News Releases

American Humane Association, which for 135 years has been a chief force behind virtually every major development and advance in the protection of the nation’s children and animals, has given its highest award for extraordinary achievements in the field of child welfare to child development pioneer and youth protection advocate Dr. Lewis P. Lipsitt.

Paul Raybould Named Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President of Humane Hollywood™ Program.

Literature review and site interviews mark the launch of a study that will examine the outcomes of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD, DACT, Chief Veterinary Advisor for the American Humane Association, was the keynote speaker at the March 21, 2012 Abbott Animal Health Town Hall Meeting at Independence Grove Visitors Center and Preserve, Libertyville, Illinois.

American Humane Association has just learned that HBO has cancelled the series "Luck." Given the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a horse on Monday and in light of two other fatalities in 2010 and 2011, this is arguably the best decision HBO could have made.

This morning, a horse who was going to be filmed in the HBO television series “Luck” died in a tragic accident. The horse had just been inspected and passed by a licensed veterinarian conducting soundness checks and was being walked back to its barn by a groom at Santa Anita Racetrack when it reared up, fell backwards and was injured. American Humane Association Certified Safety Representatives were on the scene and the attending veterinarian provided emergency assistance to the animal. Unfortunately, the injury was serious and could not be treated, and the most humane course, to the great sorrow of everyone present, was humane euthanasia.

One year ago, on March 11, 2011, the world watched in horror as one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded hit off the coast of Japan, causing devastating tsunamis and triggering a meltdown at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The result of the disaster was catastrophic with more than 15,000 deaths, billions of dollars in damage, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes. In addition to the human tragedy, uncounted numbers of animals were swept away, killed or lost their homes. Thousands more were abandoned or tied up in backyards — left by owners who thought they would be returning soon.

Arson Dogs are a Hot Category in the 2012 Hero Dog Awards

American Humane Association, the nation’s voice for the protection of children and animals, today bestowed its highest honor, the National Humanitarian Medal, on First Lady of Television, bestselling author and Broadway producer Candy Spelling for her philanthropic work in helping the most vulnerable.

American Humane Association, the nation’s only humanitarian organization with the dual focus of protecting both children and animals, announced the appointment of Clifford J. Rose as its new Chief Financial Officer. A nationwide search produced a number of competitive candidates, but Rose was the clear choice with more than 30 years of nonprofit finance and management experience. Rose will utilize his valuable knowledge of fiduciary best practices to guide the organization as it launches its revolutionary Transformative Agenda for 2012.

As nominations for the prestigious American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™ are underway at www.herodogawards.org, Clark G, the world famous multilingual talking dog, has been named as the official spokesdog for the 2012 national campaign.

Win a trip to Hollywood, honor your dog on national TV, and help win $15,000 for a worthy cause

American Humane Association President & CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert was today honored in the category of “Visionary Leader” as she won a coveted “Fiduciary Leadership Award” from the Investment Fiduciary Leadership Council in Washington, D.C. According to the IFLC, the national award is bestowed once a year on extraordinary individuals in the charitable sector who have provided outstanding leadership to the nonprofit community and through the devotion of their time, intellect, and insights are leading the way to better care of donors' contributions.

American Humane Association, a major 135-year-old United States-based charity dedicated to protecting children and animals, has arrived in Tokyo on Valentine’s Day to bring a message of hope and help to the remaining animal victims of the 2011 earthquake.

American Humane Association, the nation’s 135-year-old voice for children and animals today commended McDonald’s proactive position to require their pork supply chain to be gestation crate-free.

“Millions of pigs spend their lives in crates that are inhumanely small and do not allow them to move freely and express their natural behaviors,” said American Humane Association President & CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert. “This leadership on the part of McDonald’s will not only advance the welfare of millions of animals but will most likely encourage others food service providers and retailers to follow suit.”

With Academy Award season on the horizon it’s important to remember the amazing animals in this year’s films who brought such joy and emotion to millions worldwide. Although most people may think the Oscar is the most important award a film can earn, in reality, the honor lies with the American Humane Association’s “No Animals Were Harmed®” certification. As the nation’s voice for the protection of children and animals, the American Humane Association’s Film and TV Unit has been protecting the welfare of animals in filmed entertainment since 1940 and currently monitors the humane treatment of tens of thousands of animals on more than 2,000 productions each year.

Special Encore Presentation of 2011 Hero Dog Awards Airs on Hallmark Movie Chanel, December 23, 2011 at 8pm ET/PT

DreamWorks Pictures announced today that "War Horse," directed by Steven Spielberg, has earned American Humane Association's highest certification rating: Monitored: Outstanding, No Animals Were Harmed.

A study published today in The Lancet medical journal reveals that, despite years of effort to develop and improve national policy on child maltreatment intervention in several wealthy countries, including the United States, little has changed in the overall child maltreatment trends in these countries.