Helen Jones
Person

Co-founder, Humane Society of the United States; Founder, International Society for Animal Rights; deceasedHelen Jones broke with the American Humane Association and provided substantial support to help start the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), originally called the National Humane Society. HSUS is now the world’s richest animal-rights organization. Jones left HSUS in 1959 to found the National Catholic Society for Animal Welfare, which was renamed the International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR). ISAR, whose sole focus used to be animal research, is credited with the first animal-rights protest at the White House, on July 10, 1966, and with helping pass the predecessor to today’s Animal Welfare Act. In 1992, ISAR promoted Homeless Animals Day with candlelight vigils outside animal shelters.