American Humane Association

The American Humane Association's logo

The American Humane Association (AHA) is a not for profit charity whose stated mission is to ensure the welfare, wellness and well-being of children and animals, and to unleash the full potential of the bond between humans and animals to the mutual benefit of both.

Founded in 1877, their work is accomplished through a multi-part approach consisting of four main program areas. Humane Intervention consists of Red Star Rescue for Kids and Animals which works in association with first responders, civic leaders, animal protection advocates, healthcare providers and families to prepare and cope when disasters occur. Humane Heartland works in association with farmers, ranchers, distributors, consumers and communities to enhance the welfare of animals. Humane Hollywood works in association with American film and TV industry to ensure the well-being of animal actors and promote the human-animal bond. The AHA's Film and Television Unit has monitored the welfare of animals during the production of films and television programs since 1940. They are the source of the familiar disclaimer "No animals were harmed...", which is a registered trademark of the AHA. The Unit's creation was prompted by a scene in the 1939 film Jesse James, in which a blindfolded horse was ridden off a cliff; the animal suffered a broken back and later had to be put down. Humane Research and Policy Solutions works in association with policymakers, thought leaders, academics, scientists and the public to build solution to challenges facing children and animals.

History

At the end of the 19th century, the United States faced tumultuous times. People of all different types, from all different backgrounds were calling for change. Women, encouraged by the rise of urban centers, decreasing family size and increased life expectancy, took factory jobs to help support their families. This led directly to their call for better working conditions and indirectly to their call for more independence. African Americans, having won freedom from slavery at the end of the Civil War, were still fighting for the equality the law had promised them decades earlier.

Other groups facing discrimination followed in the footsteps of these revolutionaries and also began to demand social change. This atmosphere of social upheaval propelled to the front advocates who lent their voices to the voiceless. The case of a little girl named Mary Ellen Wilson Mary Ellen Wilson, who was badly abused by her caretaker in the 1860s, captured the attention of the American people and pushed the concept of children’s welfare to the forefront. Independent organizations as well as state and federal governments began to investigate allegations of child abuse and work to prevent it. In 1877, delegates from 27 humane organizations from 10 states met in Cleveland, Ohio, to merge their local chapters and create the International Humane Association . The organization was later renamed the American Humane Association.

Humane Intervention: Red Star Rescue for Children and Animals

American Humane Association works in association with American first responders, emergency managers, civic leaders, animal protection advocates, healthcare providers and families to prepare for and cope with disasters and crises. Their Red Star Animal Emergency Services rescue responders have been on the scenes and dealing with the aftermath of many of the United States’ natural and man-made disasters for decades. The Red Star Animal Assisted Therapy team works with children, families, and military personnel across the country to help them heal during difficult times.

Red Star Animal Emergency Services

In August of 1916, American Humane Association accepted an invitation from the War Department to help animals used by the U.S. Army during WWI. With the acceptance of that invitation, the American Red Star Animal Relief Program was born. Sixty years later, American Humane Association signed a Letter of Understanding with the American Red Cross establishing American Humane Association as the primary contact in the U.S. for animal-related disaster relief. Today when the need arises as the result of natural disasters or man-made emergencies, American Humane Association serves as the coordinating agency to local shelters for animal supplies and resources.

In recent history, Red Star Animal Emergency Services has been on the scene during a number of natural and man-made disasters. Red Star supported veterinarians who were on the scene at Ground Zero in September 2001, tending to the weary search and rescue dogs who risked their own lives to find victims trapped in the rubble. Red Star traveled to Haiti in 2010 to aid animal victims of the country’s devastating earthquake. Red StarTM staff and volunteers were crisscrossing the American South and Midwest in the spring of 2011, saving animals and reuniting pets and families separated in the severe flooding and tornadoes that swept the regions.

The team consists of a national network of professionally trained staff and volunteers. An 82-foot mobile command center – fully equipped for both animal rescue and veterinary services – is the centerpiece of a fleet of boats and vehicles ready to deploy anywhere in the country on a moment’s notice. In the future, American Humane Association will work towards expanding its reach by adding more rescue rigs. The new rigs will be strategically stationed across the country, allowing emergency responders to act more quickly no matter where disaster strikes.

Red Star Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), which uses the therapeutic powers of trained animals to help those in need, including children suffering with cancer, military personnel and families, and abuse victims. American Humane Association is a national leader in advancing the safe, humane and effective practice of this modality nationwide to benefit our nation’s most vulnerable. American Humane Association staff includes internationally recognized experts in AAT.

Red Star AAT is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal that meets specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. Research supports the benefits of positive interaction between humans and animals that is at the heart of AAT. Studies have found that AAT lowers blood pressure, reduces stress and enhances a patient’s ability to progress toward physical and psychological wellness. This scientific evidence of positive physiological responses in patients who have engaged positively with dogs and other animals is leading to wider acceptance of AAT as an adjunctive form of treatment.

American Humane Association’s involvement in animal assisted therapy dates back to 1945 when we supported the practice of therapy dogs aiding returning soldiers in convalescent homes. Today our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program continues to provide services to those in the military and their families. American Humane Association is expanding the reach of its AAT programs to the more than two million children whose parents are currently deployed by the military. Research shows that these children often have difficultly performing academically; experience feelings of loneliness, sadness, and depression; and feel disconnected and alienated from mainstream society. Therapy animals help by enabling children to communicate about the fear, anger and uncertainty they’re feeling. The children find non-judging, unconditional love and acceptance with their therapy animals.

A key area of focus for Red Star AAT is the development of research and scientific outcomes to demonstrate the positive impact that animals can have on human health. In May 2011, American Humane Association announced a partnership with Pfizer Animal Health to conduct a study on the impact of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric oncology patients, as well as on their parents, caregivers, siblings, and other close family members. The partnership includes a grant from Pfizer and the Pfizer Foundation. Over the next three years, American Humane Association and Pfizer Animal Health will work with a total of 150 children at up to five hospitals or clinical settings across the country that help children with cancer.

Second Chance Fund and Meacham Grants

Millions of animals are abused and neglected each year and many of them end up in animal shelters. While caring for these animals, local shelters are forced to cover the medical costs to treat them. As a result, the organizations can accrue extremely high – and sometimes overwhelming – medical bills. If the shelter cannot afford the cost, the suffering animal may be euthanized.

American Humane Association uses an array of tools to support animal sheltering organizations and rescue groups in an effort to save the lives of the animals they serve. Assistance can include expert professional advice, informational resources and financial grants. The grants help organizations offset the cost of treating homeless animal victims of abuse or neglect. In 2011, American Humane Association was able to provide Second Chance® financial assistance and Meacham Grants for shelter expansion and improvement to organizations nationwide, assist with the care of nearly 5,000 animals, including cats, dogs, horses, donkeys, goats, pigs, parrots, cows, sheep and llamas.

Humane Heartland

American Humane Association works in association with American farmers, ranchers, distributors, academics, consumers and communities to enhance the welfare of farm animals through the American Humane Certified certification program.

American Humane Certified certification program

The American Humane Certified certification program is the nation’s first third-party farm animal welfare certification program. The American Humane Certified label seeks to provide consumers a choice of humanely raised beef, pork, poultry and dairy products at their grocers. Some 100 major producers representing some 5,000 farms and more than 135 million animals offer products with the American Humane Certified label, including Stonyfield Brown Cow Yogurt, Eggland’s Best cage-free eggs and Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise.

Founded in 2000 around the international standards put forth by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (U.K.), American Humane Association has worked with a team of scientists, veterinarians, farmers, ranchers and other experts to establish exacting welfare standards based on current research and technology. The American Humane Certified program provides third-party, independent verification that certified producers’ care and handling of farm animals meet the science-based animal welfare standards of American Humane Association. The certification employs data management systems scalable to audit millions of animals; trained independent auditors; and monitoring of operations including such techniques as annual on-site audits.

The food research firm Technomic reports more than half of consumers point to animal welfare as one of the most important social issues in the food business. A 2007 Independent Public Opinion Survey found that consumers consider a “humanely raised” label over “natural” or “organic” labels when selecting produce. Another independent survey found that nearly half of consumers (43 percent) are “very concerned” about the humane treatment of farm animals and more than half are “very concerned” about food safety.

Humane Heartland Educational Curriculum

A new educational curriculum for children on farm animals is under development. This curriculum for elementary school children will cover where their food comes from and the importance of humane treatment of farm animals. The Humane Heartland curriculum will encourage children to consider the range of choices and values they and their families hold when it comes to the food they choose to eat, and encourage them to consider the impacts of those choices—on the land, their communities, farm animals, and their own health—in a positive, engaging fashion. This effort seeks to create lasting change among the next generation of consumers and ensure that humane treatment of animals is a core value in their food choices.

Humane Research and Policy

American Humane Association, working with policymakers, thought leaders, scientists and the public, wishes to build enduring solutions for the challenges facing children and animals. To build a robust solutions-based platform, they launched two institutes: Children’s Innovation Institute and Animal Welfare Research Institute. They have also developed a partnership with Pfizer Animal Health to conduct a study that analyzes the impact of animal assisted therapy. American Humane Association also works closely with many legislators to create and influence policies that protect children and animals.

Animal Welfare Research Institute

American Humane Association launched the Animal Welfare Research Institute under the direction of Chief Veterinary Advisor Dr. Patricia Olson. Institute-funded scientists are working to fill the gaps in our knowledge about the causes and potential treatment of illnesses like cancer and other life-threatening diseases in cats, dogs, horses and wildlife. They are examining issues of food safety and quality, and the relation to conditions like obesity. And they are looking at other trends such as the apparent increase in asthma among animals and the effect of environmental toxins like endocrine disruptors across a range of health issues. The Institute supports research programs and protocols that mirror those used to investigate human illnesses – starting with the dictum that subjects should never face harm from the studies in which they participate.

Children's Innovation Institute

American Humane Association’s Children’s Innovation Institute will operate and fund innovative, collaborative and strategic science and training programs that aim to advance the welfare, wellness and well-being of children. The Institute will identify the issues that affect children’s welfare and work to fill gaps in existing research of those issues. The Institute will bring together Interdisciplinary teams of researchers to look at how to optimize children’s services in the United States and around the world.

Their work includes a series of programs dedicated to protecting the well-being of children: The Front Porch Project, Differential Response, Family Group Decision Making, and the Fatherhood Initiative.

American Humane Association operates on the belief that the future of any community depends on its ability to ensure the health and well-being of the next generation and that everyone has a stake in protecting society’s most vulnerable members. Research shows that young people who have experienced abuse or neglect and subsequently enter child welfare systems experience more negative outcomes, such as being less likely to have a high school diploma, less likely to pursue a college education, less likely to earn a living wage, less likely to have a job, more likely to have a child without being married, and more likely to become involved with the criminal justice system . In addition to the devastating mental and emotional costs of child abuse and neglect, a 2012 study found that tangible cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States is approximately $124 billion dollars each year. These costs can be broadly broken down into healthcare costs, child welfare costs, special education costs, and future criminal justice and lost productivity costs. These costs – both tangible and intangible – are why American Humane Association works to empower community members to help prevent and address child abuse and neglect from occurring in the first place through programs like The Front Porch Project.

The Front Porch Project

American Humane Association’s Front Porch Project provides community members with the appropriate tools and methods to safely intervene when encountering a situation in which the treatment of a child makes them concerned or uncomfortable. Training aims to enable them to confidently deal with situations like a stressed parent inappropriately disciplining a child at the supermarket or park, or young children playing unsupervised in a neighborhood. The results of the Front Porch Project training evaluations have shown that 95 percent of participants who participated in the community training program felt more comfortable intervening with struggling parents or families and were more likely to intervene than they were before the training.

Differential Response

Differential response is the practice of responding to allegations of child abuse and neglect based on the specific circumstances of the situation and the needs of the child and family. The child welfare system has traditionally responded to reports of alleged abuse and neglect as if all cases were the same, but many are starting to recognize the unique needs of each family they serve. When using differential response, responses are based on factors such as the type and severity of the alleged abuse, the age of the child, the numbers of previous abuse reports and the willingness of the family to participate in the services.

American Humane Association supports states, counties and Native American tribes in using differential response in child protective services. They provide training, technical assistance, consultation and quality assurance in New York, Ohio and Wisconsin, and with tribal groups. Through an agreement with the [United States Department of Health and Human Services], [Administration for Children and Families], and [United States Children's Bureau], American Humane Association operates the National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in [Child Protective Services], through which random control trial studies are being conducted in Colorado, Ohio and Illinois to further examine this approach.

Over the last 35 years, American Humane Association’s national family policy has focused on two values: child safety and family integrity. Differential response allows child protection agencies to sustain both of these values by responding in multiple ways to accepted reports of child abuse and neglect, based on the level of the family’s risk and needs, without compromising children’s safety. Studies have shown differential response is an effective way to respond to cases of child abuse and neglect, children were safe, there was less recidivism and fewer removals of children from their homes, and children going into foster care declined.

Family Group Decision Making

American Humane Association brought the practice of Family Group Decision Making to the U.S. child welfare system from its native roots in New Zealand. Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) is a results-demonstrated approach in which child welfare agencies invite families to partner in and lead decision making about their children’s safety, stability, and care – thus restoring and reinforcing the child’s human network.

American Humane Association has conducted research; trained and provided technical assistance to communities in more than 35 states; developed cutting-edge resources that are used to advance FGDM; advocated public policy reforms that will incorporate FGDM into federal legislation; and convened experts through conferences and think tanks to support FGDM implementation in local communities.

Scientific evidence from more than 20 research studies conducted since 1995 shows that FGDM: • Decreases the recurrence of child abuse and neglect. • Safely reduces the number of children in foster care. • Increases the number of children who remain in, and/or are connected to, their family system. • Creates stability for children who have experienced abuse or neglect or lived in foster care, enabling them to reach their full human potential.

Fatherhood Initiative

For many children in the welfare system, there is one specific family member who is absent: the father. Recent federal government reviews of state child welfare and family services programs have found a lack of involvement by fathers and paternal relatives in their children’s case planning and lives. At least 65 percent of children removed from their homes by the child welfare system were not living with their fathers at the time. A 2006 study of 2,000 child welfare cases in four states revealed that in 32 percent of those cases, no father was immediately identified, meaning he was not regularly involved in the child’s life. In almost one third of those cases, the father is not reachable by phone when a caseworker tries to get in contact with him.

American Humane Association’s Fatherhood Initiative uses research and program trials to point out needed changes in practice and legislative policy that will promote fathers’ involvement in the lives of their children. American Humane Association recommends addressing barriers to full involvement of fathers in the life of their children through responsible, common-sense changes to unemployment and child support regulations. They believe changes need to be father-friendly, while still adhering to the strictest standards of accountability and responsibility.

Government Affairs

American Humane Association has a long history of influencing legislation beneficial to children and animals. More than a century ago, American Humane Association was advocating for the passage for national child labor laws and a few years later they were calling for safe, off-street playgrounds for children. American Humane Association was instrumental in passage of anti-vivisection laws, humane transportation regulations for animals, and even lobbied for a bill protecting the bald eagle, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law.

In recent years American Humane Association has worked alongside many of the top political leaders in the nation, including many senators and U.S. representatives, 33 state governors, and Rep. James Moran, chairman of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus.

In 2011, American Humane Association helped secure a historic legislative win in Oregon and Washington, banning cramped “battery cages” for millions of egg-laying hens and mandating the use of Enriched Colony Housing with more space, nests, perches, and scratching areas. That same year, American Humane Association was also the only child advocacy group asked to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee on the continuation of two important child welfare programs. Their proposals were included in the final bill, approved by a bipartisan majority and sent to the president for his signature.

Film and Television Unit

The American Humane Association asserts that all animals should be treated humanely throughout their lifespans. The Film and Television Unit specifically oversees animals used during media productions.

The American Humane Association is sanctioned by the Screen Actors Guild to oversee a production's humane care of animals. Because of this, the AHA may choose to issue the end credit disclaimer "No Animals Were Harmed in the Making of This Motion Picture." The AHA may be able to report on the animal action during filming when public concerns arise or animal accidents happen on a particular set.

American Humane Association acts as the animals’ safety representative, but it protects both animal actors and cast/crew members interacting with the animals. They ensure that budgets and time constraints do not compromise the safety or care of the animals.

Accidents and deaths due to natural causes can happen. American Humane Association verifies what happened and serves as the professional and objective witness. They also respond to rumors and accusations both on and off set for the distribution life of a production.

Guidelines

The AHA has a standard of animal care as outlined in the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media. On the set, AHA's Certified Animal Safety Representatives attempt to ensure the Guidelines are upheld. AHA's oversight includes film, television, commercials, music videos, and computer images. All production oversight is coordinated by the American Humane Association's Film and Television Unit in Los Angeles, California.

Productions that collaborate with the American Humane Society and meet this standard of care qualify for AHA's "No Animals Were Harmed" end credit disclaimer. Despite animal deaths or injuries on the set, the determination of this can only be made after filming is complete, all documentation submitted, and a screening of the locked picture provided.

Controversy

In the late 1980s, the Association was accused by Bob Barker and the United Activists for Animal Rights of condoning animal cruelty on the set of Project X and in several other media projects. However, critics later argued that the accusations were based on rumors and hearsay, such as having seen a cattle prod and a gun on set and having inferred that these had been used to mistreat animals. The American Humane Association responded to the accusations with a libel lawsuit and noted that there had been a two-year "vendetta" against them. In a series of public ads along with the $10 million libel suit, the Association stated that the allegations were made based on insufficient and misleading information.

A Los Angeles Times article about the AHA Film Unit in 2001 stated that "the group has been slow to criticize cases of animal mistreatment, yet quick to defend the big-budget studios it is supposed to police. It also raises questions about the association's effectiveness." The article cites numerous cases of animals injured during filming which the AHA overlooked or may have even attempted to cover up.

The AHA Film unit has also been criticized because it lacks any meaningful enforcement power under its contract with the Screen Actors Guild. Since major studios pay for its operations, a conflict of interest appears to be inherent in this system of oversight.^{[citation needed]}

Animal welfare and animal rights groups, including PETA and the Performing Animal Welfare Society, have been vocal in their criticism of the AHA Film Unit. They cite several areas where they believe that AHA standards could be improved, including requiring animal trainers to be in compliance with federal animal protection laws, monitoring of pre-production and training of animals, and requiring a permanent care plan for great apes. They also believe that animal trainers who have been convicted of animal cruelty should not be allowed to work on movie sets.^{[citation needed]}

Much debate has centered around the film Flicka, so much so that the AHA has a dedicated page on its Frequently Asked Questions page concerning the film and the deaths of two horses involved in its making. Their website states that the AHA concluded that these deaths were unpreventable accidents. However, the official report from the Los Angeles Animal Services Department states, "Animal Services contends this accident could have been avoided...the death of the horse, number 23, on the 'Flicka Wild Horse' race scene was a preventable accident."

The AHA has also received criticism for lobbying against a proposed California ban on the use of steel bullhooks for elephant control and handling despite video footage of elephants being beaten with these hooks during training.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Animals on television

External links

• American Humane Association