The Humane Society of the United States was established on November 22, 1954, in Wilmington, Delaware as the National Humane Society. It’s the largest animal protection organization in the world with over seven million members. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) grew out of the International Humane Association, which was founded on October 9, 1877, in Cleveland, Ohio. That association was formed from the merging of 27 organizations around the country. They changed their name to the American Humane Association in 1878. During World War I, they rescued injured horses from battlefields. In 1940, they became the primary organization that oversees the humane treatment of animals on film and television sets. (They provide the trademark certification “No Animals Were Harmed,” that appears in the end credits.)