Wayne Pacelle

Wayne Pacelle is founder of Animal Wellness Action and its political action committee, co-founder of the Center for a Humane Economy, and a leader with the Animal Wellness Foundation. Previously, he led The Humane Society of the United States as president and CEO for nearly 14 years, tripling the budget and net assets of the organization. He founded the Humane Society Legislative Fund and prior to that, he was executive director of The Fund for Animals. For seven of his 13 years as HSUS CEO, the Non-Profit Times named him as one of the nation’s top 50 non-profit executives, and in 2005, he was named executive of the year.

He wrote two New York Times bestselling books: The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals and Our Call to Defend Them. and The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals. Wayne has led efforts to pass 1,500 state laws for animals, more than 100 federal laws and amendments, 30 ballot initiative, and 500 corporate agreements, including policies by McDonald’s to phase out gestation crates, by Walmart to adopt the Five Freedoms of Farm Animal Welfare, by Armani to end its use of fur, and by SeaWorld to stop the breeding of orcas.

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Past Shows:

  • Animal Welfare & Coronavirus / Pandemics

    Wayne Pacelle reported on animal welfare issues in the age of the coronavirus. Bryan Walsh discussed pandemics and what we can learn from the coronavirus pandemic.More »
  • Chernobyl Disaster/ Animal Cruelty

    Adam Higginbotham discussed various aspects of the Chernobyl disaster. Followed by Wayne Pacelle on animal welfare issues.More »
  • Animal Welfare Show

    In the first half, Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) joined George Knapp for his annual animal welfare program to discuss his latest book, The Humane Economy. During hour three, Maria Kalinina of Humane Society International talked about...More »
  • Animal Welfare

    Wayne Pacelle, CEO and president of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) joined host George Knapp in the first hour to kick off a program on various animal welfare issues. In the second hour, Kitty Block, vice president of Humane Society International, and Adam...More »
  • Animal Activism

    George Knapp was joined by Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the US, along with undercover investigator Cody Carlson and public policy manager Matthew Dominguez, for a discussion on how animal activists have infiltrated big agricultural operations and exposed the...More »
  • Whale/Dolphin Captivity

    Marine mammal activists Wayne Pacelle, Mark Palmer, Ric O’Barry and Samantha Berg joined George Knapp for a discussion on the new film Blackfish, which exposes what goes on behind the scenes at Sea World, whale/dolphin captivity and marine welfare.More »
  • The Key

    Author Whitley Strieber joined George Knapp to discuss the events in his classic book The Key, and what happened when a strange man showed up unannounced and imparted extraordinary lessons to him in 1998. First hour guest, Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of...More »

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