965), young wolves were actually killed for the sake of the film. In the Hungarian Judit Elek 's film Memories of a River (1990), 14 sheep were burned alive. On the set of Andrzej Wajda 's film The Ashes (1965), allegedly killed a horse. The SAG has contracted with the AHA for monitoring animal use during filming or while on

1508-668: A link between animal cruelty and violence towards humans. A 2009 study found that slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries. A large national survey by the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies found a "substantial overlap between companion animal abuse and child abuse" and that cruelty to animals "most frequently co-occurred with psychological abuse and less severe forms of physical child abuse." A history of torturing pets and small animals,

1624-707: A longtime campaign led by HSUS. The HSUS remains active in the Gulf region, funding a number of projects aimed at reducing the area's pet overpopulation problem, and improving access to pet care for the Gulf Coast residents. In late 2006, HSUS broke the story of its investigation into the sale of coats trimmed with real fur but labeled "faux" or fake. Laboratory testing found that the fur came from purpose-bred raccoon dogs in China that were sometimes beaten to death and skinned alive. The story of fur animals beaten to death and skinned alive

1740-551: A national standard for egg production began with a meeting between Jerry Crawford, an Iowa resident with ties to the egg production industry, and HSUS's Wayne Pacelle. Crawford recommended a further meeting with the United Egg Producers ' Chad Gregory. The context for the meeting was HSUS's commanding win in Proposition 2 in California, and a shared belief that open warfare would serve no one's purposes. Additional negotiations produced

1856-601: A new entity, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, formed through an alliance with the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR). Engagement with major corporations in an effort to persuade them to press for reforms in their supply chains has been a significant priority for HSUS in the last decade, and as a result of its efforts, more than 60 major food suppliers have used their leverage to change production level practices in

1972-472: A normal part of bullfighting and that death is rarely instantaneous. It further warns those attending bullfights to "be prepared to witness various failed attempts at killing the animal before it lies down." The " Toro Jubilo " or Toro embolado in Soria , Medinaceli , Spain, is a festival associated with animal cruelty. During this festival, balls of pitch are attached to a bull's horns and set on fire. The bull

2088-448: A number of successful congressional votes to outlaw horse slaughter; progress in securing legislation at the state and federal level to outlaw animal fighting and the interstate transport of fighting implements; the enactment of internet hunting bans in nearly all of the states; announcements by Wolfgang Puck and Burger King that they would increase their use of animal products derived under less abusive standards; and an agreement by

2204-541: A piglet's tail without an anesthetic constitutes cruelty. Others would respond that it is a routine technique for meat production to prevent harm later in the pig's life. Additionally, laws governing animal cruelty vary from nation to nation. While it is routine practice in the United States , docking a piglet's tail as part of regular practice is prohibited in the European Union (EU). Utilitarian advocates argue from

2320-556: A puppy over a cliff during the Iraq conflict was popularised as an internet phenomenon and attracted widespread criticism of the soldier's actions for being an act of cruelty. Under all three of the conceptual approaches to animal cruelty discussed above, performing unnecessary experiments or demonstrations upon animals that cause them substantial pain or distress may be viewed as cruelty. Due to changes in ethical standards, this type of cruelty tends to be less common today than it used to be in

2436-498: A reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of parties involved with the firebombing of two University of California animal researchers. In the spring of 2004, the HSUS board appointed Wayne Pacelle as CEO and president. A former executive director of The Fund for Animals and named in 1997 as "one of America's most important animal rights activists", the Yale graduate spent

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2552-426: A ring or a pit for gambling or the entertainment of the spectators. Rattlesnake round-ups , also known as rattlesnake rodeos , are annual events common in the rural Midwest and Southern United States , where the primary attractions are captured wild rattlesnakes which are sold, displayed, killed for food or animal products (such as snakeskin ) or released back into the wild. The largest rattlesnake round-up in

2668-471: A substantial portion of the organization's resources. Myers and his colleagues also viewed this first campaign as a vehicle for promoting movement cohesion. In 1958, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act passed, which required the proper use of humane slaughter methods at slaughterhouses subject to federal inspection. Only four years after HSUS's formation, Myers pointed out that the movement had united, for

2784-581: A super-fast speed, so fast that their bones, heart, and lungs often cannot keep up. Broiler chickens under six weeks old suffer painful crippling due to fast growth rates, whilst one in a hundred of these very young birds dies of heart failure. To reduce aggression in overcrowded conditions, shortly after birth piglets are castrated, their tails are amputated, and their teeth are clipped, and earmarked. Calves are sometimes raised in veal crates , which are small stalls that immobilize calves during their growth, reducing costs and preventing muscle development, making

2900-525: A warning to consumers. In February 2008, after an undercover investigation conducted by HSUS at the Westland Meat Packing Company alleged substantial animal abuse, the USDA forced the recall of 143 million pounds of beef, some of which had been routed into the nation's school lunch program. HSUS had been a longtime advocate for the elimination of downer animals from the nation's food supply, and

3016-408: Is "not for the squeamish", advising spectators to "be prepared for blood". It details prolonged and profuse bleeding caused by horse-mounted lancers, the charging by the bull of a blindfolded, armored horse who is "sometimes doped up, and unaware of the proximity of the bull", the placing of barbed darts by banderilleros, followed by the matador's fatal sword thrust. It stresses that these procedures are

3132-430: Is disputed by a fur industry trade group. The investigation reportedly prompted several retailers including Macy's and J.C. Penney to pull the garments from the sale floor. Legislation was introduced in the U.S. Congress to require that all fur jackets be properly labeled, and to ban raccoon dog fur. In 2014, HSUS accused Kohl's department store of selling a men's jacket made with real animal fur as "faux", and issued

3248-606: Is evidence to show that consumers provided with accurate information about the process of meat production and the abuse that accompanies it has led to changes in their attitudes. The American Veterinary Medical Association accepts maceration subject to certain conditions, but recommends alternative methods of culling as more humane. Egg-laying hens are then transferred to " battery cages " where they are kept in high densities. Matheny and Leahy attribute osteoporosis in hens to this caging method. Broiler chickens suffer similar situations, in which they are fed steroids to grow at

3364-469: Is found in ancient cultures(e.g. Scapulimancy ), and some modern religions such as Santeria continue to do animal sacrifices for healing and other rituals. Taghairm was performed by ancient Scots to summon devils. According to some news reports, the Bunting birds was blinded before cooking. (The use of the bird as food is now prohibited.) The Homarus crabs is usually cooked alive. Alfred Brehm wrote

3480-522: Is impossible to transport and slaughter vast numbers of large and highly-sensitive animals humanely". It has been suggested the number of animals hunted, kept as companions, used in laboratories, reared for the fur industry, raced, and used in zoos and circuses, is insignificant compared to farm animals, and therefore the "animal welfare issue" is numerically reducible to the "farm animal welfare issue". Similarly, it has been suggested by campaign groups that chickens, cows, pigs, and other farm animals are among

3596-484: Is not, can they reason nor can they talk? but, can they suffer? These arguments have prompted some to suggest that animals' well-being should enter a social welfare function directly, not just indirectly via its effect only on human well-being. Many countries have now formally recognized animal sentience and animal suffering , and have passed anti-cruelty legislation in response. Animal cruelty can be broken down into two main categories: active and passive. Passive cruelty

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3712-585: Is outraged that HSUS would intentionally use video footage of unrelated kennels in the report to try to mislead the general public into believing these facilities have a connection to Petland." In another statement dated February 19, 2009, Petland stated they turned over death threats and threats of kidnapping generated from the HSUS campaign against Petland to the proper authorities for further investigation. Petland continued by asking HSUS to cease and desist in any actions that may promote malicious intent (directly or indirectly). On March 17, 2009, HSUS launched

3828-488: Is part of their name. HSUS formed after a schism surfaced in the American Humane Association over pound seizure, rodeo, and other policy issues. The incorporators of HSUS included four people—Larry Andrews, Marcia Glaser, Helen Jones, and Fred Myers—all of whom were active in the leadership of existing local and national groups, who would become its first four employees. One of the original founders, for whom

3944-523: Is sustained by HSUS's own core group of academic, scientific, and technical experts in animal welfare, as well as outside scientists. HSISP is the manager of the Animal Studies Repository, a digital collection of academic and scientific resources related to animal studies and to animal welfare science. HSISP has held three conferences, the first on purebred dogs and genetic defects, the second on outdoor cats and associated management issues, and

4060-417: Is then released into the streets and will run around in pain, often smashing into walls in an attempt to douse the fire as spectators attempt to dodge the animal. The pitch balls can burn for hours, and they burn the bull's horns, body, and eyes. The animal rights group PACMA has described the fiesta as "a clear example of animal mistreatment". Dog fighting is a sport that turns dogs against one another in

4176-419: Is typified by cases of neglect, in which the cruelty is a lack of action rather than the action itself. Oftentimes passive animal cruelty is accidental, born of ignorance. In many cases of neglect in which an investigator believes that the cruelty occurred out of ignorance, the investigator may attempt to educate the pet owner, then revisit the situation. In more severe cases, exigent circumstances may require that

4292-425: Is unnecessary and a cause of suffering, so the only way to ensure protection for animals is to end their status as property and to ensure that they are never viewed as a substance or as non-living things. Throughout history, some individuals, like Leonardo da Vinci for example, who once purchased caged birds in order to set them free, were concerned about cruelty to animals. His notebooks also record his anger with

4408-600: The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists which specified that the AHA should be "consulted in the use of animals 'when appropriate'", but the contract did not provide a structure for what "appropriate" meant, and had no enforcement powers. This contract expired in 1980. One of the most infamous examples of animal cruelty in the film was Michael Cimino 's flop Heaven's Gate (1980), in which numerous animals were brutalized and even killed during production. Cimino allegedly killed chickens and bled horses from

4524-472: The American Humane Association , 13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence . As many as 71% of pet-owning women seeking shelter at safe houses have reported that their partner had threatened and/or hurt or killed one or more of their pets; 32% of these women reported that one or more of their children had also hurt or killed pets. Battered women report that they are hesitant from leaving their abusers because they fear what will happen to

4640-587: The Humane Society of the United States posing as employees. Agricultural organizations such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have successfully advocated for laws that tightly restrict secret photography or concealing information from farm employers. The following are lists of invasive procedures that cause pain, routinely performed on farm animals, and housing conditions that routinely cause animal welfare concerns. In one survey of United States homeowners, 68% of respondents said they consider

4756-553: The National Football League to suspend Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in the wake of allegations that he had been involved with dog fighting activity. Vick was prosecuted and convicted under state and federal laws. HSUS has backed upgrades of the federal laws concerning animal fighting in 2007, 2008, and in relation to the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, from 2011 to

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4872-674: The U.S. Congress approved the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (later renamed the " Animal Welfare Act of 1966 "), only the second major federal humane law passed since World War II. Other broad goals during this time included a reduction in the U.S.'s homeless dog and cat population, the reform of inhumane euthanasia practices, and to regulate pet shops and to end the commercial pet breeding trade. HSUS and its state branches operated animal shelters in Waterford, Virginia, Salt Lake City Utah, and Boulder, Colorado, and elsewhere, during

4988-615: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the government agency that regulates dog breeders, provided the following response to the HSUS investigation: "The agency has received no complaints from the Humane Society about a particular kennel or Petland; so they have not investigated this specifically." On November 24, 2008, Petland responded to the HSUS campaign video footage of the Petland investigation by stating: "Petland

5104-505: The "National Humane Society", in Washington, D.C., to ensure that it could play a strong role in national policy development concerning animal welfare. HSUS's guiding principle was ratified by its national membership in 1956: "The Humane Society of the United States opposes and seeks to prevent all use or exploitation of animals that causes pain, suffering, or fear." The values that shaped HSUS's formation in 1954, came in some degree from

5220-579: The 1960s, and part of the 1970s. Today, HSUS operates five animal sanctuaries in the states of California, Florida Massachusetts, Oregon, and Texas. HSUS also worked, from the 1960s, to promote humane education of children in the schools. Much of this work was carried out under the auspices of an affiliate, the National Association for the Advancement of Humane Education. In the 1980s, HSUS sponsored several validation studies designed to demonstrate

5336-445: The 1960s, and part of the 1970s. From the early 1960s onward, HSUS worked to promote the most humane methods possible for euthanasia of animals in shelters, using its Waterford, Virginia animal shelter as a model for best practices in this area. HSUS does not currently operate any Animal Shelters. Under Phyllis Wright, HSUS was a driving force behind the shift to use of sodium pentobarbital for animal euthanasia , in opposition to

5452-755: The Animal Anti-Cruelty League in South Africa, have also monitored the use of animals in the film. Cruelty to animals has often been filmed on video and uploaded to social media websites or private Internet groups. This may involve large-scale, systematic operations; a notable example of this was a global monkey torture ring uncovered by the BBC in June 2023, where participants would produce and distribute videos of monkeys being hurt and killed. Individuals who have published animal cruelty content include Luka Magnotta ,

5568-545: The Cartesian view of animals as mechanical beings. Charles Darwin , by presenting the theory of evolution , revolutionized the way that humans viewed their relationship with other species. Darwin believed that not only did human beings have a direct kinship with other animals, but the latter had social, mental, and moral lives too. Later, in The Descent of Man (1871), he wrote: "There is no fundamental difference between man and

5684-547: The HSUS headquarters in Washington, D.C., was named in 1975 was Oliver Marshall Evans (1906–1975). (Source The Humane Society News of the United States Winter edition 1975–1976) He served as a director or officer for the 21 years leading up to his death in 1975. He was also President of the HSUS from 1963 to 1967. They believed that a new kind of organization would strengthen the American humane movement, and they set up HSUS as

5800-524: The Hays Office had the power to enforce this clause, the AHA often had access to sets to assess adherence to it. However, because the AHA's Hollywood office depended on the Hays Office for the right to monitor sets, the closure of the Hays Office in 1966 corresponded with an increase in animal cruelty on movie sets. By 1977, a three-year contract was in place between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and

5916-446: The Humane Society of the United States, roughly one-third of families suffering from domestic abuse indicated that at least one child had hurt or killed a pet. Animal sexual abuse, or bestiality , occurs when an individual exploits a non-human animal for their own sexual pleasure or for the pleasure of others. Bestiality is strongly associated by many with zoophilia , a paraphilia involving sexual attraction to non-human animals. Over

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6032-583: The Latinx populace. Nearly 800,000 Californians signed petitions to place the measure on the ballot. HSUS was also a participant in a ballot initiative campaign focusing on inhumane treatment of farm animals in Ohio. The livestock-agriculture initiative was withdrawn from the ballot after a compromise was brokered between HSUS, Ohioans for Humane Farms, the Ohio Farm Bureau, and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. HSUS led

6148-801: The U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin enforcement of federal laws concerning the transportation of farm animals. In 2018, The Washington Post reported on a Humane Society board investigation conducted by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius into allegations of sexual harassment involving Wayne Pacelle. The investigation found three credible accusations of sexual harassment and female leaders who said their "warnings about his conduct went unheeded." The board voted to keep Pacelle, but after several board members, including author Suzy Welch and philanthropist Marsha Perelman, resigned in protest and high-profile donors revealed they would withhold donations, Pacelle announced his resignation on February 2, 2018. Shortly thereafter, Perelman, along with Kathleen Linehan, returned to

6264-512: The United States The Humane Society of the United States ( HSUS ) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scope. It uses strategies that are beyond the abilities of local organizations. It works on issues including pets , wildlife , farm animals , horses and other equines , and animals used in research, testing and education. As of 2001,

6380-531: The United States is held in Sweetwater, Texas . Held every year since 1958, the event currently attracts approximately 30,000 visitors per year and in 2006 each annual round-up was said to result in the capture of 1% of the state's rattlesnake population. Rattlesnake round-ups became a concern by animal welfare groups and conservationists due to claims of animal cruelty. In response, some round-ups impose catch-size restrictions or releasing captured snakes back into

6496-644: The agreement to pursue federal legislation, the Egg Products Inspection Act of 2013, to support a shift to cage-free housing systems for laying hens, like enriched colony cages. The proposal failed in the Congress, and was not taken up in the 2014 Farm Bill, as a result of opposition by livestock production groups concerned over the precedent of federally-mandated standards for housing. Hog producers in particular recognized their vulnerability in reference to gestation crates In July 2007, HSUS led calls for

6612-436: The animal be removed for veterinary care. Farm animals are generally produced in large, industrial facilities that house thousands of animals at high densities; these are sometimes called factory farms . The industrial nature of these facilities means that many routine procedures or animal husbandry practices impinge on the welfare of the animals and could be considered cruelty, with Henry Stephen Salt claiming in 1899 that "it

6728-711: The animals in their absence. Animal abuse is sometimes used as a form of intimidation in domestic disputes. Cruelty to animals is one of the three components of the Macdonald triad , this behavior is considered to be one of the signs of violent antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. According to the studies used to form this model, cruelty to animals is a common (but not universal) behavior in children and adolescents who grow up to become serial killers and other violent criminals. It has also been found that children who are cruel to animals have often witnessed or been victims of abuse themselves. In two separate studies cited by

6844-418: The board as Vice Chair and Treasurer, respectively. The HSUS board of directors closed the investigation, declining to take any action, and issued a statement that Morgan, Lewis had found no "credible evidence" that would "support the women's claims", sparking outrage and resulting in the resignation of seven further board members. The organization named as Acting President and interim CEO , Kitty Block , who

6960-521: The campaign claimed more than 6,500 restaurants, grocery stores and seafood supply companies were participants the Protect Seals campaign. The corporate expansion forged by Pacelle included mergers with The Fund for Animals (2005), founded by social critic and author Cleveland Amory and the Doris Day Animal League (2006), founded by screen actress and singer Doris Day . This made possible

7076-577: The campaign that culminated in the federal passage of the PETS Act in October 2006, requiring all local, state, and federal agencies to include animals in their disaster planning scenarios. In August 2008, Pacelle appeared with Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell at a press conference marking the enactment of a law prohibiting cockfighting in Louisiana, the last state to do so. The prohibition resulted from

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7192-528: The clear articulation and establishment of the rights of animals" In 1986, HSUS employee John McArdle declared that "HSUS is definitely shifting in the direction of animal rights faster than anyone would realize from our literature". The HSUS fired McArdle shortly thereafter, he alleged, for being an "animal rights activist". Since 1990 at least, HSUS has expressed a clear opposition to "the use of threats and acts of violence against people and willful destruction and theft of property." In 2008, HSUS offered

7308-731: The conditions in which these early domestic animals were kept." Remains of sheep and goats from the early Bronze Age show a marked decrease in bone thickness, reflecting calcium deficiencies "resulting from the combined effects of poor nutrition and intensive milking." Several religious traditions have promoted animal welfare as an important or fundamental concept, and encouraged vegetarianism or veganism . Examples include Buddhism , Jainism , Hinduism (with certain animals being considered sacred), and some forms of Judaism (many Orthodox Jews do not wear leather). René Descartes believed that non-humans are automata—complex machines with no soul, mind, or reason. In Cartesian dualism , consciousness

7424-574: The country to pursue its docket of cases. Under section leader Jonathan Lovvorn, the animal protection litigation group has won approximately three dozen cases in its first decade of existence, taking a practical approach, which Lovvorn explained in a 2012 interview. "We look at cases that are going to have a concrete impact on animals but are winnable. You won't see us out asking for courts to declare animals persons. Or to file habeas corpus requests on behalf of animals, or other things that require judges to go way beyond what they're comfortable with." In 2010,

7540-458: The establishment of a separate campaigns department, an equine issues department, a litigation section, the enhancement of signature programs likes Pets for Life and Wild Neighbors, and an expanded range of hands-on care programs for animals. During the first 2½ years of Pacelle's tenure, overall revenues and expenditures grew by more than 50 percent. In early 2008, HSUS re-organized its direct veterinary care work and its veterinary advocacy under

7656-659: The fact that humans used their dominance to raise animals for slaughter. According to contemporary philosopher Nigel Warburton , for most of human history the dominant view has been that animals are there for humans to do with as they see fit. Sociologist David Nibert emphasizes that the process of domestication dramatically increased the exploitation of animals by humans, particularly in Eurasia . Much of this exploitation involved not only direct physical violence, but also structural violence as their systemic oppression and enslavement "resulted in their inability to meet their basic needs,

7772-502: The feeding of one animal to another for entertainment and spectacle. Although some of these videos have been flagged as inappropriate by users, YouTube has generally declined to remove them, unlike videos that include copyright infringement . In 2021, YouTube banned staged animal rescue videos, where animals were purposely put in danger before being saved. The use of animals in the circus has been controversial since animal welfare groups have documented instances of animal cruelty during

7888-473: The film include the slow and graphic beheading and ripping apart of a turtle , a monkey being beheaded and its brains being consumed by natives and a spider being chopped apart. Cannibal Holocaust was only one film in a collective of similarly themed movies ( cannibal films ) that featured unstaged animal cruelty. Their influences were rooted in the films of Mondo filmmakers , which sometimes contained similar content. In several countries, Cannibal Holocaust

8004-569: The first time in eighty-five years, to achieve enactment of federal legislation that would affect the lives of tens of millions of animals. He was encouraged that "hundreds of local societies could lift their eyes from local problems to a great national cruelty." HSUS also made the use of animals in research, testing, and education an early focus. In the post– World War II era, an increasingly assertive biomedical research community sought to obtain animals from pounds and shelters handling municipal animal control contracts. Local humane societies across

8120-470: The following about the capture of sea turtles in the 19th century: "The poor sea turtles are terribly tortured in the island of Ceylon. The buyers probably want to buy fresh meat, or the sellers don't want to bother with the slaughter, so they simply pull off the breastplate of the live animal and the buyer is cut the piece of meat he wants. And then the European is horrified to see the slow yawning and beating of

8236-574: The group's major campaigns targeted factory farming , hunting , the fur trade , puppy mills , and wildlife abuse. The HSUS is based in Washington, D.C. , and was founded in 1954 by journalist Fred Myers and Helen Jones, Larry Andrews, Marcia Glaser and Oliver M Evans. In 2013, the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked HSUS as the 136th largest charity in the US in its Philanthropy 400 listing. Its reported revenue

8352-514: The heart of the extremely hardy, half-skinned animal, whose organ is usually sold last." Animal cruelty has long been an issue in filmmaking industry, with even some big-budget Hollywood films receiving criticism for allegedly harmful—and sometimes lethal—treatment of animals during production. Court decisions have addressed films that harm animals such as videos that in part depict dog fighting. The American Humane Association (AHA) has been associated with monitoring American film-making since

8468-507: The higher mammals in their mental faculties." Modern philosophers and intellectuals, such as Peter Singer and Tom Regan , have argued that animals' ability to feel pain as humans do makes their well-being worthy of equal consideration. There are many precursors of this train of thought. Jeremy Bentham , the founder of utilitarianism , famously wrote in his An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789): The question

8584-455: The humane movement that originated in the 1860s in the United States. The idea of kindness to animals made significant inroads in American culture in the years following the Civil War . The development of sympathy for creatures in pain, the satisfaction of keeping them as pets, and the heightening awareness about the relationship between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence strengthened

8700-457: The last few years, there has been a rise of zoophiles advocating for the normalisation of bestiality. One such individual is Douglas Spink , who was convicted of allegedly owning a bestiality farm in which several animals such as dogs, horses and mice were found. Douglas Spink was the previous co-host of a zoophilic podcast under the name of Zooier than thou. The podcast aims to promote a more positive outlook on bestiality in an attempt to normalise

8816-479: The lawsuit in furtherance of its fundraising and media campaign seeking to end the sale of animals through pet stores. Petland denied that it had done anything unlawful, and it believes strongly that consumers have the right to purchase and keep pets." The HSUS does not oppose the ownership of pets, but maintains that the desire for profit in commercial pet stores undermines proper care of companion animals. During 2013, HSUS helped to pass 109 animal protection laws at

8932-423: The loss of self-determination, and the loss of opportunity to live in a natural way." He says that the remains of domesticated animals from thousands of years ago found during archeological excavations revealed numerous bone pathologies, which provide evidence of extreme suffering: Excavations from 8500 BCE revealed bone deformities in enslaved goats and cows and provided "some indication of stress, presumably due to

9048-400: The most numerous animals subjected to cruelty. For example, because male chickens do not lay eggs, newly hatched males are culled using macerators or grinders. Worldwide meat overconsumption is another factor that contributes to the miserable situation of farm animals. Many undercover investigators have exposed the animal cruelty taking place inside the factory farming industry and there

9164-763: The movement's popular appeal. The most immediate philosophical influence on 1950s-era advocates, including those associated with HSUS, was the reverence-for-life concept advanced by Albert Schweitzer . Schweitzer included a deep regard for nonhuman animals in his canon of beliefs, and animal advocates laboring to give their concerns a higher profile were buoyed by Schweitzer's 1952 Nobel Peace Prize speech, in which he noted that "compassion, in which ethics takes root, does not assume its true proportions until it embraces not only man but every living being." Myers and his colleagues found another exemplar of their values in Joseph Wood Krutch (1893–1970), whose writings reflected

9280-412: The movements for civil rights and women's rights . Most of what Singer wrote concerning the prevention or reduction of animals' suffering was in harmony with HSUS's objectives. Singer's philosophy did not rest upon the rights of animals , and he specifically rejected the framework of rights in favor of a utilitarian assessment that focused on animal sentience. His principal concern, like that of HSUS,

9396-450: The nation resisted. HSUS sought to bolster the movement's strong opposition to pound seizure, believing that no public pound or privately operated humane society should be compelled by law to provide animals for experimental use. HSUS took the position that animal experimentation should be banned, and in the 1950s it placed investigators in laboratories to gather evidence of substandard conditions and animal suffering and neglect. The HSUS

9512-402: The neck to gather samples of their blood to smear on actors for Heaven's Gate , and also allegedly had a horse blown up with dynamite while shooting a battle sequence, the shot of which made it into the film. This film played a large part in renewed scrutiny of animal cruelty in films and led to renewed official on-set jurisdiction to monitor the treatment of animals by the AHA in 1980. After

9628-407: The organization born in anti-establishment politics now found itself identified—and sometimes criticized—as the "establishment" group of record. In 1954, HSUS's founders decided to create a new kind of animal organization, based in the nation's capital, to confront national cruelties beyond the reach of local societies and state federations. Humane slaughter became an immediate priority and commanded

9744-672: The patron of the British Animals in War Memorial , stated that animals adapt to what humans want them to do, but that they will not do things that they do not want to, even with training. Animal participation in the human conflict was commemorated in the United Kingdom in 2004 with the erection of the Animals in War Memorial in Hyde Park , London . In 2008 a video of a US Marine throwing

9860-465: The pork industry. Shareholder resolutions play a part in HSUS campaigns to generate corporate reform. In 2007, HSUS launched a program designed to advance relationships and awareness within the American faith community at all levels. The program provides speakers, produces videos and other materials, and works with faith leaders to lead discussion of animal issues within the broader religious community. HSUS works on this program with Farm Forward ,

9976-495: The position of costs and benefits and vary in their conclusions as to the allowable treatment of animals. Some utilitarians argue for a weaker approach that is closer to the animal welfare position, whereas others argue for a position that is similar to animal rights. Animal rights theorists criticize these positions, arguing that the words "unnecessary" and "humane" are subject to widely differing interpretations and that animals have basic rights. They say that most animal use itself

10092-611: The present. Cruelty to animals Cruelty to animals , also called animal abuse , animal neglect or animal cruelty , is the infliction of suffering or harm by humans upon non-human animals , either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievements, such as killing animals for entertainment; cruelty to animals sometimes encompasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, referred to as zoosadism . Divergent approaches to laws concerning animal cruelty occur in different jurisdictions throughout

10208-472: The price of meat a more important issue. Animal welfare activists suggest a total ban on fur production due to the suffering inflicted on animals, especially minks. It has been suggested that fur production is immoral as fur clothes are luxury items. Minks are solitary and territorial animals; however, in fur farms, they are raised in cages and skinned after being killed either by breaking their necks or using lethal gas. There are studies providing evidence of

10324-671: The private possession of exotic animals such as lions, tigers, bears, and other dangerous animals. The organization attempted to get bills passed in North and South Carolina banning venomous snakes and other exotic animals. API also provided "hands-on" care for animals at its API Primate Sanctuary , located in Dilley, Texas , where more than 500 primates, many of whom were rescued from abusive situations in laboratories, roadside zoos, and private possession, live in as natural an environment as possible with minimal human interference. Humane Society of

10440-415: The public increasingly aware that humans needed to change their behavior toward other living things. By that time, too, the treatment of animals had become a topic of serious discussion within moral philosophy. The debate spilled over into public consciousness with the publication of Peter Singer 's Animal Liberation (1975). Singer's book sought to recast concern for animals as a justice-based cause like

10556-644: The release of the film Jesse James (1939), in which a horse was pushed off a plank and drowned in a body of water after having fallen 40 feet into it. Initially, monitoring of animal cruelty was a partnership between the AHA and the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (also called the Hays office) through the Motion Picture Production Code . Provisions in the code discouraged "apparent cruelty to children and animals", and because

10672-435: The release of the film Reds (1981), the star and director of the picture, Warren Beatty apologized for his Spanish film crew's use of tripwires on horses while filming a battle scene, when Beatty was not present. Tripwires were used against horses when Rambo III (1988) and The 13th Warrior (1999) were being filmed. A water buffalo was sliced nearly in half during the production of Apocalypse Now (1979), while

10788-486: The resulting meat a pale color, preferred by consumers. In the United States, animal cruelty such as soring , which is illegal, sometimes occurs on farms and ranches, as does lawful but cruel treatment such as livestock branding . Since ag-gag laws prohibit video or photographic documentation of farm activities, these practices have been documented by secret photography taken by whistleblowers or undercover operatives from such organizations as Mercy for Animals and

10904-475: The right to be free from abuse, pain, and torment caused or permitted by man... animals that are domesticated or whose natural environment is altered by man have the right to receive from man adequate food, shelter, and care." In 1980 the notion of rights surfaced in an HSUS convention resolution which, noting that "such rights naturally evolve from long accepted doctrines of justice or fairness or some other dimension of morality", called for "pursuit on all fronts...

11020-499: The scientific community, and to seek to identify areas of common agreement. Service to local animal shelters, with a special focus on solving problems and challenges of importance to every one of the nation's humane societies, was an early priority for HSUS. Its first brochure, "They Preach Cruelty", focused on the tragedy of animal overpopulation. HSUS and its state branches operated animal shelters in Waterford, Virginia, Salt Lake City Utah, and Boulder, Colorado, and elsewhere, during

11136-462: The section estimated that it had filed more than 50 legal actions in 25 states, and won 80% of its cases, while booking 10,000 hours of pro bono attorney time for a total in-kind contribution of $ 4 million. Once launched in 2005, the HSUS's campaign to end the hunting of seals in Canada secured pledges from 300 restaurants and companies, plus 120,000 individuals, to boycott Canadian seafood. By 2014,

11252-470: The set. Compliance with this arrangement is voluntary and only applies to films made in the United States. Films monitored by the American Humane Association may bear one of their end-credit messages. Many productions, including those made in the United States, do not advise AHA or SAG of animal use in films, so there is no oversight. Some other animal welfare organizations worldwide, such as

11368-507: The sexual exploitation of animals for the gratification of humans. Many times, when Asiatic elephants are captured in Thailand , handlers use a technique known as the training crush , in which "handlers use sleep-deprivation, hunger, and thirst to 'break' the elephants' spirit and make them submissive to their owners"; moreover, handlers drive nails into the elephants' ears and feet. The practice of cruelty to animals for divination purposes

11484-424: The shift toward rights-based language and arguments. In 1978, attorneys Robert Welborn and Murdaugh Stuart Madden conducted a workshop at the HSUS annual conference, "Can Animal Rights Be Legally Defined?", and assembled constituents passed a resolution to the effect that "animals have the right to live and grow under conditions that are comfortable and reasonably natural... animals that are used by man in any way have

11600-502: The state level. In 2006, HSUS helped to secure the passage of 70 new state laws on behalf of animals. Two successful November 2006 ballot initiatives conducted with its support outlawed dove hunting in Michigan and, through Proposition 204 , abusive livestock-farming practices in Arizona. In 2008, HSUS helped to pass 91 state animal-welfare laws, including Proposition 2 in California. HSUS

11716-420: The third on sentience as a factor in determining animal welfare policy. In September 2005, when thousands of animals were left behind as people evacuated during Hurricane Katrina , HSUS joined other organizations in a massive search-and-rescue effort that saved approximately ten thousand animals, and raised more than $ 34 million for direct relief, reconstruction, and recovery in the Gulf Coast region. HSUS led

11832-424: The training of performing animals. Animal abuse in circuses has been documented such as keeping them in small enclosures, lack of veterinary care, abusive training methods, and lack of oversight by regulating bodies. Animal trainers have argued that some criticism is not based on fact, including beliefs that shouting makes the animals believe the trainer is going to hurt them, that caging is cruel and common, and that

11948-585: The undercover investigation led to the USDA adopting the policy. In November 2013, the Justice Department reached a $ 155 million settlement with the firms that operated the plant. Michael Greger , Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture for HSUS at that time, testified before Congress about the matter. In the fall of 2008, HSUS also launched a campaign to expose the reliance of the pet store chain Petland on puppy mills where animals are raised under inhumane conditions. However, Jessica Mitler from

12064-431: The use of gas chambers and decompression, the standard shelter killing methods until the early 1980s. In 1984, a General Accounting Office report confirmed HSUS allegations of major problems with puppy mills in the United States, setting the stage for proposed legislation to regulate mills in the 1990s. In 1961, HSUS investigator Frank McMahon launched a probe of dog dealers around the country to generate support for

12180-624: The use of whips, chains or training harms animals. Bolivia has enacted what animal rights activists called the world's first ban on all animals in circuses. Bullfighting is criticized by animal rights or animal welfare activists, referring to it as a cruel or barbaric blood sport in which the bull suffers severe stress and slow, torturous death. Several activist groups undertake anti-bullfighting actions in Spain and other countries. In Spain, opponents of bullfighting are referred to as anti-taurinos. The Bulletpoint Bullfight warns that bullfighting

12296-438: The value of humane education . While HSUS welcomed and benefited from growing social interest in animals, it did not originally embrace the language and philosophy of animal rights. Rather, HSUS representatives expressed their beliefs that animals were "entitled to humane treatment and to equal and fair consideration." Like many of the organizations and individuals associated with humane work, HSUS did try to come to terms with

12412-553: The wild. Military animals are creatures that have been employed by humankind for use in warfare . They are a specific application of working animals . Examples include horses , dogs and dolphins . Only recently has the involvement of animals in war been questioned, and practices such as using animals for fighting, as living bombs or for military testing purposes (such as during the Bikini atomic experiments ) may now be criticized for being cruel. Princess Anne, Princess Royal ,

12528-484: The world. For example, some laws govern methods of killing animals for food, clothing, or other products, and other laws concern the keeping of animals for entertainment, education, research, or pets. There are several conceptual approaches to the issue of cruelty to animals. Even though some practices, like animal fighting , are widely acknowledged as cruel, not all people and nations have the same definition of what constitutes animal cruelty. Many would claim that docking

12644-637: Was President of the international affiliate of the organization, Humane Society International , and who had sued her former HSUS boss, David Wills, for sexual harassment 20 years ago. On January 25, 2019, Kitty Block was named official President and CEO of the organization, and Susan Atherton and Thomas J. Sabatino, Jr. were appointed co-chairs of the HSUS Board, after Board Chairman Eric L. Bernthal stepped down after seven years of service. HSUS launched an animal protection litigation section in 2005. The section works with several thousand pro bono attorneys around

12760-577: Was US$ 129 million and net assets US$ 215 million as of 2014. HSUS pursues its global work through an affiliate, Humane Society International , which listed staff 17 nations for 2013. Other affiliated entities include the Doris Day Animal League , and the Fund for Animals . Together with the Fund for Animals, HSUS operates animal sanctuaries in five US states. HSUS does not run local shelters or oversee local animal care and control agencies, even if "humane society"

12876-603: Was a leader in the Proposition 2 campaign in California, which gained eight million votes on Election Day 2008, more than any other initiative on the ballot. The measure, which prohibits certain intensive confinement practices in agriculture beginning in 2015, passed by a 63.3 to 36.7 percent margin, winning in 46 of 58 counties, and gaining support throughout the state's urban, suburban, and rural areas. It garnered votes from Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike, as well as among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and

12992-485: Was again named to the NonProfit Times' "Power and Influence Top 50" for his achievements in leading HSUS, the fourth time he has been so recognized. Since Pacelle's appointment, HSUS has claimed successes such as the adoption of "cage-free" egg-purchasing policies by hundreds of universities and dozens of corporations; the exposure of an international trophy hunting scam subsequently ended through legislative reform;

13108-446: Was banned or allowed for release with most of the animal cruelty edited out. Other examples: In the film Malèna (2000), the young boys burn ants with the sun's rays. In the movie A Real Young Girl (1976), the heroine tears apart an earthworm. In Anatomy of Hell (2004), a little boy tramples a small remnant (real footage?). The female protagonist of The Onedin Line -series kills

13224-471: Was not an anti- vivisection society, Myers explained in 1958. Rather, it stood for the principle that "every humane society ... should be actively concerned about the treatment accorded to such a vast number of animals." Beginning in the 1990s, HSUS board member David O. Wiebers, a medical doctor associated with the Mayo Clinic , undertook efforts to lessen tensions between animal protection organizations and

13340-599: Was the mitigation and elimination of suffering, and he endorsed the view that ethical treatment sometimes permitted or even required killing animals to end their misery. The 1980s witnessed a flourishing of concern about animals and a proliferation of new organizations, many influenced by the emergence of a philosophy holding that animals had inherent rights. Those committed to the purest form of animal rights rejected any human use of animals. In this changing context, HSUS faced new challenges. As newer animal organizations adopted more radical approaches to achieve their goals,

13456-563: Was unique to human among all other animals and linked to physical matter by divine grace. However, close analysis shows that many human features such as complex sign usage, tool use , and self-consciousness can be found in some animals. In 2012, a prominent group of neuroscientists signed the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness . It stated that humans are not the only conscious beings, and that many other animals, including all mammals and birds, also possess consciousness, challenging

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