• American Humane was first to serve our best friends in their worst times, saving, sheltering and aiding thousands of frightened, hurt and hungry animals left homeless by the West Virginia floods, the Tennessee wildfires, and the historic deluge in Louisiana – the deadliest natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy. Our rescue efforts in Louisiana’s hard-hit Livingston Parish, where 75 percent of all homes were destroyed, made headlines and captured the hearts of animal lovers nationwide such as Ellen DeGeneres, who covered our rescue efforts and together with the Walmart Foundation pledged to help fund a new emergency animal rescue vehicle dedicated to the region.
• American Humane was first to serve the staggering numbers of animals abandoned to the country’s shelters, working with Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food in a nationwide effort to provide 1 million nutritious, free meals to pets anxiously awaiting their forever homes.
• American Humane was first to serve in helping ensure the welfare of farm animals, overseeing humane living conditions for some 1 billion chickens, cows, pigs, ducks, turkeys, goats and other animals on our nation’s farms and ranches.
• American Humane was first to serve in the protection of animals in filmed entertainment, working to ensure the safe and humane treatment of some 100,000 beloved animal stars on more than 1,000 production sets each year.
• American Humane was first to serve in the humane conservation of the Earth’s magnificent and endangered animals, launching the world’s first program dedicated solely to protecting and helping ensure good living conditions and humane treatment for the millions of creatures being preserved in the world’s zoos, aquariums, and conservation centers.
• And for more than 100 years, American Humane has been first to serve those who serve our country: Building on our century-old legacy of supporting the U.S. military and our nation’s military animals, American Humane opened the Lois Pope LIFE Center for Military Affairs, a major new resource to support our two-legged and four-legged warriors, helping bring home and reunite retired military hero dogs with their hero handlers, providing lifesaving service dogs to veterans with Post- Traumatic Stress, and arranging free healthcare for America’s four-legged warriors once they finish their service so they can enjoy the happy, healthy retirements they so richly deserve.

American Humane is also first when it comes to turning charitable donations into effective action. Eighty-six cents of every dollar raised goes directly into programs – far more than any other national humane group – and part of the reason we were named a “Top-Rated Charity” with an “A” rating from CharityWatch, as well as the “Outstanding Animal Welfare Organization of the Year” by Pet Philanthropy Circle.

In the end, what is important is being there first for animals, every day…saving three tiny kittens we found starving, shivering, and covered with fleas as they huddled on a trash can lid following a devastating flood…providing a life-saving operation to a retired military hero dog coping with joint pain caused by a lifetime of service to our country…and saving the life of a Golden Retriever named Jake, a family pet who was shot by an unknown assailant and left to die. You’ll find many stories of hope, help and compassion like these in the following pages. With your help, American Humane will always be first to serve and protect animals in need.