Kitty Block

Kitty Block is the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the animal protection organization which works to end cruelty towards animals. She is the first woman to hold the position in the organization’s history. She additionally serves as Chief Executive Officer of Humane Society International, overseeing its work in more than 50 countries.

Block first joined HSUS as a legal investigator. Her litigation and lobbying efforts have led to bans on slaughtering horses for human consumption in the U.S., bans on U.S. imports of dog and cat fur, and greater protections for whales and dolphins.

She has been an advisor to the White House on trade and environmental policy, working under the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, and she has served multiple elected terms on the International Dolphin Conservation Agreement International Review Panel, which works with governments on monitoring violations of the agreement. In 2023, Forbes named Block to its "50 Over 50" list of women who are changing the world.

Block received a law degree from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in communications and philosophy from the University of New Hampshire. She is a lifelong animal lover who helped her mother rescue and care for pets and other animals in need as a child.