It is a universal truth seen throughout history that the worst of times often brings out the best in humanity.

This has been especially true throughout the 144 years American Humane has been fighting to protect animals. It was true after the Civil War, when American Humane was founded to fight for the humane treatment of all living creatures. It was true during World War I, when we deployed to rescue nearly one million war horses wounded on the bloody battlefields of Europe. It was true during the Great Depression, when American Humane pioneered new protections for the most vulnerable among us.

And it is true today as we work to save wildlife, deploy our rescue team to save desperate animals caught in deadly natural disasters and help animals who found themselves fighting for their lives in the global COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back over the past century and a half of humane work, we realized, along with so many other Americans, how many of our greatest challenges also inspired our finest hours.
In fact, during just the past year, American Humane was able to:

• Rescue, shelter, feed and care for more than 1 million animals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, cruelty cases and disasters including the California wildfires and Hurricanes Laura and Sally.
• Protect 50,000 animal actors on film and television sets through our No Animals Were Harmed® program.
• Help ensure the welfare and humane treatment of nearly 400,000 remarkable and endangered species living in the world’s zoos, aquariums and conservation centers.
• Save the lives of veterans and animals by finding dogs in need of forever homes and training them as free, life-saving service animals for veterans struggling to cope with Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury.
• Help ensure that nearly a billion farm animals have proper space, food, water, heat, cooling, lighting and numerous other humane protections.

Another truth is that American Humane has a long history of doing the most with the hard-earned charitable dollars with which we are entrusted. More than 91 cents of every dollar spent goes directly into our life-changing, lifesaving programs to help the most vulnerable among us.

I think you will enjoy the heartwarming stories of caring, compassion and hope in our Impact Report. Thank you for being part of our mission to make a better world . . . for all of us.



Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D.
President and CEO