It's no secret that New York City's pet stores are often stocked with dogs that come from puppy mills, but now the HSUS is further uncovering the problem in their ongoing battle against stores that use the cruel suppliers. Following their report, put out just in time for puppy-buying season, NBC NY went undercover on their own, armed with the Humane Society of the United States' list of over 100 pet stores in New York believed to be procuring pups from the cruel mills. more ›

The Humane Society of the U.S. and their Wildlife Land Trust are now offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the person who shot a short-finned pilot whale recently. more ›

There's a new New York State education law that's now in effect, and it calls back the frog-freeing scene from E.T. (watch below!). Patrick Kwan at the Humane Society of the U.S. tells us that schools must now notify students of their right to refuse to dissect animals without being penalized. The HSUS and the Humane Society of New York are making sure that schools now abide by the new provision in the state’s humane education law. more ›

The Humane Society of the United States has gone on a fur-finding mission and found that a Phillip Lim brand faux fur parka sold online by Barneys New York... is actually made of real animal fur. They tell us "the same coat was sold in their Madison Avenue flagship store without the 'real fur' label required by New York state law." The group is now asking Barneys to become 100% fur-free, like other retailers and designers have done. more ›

Longtime vegetarian Lisa Simpson was sort of left out when her family briefly became the face of 7-11, but now the Humane Society of the U.S. announces that the world’s biggest retail chain is test-marketing vegan meals! In the past they went vegan accidentally, but this time it's for real. more ›

The Humane Society of the U.S. has announced they're offering a reward for the Canada geese killings in Westchester County. Allegedly four geese were killed in Cortlandt on Wednesday of last week, and they're offering $2,500 for any information that helps unveils the killer. Here's the information they have so far: more ›

With talk of New York banning the sale of pets at pet stores, Petland Discounts is already moving toward becoming a puppy-friendlier, as they just signed The Humane Society of the United States' puppy friendly pet store pledge. more ›

Forget pigeon racing... we've got bigger pigeon worries now! According to the New York City Bar, there's a big pigeon-napping problem—allegedly they're getting trapped in nets, tossed in vans and either used in some voodoo ceremonies, served up as food in a restaurant near you, or most commonly, they're used as targets at shooting ranges. What's worse, pigeons that are shot at the ranges often land on neighboring roofs (see video below). more ›

Last year Fort Lee, NJ Health Officer Steven Wielkotz turned to the chemical Avitrol to rid the area around town hall of pigeons. Avitrol "kills the pigeons by first causing them to suffer seizures and then cardiac arrest." Not exactly the best way to go, especially for Wielkotz, who actually ended up killing a slew of grackles instead. The Humane Society of the United States is now touting an alternative to curbing the pigeon population: pigeon birth control. more ›

A Bronx jury has convicted two men involved in a dog fighting ring, and animal rights groups couldn't be happier. Alexander Estephane and Juan Toledo were busted in 2008, when a police raid turned up 16 fighting dogs and 2 roosters in a cramped basement in the borough. Now they have both been found guilty of felony charges and face up to four years behind bars, according to the Daily News; their sentencing is later this month. more ›

Some residents of the Upper West Side are outraged that a new business called Pet Fashion, mostly selling overpriced leashes and whatnot, is selling dogs from a puppy mill. The store, on Columbus Avenue between West 87th and 88th streets, often puts attention-getting pups on display in the front window, but West Side Spirit reports that "these dogs come from puppy mills, and the store is not welcome in the neighborhood." more ›

Animal lovers everywhere can consider themselves victorious. One small step was made for the anti-fur set, as the Humane Society of the US's president announced that, "JCPenney, with more than 1,000 stores in 49 states, has become fur-free, making it the first multiple location, traditional department store to be fur-free in stores and on its website. The company is currently fur-free and has no plans for fur items in the future." Racked is skeptical however, and thinks that the store's motives "can't be completely golden; we're sure the current economy's effects on both shopper's budgets and store bottom lines played major parts in the decision." Earlier this year the HSUS called out some other NYC department stores for mislabeling their fur products. JCPenney will be opening their Manhattan Mall store this summer, and maybe the PETA strippers will be doing their shopping there. more ›

With all the recent uproar about carriage horses, and Fashion Week recently bringing out the fur brigade, we thought it was a good time to talk to an animal lover—one who happens to know exactly what's happening out on the front lines. Patrick Kwan is the New York State Director of the Humane Society of the United States, and recently he schooled us in some current animal rights issues. more ›

Fashion Week is in full effect and The Humane Society of the United States is watching out for our furry friends, as usual. This morning the organization led a press conference with NY State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal following an investigation that uncovered some big NYC retailers selling unlabeled fur-trimmed garments in violation of state law (which requires that all apparel with real or fake fur be labeled as such, giving shoppers access to product information). All the big names were on their list, including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Footage of the investigation shows what may happen to confused customers: more ›