Ed Sayres

This Memorial Day, as we remember all the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our freedoms, let's not forget the sacrifices of the military working dogs who have served alongside them.

Much of the world cheered when 80 members of an American commando team...

Few causes are able to unite people such as Lorenzo Borghese from ABC's The Bachelor, actors Bo Derek and John Corbett, school children and animal welfare organizations, but all of these people and groups got together last week to participate in the "Horses on the Hill" event on...

On any given Friday afternoon across America, most of us are likely to utter a variation of the same phrase: "Have a great weekend!" A good weekend may be one in which we are able to relax, but I believe that a truly great weekend is one in which something...

Americans overwhelmingly believe that food from our farms should be safe to eat and that farm animals should not be abused for its production. So it is disturbing that legislators in a number of states throughout the country are considering legislation known as "Ag-Gag" bills that would cripple the ability...

Do you know the top cause of death of dogs and cats in the United States? Cancer? Heart disease? Accidents? It's none of the above.

Homelessness is the leading cause of death for dogs and cats, and while far fewer animals are being killed in animal...

I have loved animals my entire life, and there is only one thing that I have always hated about sharing my life with them -- having to say "goodbye" far too early. I think most of us can agree that if we could change one thing about our pets it...

When I was in the 7th grade, a group of the "cool" kids smoked, and one day I decided to join them. It turns out that it wasn't so easy to pick up a cigarette and start smoking for the first time. While with my friends I didn't inhale, but...

As 2011 rapidly draws to a close, I marvel at all the great work that has been done by animal welfare organizations this year. Throughout the country, more individuals are volunteering in shelters, adopting animals, and advocating for animals than ever before. Each of these groups and individuals will have...

Last November, I wrote about a new law in Baltimore that created the first anti-animal abuse commission of its kind. This law and the commission it created are the legacy of a dog who became known as Phoenix.

In May 2009, two teenagers allegedly soaked a young female pit...

As Vermont floodwaters rose to historic and dangerous levels following a pounding by Hurricane Irene, Kevin Putnam evacuated his parents from their home and then swam through their backyard so that he could save their 15-year-old cat, Sophie. He would not leave her behind.

Thankfully, not every story relating to...

When I became the president and chief executive officer of the ASPCA in 2003, New York City's homeless animals had little chance of making it out of the public animal shelters alive. At that time, only 26 percent of dogs and cats in the city's shelter system were adopted. The...

As you admire the adorable puppies in the window of your local pet store, do you ever wonder where they come from? If you have no idea, you are not alone.

According to a recently released survey conducted by Lake Research Partners on behalf of the ASPCA, more than...

May 22, 2011 is a date that the residents of Joplin, Mo. will never forget. It was that day that a lethal EF5 tornado struck, eventually claiming over 150 lives and destroying nearly 8,000 structures. Not spared from this disaster were the animals of the community, many of whom were...

This past week, the ASPCA's forensic team collected and documented evidence of animal cruelty at the Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary in Alachua County, Florida, a so-called 'sanctuary' where 700 cats were rescued following an investigation by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Alachua County Animal Services.

The...

The ASPCA is launching a national Animal Relocation Initiative that will establish a national network of humane organizations to transfer animals from overcrowded shelters to those where there is space and a high demand for animals to adopt. The lifesaving program will draw on the ASPCA's nationwide expertise...

Last year, over 44,000 homeless dogs and cats entered New York City's shelter and partner rescues. Unfortunately, at a time when budgets are tight and the economy is slow to recover, the City administration has reduced funding and services to help treat and find homes for these dogs and cats....

Since its founding in 1866, the ASPCA's mission has been to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The same holds true today, more than ever, as the ASPCA continues to identify, develop and disseminate best practices related to animal cruelty investigation, forensics...

Although dog fighting and cockfighting--collectively known as blood sports--are illegal in the U.S., people continue to participate in this brutal sport for entertainment. Animal fighting is one of the most horrific forms of animal cruelty, and perhaps the ultimate betrayal of the human-animal bond.

According to a recent poll conducted...

Today, the Baltimore Mayor's Office signed into law the Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission, a board that will work to help the city of Baltimore prevent and prosecute animal cruelty, including dog fighting.

This is the first anti-animal abuse advisory commission of its kind, and we hope this will be a...

While "puppy mills" escape legal definition, for those of us familiar with them and the often times sick, genetically compromised dogs they produce, puppy mills are all too easy to define. The term conjures images of dimly lit sheds and stacked cages stuffed with feces-matted dogs, some of them too...