The past year has been an amazing time for all of us here at The Humane Society of the United States. From saving tens of thousands of American horses from European dinner plates to rescuing thousands of Katrina’s stranded pets, we’ve been leaders in protecting animals from cruelty and suffering.

But none of what we’ve accomplished this year would have been possible without you and other members of our online community. The time you take to sign a petition, make a donation, contact your lawmakers, or tell your friends about our campaigns makes a real and lasting impact on the lives of animals.

This year, we have seen the power of your participation in our important campaigns; your actions directly influenced changes in animal protection polices at the federal level and beyond.

Here are just two examples of the victories you helped deliver for animals in 2005:

Victory for America's Horses.
Our campaign to end horse slaughter in America secured a major legislative victory in the U.S. Congress -- one that will protect nearly 90,000 American horses from being slaughtered and their meat sent to Europe and Asia for human consumption. It was a tough battle, but in the end, the outspoken opposition to the slaughter by The HSUS and advocates like you finally led to federal protection of these majestic animals.

Trader Joe's goes cage-free!
Just last month, after a concerted four-month HSUS campaign during which advocates like you sent tens of thousands of e-mails and letters and made countless phone calls, the grocery store chain Trader Joe's pledged that its own brand of eggs will now be entirely cage free. As a result, an estimated 380,000 laying hens -- who provide the more than 100 million Trader Joe's brand eggs sold each year -- will be spared lives spent suffering in battery cages, which confine the birds so much that they can’t even spread their wings.

There are always more ways you can make a difference for animals with just a few clicks of your mouse. If you haven’t already taken these actions, please so do now! Your participation can help push these issues over the finish line:

• Plan for pets in disasters. When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, people were forced to evacuate and leave their pets behind. Before the next disaster strikes, click here to urge your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to pass the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, which would require state and local authorities to include pets and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans.
• Put an end to animal fighting. Click here to contact your Representative and urge him or her to cosponsor the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act today and elevate animal fighting in the United States to a felony level.
• Pledge to be Fur Free. Many of us would never consider wearing real fur clothing, but even compassionate consumers may be duped into buying real fur products because of manufacturers who exploit labeling loopholes. You can help put an end to this deception by signing our simple pledge to be "fur-free" this winter. Click here to sign the pledge today.