"Go big or go home," as the old saying goes. The Humane Society of the United States chose the former, working in all 50 states and earning the title of "the nation’s largest and most effective animal protection organization." The society, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., conducts itself in two main areas: celebrating animals and confronting cruelty. These translate into supporting animal protection legislation, operating campaigns to bring about reforms, performing animal rescue and emergency response, inspecting cases of animal cruelty, providing animal care at sanctuaries, rehabilitation centers, emergency shelters, and clinics. One of the society's current campaigns is opposing an amendment to the farm bill in Congress by Rep. Steve King (R) of Iowa that would weaken animal welfare laws. Wayne Pacelle, the society's president and CEO, describes the amendment as "a sort of legislative kudzu, so invasive and dangerous."
